Chapter thirty five
For someone who didn't actually have anything going, her residence was really impressive. So much for dating rich athletes.
I'd driven up a cobbled driveway flanked by that artificial kind of lawn that'll tempt anyone to walk upon it.
Crested right on the hilltop, the prominent building gave out no source of light except from the first room upstairs, probably her diner or something.
It was a near mansion having the rare blend of simple beauty and extravagance; and here I was, a renowned boxer living in a gym.
The gateway laid wide open before me, leading straight into the premises which could fairly be used as a resort. Pool, fountain, lawn, trees, those kind of things.
As I'd set the vehicle on park right before the front porch, I wasted a whole minute taking in the view. It was always advised to take in a whole lot of beauty before heading to the dark and ugly part. And when I'd obeyed that advice enough for one night, I alighted the car and strode in.
Just as I'd guessed from outside, stark darkness characterised the interior, although she'd lit up a bunch of candles at several needed places.
Seems she took the whole dinner with Max on a whole different level.
When I finally raised my eyes from gawking around and returned it to my path, there was Emily clothed in a sleeping robe and an inner lingerie as she stood at the base of the spiral stairway.
"It's about time, Jeffery Thompson," she drawled with fake enthusiasm. I didn't even mind as far as she'd done her own part of the deal. "He's upstairs tucked in bed."
"How long could the sedative effects last?" We both began the calm climb up and round the stairs side by side.
At that point, I began to become quite curios as to how she could afford this place.
"It all depends on the body, I guess." Her hand gesture was nonchalant and dismissive, almost like she was dressed for bed and had to wait for me long enough. "What did you say you wanted to do with him again?"
Sighs…
And then, Simon would get mad when I always ignored certain questions. As though it would be very normal if I said I wanted to kill him.
I'd only spared her a side glance and kept silent. The stairway came to an impressive end upon a round hallway that was more or less designed by someone who had a thing for historical architecture.
It was the dark, round, lengthy kind with wall length pictures and stuff. Enough with the admiration though.
The first bedroom appeared soon after, which happened to be the only place that gave a nod towards lighting.
Emily strode in first and gestured for me to follow suit. My breaths hitched behind my throat as anxiety struck again. Here I was engaging on a suicide mission trying to kill someone who had once made a joke out of me on a boxing ring. Somehow, sedated or not, I was nervous.
Stepping over the threshold, my gaze came to fall right on Cooper who was lying carelessly upon the bed like he'd surrendered to it drunk.
"He wasn't an easy weight to support up the stairs," said Emily Randall with a sleepy sigh.
"That's why I paid you, isn't it," I replied without necessarily staring up at her. My feet took me towards the bed quite slowly, cautiously, like I expected him to jump right off that bed and come at me anytime now.
"Which brings us back to my first question, Jeff," she said and crossed her arms over each other. Now, I stared back at her, frankly annoyed by now. She didn't seem to care anyways. "Why would you pay me that much just to drug Max to sleep in the name of trying to even things up with him?"
Pay her that much? Funny how she cared to ask right after she'd accepted the pay. Smiling, I took her entire figure in with a hard glare. "Why exactly do you care?"
"I don't care, honestly," she shrugged again, stalking even closer. "I just want to make sure he doesn't get hurt right after leaving my home, if you know what I mean."
I pretended not to hear that part of her speech. Once again, I looked upon Max, feeling impatience creep up my skin.
When I'd taken two steps away from her, I pulled out the Glock at my hip and refilled with a fresh mag. "Believe it or not, Emily, you don't want to be part of this."
At the sight of the gun, she swallowed deeply as her eyes flared fearfully. However, as composed as she'd trained herself to be, she remained still. "Unfortunately, I am already part of this…"
" Exactly," effortlessly, she'd fallen into her own pit with just a few pull of strings. "If you rat me out, we go together. Asides that, don't ignore the fact I could easily wreck your life if I want to."
"And now, you threaten me," she snickered in disbelief. Gradually, her torso rose and fell with every harsh breath, her eyes on the gun in my hand.
Automatically, I'd laughed as well and walked past her and back to the door, patting her shoulder as I did. "It'll remain a joke as long as you behave. Now, be a good girl and help me take Cooper here to the car downstairs. You don't want your sheets messed up, do you?"