by Jasmin Quinn
“Mrs. West!” The flight attendant was clearly frustrated. Olivia looked up again.
The flaw to Jackman’s plan was that the fuck underestimated Olivia. Sure she had no money, no means of calling Hugo, didn’t exactly know where the marina was. But she had something Jackman didn’t have. She had long blonde hair, pretty blue eyes, and enough curves, attitude and charisma to get herself back to Hugo.
“Off you go,” she said to the flight attendant. “I’ve got better things to do.”
She turned her back on the surprised woman and strode off. A few feet, then stopped, then a few more feet, then stopped again. Okay, this was going to take a bit more thought. Especially since it was 5:30 in the morning and even if there was a decent bar in the airport, it wouldn’t be open.
“Fuck,” she said under her breath. She was still on the other side of security where all the departure gates were. And there were tons of people looking tired, bored and unhappy, waiting for their turns to board. She needed a plan and a cell phone. She just needed to borrow a phone and call Hugo, that’s all. Except she didn’t know Hugo’s phone number. Fuck and double fuck.
She needed someone legit to call. Like Marisol. Yeah, Marisol was a good one to call. Her sort of bestie, since she didn’t actually have a friend, if she excluded Hugo, which she did, since they spent too much time fighting to actually be friends. Except she didn’t know her number either. Shit. She could just get a cab and go to the Marina, then Hugo could pay when she got there. Except, what fucking marina? She couldn’t remember the name of the marina, wasn’t sure where it was and was certain that there had to be more than one marina in a city the size of Vancouver.
She shook her head and gave her forehead a little nudge with the heel of her hand. This was starting to be a fucking train wreck. She looked back at the boarding gates she had just walked away from. The flight attendant was gone, the doors were closed, that ship had sailed. That was fine. She didn’t want that to be an option.
She shuddered as she stared around. She was going to end up like that guy in the movie who had to live in the airport for years. May as well sit down then. She spied an open chair at a nearby departure gate, walked over and flung herself into it. Her brain was spinning around with all the possibilities. Okay. She knew one legit person. Marisol. Marisol who? Then a piece clicked. Marisol, whose father was the former Vancouver City Police Chief. That’s what Red said at the party. That had to be public knowledge. She looked up and into the eyes of a tall young man sitting in the row of seats facing her. And the one next to him, and the other one on the other side of him. She looked around. She’d plunked herself down amongst what appeared to be a college basketball team.
She grinned. They all grinned back.
She said, “I need a little help.”
Task one was to find the name of the former Vancouver Police Chief. It was a race among the eight young men and their cell phones. It took about two minutes and they had it. Andrew Doherty. Task two: find Andrew Doherty’s phone number. That was a little more complicated and four of the eight dropped out fast. It took a bit more time, but one little, or rather, tall genius found it. Task three: borrow a cell phone, call Andrew Doherty and convince him to give up Marisol’s phone number.
Task three, part one was easy. Eight cell phones were shoved at her. She rewarded the guy who got Doherty’s number by using his cell phone. Someone else brought her a coffee and she blew him a kiss as she took a sip before she tapped in the number. It took three rings before a sleepy male voice came on the line. “Yeah.”
Olivia frowned, he sounded cranky. “Is this Andrew Doherty?”
The fog cleared out of his voice. She heard some shuffling, “Yes. Who’s this?” She looked up at her male audience and nodded. Everyone, including Olivia, let out a collective sigh of relief.
“Mr. Doherty, sorry to call you so early. My name’s Olivia West and I’m a friend of your daughter’s. I just arrived on a flight from Vegas and I was expecting Marisol to pick me up. She’s not here and I can’t call her directly because my phone died.”
“Then how are you calling me, Ms. West?”
Olivia allowed her brain a little sarcastic thought about him being the police chief and all, but also thought he was being a little rude. After all, she was a friend of his daughter’s. “I borrowed a cell phone.” She looked across at Blazer 32 and winked. He grinned. “But of course, Marisol’s phone number is in my dead phone so I can’t call her.”
