“You said you could start right away. Is that still the case?” he asks as he gets up from his chair, walking around the desk until he stands in front of me. Even while sitting, I’m not much shorter than him and it’s kind of satisfying to watch him crane his neck as I stand up.
I nod, remind myself to smile, and take his outstretched hand.
“Well, Mr. Mills, this is the first day at your new job. Let’s get your luggage from the hotel. My driver will take you to your workplace, or should I rather say your new home,” he says, already busy with his phone again.
I’m slightly disappointed that Dominic isn’t the one waiting for me in front of the hotel, but the new guy also isn’t prone to small talk. Somehow, I thought that I’d share a car with Mr. Barron, but we just follow him.
My thoughts start to drift as we drive towards the house. I want to use my time here efficiently, so that I can go back to base as soon as possible.
I’m mostly done with plotting my next steps as the driver turns into what I can only describe as the longest driveway I’ve ever seen. It’s lined with trees and while other people may find them aesthetically pleasing, I only see them as opportunities for enemies to hide behind.
The house fits the driveway, but it also doesn’t. I’ve seen my fair share of houses during my career. Big ones, small ones, luxurious ones, absolutely crazy ones. But this right here is just—I don’t have the words to describe it.
It’s something between old money and movie villain, as if someone told the architect, “Make it look fucking expensive.”
Indirect lights illuminate the entire house, the trees, and the cars that stand in the open. Max would love it. Not only the lights, but also the cars. I’m not into cars, more of a motorbike guy, but even I recognize a Ferrari when I see one.
Mr. Barron leans against the car he came here with while he watches me haul my two bags out of the trunk and I feel like I just stepped foot on a film set.
A few of our partners have fancy houses, and even let us stay there from time to time, to celebrate after a successful mission, but I’ve never stayed in such a luxurious house for longer than one night.
He dismisses the driver with a gesture of his hand while movement behind one of the second-floor windows catches my attention.
Mr. Barron follows my gaze, and the curtain closes again before I can make out anything.
Must be the infamous Ruby.
I wonder if she’ll come down to greet me, but as soon as Mr. Barron unlocks the front door, my question is answered. He just sighs over the sound of a door being slammed shut and my concerns that she is an annoying brat solidify.
I can’t believe that she’s supposed to be around the same age as Max. Not that Max is what I would call an adult, but at least he doesn’t slam doors shut and hides in his bedroom.
Mr. Barron and Ruby seem to have an interesting father-daughter relationship, but that’s none of my business. I’m here to monitor him, his business partners, and his annoying spawn, and not to play hobby psychologist. Even though I could, at least judging by the amount of self-help books Rockwell subtly placed in my room on base every two weeks for the past year.
Mr. Barron shrugs his shoulders and gives me an apologetic look before he proceeds to show me around. We start the tour with the security systems that are surprisingly moderate for a man like him. I expected more, and I also expected cameras.
“No cameras,” he interrupts my thoughts. “We had some, but after Ruby destroyed them for the fourth time, I didn’t bother replacing them.”
So far I haven’t met her, but the image I have of her in my mind gets worse with every new thing that I learn about her. I should thank her for rebelling against the cameras, though. That’ll make my mission much easier.
The house has a mostly open floor plan. Adjacent to the hallway is a vast living room with floor-to-ceiling windows that allow a view into a garden so big that I can’t see where it ends. I’m a bit too excited for my own good as I see the pool. Logan knew something I didn’t when he told me to pack swim shorts.
To the right of the living room is an open kitchen and a glass staircase that leads up to the second floor. Out of the corner of my eye, I see another, smaller hallway, which faces the staircase. Mr. Barron walks straight past it as he shows me the house and I make a mental note to find out more about the room at the end of the hallway.
“Feel free to use all the amenities, as long as you make sure that Ruby stays inside the house,” he says as he shows me the home gym. It’s stocked like a commercial one and, most importantly, it doesn’t reek like the one we have at base. And I don’t have to listen to Rockwell’s old-man grunts when he lifts weights. Maybe this situation isn’t so bad after all.
As luxurious as this house is, it feels empty and lifeless. Like showcase rooms in furniture stores. There are no family pictures on the wall, not an ounce of personality showing apart from the few things that are strewn around.
A fuzzy blanket on the couch, a pair of slippers, dirty dishes in the kitchen, and a towel on one of the pool loungers. It reminds me of his office, just less tidy.
We walk up the stairs and I follow him past two doors until he comes to a halt in front of what I suspect is my bedroom. There’s only one door left next to it and the sound of a blaring TV tells me that the room next to mine must be Ruby’s.
“There are two other bedrooms on the first floor if you want a different room, but this one is better for keeping track of her,” he says as he opens the door for me.
Calling this a bedroom is an understatement. Not even Rockwell’s quarters on base are as spacious and he’s a goddamn captain. The room is equipped with everything I could need. A king size bed, a small desk by the window, and a huge personal bathroom. From my window, I can overlook the whole driveway.
Mr. Barron excuses himself while I carry my bags into my new temporary home. I open the zip of my bag and start to put my stuff in the closet, but then I hear him knock on Ruby’s door.
I’m usually not one to eavesdrop, but it’s not like I can just ignore him. He knocks and knocks, repeatedly asking Ruby to come out of her room and be polite. In response, she turns the volume of the TV up.
