by Lily Harlem
Banna looked over at Evan.
“Yeah, you can take the clothes we gave you,” he said.
“I can?”
“Sure,” Harry said, “The cost has been covered. You all take what you need.”
“Thank you.” She grinned. “I should go and pack.”
Olivia smiled at her. In just a week, all of the children were looking healthier and stronger. It wasn’t just that, they had a spark about them again, one that hadn’t been there when Olivia and Mason had found them cowering in the storage cupboard.
“Here,” Raul said, stepping onto the bridge holding a tray. “I have made fudge, plenty for everyone, to enjoy as we arrive in España.” He set down a plate piled high with fudge in several different shades of chocolaty-brown.
“Oh,” Banna’s eyes widened. “Maybe I will pack later.”
Darius slipped from Mason’s side and curled his small fingers around a huge chunk of fudge.
Amal looked torn between letting go of the lever and getting himself a sweet treat. Lucas spotted his dilemma and passed him a piece.
“Raul, you are the best chef I’ve ever had on Joan D’Arc,” Victor said then burped loudly.
“I am glad you think so, Captain.” Raul grinned as he passed the plate around.
“In fact, I have come to a decision.” Victor’s expression turned serious as he took a square of fudge.
“Si?” Raul paused in front of him.
“Oui, I would like to offer you a permanent position, here on my boat. As a chef. It could be a good career move for you, help you get a foot on the ladder.”
“What ladder?”
“Your career, boy. The career ladder.”
“Career ladder.” Raul looked out at Barcelona, which was on the horizon.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a young man like you.” Victor gestured at Olivia. “And you can even have your wife on board, she’s useful. But I’m not paying her.”
“Well, I appreciate the opportunity,” Raul said. “But I…”
“You have more than proved yourself.” Victor folded his arms and rested back. “And it might just help you keep your woman under control.” He swung his gaze over Harry and Evan, then Mason and Lucas. “If you know what I mean.”
“I have her under control, Captain.” Raul slipped his arm around Olivia. “In fact, I have her exactly where I want her.”
“You do?” Olivia asked. She’d stopped being angered by Victor’s comments. He was a joke of a captain, and a ridiculous person who had no understanding of her situation and never would. Trying to change him was like banging her head against a brick wall, and she had other things to do rather than give herself a headache.
“Si…or I will have soon,” Raul said, “when we get to port and I show you my apartment. It has a big bed in a big bedroom, and we can…”
“Kids around,” Mason said quickly.
Raul laughed and kissed Olivia.
“So this job,” Victor said. “You can start immediately. You will stay on board when we dock in Barcelona.”
“I cannot do that.” Raul pulled back from Olivia.
“Why not?” Victor frowned.
“Because I have things to do here, in my home city.”
“Mmm, well perhaps I will wait twenty-four hours for you.” Victor waggled his finger at Raul. “You are a good chef. I am willing to give you some free time to tie up loose ends.”
“I have no loose ends or loose starts,” Raul said. “I have a restaurant. I need to check it is being run properly, to my standards.”
“A restaurant.” Victor laughed. “What, some tapas bar on the beach?”
“No, Captain, it is on the city shore. A big restaurant, popular for miles around. People travel from great distances to sample the menu.”
“You mean you are the junior chef there? A trainee?”
“No, I am the owner.”
“Oui, oui.” Victor rolled his eyes.
Raul puffed up his chest. “My restaurant has a Michelin stars. I am top Barcelona chef.” He paused.
Victor raised his eyebrows.
“So I cannot work here on your ship, Captain. I have many chefs to check on, many menus to prepare, and food I must ensure is only the best. I am too good a chef for this ship, and my wife…she is too good an engineer for this ship, too.”
Victor held up his hands. “Okay, okay, if that is what you dream of, this restaurant, I will leave you to do it.”
“It is not a dream, it is real. I have done it.”
Victor snorted. “At your age…I don’t think so.”
“Si, I started young, I worked hard and I invested well. The restaurant was my life for so long, but then I met this crew and my woman and it changed. But I have to visit my restaurant. I have been away for a long time. That is not good for a business owner.”