“You want her phone number?”
Olivia gawked at the phone. It couldn’t be that easy, could it? “Yes, I was hoping you could give it to me.”
Nope, it wasn’t that easy. “I’m not giving you my daughter’s contact information.” The chief said in a growly voice. “Marisol doesn’t have friends from Vegas.”
Fuck. Think, Olivia! “I know her fiancé too. Anto. That’s how Marisol and I connected.”
Silence, long and painful while Olivia held her breath hoping that by saying Anto’s name, she hadn’t totally fucked her chances with the dad.
“Tell you what I’m going to do, Miss West. I’m going to call my daughter and pass your phone number on to her. If she wants to call, she will.” He hung up. Olivia looked up.
“He said he’d get her to call.”
“The flight’s starting to board,” Blazer number 32 said with a little panic, pointing at the departure gates to Salt Lake City.
“Shit,” Olivia said. They all stood up, she included.
“I’ll wait ‘til last.”
“I’ll walk with you.” They made their way slowly up to the desk, standing back behind all the other passengers until they were at the front of the line.
Blazer 32 turned to her. “If she calls on the plane, I’ll tell her to meet you outside the Alaska arrival doors downstairs. Just go to it and stand outside and watch for her.”
Olivia nodded. “Thank you…” She handed him back the phone.
“Doug… it’s Doug. I’m never going to see you again, am I, Olivia?” He stroked her with his eyes as he took the phone.
“Sir,” the flight attendant said to Doug.
Olivia shook her head. “Probably not.”
He grabbed her with both hands, bent her backwards and kissed her with longing and passion. Then he stood her upright, grinned and handed his boarding pass to the flight attendant. He sauntered backwards down the tunnel heading for the plane. “Alaska arrivals, Olivia.” He called to her and was gone.
CHAPTER 56
Marisol was sleeping when her phone rang. She bolted upright as soon as her brain registered the earliness of the hour. “Anto?” she said breathlessly, answering without looking at the call display.
“No, it’s dad. Is everything all right, Marisol?”
“No, I mean, yes. Anto’s just out.” Then more of the early morning fog dissipated. “Why are you calling so early, dad? Is everyone okay?” Marisol had two brothers who were cops and as she thought of all the possibilities, a shadow stepped over her grave.
“Yeah, we’re all okay, dove. I got a strange phone call from a woman. She said her name was Olivia West.”
“Olivia?” Marisol crawled out from under the covers and stood. “Is she okay?”
Her father hesitated. “She said she was at the airport and that you were supposed to be picking her up.”
“I was?” She hesitated, then thought what the fuck? “I am! I mean I was. Oh no, what time is it?”
“5:30, Marisol. Who the hell is Olivia West and how does she know you and Anto?”
“Uh, a friend of ours. Did she say where to pick her up?”
“No, she wants you to call her back. She said she couldn’t call you directly because her phone was dead.”
“What’s the phone number dad?” Marisol was looking frantically for a pen and paper, spied a pen, no paper, grabbed a white sock from the laundry basket.
“You’re not going to go to the airport alone, are you?”
“No,” Marisol lie
d. “Anto will come with me.”
“You just said Anto wasn’t home.”
“Dad!” Marisol felt her exasperation growing. “What’s the phone number?”
He rattled it off. “Marisol, you wait ‘til Anto gets home. I don’t want you out there on your own. It still isn’t safe.”
“Okay,” Marisol agreed quickly. “Gotta go.” She ended the call, tapped the number her father had given her into the phone. It rang, just once and a male voice picked up.
“Marisol?” he said.
Marisol’s heart leapt into her throat. “I’m looking for Olivia.”
“Yeah. I know. She borrowed my phone, but my flight boarded. I’m gonna have to hang up. Meet her outside the Alaska arrival doors.” He hesitated. “Marisol, tell her I love her.” Then the phone went dead.
Marisol stared at her cell phone. “Fuck,” she said softly.
