18
Liv’s vehiclerolled to a stop outside the massive steel gate demarcating the entrance to the mysterious Blackwell compound. Several warning signs covered the barrier—Private Property—No Trespassing—DO NOT ENTER—Guard Dog on Duty—giving it a creepy survivalist camp vibe.
Rolling down her window, she took a moment to inhale the fresh morning air before pushing the intercom button.
“State your business,” an authoritarian female voice said through the speaker.
“Olivia Westcott to see Zeke Blackwell.”
“Hold your I.D. up to the camera.”
She did as instructed.
“Leave your electronic devices in the lockbox below the intercom.”
She looked down at the three-by-five metal box with a key sticking out of the lock. It reminded her of the mailbox system at her old apartment building.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t leave my phone.” How would the school get ahold of her if something happened to her son?
“Give the number printed on the box to your office. That number is monitored 24/7.”
Liv gritted her teeth. If she didn’t do as required, she would no doubt be denied access. Zeke had made it clear in his text that he had no intention of returning to the Asheville office.
She texted the number to her emergency group, which included an assistant at her office, Callie, and Pierce. If Brodie’s school couldn’t get a hold of Liv, they would work their way down the list.
After she sent the message, she opened the metal box and placed her phone inside.
“Your watch too,” said the disembodied voice.
Liv gave the camera a blistering stink eye before unfastening her Apple Watch. She placed the device in with her phone.
“Remove the nondisclosure agreement, sign, and bring it with you.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Do I sound like I’m kidding?”
Liv wrenched the one-page agreement out of the box and read it to make sure she wasn’t agreeing to anything that would impair her case. After scribbling her signature at the bottom, she tossed it on the passenger seat before retrieving the lockbox key.
“Follow the signs to the Annex.” The gate swung open, and Liv accelerated through, dropping the key in her cupholder.
Large stands of oak, maple, and pine trees lined the winding asphalt road. A blue jay screeched a warning from deep in the woods and an enormous redheaded woodpecker soared from one side of the road to the other.
It was hard to believe all of this natural beauty harbored a family of thieves.
The closer she got to the Annex, the harder her pulse pounded. She would see Zeke in a matter of minutes. Her nerves had been on edge since receiving his text the night before, confirming his brothers were on board and issuing her an invitation.
“No kissing, no touching, no burning take-me looks,” she warned herself for the thousandth time. “This is business. Treat him like any other collaborator.”
The chant usually worked for about five minutes. After that, images of their night together would creep in, making her hot and achy all over again.
A small parking area appeared and, beyond it, a modern Morton-style office building. The black metal roof and window trim complemented the blue-gray siding. Stone accented the lower third of the building and covered the vestibule. Twin black steel columns dipped in stone at their base flanked the glass entryway. But her favorite feature was the adorable weathervane rising from the highest point on the roof.
Liv pulled into the nearest parking spot. She took a moment to stretch her muscles and don her suit jacket before grabbing her handbag that doubled as a briefcase.
By the time she turned toward the building, a tall woman in her late fifties, early sixties awaited her. Silver streaked her wavy brown, shoulder-length hair and her blue eyes felt like lasers burning straight into Liv’s soul. Something about her seemed familiar, as if they had met before, but Liv was certain their paths had never crossed.
The woman stopped a few feet away and stuck out her hand. “I’m Lynette Blackwell.”