Grounded (Flight for Life Book 2)

by Elaine Meece

  “This concerns your sister.”

  “Megan?”

  “No, Renee.”

  “What about her?” Annie’s brown eyes showed concern. She stopped eating and leaned back in the booth, listening.

  “She dropped by human resources expecting me to hire her for Heather’s position.”

  Annie’s eyes narrowed to slits, and her facial muscles tightened. “I hope you’re kidding.”

  “I’m not. But don’t worry, I didn’t hire her.” He shared how he’d ended Renee’s job quest.

  Annie’s face relaxed slightly. “I wish I’d thought of that.” She dipped her chicken into the sauce. “I warned her to stay away.”

  “I didn’t really believe you’d sent her.”

  “The next time I see her, I’d like to send her to the ER.”

  He grinned. “Oh, let it go.”

  “I’m surprised she didn’t hit on you.”

  Not wanting to embarrass Annie, he didn’t share what her sister had said. He finished his coffee. “Had any more problems?”

  “No. So maybe the creep who slashed my tires is tormenting someone else.”

  “Maybe.” He didn’t really think so. “I need a favor.”

  Her eyes grew guarded. “Depends. What kind of favor?”

  “One of my friend’s daughters is getting married. I don’t want to go to the wedding alone. Would you consider going?”

  “When is it?”

  Relief ran through him that she didn’t turn him down flat.

  “The weekend after we return from Utah.”

  “Is there a reception?”

  “Actually, it’s a sit-down dinner and dance.”

  He’d failed to mention Shea and Uncle Hayden would be attending. He debated whether to bring it up. The thought of his ex-wife seeing him with someone delighted him. Despite the big glasses, Annie was attractive. Then a cloud of guilt hovered over him. He didn’t like the idea of using Annie.

  She looked hesitant. “You’re so not over your ex-wife not to mention there’s a policy prohibiting you, the management from dating me, the employee.”

  “It’s not a date.”

  The tension in her face eased. “So long as we’re clear it’s not a date, I’ll go. After all, I owe you a favor for taking me home.”

  “Look, I have to be honest about this. Part of the reason I want you accompanying me is to make Shea jealous. She’ll be there with Hayden.”

  “In that case, I’ll wear my contacts and leave my hair down.”

  “It doesn’t bother you?” Brice asked, trying to read her expression.

  “No. Not since you’ve told me up front.”

  “I was tipped off that you’re interested in the copilot.”

  “I am, but I’m afraid the attraction is very one-sided.”

  An idea came to him. “Maybe we can play it up as a date in front of Evan.”

  “He wouldn’t care.”

  “I’m not so sure about that. While we were talking, he pinned a predatorial glare on me.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, right.”

  “No, he did. Maybe a little jealousy might work.”

  Annie sighed. “Perhaps. What about the damn policy?”

  “I’ll explain it to Cynthia.”

  “Let’s give it a shot.” She blotted her mouth with the napkin. “Are the boys excited about tomorrow?”

  “It’s all they can talk about. They’re already packed. I hate you won’t be with us. They really like you. Shawn’s been working on another joke.”

  “His last joke lacked a little.”

  “Like a punch line.”

  She laughed, then pulled out her phone. “Give me the date and time of the wedding. I’ll add it to my calendar.”

  He pulled his phone out and checked, then gave her the information.

  Stepping out of the restaurant, Brice spotted something zip by him. This time he caught a good look at it. A drone. No doubt it had followed him. “Let’s go. I’m parked a few blocks away.”

  The drone rose higher, but stayed over them.

  “It’s catching us,” Annie warned.

  “It’s been on my tail all day.”

  “How do you plan to shake it?”

  Brice pulled her into the dry cleaners, then peered out the large glass window. “There has to be a back way out.” He faced the clerk behind the counter.

  The older Asian man frowned. “Why you bring attorney?”

  “He’s not an attorney. He’s my boss.”

