“Where the fuck have you been?” Acer shouted as I entered the hotel lobby.
“I told you where I was going. You could’ve called.”
“I did. You didn’t answer.”
Then I remembered I’d left my cell in the car. “Right. I left my phone in the car. Why didn’t you call Drex?”
“I did. He didn’t answer either. I was just coming to find you.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“Gemini called. She couldn’t get in touch with Drex. They’re in trouble.”
My gut hit the floor with his words.
Chapter Thirty
Scottie
We checked out of the hotel and made it to the airport without incident. Upon arrival, we had to remove our disguises so we could purchase legit plane tickets. We stuffed them into our carry-ons and went to the ticket counter. The first available was a flight to Milan with a stop to change planes in Dubai. That was fine with us, so we grabbed it. It was departing in two hours, so after getting through security, we went to the first-class lounge to hunker down until our flight was boarding. Hopefully, no one had followed us here. If so, we could lose them in the airport.
“I wish we had our wigs on,” I said.
“They offered an element of security. Now I feel naked.”
“Too bad we couldn’t conjure up another set of passports.”
As I scanned the lounge, my eyes landed on two men. They stuck out worse than we did. Dressed in complete black, they kept staring at us.
“Gem, do you see them?”
“Yep. Change of plans. Let’s get out of here, but nonchalantly.”
She texted me something and I read it.
“Walk to the nearest restroom. Change into your disguise and leave the airport. Take a taxi to this hotel. We’ll go separately to confuse them.”
As soon as I read the text, I got up and followed her instructions. I didn’t breathe in a normal manner until I checked into the hotel. She joined me thirty minutes later.
“Shit, they followed me through the airport until I got to another terminal and a restroom.”
“Now what?”
“I’m calling Drex. We’ll stay here until he sends us new passports with these disguises. Flying without the disguises is not an option.”
We put on several wigs and dresses and took several pictures. Then she called Drex, but he didn’t answer. We finally called Acer and Isla, telling them to get in touch with him.
The next day we moved to another hotel and went shopping for more clothes. I picked up a pair of glasses that were horrible.
Drex called and the time change was so different, he woke us up in the middle of the night.
“Sorry, I didn’t get notified of your call. My phone never received your calls and I’m not sure why.”
Gemini explained the problem, and we sent several pictures of each of us to him. Then we destroyed the phone and used a new one we’d brought with us.
Two days later, our new passports arrived. We inspected them and rolled our eyes.
I was Gertrude Lowenstein, and Gemini was Edith Leibowitz.
“I want to be Edith. Why’d they give me Gertrude?”
Gemini laughed. “I don’t know. But does it matter?”
“Guess not. With hair like this, I could be anyone.”
We checked the flights to see what our options were. The same flight was available, but we didn’t want to go that route again. This time we went to Tokyo and then on to Paris.
We arrived at the airport with less luggage than the first time. After we checked in, we went to the lounge area. Nothing suspicious met us that time.
By the time we landed in Paris, we both were exhausted, mostly from anxiety. We dragged our weary bodies to the hotel and crashed for eighteen hours. When we got up, it was eight a.m. the next morning.
I showered and went to look for breakfast. Luckily, I found a marvelous bakery nearby and brought back freshly baked croissants and other goodies, along with coffee for both of us. Gemini showered when I was gone, so we both gobbled up the breakfast when I returned.
“I hate to confess this, but I’m still hungry,” I said.
“Me too. I could eat some eggs and bacon.”
“Yeah, but the bacon here differs from ours.”
We walked around and found another place to eat. After a quick tour of the Eiffel Tower, we ate a delicious early lunch and then visited the Louvre.
It was huge and took up the rest of the day. That night for dinner, we ate near the hotel at a bistro. The food was fabulous.
“I could get fat here.”
Gemini laughed. “I already am.” She was referring to her rubber padding. I patted my fake pregnant belly in response.
Then I blurted out, “God, I really miss Raiden.”
Her eyes widened. “Wow. That’s the first time you’ve admitted it.”
“Can I trust you with a secret?”
“Sure. Scottie, you can trust me with anything.”
“I think I’m in love with him. I haven’t felt this way about a man since… well, you know. I wish we could go home. Do you think those fuckers will ever give up?”
“I do. If Aiden values his daughter and granddaughter, he’ll give in, eventually. He knows us well enough though to know that we won’t harm them, which is the problem.”
“Why don’t we stage their death?”
Gem straightened in her chair and aimed a finger at me. “You know, that might just work. If we did it right, as in if one of them held a knife to the little brat’s throat or something and made the mother believe it, it might be convincing enough.”
Hope blossomed in my chest. “You think?”
“Yes! I’m willing to try because I’m ready to get back home too.”
“Aren’t we a pair? This should be a trip of a lifetime and all we want to do is go home.”
“Can I tell you something?” she asked.
“Since I shared my deepest secrets with you, of course you can.”
