The gravel crunched under the tires of the SUV as Julian steered them up the winding drive of the Glass House. It sat perched on a jagged cliff overlooking the coast, a monolith of cedar and floor-to-ceiling windows that seemed to dissolve the line between the living room and the crashing Pacific below.
The air smelled of salt spray and ancient pine, a sharp contrast to the metallic smog of the city they had left four hours ago.
Julian killed the engine. Silence filled the cabin, thick and heavy, vibrating with a frequency that had nothing to do with the car.
Everyone got their keys? Julian asked.
His voice was steady, the anchor of the group, but his grip on the steering wheel left white knuckles.
Elena shifted in the passenger seat, the silk of her emerald slip dress riding up her t
