When I get to the diner, I feel a bit defeated, but oddly it’s working in my favor. The hopelessness of this situation is fueling my adrenaline. There is no alternative other than saving Teagan and hoping for the best that it means saving Paisley too.
There are only a few cars parked out front, and out of habit, I touch the outline of my gun in its holster on my back. I’m going to need it at some point, and my mind needs reassurance it’s there. There are only a few couples eating at booths inside, and I don’t see a single employee. I stand at the counter impatiently and wait for someone to turn up. Waiting isn’t my strong suit, and I’m fighting the urge to walk straight back into the kitchen. I have zero time to waste.
Finally, a girl comes out of the swinging doors. She’s young, she’s wearing a bit too much makeup, and her clothes look too nice and too skimpy for this diner gig. Her eyes land on me as she clears the door and drops the plates in her hands. Her cheeks go pink, but she doesn’t even move to clean up her mess. She stands, staring but not making eye contact with me. She knows who I am, and it has her flustered. Good. Paisley never mentioned being particularly close to anyone at work, but this girl may not want to offer up free information about her to a stranger. I can use her obvious nervousness of me to my advantage. Some flirtation and a smile can go a long way with a girl like her. I bend to help pick up the broken plates from the floor. I’m not known for my charm, but it’s easy enough to play up with an already smitten girl.
I look up at her, and she’s watching me with wide eyes as her teeth bite her bottom lip. I smile and she immediately returns the gesture. I can see the infatuation and hunger in her eyes. She’s a girl that wants me simply to be able to say she’s had me. She’s Paisley’s polar opposite, at least I hope she is.
“I’m sorry I startled you, but I can’t say I’m that sorry I have your attention.” It’s a horrible line. I’m not practiced in the charm department, but it doesn’t really matter what I say. All she’ll hear is the flirtation in my voice. The flutter of her lashes and the twirl of her hair tells me I’m right. I stand with a few pieces of the broken dishware in my hands. I really haven’t picked much up. It’s only the chivalrous act I’m going for. She grabs a tray, and I throw the pieces on top just as a man comes from the kitchen with a broom and a dust pan in his hands. He’s grumbling under his breath, but the doe-eyed waitress pays him no attention.
“Would you like a table?” The girl seems to have found her voice and is straining her back in order to push her cleavage out as far as possible. For good measure, I sweep my eyes up and down the length of her body, feigning interest in her. There is zero. She’s trying way too hard, and even with doubt rooting its way into my consciousness, the simple truth is that she’s not Paisley. I wet my lips as my eyes return to hers. I pull her aside, away from the man sweeping up her mess.
“I don’t think so. I’m kind of in a hurry and came for some information. I am wondering what you can tell me about Paisley James.” The girl’s face immediately falls. She doesn’t like that I came in asking about another girl. We haven’t even exchanged names, and she’s territorial over me. It’s classic for a girl with ulterior motives. Paisley showed none of these signs during our time together. Maybe that was a sign in and of itself. Either way, I have to smooth over this girl’s bruised ego in order to get her to cooperate.
“She’s been hanging out with my sister, and I’m not too happy about it. You see, I’m very protective over my little sister, and it seems as if the two of them have been getting into some trouble around town. Is there anything you could tell me about her?” The gleam in her eyes returns, she likes thinking I’m not actually here for Paisley. Girls like her don’t leave anything to the imagination.
“Oh, I see. Your sister came in to see her once. I was here. Let’s see, there is not much to tell really. She doesn’t seem like one for trouble. She’s quiet and keeps to herself mostly at work. Well, I guess she doesn’t work here anymore, but when she did she wasn’t much for socializing. She—”
“Wait. Did you say she doesn’t work here anymore?” Throughout our conversation she’s inched closer and closer, and I have to look down to see her face. Her hand flirtatiously touches my arm.
“Yeah, I guess not. As of today that is.”
“She came in today?” Hope surges through me that this may lead me to another clue, but it also doesn’t look good for Paisley being innocent if she came in today and gave her notice.
“No. That redhead she lives with. The trashy one . . . I can’t remember her name. She came in today to let us know Paisley wouldn’t be returning to work. She said the two of them were heading out of town indefinitely. Gave me a wicked attitude when I told her I couldn’t hand Paisley’s paychecks over to her without authorization. She stormed out of here and gave me the finger. That girl is a total bitch. If your sister was hanging out with that one, then I’d be worried.”
Fuck. Braelyn’s apartment being empty and her having been here talking about skipping town is not good. But where the hell is Paisley? This is like a twisted grown-up version of Where’s Waldo? and I think the artist forgot to draw Waldo into the image completely. The one thing that can probably be counted on is Braelyn is up to no good and most likely involved in this. Why didn’t I look into her more when I did the background check? Because I was arrogant and thought there was no way some girl who fucks for money was capable of pulling one over on me. Is she another pawn or the mastermind? What would be her endgame? My pulse raises at the millions of possibilities tumbling through my brain.