“Drex thinks I’m this powerful woman, but I’m only strong because of him. He made me that way. When I first met him I was as weak as a kitten. I suffered from horrible migraines and wasn’t worth a damn. He changed my life, and I’d be nothing without him.”
“I can’t imagine that, but I believe you. I’ve always been strong, but losing my family made me even more so. It made me determined to win at everything. Once you lose, you never want to be down there again.”
Gem nodded as though she understood. “I’ve lost before, not as much as you, but enough to make me want to win every time.”
I didn’t press her for details. “Raiden is so strong. I admire him because of that. But he’s never lost anything either.”
“For a time, he thought he lost his brother, but that didn’t make him weak.”
“They got him back. It’s different when you feel the absence of a deep loss, one that can’t be replaced. When I told him my story, he was at a loss.”
“I’m sure. You must truly love him, Scottie, if you shared your story with him. I understand why you told us. It was out of necessity. But telling Raiden was something else. He didn’t take your leaving well. He pestered the hell out of Drex until he finally told him what was going on.”
“How is he?”
“He’s fine. Anxious about you, though.”
My gut fluttered with a million butterflies as I thought of him. All I wanted was to be with him. Paris should excite me. I’d been to some amazing places, but Raiden was the only person on my mind.
“How long before we can go back?”
She shrugged. “I’ve asked Drex, and he said he would check into it. After what happened in New Zealand, I think we’d be just as safe back at home.”
“One thing I don’t want is to draw attention to Raiden and his family.”
“Um, that train has left the station. Every one of us has a target on our backs. If we didn’t, Raiden’s house wouldn’t have been bombed and yours w
ouldn’t have either.”
Gem was right. We were all on Aiden’s radar. The situation at the Auckland airport proved that.
“How much of a risk then would it be for us to go home?”
“A huge one.”
As I sipped my wine, an argument at the door of the bistro broke out that grabbed our attention. We noticed two men in dark clothing attempting to push their way past the entrance.
“We need to get out of here, fast.” Gem said.
I laid some euros on the table and we ran toward the back of the restaurant where the kitchen was. We searched for a back exit and we found it, but it led us to a dark alley.
“Yeah, not so good back here,” I said.
“Come on.” Gem took off in a run and had I not been so worried, I would’ve laughed at the image she made in that wig and chubby suit.
We made it to a lit street, which wasn’t a great option either.
“Cut through there,” I said, pointing to another narrow alley.
She took off in a sprint, with me following. We were heading toward the hotel, and I prayed we’d make it without being followed.
I heard shouting in the distance and as we came to a street, a taxi rolled by. I tried to stop it, but it kept on moving. We zigzagged our way through the streets until we saw our hotel in the distance. Gemini was smart and went around the rear. We tucked into a dark space until we were sure it was safe to go inside.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Do you see anyone?”
We stayed silent for a few more minutes and then entered the hotel from a side door, using a key card.
When we got to our room, we looked at each other and cackled. Our wigs were practically sideways and my pregnant bump had dislodged with all the running so it was resting near my hip.
“Oh, God. Let’s take some pics of us. This will go down in history,” I said, laughing my ass off.
“God, I needed that,” Gem said as she ripped off her rubber suit. “This thing is like wearing a furnace.”
She stripped down and then announced she was calling her husband. “We need an alternative plan because this one clearly isn’t working.”
Drex didn’t answer, and she kept trying. Eventually, she gave up and called Acer in a panic. He assured her he’d find him and that everything was fine.
Finally, Drex called back and Gem’s explanation of what happened was almost comical. Except Drex’s reaction wasn’t. I heard him shouting on the other end. Gem did an outstanding job of calming him down, but it was clear he understood we couldn’t stay here any longer.
“We’ve been made. Even these ridiculous disguises we wear aren’t working anymore. I don’t know how they’re finding us, but they are.”
They spoke for a while longer, and then the call ended.
“Well?” I asked.
“He’ll be sending the information in a few minutes on our extraction. He’s sending the jet because he doesn’t want us on commercial.”
That was a relief. “How long will it take to get here?”
“Don’t know. He has to get two teams of pilots and crew since it’ll be a turnaround. He’s also contacting someone he knows here to get us safely out of Paris.”
It was nearly midnight when the phone finally rang. Gem pretty much yelled when she answered.
“What took you so long?”
Their conversation lasted about fifteen minutes, but we had our instructions. A man named Jean-Paul would be here in an hour to take us to a house in Beauvais where we would wait until the plane landed at the airport there.
“Do you know this Jean-Paul?”
“Yeah, we’ve met a few times in the past.”
“Good. At least we’ll know if he’s the real man then.”
“That’s why Drex chose him.”
We packed our things and ditched the disguises.
“He’ll call us when he gets here. We’re to meet him in the back.”
The call came as expected and we snuck out the back entrance. No one was around except for the car Jean-Paul described. He rolled down the window and said, “Hurry, get in.”
We threw our things in the back seat and jumped in. He drove off in a hurry.
“I didn’t want anyone to see you leaving. Now get down and stay down.” He kept his eye on the rearview mirror, watching to see if anyone followed.
