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Steel grunted. “That’s not important to him.”
I couldn’t dispute that. Steel knew Emerson way better than I did, and I had no evidence one way or the other. I sighed and crossed my legs, feeling impatient. “I just want to get out of here before being found.”
We only had to wait a few more minutes before Emerson reemerged. He didn’t look happy, but then again, his mood today had been consistently sour.
“Well?” Ethan asked before the rest of us could.
“Archuleta said to meet at one of his estates. Kent is there. He’s going to bring him in. I tried to talk him out of it, but he refused to listen. Let’s hope that doesn’t backfire. We may spook whoever is behind this.”
“Do you think it might flush the real culprit out?” I asked.
Emerson shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, we need to go.”
Steel gave him a flat look. “Just the four of us?”
“Yes. He doesn’t want me to bring a bunch of people. I already called Jack and told him to get the shuttle prepped and ready. We’re leaving now.”
I dropped my head back against the seat. “No rest for the wicked.”
Emerson gave me an almost wolfish smile. “Coming over to the dark side, are we?”
“Not even close.” I stood up and gave him a look of pure granite. “Let’s do this.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ethan
The ride to Archuleta’s estate was a fast one. Julia and I sat next to each other, almost touching, but not quite. I wanted to touch her, to hold her hand, but we both knew that wasn’t a good idea. Emerson might only tease us about it if he noticed, but others might choose to exploit it. I didn’t think Steel would cause any problems for us since it didn’t seem like he cared, but there was no way to gauge what the crew might think. Granted, Jack was the only other crew member on the shuttle, and he was busy piloting, but given the circumstances, being extra cautious felt like the best move.
Julia didn’t say much on the ride. She seemed a little more reserved than normal. I got the sense that undertaking a romantic relationship would be a massive step for her, especially if she hadn’t had a real relationship in years. She’d had a messed-up childhood, and I knew that affected her in every area of her life, including the romance department.
Part of me was surprised by how much I wanted a relationship with her and how much I was willing to risk for her. I had dated when I was with Goliath, but those relationships had been shallow at best. They had been solely focused on having fun and hadn’t been serious at all. At least when I made it to college the relationships matured. None of those girls knew about my past. Somehow, none of the women I dated had felt like the one, but with Julia it was different. I’d never felt this invested in a relationship, and Julia and I weren’t even dating yet. This was new and fragile and important.
The good news was we could figure everything out once this was all over with. We could take things slowly. I wanted to show Julia how much I cared about her without scaring her off. I needed time to figure out how to do that.
“We’re here.” Jack spoke from the cockpit when we started to descend.
Emerson, who was sitting across from me, gave each of us stern looks. “Remember, don’t say anything. And don’t start any fights. We’re here to pick up Kent, not divulge what we know to Archuleta. Not yet. Is that clear?”
I nodded, as did the others. Julia scratched the back of her head. “I take it you have no desire to turn this over to Archuleta to finish, huh?”
“No. I’m going to find that merchandise myself. I don’t trust him to finish this and not blame me. If he wants his merchandise back, then I’m going to get it.”
When the shuttle touched down, Jack got up and opened the cargo door. Outside the shuttle stood five men, all armed, though no guns were currently pointed at us. Their eyes were wary, as though they didn’t trust us. I didn’t appreciate the hostility.
Emerson led the way down the ramp. Julia and I followed next. As soon as my foot touched the ground, a frigid breeze blew up, making me tense. I didn’t mind winter, since I knew all seasons had a purpose and a beauty all their own, but the wind felt like a bad omen.
Julia whistled quietly under her breath, and I followed her eyes to see what she was so impressed with. Once I saw the massive, towering building, I almost whistled myself. Archuleta’s home was more of a mansion than a house. It had five levels and thick, white columns in the front, framing an enormous wooden front door. The house angled at the sides, producing east and west wings, both of which were made of brick and covered in decorative vines. The landscaping was immaculate. Sculpted shrubs lined the walkways, and ornate iron fences surrounded little flower gardens, though of course no flowers were currently blooming.
I glimpsed a few other buildings as well, but beyond a hangar, where he probably stored multiple private aircraft and spacecraft, I couldn’t make out what the other buildings were. The front yard, where we landed, was huge and bare. In the summer it was undoubtedly a perfect shade of green. Farther away, I could see a wall surrounding the entire property.
“I knew he was rich, but this is ridiculous,” I murmured to Julia.
She grunted in agreement. The men were already ushering us towards the house. I stayed at her side and kept my eyes open and alert. We might have been allies of Archuleta, but this place wasn’t safe. The vibes coming out of the house were dark and foreboding despite its opulent appearance.
Emerson didn’t look impressed or intimidated as he walked towards the mansion. I don’t know if it was a front he was putting on, or if he just didn’t care. He seemed to be good at pretending to be indifferent when he wanted to, but I might have been the only one to notice the foreboding nature of the house. It wouldn’t have been the first time I’d picked up on something that others hadn’t.
The door opened promptly when we approached to reveal more guards. They stepped aside so we could enter. Marble floors lined the entryway, and a massive chandelier hung suspended from the high ceiling. A wide, curving staircase led up the right side of the room to the next floor with gold-plated railings. Bronze statues stood in the corners of the room, adding to the opulence.
