Chapter 20
CHRISTOPHER
The silence is deafening.
“But you got the diamond, right? The Hoffmann Diamond?”
I stare at the screen of my phone, seeing the faces of my crew. None of them look happy to see me and I can’t say I blame them.
“No. There was a… situation.”
“A situation.” Horace leans forward, his left nostril taking up most of the camera, “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Calista got the diamond as well.”
More silence.
Painful, lung-crushing silence.
“Look, I know what it looks like-
“No diamond. No railroad.” Pinching her nose, Mae can’t bear to look at me any longer, “You fucked the mission.”
“It sounds bad right now-
“And you still had time to fuck the Dragon’s daughter.”
I glare at the screen, “Fuck you too, Mae. You have no idea the conditions I was under.”
“What condition? The one where you shoved your cock down her throat?”
Horace lets out a gasp, “You got a blowjob before the job was done?!”
“He sure did.” Jasper pipes up, ever the instigator, “Sounded like a good one, too.”
“Why was I not included in that conversation?”
“Because we knew you would be more excited to hear the dirty details instead of the real problem.” Mae sighs, reaching up to rub the scowl line free, “Christopher fucked the mission.”
Shame sinks heavily on my shoulders.
“Look, I know I messed up but I can fix this.”
“How?”
I swallow, feeling the same question rattling around my skull, “I… I don’t know. Yet.”
“Does this mean you can come home?” Elation lights up Horace’s ruddy cheeks, his lips splitting into a wide smile, “If you hop on the next plane, we can all hit the burnout this weekend. The races haven’t been the same without you, mate.”
“I can’t leave yet. There are some things I need to see through.”
The smile drops from Horace’s face and it takes my fucking heart with it.
“But why-
“He’s going to hit the Seaborn Mansion.” Cutting him off, Jasper finally joins the conversation, “The Sea Witch has been called out of town for business.”
I frown, “When did this happen?”
“Just last weekend.” He hits a few keys and a notification pops up in our chat box, “I pulled the airport security footage to confirm. A private jet will be waiting for her to return at the end of the month. Tickets are registered under her name and everything.”
“That’s the house on the oceanfront?”
He nods, “It was supposed to be the last house you hit because the railroad doesn’t come close to it. You’ll have to enter and exit by land, and you’ll need a crew of at least three to help set up the pulleys for the exterior.”
Jasper pauses, his dark eyes finding mine, “But now that there’s no railroad…”
“It’s the next best thing.” Grabbing the folder from my nightstand, I quickly flip through, “How much time do you need to make a digital model of the interior?”
“Once I have the blueprints, only a few hours.”
Finding the Seaborn file, I lay it flat on the bed. The Sea Witch stares at me from a mug shot, the amusement in her eyes a harsh contrast to the words written across the warrant.
“Arrested for attempted manslaughter and unlawful interrogation techniques, Ursela Seaborn returned to Wolf Hollow after posting bail.” Unease grows in my gut as I stare at the dolled-up woman, “Who posted her bail?”
“It doesn’t say. Probably a family member or close associate.”
The sparse information combined with her sudden absence has my skin crawling. The timing is too convenient, the circumstance too perfect for my liking.
I’ve played this game long enough to know when something smells like a trap, it usually is.
Too bad I fucked any other alternative.
Shoving the bad feeling aside, I skim my eyes down the report, noting the landmarks and birth dates that might come in handy.
“It says she has a kid.”
“She did.”
“Did?”
“Tristan Seaborn died twelve years ago. The official report says he died of second-hand drowning. But the rumours…” Jasper hesitates, “The rumours say he died trying to run from his mother. Jumped off the dock and was never seen again.”
A chill trickles down my spine.
“So we’re dealing with a psychopath.”
“A psychopath who’s out of town.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I let it out slowly. The pressure is still there, the disappointment and expectations sitting like an anchor on my chest.
“Where’s the father?”
The question comes from Mae, who looks marginally less pissed off than she did two minutes ago.
“He left around the same time the kid died.”
Of course he did.
“Sounds about right.” Clearing my throat, I try not to think about the fact I’m stealing from a childless widow, “Is there anyone else I should be worried about?”
“Nope, you should be all good.” Jasper clears his throat, “Assuming you can keep your dick to yourself, this should be a walk in the park.”
“Or a swim with the fish.”
Horace grins, looking all too pleased with himself.
I groan, “Let’s not joke about me swimming with the fish until after I make it out alive.”
“Technically, eels are her specialty.” Catching my expression, Jasper quickly backpedals, “But that’s not important because you’re going to be long gone by the time the Sea Witch comes home.”
It sounds fucking easy when he puts it like that.
“Right.” Clearing my throat, I look at the family I left behind, “I just want you to know I won’t fuck up again. The next time we call I’ll have something to show for it.”
“There’s nothing we need that we don’t have. Just make sure you get home safe and sound, yeah?”
The soft edge of Jasper’s voice has a lump forming in my throat.
Now that the railroad is out of the question, there is no reason for me to linger any longer. Wolf Hollow has made it’s position clear from day one, it’s hostile exterior nothing compared to the characters who reside inside.
But I want to do this.
For my crew. For their future.
And if I’m being completely honest, for myself.
“Yeah, alright. I’ll give it my best.”
Hanging up the phone, I set it down on the nightstand. The polished surface offers a reflection of an old man, a tired soul clinging to the past like a rusty key that won’t let go.
I lay back on the bed and stare at the ceiling. Nothing but black and white.
White and black.
It’s the same no matter which way you look at it, the luxurious chateau just as cold and empty as our old basement suite.
I miss colour. I miss the crew waiting for me back home.
The ache in my chest expands as the loneliness sets in. It’s a different kind of feeling when the ones you love are halfway around the world.
A separation so sharp it almost feels permanent.
Rolling onto my side, I watch the sun trickle along the walls of the guest bedroom. Over my bag and across my clothes, it doesn’t stop until it’s warming the spot beside me.
Through the window and onto my bedsheets, I can easily picture the strands of blonde hair flared out on the pillow beside me.
Green eyes teasing me until I fall asleep.
Exhaustion pulls me under and I don’t stop to wonder why the feeling of peace came from the bane of my existence.
The hunter to my hunted.
The vixen who knows all the right things to say.