It was a while before he allowed us to sit up. “I think we are safe now.”
The trip took about an hour, and we pulled into a long driveway.
“Is this your home?” Gemini asked.
“Lord no. I live in Paris. This is a safe house we use. We will stay here until your Drex calls and tells us the plane is here. The airport is only a fifteen-minute drive from here.”
“Thank you for the rescue, Jean-Paul,” I said.
“At your service, mademoiselle.” He had a twinkle in his eye and I got the impression he was flirting with me.
The house was adorable, so much so, it made me want to come back and stay for a while. “This is lovely.”
“Yes, it’s quite, um, cozy, as you Americans would say.”
“Exactly,” I agreed.
“The bedrooms are up the stairs if you wish to sleep. I will stay up to make sure you are safe.”
Gemini walked the entire place, checking things out. Then she said, “I can’t sleep. Not after the night we had. I’ll stay up with you.”
“Make that three of us. I’ll sleep on the plane.”
“How about some coffee then?” he asked.
“That sounds great,” I answered.
The three of us went into the kitchen, and I watched him make the coffee. The house had an espresso machine, so the coffee was fabulous. “I need to get one of these. After this trip, regular coffee won’t do anymore.”
“Ah, you’ve gotten spoiled, then.”
And I had. I’d always loved coffee, but this was amazing. We talked for hours, and when dawn approached, he took us outside in the back and we watched the sun rise. It was spectacular.
Jean-Paul cooked us a huge breakfast that included omelets, croissants, and fruit. Then I conked out on the sofa. Exhaustion finally had caught up with me.
Gemini awakened me. “I have great news. Our ride is here.”
Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I asked, “What time is it?”
“Three in the afternoon.”
“Three? I slept that long?”
“You sure did. Get up lazy, we’re going to the airport.”
“Can I brush my teeth first?”
Gemini held out my toothbrush and toothpaste. “You know me so well, roomie.” I stood up and hugged her. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you these past weeks. Thank you.”
“Back at you. You’ve been the best. Now go brush before our ride leaves without us.”
I saluted her and said, “Yes, ma’am.”
Jean-Paul was diligent, I gave him that. All the way to the airport, his eyes darted everywhere. He made me nervous.
“Everything okay, Jean-Paul?”
“So far so good.”
We drove around to the back where the entrance for private planes were. We showed our passports, and they waved us through. I saw the Wolfe Investigations jet sitting there, with the door open and steps down, waiting for us. Jean-Paul pulled up and stopped. We got out and both of us hugged and thanked him.
“My pleasure, ladies.” Grabbing our bags, we climbed aboard.
I was getting ready to sit when I heard a voice say, “No hug for me?”
I turned to see Raiden standing there, and I ran to him, almost knocking him down.
Chapter Thirty-One
Raiden
When we found out what the two women had been through, Drex called in a favor from a friend. He assured us he’d keep them safe until the jet could get there.
“I’m going,” I announced.
All eyes turned to me.
“I won’t be away long and I’m not waiting one more
minute than necessary to see Scottie.”
Drex smirked. Acer laughed and Cruze shouted, “I knew it. You’re in love.”
“What of it?”
“Nothing, bro. Just making a statement.”
“Fine.” I turned to Drex, saying, “We can use your jet or ours. Doesn’t matter, but I’m going.”
Drex shrugged. “That’s cool with me. I’ve already put the wheels in motion to use mine. The crews have been notified, so let’s stick with mine. A soon as I get the callback, I’ll let you know when wheels are up.”
That satisfied me. We found out the plane would leave in two hours. The women would stay in a safe house outside of Paris, which also was a relief. I was antsy as fuck to see Scottie.
The only things I carried were my computer, a clean shirt, and a toothbrush. Drex told me there were many toiletries in the rear cabin.
The flight left without a hitch, and I did a good deal of work on the way there. I also slept some, knowing I’d soon be seeing my girl.
The jet landed, and I prepared to greet the girls. I watched as the car pulled up and they got out. I’d planned on surprising Scottie, but now I worried about her reaction. That had been unnecessary. As soon as she saw me, she ran up to me and my heart smiled as much as my mouth did.
When she admitted she missed me, I said, “Not nearly as much as I missed you.” Then I kissed her with all the passion I held in my soul. I never wanted to let go of her again. She brought so much joy into my life, I couldn’t imagine things without her.
“Ahem. Hellllooooo. There is another person here.”
We broke apart, laughing.
“Gemini, how are you?”
“Actually, I’m a little jealous of you two.”
Scottie giggled. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. You two deserve to be together.”
I couldn’t stop touching her. “You look beautiful.”
Then they both laughed, which was puzzling. Scottie asked, “You want to show him?”
Gem pulled out a phone and handed it to me. Two frumpy women were on the screen. “Who are they?”
“Us,” Scottie said, laughing.
Raiden: A Stand Alone, Irish Mob Crime Romance (The Kent Brothers Book 2) Page 17