Victor cocked his head and turned to Harry. “Is he making this up?”
“No.” Harry shrugged. “He is a top Barcelona chef. You know yourself the guy can cook.”
“Mmm.” Victor frowned.
“But never fear, Captain.” Raul clasped Evan’s shoulder. “One day we may need another ride on a big boat, because this man will not fly. And then, we will find you, get ride with you again, and I will cook you steak for breakfast every day.”
“Oui, okay, but no sneaking on board,” Victor said, a smile tugging his lips. “Steak for breakfast has been good.”
“Come in, Joan D’Arc. This is Barcelona port harbor master speaking.” The radio crackled.
Victor stood, taking his time to straighten to his full height as though his back ached. “Right, here we go, the home stretch for you people.”
It took an hour to get the big container ship docked. The midday sun beat down, and the children sat on the bridge, eating fudge and taking it all in. Amal truly believed he’d parked the ship with the small black lever Lucas had let him play with, and Banna had been allowed, by Victor, to speak to the harbor master about their speed and weight.
When the boat was finally at a standstill and secure, Olivia, her men, and the children all went to the gangplank.
Victor joined them. “Goodbye to you all,” he said, tugging on his beard. “I hope it works out for the kids.”
“Thank you, Captain,” Banna said, holding Amal’s hand.
Victor smiled and ruffled Amal’s hair. “And don’t go sneaking on board any other boats. Not all captains are as nice as me.”
“We know that,” Amal said. He had sugary deposits around his mouth from the fudge. “But Harry said no more boats. Now we will go on an aeroplane to England, is that right, Harry?”
“Sure thing, buddy. As soon as you’ve had a check over and got the paperwork sorted, remember we talked about that.”
Amal nodded.
Harry held out his hand to Victor. “I know some of us were unexpected passengers, but thank you.”
Victor hesitated then took Harry’s hand. “At least you were good for the cash.”
Harry shrugged.
“But keep that gun hidden, port authorities won’t be happy.”
“Our lift is over there.” Harry nodded to a sleek black limousine which glistened in the sunshine. “We’ll be going straight out of the port. My personal assistant will have completed all the necessary official business.”
Victor nodded. “Oui, of course. The Vidal’s have no rules to follow, isn’t that right.”
“We follow the ones we want to.” Harry reached for Olivia’s hand. “Come on, Liv, time to disembark.”
“Thank you, Captain,” she said.
Victor nodded at her.
She knew he’d never warmed to her. Because she was English, female, or a cheat in his eyes, she wasn’t sure which or if it was all three. She didn’t much care.
She headed onto the expanse of concrete that lined the dock, holding Harry’s hand.
Riley emerged from the limo and shut the door up. He leaned back against it, one ankle crossed over
the other, and tapped on his phone.
“It will not be long now,” Raul said, jogging up behind her. “And you can meet my mother. She will be so excited that I am married.” He touched his necklace.
“Are you going to tell her you share your wife?” Harry asked, also touching his necklace.
“No, she will not understand,” Raul said. “But it is okay, we not stay there at family home. You come to my place, above restaurant. There we will be very comfortable and private, it is big.”
Olivia grinned at him. He’d talked a lot about his apartment. It was obviously something he was proud of and looking forward to showing off. She was getting excited to see it.
Meeting her mother-in-law…that she wasn’t so excited about. Perhaps if she had a conventional relationship with Raul it would be different, or if she was meeting before the wedding. But as it was, she was nervous and worried about slipping up. Victor’s confusion and sharp words she could handle, her mother-in-law, that wouldn’t be fun.
“Hey,” Riley said, stepping up to meet them and slipping his phone away. “Good to see you’re all in one piece.”
“Hi,” Harry said, clasping him on the shoulder. “Thanks for being here.”
“No problem. The Lear is also in Barcelona.”
“Great.”
“And I have a private sector of the social services ready to take the children.” He ran his gaze over Banna, Amal, and Darius. “Plus a doctor for them and you all.”
