“Type in 1105,” I said.
Sebastianremained still for a moment, his grey eyes searching mine.Finally, he flipped open the black keypad and typed in the numbers. The white garage groaned into life, and opened to reveal an empty spot next to a late 90screamBMW. I stepped back into the car, keeping my gun pointed at Sebastian.
We silentlywalkedover the recently mown grass, and were soon standing in front of the rustic pine front door. I picked up the fading turtle statue and grabbed the silver keys hidden underneath.
I kept my gun trained on Sebastian as I opened the door, not too concerned about anyone being inside. A housekeeper came to check on the house every Thursday, so it’d be fine to hide here for a few days while I figured out a plan.
The scent of muskiness and a plug-in airfresheneroverwhelmed my nose. Breathing in the exact same smell I had eighteen years ago, I steppedintothe house with Sebastian in tow.
Despite my gun aimed in his direction, he stepped towards a wooden console table framed by damask wallpaper. He reachedpastthe many silver picture frames and pickedup the frame with a red heart on it. I stepped closer,recognizing the picture immediately.
An eight year old wispy haired blonde was sitting on the broad shoulders ofherredheadedfather. A twinkle of a smile glimmered inher father’snormally serious eyes. Beside them a blonde womanin herthirties stood with her hands over a large bump protruding from her stomach.
“You were acute kid,” Sebastian said, placing the picture back on the table.
I leaned forward to look at the photo. I was missing my front tooth, but my smile was so wide it threatened to overwhelm my round face.
I kicked off my shoes, making sure that my socks stayed firmly tucked into my sweatpants. OnceSebastiantookoff hisshoes, I turned on the lights and we followed the wall-to-wall cream carpet into the living room.
He plopped down on a white and black striped couch, completely at easeeven though my gun was still trained on him.
“Could you putthat away? I don’t want you to accidentally shoot me, and ruin the carpet. It lookslike it’s basically an antique at this point,” he said with a glance at the shag carpet.
I ran my thumb over the grip of the gun. Should I take the chance of putting my gun away? He was completely unarmed, so I didn't have to worry about him shooting me while I had my guard down. And he knew better than to try to rush me, andrisk getting shot. We both knew he was getting out of this alive as long as he cooperated.
I sighed and placed the gun in my waistband. I’d turned the safety on when we got into the car earlier, so there was never adanger of accidentally shooting him. Maybe it was too risky,but it would be nice to not have to spend my last hours on this earth with a gun in my hand. I’d done enough of that in my lifetime.
“Don’t try anything. I’m really not in the mood to get bloodstains out of the carpet,” I said.
He leaned back into the oversized couch and stared at the arched windows. Black velvet drapes completely blocked out any remnants of the sun. I settled into a matching chair across from him.
“So what’s your plan?”he asked.
What I needed to do was go into my father’s gun safe, and arm myself for when Luca’s men eventually arrived. But the room I needed to go through to reach it…
Iglanced towards the doorway to the kitchen. I just neededto drown out the impact of the memories that would overwhelm me when I walked inthat room.
“Do you know how to make margaritas?” I asked. Again, anotherunnecessary risk. But I really needed a drink after this day.
Sebastiangroaned. “I don’t know how you survived this long.”
Honestly, I was surprised too. It’d beensheerluck that not only had I made it out of a house full of hostilemafiososunscathed, but had also outraced them once I’d gotten in the car.
While we’d been driving here, I’d gonethrough the potential scenarios, and concluded there was no way I could make it out of this alive. Sure, Iplanned to arm myself to the teeth. After all, I had to make my last stand difficult for Luca’s men. But let’s be real, this wasn’t a movie where the heroine takes out 30 men with sheer grit alone.
I nodded towards the doorway, and he followed ahead of me. When we were in the kitchen, I flicked on the track lighting and leaned againstthegranite countertop. I opened up a blonde wood cabinet, and pulled out a white and blue triangular shaped bottle, and a plastic bottle of margarita mix. Usually, I was more of acosmo girl, but I knew there weren’t any fresh ingredients in the house.
I unscrewed the bottle of margarita mix. Eighteen years in a dark cabinet wouldn’t have much of an effect on the Clase Azul Tequila, but I was skeptical if the same could be said for the cocktail mix. I placed the green plastic bottle near my nose and sniffed. Sourness wafted in the air, and I scrunched my nose up.
Sebastian shook his head and leaned down into the bottom cabinet. He came back up with triple sec, agave syrup, a strainer, and a shaker.
While he began shaking up the drink, I opened up the cabinet above my head. Tumblers and wine glasses stared back at me. I smiled when I spied a familiar neoncolored children’s cup.
WhenSebastianfinished with the cocktail shaker,I sat two crystal tumblers in front of him.
Hesnortedand reached back into theliquor cabinet, pulling out of a bottle of Macallan 1926 whiskey.
“Want to give me a house tour?”he asked, leaning against the counter while sipping on his tumbler of whiskey.