  The man’s eyes widened as if recognizing him. “Give her no more pants. You keep pants on. She to clumsy to be geisha.”

  “What?” Brice asked, wondering what the man was talking about.

  “Ignore him. Do you have a back way out?” she asked the clerk.

  “You hide from his wife?”

  “No. Look we’ll call it even if you let us use the back door.”

  The man smiled. “Deal. You no come back.”

  “Trust me, I won’t.”

  “Go down hall to back entrance,” the Asian man said. “But remember, we even now.”

  Annie rolled her eyes, grabbed Brice by the arm, and headed down the hall.

  Brice opened the rear door, and they stepped into the alley. He tried to stay along the building. He pointed in the direction of his car. “I’m parked down there. Let’s make a run for it.”

  They walked briskly. The drone spotted them and hovered as they scurried to the SUV.

  “If I had a gun, I’d shoot the damn thing down.” He opened the passenger door for her. “Hop in.”

  “Thanks.” She lowered into the seat.

  He rushed around to the other side and hopped in, fastened his seatbelt, and buckled up. He pulled away from the curb and drove. The drone hovered overhead. “Son-of-a-bitch. That thing is right on top of us.”

  Trying to watch the drone, Brice ran a red light. Thank goodness nothing had been coming. He turned down several streets but couldn’t lose it.

  In desperation, Brice whipped into a parking garage, drove around, then backed into a parking spot and cut off the engine.

  “How long do you plan to wait?” Annie asked.

  “I’m not sure. I know who’s behind it.”

  “Who?”

  “Kayla Miller.” He explained what she’d said at the board meeting and about the gift she’d sent.

  Annie didn’t look convinced. “Could be. Did you consider Cynthia? Maybe she’s afraid you’ll meet with Kayla on the job offer.”

  His stomach twisted. He hadn’t considered Cynthia, but it was a possibility. “How’d you hear about it?”

  “They were talking about Kayla Miller’s offer on the Chicago flight.”

  “You really think Cynthia could be behind it?”

  “Maybe.” Annie paused. “Thanks for lunch.”

  “Thanks for going. I don’t like eating alone. Being CEO is a lonely job.”

  “Being a flight attendant who sees a limited number of people can also be lonely.”

  “Have you considered working anywhere else?”

  She smiled. “Sometimes. But I like not having to work every day and still receive a salary.”

  “Yes, but you’re at the company’s beck and call.”

  “True.”

  “How do you spend your time off?”

  “Reading and painting sums it up.”

  “You paint houses?”

  She laughed. “No. Art. What about you?”

  “Actually, no hobbies. Work and the kids. Since the divorce and living alone, I have a lot of free time on my hands.”

  “How long have you been divorced?”

  “It’ll be a year in June. I thought Shea was happy. I came home one day, and she had my things packed and at the door.”

  “Did you ask her why?”

  He nodded. “Said, she felt smothered. Her parents kept her in private girls’ school. Then she attended a female college. I was the first guy she’d ever seriously dated.”r />
  “Did she graduate?”

  “Yes. But she ended up staying home while all our focus centered on my career.”

  “I presume she wants a career now?” Annie asked.

  He nodded. “That’s what she claims.”

  “You were the only man in her life?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. I guess now she’s having regrets she didn’t date more. Over the last year, I kept waiting for her to realize what a mistake she made. That’s why I haven’t become involved with anyone.” He wanted to switch the focus off of him. “Have you ever been engaged?”

  She nodded. “Once.”

  “Did you get cold feet?”

  “No.” Annie told him about Cameron. “Two weeks before the wedding he returned to his ex-wife. That’s why I’d rather not be involved with a divorced man. Since Evan has never been married, I thought he was perfect.”

  He wondered how far her relationship with the copilot had gone. He changed the subject. “You said you have two sisters. Tell me something about your other sister. Older or younger?”

  “Older. I’m the youngest. Megan is a couple of years older.”

