Sweet Vengeance: Ladies (Iron Orchids Book 14)

by Danielle Norman

  "Oh, you shush."

  Sunday

  "Please make sure that your seat belts are securely fastened and that your seats and tray tables are in the upright and locked positions as we prepare for our descent into Owen Roberts International Airport."

  Sunday giggled because she felt as if she belonged in the movie Airplane, it was one of her favorite oldies. She'd always loved slapstick humor that others found stupid, and Airplane was one of her favorites. As she stared down at her jittery leg, all she could think of was that she picked a bad day to quit sniffing glue or downing energy drinks or anything stupid that would make her shake. It was the kind of thing they'd say in the movie.

  "When we land, you go your way, and I'll go mine. We can compare notes later, okay? Just give me your cell number."

  "Are you sure about that? You sure that you don't mean that you want me to hand over my notes and you keep all yours to yourself?"

  She scoffed. Clearly, he was still hung up on the flight thing. "Thought we'd agreed to a truce. Guess I was mistaken." Sunday grabbed her bag from the overhead compartment and followed the line of passengers off the plane and out to baggage claim. She groaned because Bo was so close to her that she could feel his body heat. "Do you have to follow so closely?"

  "Yes."

  "Why?" Sunday huffed.

  "Because I get this kind of reaction." Bo smirked. "Here, let me help you." Bo reached forward to grab the blue bag that Sunday had put her hand on as it came around the belt.

  "I've got it."

  "I know you do, but I'd like to help." He pulled it off and set it next to them. When another piece that matched the first came off the belt, Bo grabbed it as well. "Is that all?"

  "Yes." Sunday popped the handles on her rolling carts, slung her laptop bag over one shoulder, and pulled them toward the non-resident checkpoint line. She pulled out her passport and handed it to the Royal Cayman police officer who was working the border patrol office.

  Bo reached into his briefcase and pulled his out as well.

  Sunday got through the line and didn't wait for him, feeling a bit smug as she took her spot in the cab line, which was roughly twenty people long. When he walked outside and a chauffeur jumped out of a black town car to help assist him with his bags, she glared.

  Bo handed off his bags and then walked over and picked hers up. "Come on."

  "What?"

  "The car is for the both of us. Did you really think I was going to let you out of my sight?"

  She looked to the chauffeur as he took her bags, and Bo placed one hand at the base of her back as he waited for her to slide into the back seat. She jerked at the touch before glancing over her shoulder to see Bo smirking at her.

  Huffing at his arrogance, she slid into the car and all the way across the seat. "Where are you staying?"

  "The Ritz, of course."

  Of course, she mimicked in her mind, she wanted to knock that shit-eating grin off his face.

  "Let me handle the rooms." Bo sounded all too confident.

  "Why? I've already booked mine."

  "Trust me, I know which room my dad always books, so we can request one in the opposite tower, so we can watch him--that is, if you happened to bring a high zoom camera."

  Sunday folded her arms, torn between lying and saying she didn't bring one and rubbing it in his face that she in fact had two. In the end, she chose silence because he wasn't really worth either outcome.

  When the chauffeur stopped in front of the hotel, Sunday and Bo hurried inside to check in. Sunday grabbed her American Express, but before she could say a word, Bo was talking, taking over the entire conversation. In short, he was being a bully.

  When he set a black America Express card on the counter, she wasn't impressed. That was one card she would never own since there was no way on God's green earth that she could rationalize spending the two hundred fifty thousand a year minimum just to retain card privileges.

  The hotel clerk, however, was impressed. He quickly glanced down and grabbed the card. "Mr. Camden, how may I help you?"

  "Is the penthouse available in the south residence tower?"

  The clerk typed for a minute before turning his attention back to Bo. "I'm sorry, sir, but that--" the clerk paused.

  "Same name?" Bo inquired. "It's my father, he arrived earlier than I did. Then I will take the north tower if it is available."

  The clerk once again checked his computer. "It is. How long will you be staying with us?"