“Us?” Olivia asked.
“Yes, after Africa and that journey, it makes sense for some basic blood tests. In fact, Dante is insisting upon it.”
“What?” Evan frowned. “He can’t do that.”
“My father is obsessed with frequent health check-ups.” Harry shrugged. “I learned long ago it’s easier to go with it than fight it.”
“And you are pale, mi niña hermosa. Paler than normal.”
“Am I?” Olivia touched her cheek.
“Yes.” Mason frowned at her as he held Darius. “You are, actually.”
“I feel fine.”
“Mmm.” Raul’s forehead creased.
“A check-up won’t hurt any of you after being out in the wilderness,” Riley said. “Now scoot into the car and we’ll get out of this godforsaken heat. I thought California was bad, this is unbearable.”
Olivia climbed in. Harry and Evan sat either side of her, Amal crawled onto her lap, and she hugged him close. It was hard to believe she’d be parted from the children soon. Her eyes stung a little, and she blinked away a tear. Saying goodbye wouldn’t be easy.
Evan seemed to have guessed her thoughts because he rested his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “It’ll be okay.”
She swallowed and nodded.
The interior of the limo was huge. The twins sat on a lengthways seat, Darius and Banna between them. Raul and Riley took a seat opposite; Raul perched on the edge as if ready to hop up at any moment.
“Is there any champagne?” Harry asked, clapping and looking around. A huge grin spread on his face.
“Of course,” Riley said, pulling a bottle from an ice bucket which had been molded into the seat. “What are we celebrating?”
Harry grinned at Olivia and took her hand. “I got married,” he said. “Meet Mrs. Olivia Vidal.”
About The Challenge
THE CHALLENGE is an on-going reverse harem series starring Olivia Bailey and her men. Set in modern times, packed full of adventure and steaming from the page it’s sure to keep you hooked.
If you missed them, grab your copies of book #1 CASTAWAYS, book #2 TEARAWAYS and book #3 RUNAWAYS today.
Book #5 BREAKAWAYS is also available to pre-order. And don’t worry, there’ll be more to follow that…
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Check out Lily Harlem’s website for more information.
About Lily Harlem
Lily Harlem lives in the UK and is an award-winning author of sexy romance. She writes for publishers on both sides of the Atlantic including HarperCollins, Totally Bound, Pride, Evernight, and Stormy Night Publications. Her work regularly receives high praise and industry nominations.
Before turning her hand to writing Lily Harlem worked as a trauma nurse and her latest HarperCollins release, Confessions of a Naughty Night Nurse draws on her many experiences while nursing in London. Lily also self-publishes and The Silk Tie, The Glass Knot, Cold Nights, Hot Bodies, Bite Mark and Shared have been blessed with many 5* reviews – all available on Kindle Unlimited.
If you love sporty romance don’t miss Hot Ice a seven novel 5* series about those sexy bad boys of the ice all available on Kindle Unlimited and the first book FREE when you sign up to her newsletter. Also check out Formula One themed novel Accelerated Passion and sexy soccer story Scored.
Lily writes MF, MM and ménage a trois, her books regularly hit the #1 spot on Amazon Bestseller lists and Breathe You In was named a USA Today Reviewer’s Recommended Read of 2014. Her latest MM novel is Dark Warrior and you can grab Part One of her MM series Caught on Camera for FREE!
Lily also co-authors with Natalie Dae and publishes darker plot lines under the name Harlem Dae - check out That Filthy Book which has been hailed as a novel ‘every woman should read’ and is available in book stores nationwide. The Sexy as Hell Trilogy, a critically acclaimed boxed set, is available on Amazon and KU.
One thing you can be sure of, whatever book you pick up by Ms Harlem, is it will be wildly romantic and deliciously sexy. Enjoy!
Visit Lily’s website for more details of her other books or her Amazon Author Page. Subscribe to her newsletter to get a FREE ebook and be the first to hear of new releases, and if you enjoy Facebook hop on over there and say hi!
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