“I need you to think very carefully for me, please. Did Braelyn say anything else while she was here? Did she say anything about why they were leaving or where they were going or when? Please, think for me, it’s very important.” Never did I think I’d be in the position of having to beg some barely legal blonde waitress for help. The plea leaves my lips, and internally I cringe. She has no idea what’s at stake, and she can’t know. My last resort is to grovel at her mercy. I can’t torture this innocent girl into telling me information that may not even be useful.
She looks confused. Her eyebrows are pinched together and her nose scrunches up a bit at my words. She must think I’m out of my mind. I’m sure she’s wondering why the tone of my voice makes it sound like this is life or death when to her we’re talking about two girls moving, but this is about life or death. Teagan’s life. My life. Kai’s life. I don’t know what this means for Paisley. My heart doesn’t doubt her, but my brain is laughing at the miserable organ in my chest.
“She said she had to get to the airport. I believe her words as she stormed out were ‘I don’t have time for your brain cells to recover from all the bleach that’s seeped into your head from the horribly tacky dye jobs because I have a flight to catch, like, now.’” Her cheeks flush as she repeats the insult Braelyn threw at her. Her hair does have a bit of an orange tinge at the roots before it turns noticeably darker than the rest of her artificially sun-kissed locks. Why am I standing here thinking about her hair? Time to go.
“Thanks, I need to run then.”
She gasps slightly at my quick retreat. “Wait! Can I get your number?” My back is to her as she speaks and I’m already at a slight jog back to my car. I throw some words over my shoulder at her while picking up my pace.
“I’m sorry. My brain may dispute it, but my heart’s already taken.”
I need to get to the airport. Now.
Burke
Traffic to the airport is brutal. At certain times of the year this drive would take fifteen minutes, but during Florida’s busy season, it usually takes about forty. The engine of my car roars as I fight through the white-haired snowbirds who insist speed limits are more like absurd suggestions and travel the roads well under the legal limit. My fingers grip the wheel as my frustration grows, but still I manage to arrive in shorter time than it should have taken me.
I need to figure out how I find Braelyn and Paisley at a reasonably large airport when I
don’t know when or where they’re flying out of. The odds are against me, and I can’t afford any errors. Lives are at stake. Everyone I care about in the world is in danger, and I’m left grasping at straws the red-headed bitch has tossed in the air.
In the parking garage, I find the first available spot and sprint to the entrance. Families wheeling their luggage and older couples lost in the congestion jump from my path as they see me, clearing my way. People stare as I push through. Some shout as I pass, and mothers grab their wandering children out of my way.
At the end of romantic movies when a man races to the airport, it’s to confess his undying love. That’s not reality, or I guess it might be someone’s reality, but it’s not mine. I’m on a mission today, but it’s to find Braelyn and Paisley and finally put some pieces of the puzzle together. There will be no public displays of love, proclamations of the heart, or grand gestures at this airport terminal today. It’ll take every ounce of control not to strangle them both the second I find them. Getting hauled off by airport security will help no one.
This place is packed. People are practically standing shoulder to shoulder as they shuffle through the motions, and the only thing working in my favor is Braelyn’s deep red hair is kind of hard to miss, especially when most the people here are old enough to be her grandparents.
My search of the check-in lines and counters come up empty. My mind races as I try to figure out the best way to find her. All the areas before airport security have failed me, and I hope she’s not already gone. I re-check the airport check-in lines and find the airline with the shortest line. The Air Blue line only has one little old lady waiting so I slide in behind her. The woman fumbles with her purse for her identification while I shift on the balls of my feet. I don’t have time for this. Every second I’m standing here Braelyn and Paisley could be boarding a plane. If that happens, I’ll never find them. Finally, the woman finishes at the counter and slowly backs away. I’m no Prince Charming, but it does take all of my willpower not to rush in front of her while she struggles with her carry-on.
The guy behind the counter looks like a kid, and it’s hard for me to believe he’s even over eighteen. He pushes up his black-rimmed glasses as I approach and then looks over to me. He asks for my ticket information but of course I have none. He makes a face when I tell him I’ll take any ticket he has available, and I grip the counter to stop myself from reaching over and knocking those stupid glasses off his face. Minutes tick by as he pushes buttons on the keyboard of the computer and I grow more and more impatient. Time slows as we continue the process of booking a flight with corresponding payment, and nerd boy seems to slow his pace as he sees my impatience growing.
With more time wasted than I’d like to think about, I have my ticket in hand and I’m cursing under my breath at the stupid Air Blue kid. He probably thinks the rough-looking man with skin full of tattoos is trying to flee the country, but it doesn’t matter what he thinks as long as he doesn’t tip off security to bother me or slow me down.
The security line looks as long as one for a brand new ride at one of the most frequented amusement parks. People stand bored and play with their phones while employees direct people and shout the same directions over and over again. My head swivels from side to side, trying to scope out all the areas around me for Braelyn or Paisley, but I don’t see them. The line inches forward at a speed that’s frustratingly slow, and I curse living in a tourist state for probably the hundredth time that year, but knowing this is the first time I truly mean it.
