Chapter 136

Meanwhile, in a dark bedroom inside a villa in Basterel, a battered, bloodied man lay sprawled on a messy bed.

Kingston stepped out of the bathroom when he heard his phone ring. Picking it up, he heard the voice say, “Sir, Mr. York and Ms. Shue have departed for Mysonna.”

It was nearly 3 p.m. when Joshua and Shermaine landed in Mysonna. But to reach Xenhall, they’d still have to drive another seven hours.

A driver and assistant sent in advance were already waiting at the airport.

When Joshua and Shermaine got in the car, the man asked, “Night roads aren’t easy. Do you want to rest overnight here and head out in the morning? Or just drive straight through and stop at a roadside inn if it gets too late?”

Shermaine had no interest in lingering. She wasn’t there to sightsee. After a moment of thought, she said, “Let’s keep going. If we get too far behind or it’s too dark to drive, we can stop at a motel along the way.”

As they left the city, the road got rougher. But oddly, they passed quite a few other vehicles. As dusk fell, the sky dimmed into a gray–blue haze, eventually swallowed by night.

Shermaine rolled down the window to get a better look. Something in the air told her rain was coming. Once it rained, the road would be even harder to travel.

Just then, another car approached from the opposite direction, driving slowly on the bumpy dirt road.

The vehicles passed each other close, and the men in the other car stared as soon as they saw Shermaine–her beauty obvious even through the car window. One of them let out a low whistle.

Shermaine sized up the man–dark, weathered skin and a burly build; unmistakably a tomb raider.

“Holy shit, that chick in the opposite car is smoking hot,” he blurted out. Hearing this, the guy next to him leaned over for a look.

“Damn, she is a hottie.” With a cocky grin, he leaned out the window and called out, “Hey there, pretty lady!”

Another smirked. “Lucky bastard in that car, huh? Bringing a babe like that into this godforsaken place. You sure know how to live.”

Their vulgar remarks were impossible to ignore. From the back seat, Joshua heard everything. His eyes darkened, a flicker of menace surfacing in his usually calm gaze. He leaned forward and rolled up the window, cutting off their view of Shermaine.

“Where are they headed?” Shermaine asked.

“Same place as us,” the driver said.

“There’s a tomb there?” she asked.

James Miller, the driver, was surprised that Shermaine had figured it out. She might be young, but she sure knew a lot. “Yeah, I heard it’s the ancient tomb of the Cursed Queen. Now, every tomb raider wants a piece of the action.”

James shuddered inwardly. Mysonna was already known for being eerie. James had suffered more than once since arriving. He was terrified of the area’s reputation. And now these fools wanted to break into some cursed tomb?

Shermaine was about to say something, but Joshua cut in, “Step on it. The rain’s coming any minute now.”

“Yes, Mr. York.”

Shermaine had been about to mention the coming rain, but since Joshua had already said it, she kept quiet.

Just then, the men in the opposite vehicle turned their attention to Joshua.

One of the men nudged his buddy and said, “See that guy in the opposite car?

“He looks pretty soft, like some rich city boy. Check out that fancy watch; he’s probably loaded.”

“What, you got the hots for him?”

They burst into arrogant laughter. “That guy’s an easy mark. I’ve got my eyes on his watch, and the woman next to him too. Out here in this godforsaken place, we can do whatever we want, and no one will ever know. Am I right, boys?”