  Bo turned to Sunday. Really? Now, he was asking her opinion.

  "Four days," Sunday offered.

  "After you get that booked, I'll need you to look up the reservation for Sunday Prescott and cancel it please."

  Sunday narrowed her eyes on Bo, ready to throw a fit at his audacity, but he leaned closer to her and whispered, "Relax, the penthouse has multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, you will still have your own area, just with better viewing opportunities."

  Bo finished checking in, and she didn't protest this time when he canceled her room. By the time they had their keys, a bellman was at their side. "That is our car out front, would you mind getting our luggage?" Bo handed over a folded bill.

  "No problem, sir. I'll meet you outside." The bellman strode away.

  "What about the driver?"

  "He'll pull into a parking spot and wait. When his shift is over, another car and driver will be there to wait until we are ready to go somewhere."

  "You really are a pampered pooch, aren't you?"

  Bo didn't answer, so Sunday followed him back out of the hotel to where two luxury golf carts were waiting. A man in white shorts, white polo shirt, white knee socks, and white shoes greeted them.

  "I'm Elian, I'll be your steward while you're here, if you need anything, just give me a ring. My direct line is star three-four-four." Elian handed a card to Bo and then one to Sunday.

  Bo nodded.

  "Thank you, Elian," Sunday said and gave him a wide smile.

  "Your luggage is already in the cart, please follow me." Elian led the way to two golf carts before handing Bo a set of keys to the one in front, which was white-and-turquoise, while the bellman ran and got into a more utilitarian style cart with their luggage stacked in the back.

  "We could have ridden with him." Sunday pointed back to Elian.

  "No, this will be our cart for our stay," Bo explained.

  "Oh,” Sunday cleared her throat, slightly uncomfortable with the perks she was being handed. "Are you always so heavy-handed?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Oh never mind." Sunday waved him off, but he was staring at her. "Hey, eyes forward, watch where you're going."

  "Do you ever shut up?"

  She almost snorted a laugh. Sunday had never been accused of being too talkative, but she kept her questions and comments to herself for the rest of the ride.

  Bo parked the cart outside the tower where their suite was. While he was talking with Elian, Sunday breathed in the salt air and walked over to the edge to look out at the ocean. Even though she was a Florida girl, she was in the middle of the state and seldom found time to drive the hour over to the coast. She smiled at the surfers wiggling on their boards out in the water as they waited for the wave, and kids on the beach bent over in the sand with buckets. To her this was peace.

  "You coming?" Bo asked.

  "Oh, yeah, sorry. Just admiring the view."

  Bo held out one hand for Sunday as he waited for her to catch up. She wasn't sure why she took it, but she did.

  They had to enter their key to call the elevator and then enter it again once they were inside. The elevator opened into their suite, which was stunning with its cathedral ceilings, wrap around balcony, and French doors that opened off the living room, bedrooms, and the dining area.

  "Oh my stars, I could live here." Sunday spun around as she took in the opulent room.

  "This one has a far nicer view than the south tower."

  Sunday laughed and headed to the balcony
to look. "There are three bedrooms, so take whichever one you want. They all have private baths," Bo explained.

  "You've obviously stayed here before."

  "Yeah, once or twice." Bo winked.

  He winked, was he actually flirting?

  Bo

  "So, what's that?"

  Sunday peered up from her computer just long enough to see where Bo was pointing. "It's a scanner and dish."

  "What's it for?"

  "When I find which room is your dad's, I'm going to try to get a lock on his computer so I can access his personal files."

  "You can do that?" Bo was thoroughly impressed.

  "Yep, actually a lot of people can. The skill comes when I try to reverse my skills and download some programs onto his computer from here."

  Bo shook his head. This was so above his level of understanding. "Does it bother you if I ask questions while you work?"

  "Ask away, it won't disturb me."

  "What are you hoping to get from all of this?"

  "So, I told you why your mother hired me, right?"

  "Yes, you're looking for the same thing I am, information to protect Camden Financial."