  “Where is she?”

  Her face paled, and her eyes reflected sadness. “In Phoenix. She’s married with an eleven-year old from her first marriage and is expecting a baby.”

  “Do you ever see her?”

  “No, we write. They don’t have phone coverage where she lives.” She glanced at her watch. “We’ve been here over thirty minutes. Maybe, we should make a break for it.”

  “I have a better plan.”

  They left the car and walked to the cashier’s booth on the lower level of the parking garage. He called a taxi and instructed the driver to pull into the garage.

  Within thirty minutes, the taxi delivered them back to Zurtel without the drone tagging along.

  “How will you get your car?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “I’ll call a taxi.”

  She glanced at her watch. “What time do you plan to leave?”

  “Around four.”

  “I’ll swing by to get you and drive you over.”

  He grinned. “That’d be great.” He started to walk away and stopped. “Hey, bring my pants when you come.”

  Guilt shined in her eyes. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”

  Inside his office, he considered what Annie had said about Cynthia using the drone to keep tabs on him. Was she afraid, he’d jump the fence and work for Novik? He planned to find out who was having him followed.

  Chapter Five

  Annie stopped by Abercrombie and Fitch at the Perimeter Mall and described the pants. The store had one pair in the same style, but they were navy. She visited several more stores and showed them the pants. Several offered to order them.

  Annie couldn’t wait; she needed them by that afternoon. She checked with Brook’s Brothers without any luck. Finally, she gave up. Today, she would confess and hope these weren’t his favorite pants.

  When she reached her car, a security vehicle was parked by her car.

  “Is this your car?” the security guard asked.

  “Yes, is there a problem?” Annie glanced at her new tires, feeling instant relief they hadn’t been slashed again.

  “I chased away someone hanging around your vehicle.” He pointed to the side of her car. “He scratched this into the paint.”

  You’ll di…

  Annie gasped. They weren’t writing you’ll dive, or you’ll dip. No, clearly the last word had intended to be die. She considered Ronnie. He had flashed her several hateful glares the other day.

  Two random acts in the same month. Out of all these cars, someone selected hers. Not a chance this was a coincidence. No, this was deliberate.

  “Thanks for running him off.”

  “Sorry I wasn’t able to catch him.”

  “Can you tell me what he looked like?”

  “Tall. Young. He wore jeans and a T-shirt.”

  That description fit a lot of men.

  “This isn’t my first incident recently,” she said. “Do you have a card I can pass to the police?”

  He nodded and handed her one. “I’d be glad to tell what I saw.”

  Rather than go home, she stopped by her parents’ house and had her father look at her car. “This has to be the same person who slashed my tires.”

  “You still think Ronnie had something to do with it?”

  She shrugged. “A security guard saw the guy. His description fits Ronnie.”

  Her father walked into the garage and returned with a rag and a spray can. “This will rub it right out.”

  “Wait. Let me take a picture of it.” She snapped several closeup photos, then texted them to Detective Tabor with the security guard’s contact information. She doubted whoever did it left fingerprints.

  Her father sprayed the solution and buffed it out, removing the letters. “There you go. Good as new.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  Her mom pulled up and drove into the garage. She climbed from her car and walked back to Annie’s car.

  Her father explained what had happened.

  “You should’ve called the police,” her mom said.

  “I sent the information to the detective. There’s not much he can do on this.”

  “You need to make a list of everyone you’ve pissed off,” her father said.

  “That’s not hard. The only people I’ve had cross words with are Renee and an older short Asian man at my dry cleaners. Trust me, he doesn’t fit the description the guard gave.”

  “It wasn’t Renee,” her mother said.

  Her father twisted his lips in hesitation. “She thinks it’s Ronnie acting on Renee’s behalf. Maybe, you’re right. After you left, the other night, I heard him call you a greedy bitch. Your sister scolded him for it and mentioned all the times you’ve helped her in the past.”

  “I’ll mention it to Renee,” her mom said.