Time ticks by as the line slowly moves forward. My eyes continuously scout the area for my targets, but I’m not seeing them anywhere. I have to be sure to find them before they see me, because if they notice me before I can find them, they will be gone. The thought of how I’ll drag two girls out of the airport past all this security runs through my mind. There is no way they are going to come quietly, and obviously I had to leave my gun in the car. Getting it through security would have been impossible. Even if I had been able to sneak it in, people would have probably noticed a man escorting two young women out of the airport with a gun aimed at them.
A familiar face catches my attention, and my head jerks in the direction of the little eatery beside the security line. It’s not the face I was hoping to see, but it’s boldly displayed on the television inside the small food place. Customers shake their heads at the news story scrolling across the bottom of the screen. My stomach rolls at the few words I can make out from this distance. The evening news is reporting Teagan’s story, letting everyone who is watching know that Kai is the number one suspect. His face fills the screen, which is flashing what I assume is his latest mug shot. A picture of Teagan appears on the screen next, and I can make out that they are asking for tips on her whereabouts before the number for the information line flashes. My sister is missing, and the cops have all but condemned the wrong man.
I shake my head to clear my mind of those thoughts. I’m much closer to the end of the line, and when I reach the security officer sitting at the podium, I hand him my license and boarding pass. It’s as if the whole damn universe is against me, because the bored-looking TSA agent takes a lifetime to check my details before handing my ID and boarding pass back to me. I take off my shoes and belt and then dump them into a plastic bin. A few more people, and I’ll be through this line and finally on the other side. Once I’m cleared, I take off at a pace that wastes no time but still allows me to scout the terminal. Gates line both my left and my right, and I’m on the lookout for red hair. I search the seats in each waiting area, the walkways, the restaurants and bars, and every available space a person could occupy. At the end, I come up empty but keep hope that maybe her flight is a little later and she’s not here yet.
I pull up social media and find a picture of her. I resort to telling people I’ve been separated from my girlfriend and asking if anyone has seen her. Some people outright ignore me, some give me skeptical looks, and a few answer with honesty, telling me they haven’t seen her. I walk back and forth through the hallways checking left, right, and over my shoulder. I’ve been walking through this part of the airport for hours, and it’s making me more and more paranoid. I worry the girl at the diner gave me wrong information. I worry I’ve missed them and they are already gone. I worry this is another setup to get me out of the way again for something more sinister. I contemplate the idea Braelyn and Paisley aren’t even involved in this in any way. Maybe Paisley was spooked from all this drama and took off with her friend.
I’ve long since missed the flight I bought to gain access to this area, and the sun set hours ago. The gates and surrounding areas have become less and less crowded. I check the departing flight information on a screen and see there are only two more flights departing tonight. I make my way to those terminals, defeated and worried.
I’ve been a man in control for a long time. The first couple years after getting custody of Teagan was the last time I felt out of control. Since then, I’ve done everything possible to make sure people that needed to fear me did. I’ve made sure I was in a position to take care of and protect my sister. I’ve run two businesses that are both successful. I’ve easily seen through the users and people with dark motives.
Until now.
All of this is out of my control and I need to find Teagan. I’ll never be able to forgive myself if she’s not safe. I need to find Paisley, too. I need for her to be safe, and I need for her to not have been involved with this. If she’s involved in this betrayal, I don’t know that I’ll survive it as the person I am or even the person I wanted to be for Paisley. The person I finally felt like I could be for a girl I’m completely in love with.
I search the last of the departures, and for the first time, I admit to myself that I love her. I’m a man who never gave love a thought. I never considered that one day I’d grow attached to someone and envision a future together. I’m in an airport acknowledging I’m no longer that man, and I have no idea where Paisley is or what’s
going on.
My thoughts are pulled from Paisley as I see red. My whole body tenses and swings in the direction I saw it. Sitting in 6B’s departure area is a redhead with her back to me. Amongst the sea of people, the color sticks right out. A quick check tells me this flight for Atlanta is already boarding. My feet move before I have a plan. I can’t let her get on this flight. I round the section of chairs to advance toward her and my stomach drops to the floor.
Burke
It’s not her.
This is the last flight of the day, and the only close call I’ve had to finding Braelyn, but it’s not her. The hair matches, but nothing else does. I’ve either missed her or this was misleading information. I’ve wasted a whole day in this airport, and I have nothing to show for it. Kai’s still in jail, Teagan and Paisley are still missing, and I’ve let the only person who seems to be linked to all this disappear.
I wait around until the flight takes off in a last-ditch effort to find Braelyn in the lingering crowds. I think over the day, analyze every word the girl at the diner said to me, and pick apart every move I’ve made as I try to come up with answers. The plane moves for takeoff, and the quiet of the once-crowded area is overwhelming. I walk the hallway of gates that earlier I had to push through alone and wonder what my next move will be. I can’t go home. I need to keep moving. Teagan’s cries play in a loop in my head, once again smashing the silence around me.
The security area is without a line for the first time today, and a few attendants linger in the area, watching me with suspicion in their eyes as I exit. If my appearance were different, I’m sure they’d think I missed my flight, but their heated stares tell me they are questioning what I’m up to. I don’t give them a second glance and continue my way out of the airport.
Deceit in Bloom (The Love Unauthorized Series Book 1) Page 23