  "Yes and no. We're here to protect Camden, but more than that, we are here to help your mother, she wants to know that the clients and the company are protected, and well...we are going to help her with that. Your mother is our client as long as she wants us researching Camden Financial then that is what we are doing."

  "If my dad doesn't cooperate which I'm not expecting him to do?"

  "That is why your mother hired us, we ensure that your father leaves gracefully and we get a little insurance along the way to protect her." Sunday let out a low cackle.

  Bo leaned back and examined Sunday. "What?" Sunday snapped.

  "Gotta tell you, you're kind of scaring me right now."

  "Hazard of hanging out with me." Sunday got up and rummaged in one of her large suitcases. She unwrapped a camera and then set up a tripod. Setting them by the window, she attached an L shaped lens.

  "What kind of lens is that?" Bo asked, totally fascinated.

  "The kind that can help me see what I need to see and not get caught." Sunday studied the threads and made sure that she was assembling the pieces correctly.

  "It looks like someone chop-shopped it."

  "They did." Sunday finally got the pieces together, positioned the camera so it looked to be pointed toward the ocean, and then fiddled with the focus until the picture was clear.

  "Ummm, I can guarantee that my dad's room isn't in the ocean."

  "You're right. You said that he was in the south tower, right? That means he's on the top floor of the second tower on the opposite side from where we are."

  "How can you tell that?"

  "It's the lens, what did you call it, chop-shopped? If anyone on that side is standing guard and happen to look over toward us, they will see a camera pointed toward the water instead of pointed in their direction." Sunday twisted the lens and adjusted the focus. "By the way, how many people did your dad travel with?"

  "No clue, I thought he was going to New York, remember? Why?"

  "He's with several other men, and it looks like they are being entertained by dancers. God, the older I get, the younger girls look."

  "May I have a look, maybe I'll recognize who he is with."

  "Be my guest." Sunday stepped back.

  Bo tensed and fought the urge to hold his stomach because he could feel it churning. He knew his dad was cheating on his mom but to see it was an entirely different thing all together. Some woman young enough to be Bo's sister was straddling his dad. Bo tried to rein his anger in and refocus on the subject at hand. "Come here." Bo's shoulders stiffened. "Did you see the large man?"

  "The big guy in the gray suit?"

  "Yeah. That's Charles Mullins, the motivational speaker. He's married and has grandchildren."

  "I doubt any of those girls are his granddaughters." Sunday scoffed as she clicked the camera.

  "I highly doubt it. The man with the goatee is the owner of a professional hockey team, Derrick Holden, I know that he's married, but not sure about children."

  Sunday took several more photos. "I can find that out."

  "Sitting directly across from my dad is Dallas Taiden, he is the CEO of a stuffed animal company."

  "Ahh, maybe he brought them toys." Sunday laughed. "That was funny, I'm starting to sound just like Adeline, I'll have to make a note to tell her, she'll be so proud of me."

  "Who is Adeline?"

  "She is one of my roommates and one of my coworkers not to mention she is the most outspoken of all of us. I'm trying to be more like her."

  "God forbid," Bo said sotto voce.

  "And next to him is Michael Wynn, the owner of the Tequila Mockingbird franchise."

  Satisfied that there wasn't anyone else in the room, Bo straightened and turned to Sunday.

  "What do you think?"

  "I think that it isn't illegal for a bunch of married rich guys to hire strippers and we should keep watching them." She took a few more pictures before asking, "Any idea why those men would be here with your dad?"

  "No, but I don't think it's a coincidence that each of them has a contract with our company that has my forged signature on it. Does that camera have an auto button, I'm starved."

  "Yeah, let me hook it up to my computer." Sunday popped in a three terabyte storage drive. "Where do you want to go to eat?"

  "Just down to one of the restaurants here on the property."

  "Aren't you afraid of your dad seeing us?"

  Bo let out a small chuckle. "My dad doesn't eat at these sort of places. He has his food delivered to his room. And with women up there, I seriously doubt he's going anywhere tonight."