She started to dial Anto, stopped, started again, stopped again. Anto was in the middle of something with Hugo. She couldn’t risk her timing being bad. Every time Anto stepped outside their door, she worried she’d never see him again. She didn’t want to be the one that precipitated his death because of a poorly timed phone call.
She stood for a moment, cradling her phone, warring with her indecision. A few short months ago, she’d met Anto, a few short months ago she’d learned that world was a dangerous hostile place. But then she thought of Olivia being out there in it too. Knew that the woman had been taken by Jackman as leverage to get her boyfriend, Hugo, to find a guy for him. But how the hell did she end up at the airport?
Marisol scrambled to dress. Short skirt, an oversized T-shirt, a light jacket and some canvas slip-on shoes. She grabbed her purse, slid her phone into it and stepped into the elevator. She was about to do something she wasn’t supposed to do. She was about to go to the floor below their condo and lie to one of Anto’s men. She sure as hell wasn’t going to go out alone, and Anto would never let her leave without his explicit permission. Which meant she was either escorted by him or a couple of bodyguards, always at his request. Never at hers. That made sure there was no misunderstanding about Anto not knowing her whereabouts. But she was Anto’s woman, and Anto wasn’t here, and she needed to go out. She needed some fucking bodyguards and she was going to go get some.
The elevator doors opened to the suite below hers and she stepped into the operations centre. It wasn’t the first time she’d been here. Anto took her on the tour after she officially moved in. Introduced her to the men and Katerina, his IT operative. But that was different than now. Then she’d been with the boss and they were very respectful. Now, she was on her own, and she didn’t know what the reception would be to her request.
All eyes looked up as she stepped across the threshold, and by all eyes, that meant exactly two. One pair, both brown. “Hi,” she said.
“Hi,” Katerina said back. Katerina was the only woman in Anto’s employ. She was the quintessential computer nerd. She could do everything and anything IT related. Could be her own criminal mastermind but didn’t have the heart for it.
Marisol glanced around. “Are you the only one up?”
Katerina nodded, glancing at a clock on the wall. “I was trying to work out a puzzle in my head and couldn’t get back to sleep, so thought I’d get up and solve it on the computer.” She paused, then creased her forehead. “Is everything okay? Is Anto…”
“He’s fine,” Marisol said shortly. She was always a little possessive of Anto, though she knew she didn’t have to be. But every woman she and Anto met had either slept with him or wanted to. Except Katerina. Marisol couldn’t figure out why not, but it didn’t make her less insecure of Anto’s regard for the pretty Russian brunette.
“Okay, good.” The subject of Marisol’s jealousy nodded and glanced back to the screen. Waiting.
Marisol cleared her throat. “I was looking for a ride to the airport. I need to pick up a friend.”
“You want me to get someone up?”
Marisol shook her head. Her courage failed her. “I’ll just drive myself I guess or call a cab.”
Katerina’s eyes lit up. “I’ll drive you. I’m always sitting around doing nothing, never getting to go out with Anto on a job. I can shoot and mangle and beat with the best of them.”
“It’s okay,” Marisol said feebly. Fuck. Anto didn’t take Katerina out on jobs because she was a woman, and because, well no, probably just that. Olivia’s words rang in Marisol’s head – do you always do what he tells you to do?
“Fuck!” Marisol said out loud to the surprise and confusion of the other woman. “I need a ride. Grab some keys and let’s go.” As they headed to the elevator, Marisol stopped. “You can shoot too?”
Katerina nodded. “I’m good at it.”
Marisol bit her lower lip. “Okay maybe bring a gun just in case.”
CHAPTER 57
Olivia stood outside the Alaskan arrivals on the pavement for what seemed like hours. The sun was coming up, the day was warming and she was twisting the sapphire ring that Hugo had given her. She just wanted to be back with him. That’s all. Was it too fucking much to ask the universe?
She had to trust that Andrew Doherty had passed her message onto Marisol. She had to trust that Marisol was able to call Blazer 32, she had to trust that he gave Marisol the right information. And she had to hope that Hugo never found out that she’d been kissed by the basketball player. He was a pretty good kisser, too. He didn’t hold a candle to Hugo though.
