Unconventional

I stiffened visibly in the doorway, but did my best to remain in control. If I let go of the door, my arms would shake. My whole body, even.

“But please,” the man continued, “hear me out. I’m prepared to pay you a good deal more than Travis Lockhart initially paid for this property. Twenty-percent over that price, plus the cost of all renovations you’ve already done.”

“So you’d pay more than this place is worth?”

“Basically, yes.”

I fought back a bitter laugh. “And why would you do that?” I challenged. “If what you’re saying is true, why not just wait for it to go back to auction? Get it for a much lower price?”

The man chuckled glibly. “The truth? I’m an impatient man. I want things when I want them, and I don’t like to wait.”

I had to admit, the offer was crazy! The entire purchase price of the property, plus twenty percent. A full reimbursement of reno costs, too.

You could pay back the guys.

It was my first thought. My best thought.

You could pay them five times what you owe them, if you really wanted to...

I turned my chin up again, not even realizing I’d looked down. Slowly I shook my head back and forth.

“Well I don’t know what makes you think I’d sell,” I said, “but I’m already in the home stretch. I’m a few weeks out from final inspections, then I’ll be all done.”

‘Jonathan’ looked left and right, from one side of the bailey to the other. He actually made a tsk-tsk sound, somewhere deep in his throat.

“You’re not going to make your final inspections, are you?”

I wanted to punch him in the jaw. I even made a fist.

“Pardon my bluntness, but it’s just a simple fact. You’re working with a skeleton crew. You have tasks above and beyond what needs to get done, and a very short amount of time to do it all.”

I stared back at the sharply-dressed stranger who seemed quite pleased with himself. By this point, he practically had one foot in my foyer.

“Eat shit, Jonathan,” I declared, then swung the door closed with a satisfying ‘thunk’.

I was already freaked out that the guys weren’t here. It felt so strange coming back to an empty house, when in reality I’d been doing just that for over a year now.

You’re getting attached.

I was, of course. I knew that in my heart. With it came the inevitable probability of being hurt, but that was down the line. Maybe.

“Guys?”

I called out for them anyway, knowing they weren’t there. It made me feel better. Less alone.

The cat was on the table as I crossed into kitchen, thumping its tail silently across a single piece of paper. I scratched it behind the ears, then slid out the note. My stomach fluttered with worry as I read it:

Went to take care of something. Be back later.

- Us

Fifty-Two

NOAH

I counted five of them. Three seated around a table, one at the end of the bar. And of course, the bouncer, Grant. He was as big as he was dumb, and even worse, he knew it. Somehow he was proud of it, too.

FIVE I texted to Chase. BUT NO KILLIAN.