  "Let me call the girls and check in, and then we can go down."

  Sunday

  Sunday flung herself back on her bed as she spoke into the phone. "Hey, you are not going to believe the pickle I'm in."

  "Hold on, let me put this on speakerphone," Adeline said. "By the way, Riley is here. Do you mind if he hears?"

  "Nah, it's fine, it's the kind of thing you'd probably tell him anyway." Sunday waited and listened to the sound of scuffling.

  "Okay, we're all here, tell us," Adeline stated.

  "I was sitting on the plane reading the Sky magazine when guess who walks on and takes the seat next to me, just guess?"

  "Holy shit, the dad?" Melanie asked.

  "Nope," Sunday popped her p.

  "The son," Adeline stated.

  "Ding, ding, we have a winner. Yep."

  "He lied and was going to the Caymans all along." Sunday could feel the fury in Adeline's voice through the phone line.

  "I don't think so. He said that he saw me this morning and texted his mom and she was the one who told him about the Caymans. He actually thought that I had lied to him and let him go on to believe that his dad was going to New York."

  "Have you seen Kai Camden yet?" Melanie asked.

  "Oh I've seen him, and I have the camera on auto."

  "What's he doing?" Olivia spoke up for the first time.

  "He's with some of Camden's big clients and they have a room full of young women," Sunday explained.

  "Men are such pigs," Adeline hissed.

  "Hey, I resemble that remark," Riley cut in.

  "Not you, you're the exception, honey."

  "Listen, I need to get changed but wanted to tell you something else."

  "Uh oh, this doesn't sound good.” Melanie's voice was ominous.

  "Bo and I are in the same hotel as Kai, we are in the penthouse across from him."

  "We? As in the two of you are sharing a room?" Melanie asked.

  "Yes, when I was checking in, he cut me off. He requested this room, it's the only room on the floor. But it is opposite Kai's room so we have a perfect view of everything going on."

  "How convenient, you two sharing a room." Adeline remarked

  "There's several bedroo
ms and each has its own bathroom but they all share one common area. It's just Bo and me in here. The man is high handed, I can tell you that." Sunday stopped talking at the sound of laughter ringing through the phone.

  "Oh, sweetie, you just enjoy those hands all you want," Adeline whispered. “It's good to let go every now and then."

  "I'm hanging up, goodbye." The laughter continued so Sunday did just that and then headed into the bathroom.

  Thirty minutes later, they were walking into one of nine eateries on the property. "So exactly how many times have you been here?"

  "I've come down two or three times a year for ten years because we do a lot of business with the Royal Bank." Bo looked somewhat embarrassed, but Sunday was slowly finding him adorable.

  She loved the way his warm hand felt at the base of her back as he escorted her to a seat. And she practically giggled when he held her chair out for her. "Who says chivalry is dead?"

  "You would have the other day. I'm really sorry about the way I came off."

  "I'm sorry too."

  They enjoyed their dinner, but spent it in relative quietness. As they walked out of the restaurant, toward the parking area, they wound down a faintly lit path. Sunday inhaled the scent of jasmine, there was something so entrancing about hearing the distant waves crash, the feel of salt in the air, and smelling the flowers. It made her relax. Relax enough to realize that something had changed between them and she liked it, they had finally crossed this invisible threshold from being full-blown enemies to friends. Sunday rolled her neck to ward off the small chill that washed over her when Bo lifted his hand from the base of her back to reach into his pocket and grab the key to the golf cart.

  "I really enjoyed our dinner. Thank you for going with me." Bo paused. "Crap, that's my dad's voice, come on." He wrapped Sunday's hand in his and pulled her forward just as his father and the group of men he was with rounded the corner, Bo sank deeper into the bushes, pulling Sunday against him. She glanced up; they were so close, she could feel his warm breath on her face, smell the toasted sugar from the Crème Brûlée they had shared. As swiftly as he had reacted and pulled her into him, he lowered his mouth to hers.