  “Don’t bother. What you can mention is that I didn’t appreciate her lying to my boss and telling him I sent her to apply for Heather’s job.”

  “She had to lie. You weren’t willing to help her,” her mom said.

  “Do I need to remind you what happened at my last job? Remember, I was fired because of Renee.”

  Her mother timidly nodded.

  “Besides, it turns out there’s a company policy against family members working there.” She turned to her father. “See if you can find out where Ronnie was this morning without telling Renee. Why rock the boat until you know you have the right fish?”

  Her father chuckled, then wiped his brow. “You still going to see Megan?”

  “That’s my plan.”

  Her dad pulled out his wallet and handed her a hundred-dollar bill. “Add this to whatever money you’re giving Megan.”

  Annie could’ve passed out. She took the money and slipped it in her billfold. “If I don’t see her, I’ll bring it back.”

  “Tell her we love her,” her mother added.

  Her father hugged her. “Like your mom said, be extra careful. Those people live by a different mindset than most.”

  At four, Annie pulled in front of Zurtel. Brice stood on the steps waiting. She rolled down the window. “Am I late?”

  “No, I just came down.” He grinned. “Did you confront Renee?”

  “No, I’ve had a bigger problem to deal with.” She removed her phone and showed him the picture. “This happened at the mall.”

  He listened while she explained everything. “It’s odd this happened after Renee didn’t get a job.”

  She shrugged. “It’s not my fault she didn’t get the job. Of course, Java man might not know that. He might assume I could have pulled a few strings and had the policy ignored.”

  “Whoever is doing this stuff will probably back off while you’re out of town.”

  “I hope so.” Annie’s phone rang. She glanced at the caller’s name. “Hello, Evan.”

  “Sorry, I’m just now getting
back with you. What’s up?”

  “When I called, I was stranded at the theater.”

  “Car problems?” Evan asked.

  “Guess you could say that. Someone slashed my tires.”

  “Shit. I’m sorry I cut you off. Did you find a ride?”

  “Yes. Brice, I mean Mr. Jordan drove me home.”

  “Ask him if he’s going with us to Utah,” Brice said.

  She repeated the question to Evan.

  “You’re with Mr. Jordan?”

  “Yes. He needed a ride, so I’m returning the favor. That and he threw in a free lunch.”

  Evan remained silent a moment. “Yeah, I’m going.”

  “I need to run. We’ll see you tomorrow.” She disconnected and glanced at Brice. “You might be right about Evan. He seemed a little frazzled.”

  Brice grinned. He had the sexiest grin. His eyes sparkled and dimples popped out. “Good, and I think Shea will croak when I show up with you.”

  By the time Annie drove him to the garage where he’d left his car, the drone had gone.

  Brice opened the car door. “Thanks for the ride.”

  “It was no trouble at all.”

  He unfolded his tall body from her car. Before climbing in his car, he turned and waved at her. Once he started his SUV, she pulled away.

  That night, she set her bags in the front room, locked the doors, and headed for bed. She had wanted to start another painting, so it could dry while she was gone. With all her errands, the day had passed in a flash.

  Annie still hadn’t come up with pants for Brice. Tomorrow, if he asked about them, she’d tell the truth. It’d be time to come clean. She chuckled at her pun.

  Her phone played the familiar tune. “Hello, Detective Tabor. Did you receive my text?”

  “I did. But there’s not much to go on.”

  “I’m sorry I bothered you.”

  “You didn’t. I’m taking your case very seriously. And from what I read, someone was writing a death threat to you. If anything happens, don’t hesitate to call me.”

  As she tried to fall asleep, something occurred to her. How had the person who’d vandalized her car found her both times? Someone had to be watching her house?

  ♦♦♦

  Megan sat on her bed and studied her face in the tiny piece of mirror she kept. While the bruises on her back, hips, and legs remained visible, the one on her cheek had faded to a yellowish color.