Chapter Sixteen
Emily walked through the door of the newest hotel they were staying in. Patio windows took up the entire back. The wall to the right was an orangish-brown color while the rest were a soft yellow. A red sofa faced a small oblong coffee table and two light-green chairs. The television sat under a short four-drawer dresser and next to a workstation. The bedrooms connected on each side weren’t big compared to ones in a big city, but the suite served its purpose.
She set her purse on the coffee table before she dropped onto the sofa. Light from the windows brightened the room. Leaning sideways, she placed her elbow on the armrest and pushed her fingers into her hair.
Andrew put the car key on the table as he strode toward the window. He seemed happy about the house and couldn’t stop talking about it in the Jeep. Matt had several good ideas for the basement and better security. Both men had sounded excited about the new home. While she looked forward to settling down and was glad to have finished house hunting, she couldn’t shake the melancholic feeling within her. Andrew would depart the Earth in eight months.
Matt took a seat in the green chair to her left. He stretched his legs out and rested his arms on the wood rests. The soldier had such a kind and generous heart. She thanked the powers that be in heaven for putting him in their lives.
“You’ve been quiet,” Matt said. “Is something on your mind?”
She straightened and lowered her arm. She didn’t want to talk about her feelings anymore. Nothing would change. Nothing could change. But there had been an issue on her mind they needed to discuss again.
“I like your ideas for extra security,” she said. “I think it would be a good idea to add everything as soon as we take possession.”
Andrew slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he turned to face them. He wore a short-sleeved blue plaid shirt with a white one underneath. Gauze hid the tattoo of the demon’s name on his arm. “I agree. The sooner, the better.”
“So far we’ve been fortunate Steven or another enforcer hasn’t found us. But I still fear someone might show up one day,” she said.
Andrew took a seat in the other green chair. “She’s right. I transferred all my funds to her online account and then she transferred money to yours. We know they tracked my transactions, so it’s possible they could track hers, too.”
Emily met his gaze. “There is a way to keep Steven or any enforcer off our backs for a little while longer.”
Andrew leaned back in his chair as he stared at her. Many times over the last six weeks they’d talked about going to San Antonio to pursue the demon on his arm. Guilt lingered in her head for what had happened to him in DC. She didn’t want him to have to fight and kill another enforcer or Steven if he returned. While he despised what he’d done and wanted to make amends somehow with those in charge upstairs, he’d delayed going after the demon. She believed his decision was to protect her.
When enough silence had passed, she said, “We found a house. Cross that off the list and the rest that is left can wait a few months. This is the best time to destroy a demon.”
Andrew shifted his gaze to Matt.
“She has a point, but someone needs to stay here to deal with the appraiser, the home inspector, and appear at the closing. Since I’m the one paying and signing the documents, it has to be me,” Matt said.
“We can stay here until after the closing,” Andrew said, looking at her. “There are other hotels in the area or we can go to a nearby town and stay there. You could look for a doctor in Saint George and schedule a checkup.”
“If we wait another thirty days to go to San Antonio, my belly could stick out another two to three inches. I won’t feel comfortable, and I won’t be as mobile,” she said.
“Then I can go by myself,” Andrew said.
“No.” She shook her head. “We work as a team. We always have. Remember?”
After everything they’d been through together, she shouldn’t have to remind him they were a good team. The fact she had to bring it up led her to believe he placed her and the baby’s safety above everything else. While she loved and appreciated his affection and concern, she understood he had a job to do, a sentence to fulfill. The delay in destroying the demon had been long enough. He needed to take action now and she refused to let him go on his own.
He bobbed his knee. “It’s dangerous for you.”
“I will stay in the car. I won’t go anywhere near the demon. But you need me, and this is the best time to take care of that demon,” she said.
“That reminds me,” Matt said. “I need to buy a car. Whether you leave tomorrow or in thirty days, I’ll need my own set of wheels to run errands. There are a few rental places in town. I can get a vehicle to use until I purchase one.”
Emily continued to gaze at Andrew. “We shouldn’t put this off any longer. If you go alone, there is a greater risk you won’t come back to see the baby born.” She paused to face Matt. “Tell him I’m right.”
Matt shook his head. “You’re both family to me. She’s right, you shouldn’t go alone because of the risk.” He turned to Emily. “But I also think it’s dangerous for you to go in your condition. However, you have good skills and you’re the best person to go with him since I have to stay here. You need to take extra precautions to protect the life of that baby growing in your womb.”
She nodded in agreement. Matt was an honest, straightforward man. If he believed beyond any doubt she shouldn’t go, he would’ve said so.
Andrew stopped moving his knee. “All right. We can leave tomorrow.”
“I can look for places to stay. If you give me credit card information, I can book everything from my laptop,” Emily said.
“Since I have two cards, I can give you one,” Matt said.
“Perfect,” she said. “Do you need any more cash moved to your account since you’ll be buying a car?”
“No, I have plenty,” Matt said.
Relief trickled through her as she took a breath. They had a house secured and now they could go to San Antonio with minimal fear of an enforcer finding them. If Andrew could destroy the demon without too much trouble, they could return to Saint George and relax until the baby arrived.
The guilt weighing down her conscience started to lessen. All they had to do was avoid as much danger as possible for Andrew to destroy the demon.