Scarlett & Ethan

Chapter 13

Scarlet P.O.V.

Now that I'm standing right outside Orion's hideout, I find myself feeling reluctant to meet the people inside. I don't know if I can trust them, but I can forever lock them inside if it were to come to that. Oh, for fuck's sake. 

For the first time in years, I have a lead that could actually bring me to Orion. This lead would have been more valid had I gotten it six years ago, when I was supposed to get it. Guess we're not doing that. As I'm standing in front of Orion's hideout, I feel dread at facing the rest. The sun has started setting, and I think I used more time than I thought lost in my head. I take a deep breath and turn the lockdown off. I walk inside, and it's quiet—the type of uneasy quiet before a storm. I lock the door behind me and check the cameras to see what people are up to. I only find Xavier sitting in the living room. He looks far grumpier than usual.

One thing at a time. I walk into the living room. A fuming Xavier stands up. "Are you getting rid of me next?" he says it like an accusation, with a hint of a dare. I could get rid of him. "I could, you know, get rid of you if I wanted. Although I don't know what gave you that impression." I sit down on the sofa opposite the one he just stood up from.

"Calm down so we can talk," I tell him, looking up at him. For the first time ever, I wipe all friendliness from my demeanor. He must sense it—not that it scares him, but I think he wants to hear me out, so he sits back down where he was. "Talk," he says, as if it's just that easy. "You have about five minutes to prove your loyalty to Orion. I'm not entertaining your presence here for longer," I say. He scoffs. "What, now you want me to spill something about Orion? How do I know you're trustworthy? Why don't you prove your loyalty?" I raise an eyebrow. "I don't need you for information, Xavier," I say, crossing my legs and leaning back on the couch. "You, on the other hand, need information. You've been left in the dark all along. I have all your answers except one." He doesn't look happy about it but gives in anyway. "Orion had a necklace," he starts, looking at me accusingly and pointing at my necklace. "A very unique one. He always bragged about how there was only one of it." He tilts his head slightly. "Why do you have his necklace?" I look down at my necklace, unable to help the small smile taking over my face. "That sounds like him," I say, huffing out a laugh. "Did he tell you who made the necklace?" He looks unamused by my lack of an answer. "I made that necklace, Xavier," I say, touching my necklace. "This one isn't his necklace." I take a much-needed breath. "This one is the other half of his necklace, the 'key' to his necklace. He can't take his off without this one." I blink away the memories and look at Xavier. "Enough about that. I need more than that, Xavier. I need to know if I can tell you what I found."

He looks a little torn, but then he nods and says, "Orion left a will," he says. "He left everything to someone. I can't tell you who that is because I don't trust you, Every." I nod. I could tell him that it's me, but I'm not ready to reveal that I'm Orion's daughter. "Scarlett Reynolds," I say. Xavier looks stunned for a second before furrowing his brows. I look at him, unamused. "I told you, I have all the answers." I rise from my seat and get on my phone to find the two imbeciles who probably got caught snooping.

I look for traps that might have been triggered, and I find them right away. Well, to Ravis's credit, he only triggered a trap while looking for Ethan. However, Ethan got trapped snooping around looking for Mason. While we're at it, "I don't like Mason, and I'm not promising his safety. In fact, I'm so furious I might kill him." Xavier looks up at me. He seems uninterested at first, but then he says, "Did he have anything to do with Orion's disappearance?" I shake my head. "Not that I know of, but he held onto a note meant for me." I turn to look at Xavier again. "He delayed everything for six years. Oh, how I want to crush his head."

 Calm down, Scar, calm down. It's not your house. Orion wouldn't approve. Don't break anything. Oh, but screw it. I flip the table over, sending everything crashing to the ground, and it doesn't make me feel good in the slightest. If anything, I feel worse. What if Orion doesn't come back? I don't want to ruin his memories. I regret it, but now I have more anger in my body than I can deal with. I hold my head, trying to keep it together. Xavier hugs me, and it comes as such a shock that my reflexes don't kick in. I don't brush him off or flip him over. I just stand there, and because there is no way I'm crying in front of anyone I switch over to numbness. I stand there for a while, a shell of myself. 

"Orion wants me to find someone," I tell him, because I feel like I have to say something, because it's why he needed to prove his loyalty. More so, I tell him because I need to distract myself, and I'm tired. "I don't trust Ravi and Ethan. You tell them, and I'm getting rid of everyone." And for the sake of comfort, I don't flip him over after all. He lets me go when I tap his arm.

I take a deep breath and finally calm down enough to act like myself again. I turn on my phone and release them from their traps. "You handle them. Tell them snooping is bad and that it will have consequences if they do it again," I instruct, and then I turn and leave. I find Orion's office, then take a hidden passage to the computer room. I start up his computer, wipe away the dust, and keep going. I search for "unsuspicious cat" and "wildness" through his database, and then I wait.

 It doesn't take a minute before the whole house shuts down and starts blaring. Everything goes off, and I feel alarmed for all but two seconds before the computers light up. The one in front of me has some codes going wild. My phone lights up as the computer pings. I look up and it says "phone detected," and not even a second later, it says "necklace detected." Then a red light comes on as the computer asks for my name. God damn it, I knew I got my dramatics from Orion, but hell, this is some new level. I put my name in, and everything goes back to normal, but for only two seconds before a voice memo starts. And even tho there's a lot of background noice, I can still make out Orions voice as clear as day.