She paced back and forth outside of arrivals, kept looking up at the signs, making sure she was under the Alaskan one. Making sure she didn’t accidentally pace off somewhere else. What if nothing went according to plan? Then what would she do? How would she get out of this airport and back to Hugo?
She sat down on a cement curb and leaned her back against the pillar. She’d have to start all over again. She closed her eyes and as she did this, exhaustion swept over her. She’d been up all night. She was losing track of time. She felt a tear slip from under her eyelid down her cheek, reached up to wipe at it and heard her name. Her eyes flew open.
Marisol was there, in a black 4-door Mercedes sedan, in the back seat, window rolled down. “Thank you, universe,” Olivia whispered as she stood up. She tugged at her T-shirt, suddenly self-conscious as she slid into the car next to Marisol, who was clean, fresh and bright-eyed.
“Thank you for coming to get me.” Her voice cracked and Marisol reached out and gave her a solid hug.
“Of course! Hugo is so sick with worry he could barely eat breakfast yesterday. He and Anto have your husband – ”
“Not my husband,” Olivia said quickly. Then she glanced at the driver. Short guy. Barely able to see over the steering wheel. She had a sudden premonition of them crashing into an ice cream stand but dismissed it. She whispered, “That’s your bodyguard?” as she flipped a thumb toward the driver.
“Uh…” Marisol looked at the jacketed, capped little guy. “Yes. Yes, she is. Katerina, this is Olivia.”
Olivia smiled brightly and Marisol reflected it back to her. “I love it. An all-girl team. Let’s go the marina!”
Then Katerina spoiled it by saying, “Which marina?”
Marisol looked to Olivia who shook her head. “I don’t know. I never paid attention. Just downtown Vancouver, not too far from your building, Mari.”
Katerina pulled over into a parking lot and whipped out her cell phone. Punched a few words into a search engine. Waited, rattled the names of four of them off. “We can go to each one. You’ll know, right Olivia? Once we’re there, if we have the right one?”
Olivia nodded.
Marisol said, “I’m worried that will take too long. Maybe I should just call Anto.” She turned to the phone in her hand. Dialed the number, it went directly to voice mail. “He’s not picking up.” Her voice sounded hollow.
Olivia leaned over the front seat. “Which marina is nearest Mari and Anto’s place. Let’s go there first.”
&nb
sp; “Got it.” Katerina put the car in gear and merged into the flow of traffic.
CHAPTER 58
Things weren’t going well at the Marina.
First, as they were transferring West from Anto’s SUV to Jackman’s car, West woke up. He got a little antsy when he saw Jackman. A little belligerent. Anto was about to clock him again when he snarled at Jackman, “Randall Scott might have something to say about you taking me back to Russia.”
Jackman held his hand up to Anto, cocked his head. “Who?”
The tone of his voice implied he knew who, just wanted to make sure he’d heard him right.
“Randall Scott, you fuck!”
Jackman paced away. Back again, towered over Tony, who Anto had shoved up against Jackman’s car. “Randall Scott recruited you?”
West nodded. “Yeah. Want to call him and ask him?”
The other three men were silent. Jackman was brooding, Anto was watching carefully and Hugo was confused. It was a fucking soap opera. What did Randall Scott have to do with Jackman?
He said to Jackman. “You don’t know Scott?”
Jackman paced away from the car. “Oh yeah, I know Scott. What I don’t know is why Randall Scott has any interest in my operatives or me, for that matter.” He ran a hand across his chin. Turned to Tony. “How long, you bastard?”
Tony grinned through his bloodied lips. “Long before Copeland knocked up his daughter.”
“Why?”
Tony chuckled. “Such a loaded question. Why does Scott do anything? We’re all just fucking pawns. You, me, the cop’s daughter.”
Anto sucked in his breath, stepped up to Anthony, grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed him against the car. “Quit playing games, West! Say what’s on your mind.”
