by Mia Hoddell
“Aww, did you just admit you missed me, Dalt?”
“I said it’s not the same without you. Totally different thing.” His lips quirked and his eyes creased at the corners to crinkle his bronzed skin slightly—the only outward sign of his age.
“How’s it any different? You miss me, be honest.”
“I miss you like my cat misses its fleas.”
I clutched my hands over my chest and staggered back dramatically. “Ow! Stabbed me right in the heart.”
He chuckled. “Of course I’ve missed you, you idiot. Your smart mouth not so much, but things are definitely less interesting.”
“So you got on a plane to see me? I’m touched.”
Dalton threw his gaze to the sky. “How do you like it here so far? Is this trip everything you thought it would be?”
Rose groaned and raised her palm to her forehead with a smack. “Why, Dalton? I just got her back to normal.”
“Huh?” He gazed at Rose in confusion then settled his attention back on me as if expecting me to fill in the blanks. “Something you want to tell me?”
“Nope, I’m fine now. I only needed a reminder of why I began this journey, that’s all.”
Dalton stared at me, even more confused.
“Guy trouble, Dalt. She was having guy problems,” Rose piped up again and I wanted to strangle her. The last person who needed to know about Cole was my boss, no matter how close we were. Her words also had the effect of putting Cole right back in my thoughts. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was okay and whether he thought about me at all.
“Oh, right. Well …” He trailed off, his face reddening as he reached up to knead the back of his neck.
I placed a hand on his arm gently. “You don’t have to say anything. I’m good, but I think I’ll be moving on sooner than I expected.
“I don’t need to fire someone, do I? It’s not one of the staff?”
I couldn’t contain the laugh that slipped from my lips. Even though I normally pretended otherwise, I loved his protective streak. “No, French guys aren’t really my type.”
He gave me a curt nod, clearly uncomfortable with our line of conversation. “How about you two go and get changed, then we can get something to eat after I’ve scared everyone by appearing suddenly?”
“Sounds good,” we said at the same time, each taking an arm he offered to guide us back up to the hotel.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Alaya
“You do realise you almost gave him a heart attack, right?” I stared after Andre—a twenty-year-old waiter—disappearing back into the kitchen on shaky legs. Dalton liked teasing and testing his staff so had pretended there was a mix up over the orders.
“What good is being the boss if you can’t have a bit of fun every now and then?”
“You’re cruel. Not everyone knows you like I do.”
“Which is probably a good thing. If all of my staff were like you there’d be uproar and mutiny in my hotels.”
“Hey! I’m good at my job.”
“Did I say you weren’t?” He spooned a profiterole into his mouth around a Cheshire cat grin.
“I hate you,” I mumbled, and took a bite of my lemon ice-cream. It was the one thing I’d never been able to find back in the UK since first tasting it when I was fourteen on a school trip. Not one that compared anyway. I quickly came to adore its creaminess mixed with the tangy, sour lemon, and it easily dethroned my old favourite of caramel crunch.
“Be honest with me, is this trip turning into everything you thought it would?”
“I can’t say yet. It’s only just begun.” I proceeded to tell him everything I’d accomplished so far—minus a few details involving Cole. He listened to my every word intently as we ate, nodding and humming when necessary.
“Well, I’m glad you’re not my kid; you nearly give me a heart attack as it is. I couldn’t imagine what I’d be like if we were actually related.”
I chuckled warily, the comment instantly putting me on the defensive. It wasn’t a Dalton thing to say unless …
“Speaking of which, your dad stopped by the hotel.”
Yep, here we go, parent talk. Over the years I learned to read the signals. Dalton always gave away subtle hints as to the topic he really wanted to discuss.
“Oh yeah? What did he want?” I focused on my ice cream, wishing I could switch places with it, or it could eat me instead.
“To yell at me mostly.”
I winced. “Sorry. You shouldn’t have to deal with that.”
He shrugged off my comment like it was an everyday occurrence. “It’s no problem. I think they were both just scared they were losing you. Have you spoken to them?”
“Of course, I’ve spoken to them a few times and still text friends. This trip wasn’t about cutting people off, I’m only moving on with my life in the way I choose. I think they’re finally beginning to understand my decision.”
“Good.”
We ate on in silence until the only sounds filling the air were spoons scraping against glass bowls to make sure we picked up every last morsel of chocolate sauce or ice cream. Rose left after dinner to get back to her second shift, and without her filling in the gaps a significant lull in the conversation formed. Not that it bothered either of us.
“Are you still thinking about leaving before three months are up? I can make some calls while I’m here if you want,” he said, finally glancing up at me and taking a swig of his beer.
“I don’t know yet. I love it here, and of course there’s Rose, but I’m running out of things to do. I know I said three months in each country, but I think it may be time for me to move on. A new country will make things easier.”
“It’s up to you, Alaya. I can change it at any time so let me know what your decision is. I’ll be here for a couple more days.” He stood, pushing his chair under the table as I mock saluted him. His eyes creased with a smile at the sight. “Anyway, I should probably start checking things out here. No doubt word of my arrival has spread around the whole place by now.”
I followed him, beginning to clear the plates out of habit. “Sure. And seriously, Dalton, thank you. It’s impossible to put into words how much this trip means to me, and it wouldn’t be possible without you.”
“It’s no trouble. I’m glad I could make this a reality for you.”
“I do have a suggestion, though.”
He folded his arms and raised both eyebrows knowingly. I’d badgered him enough in the past about my idea. “Oh yeah, what?”
“I think you should expand into Asia. I would love to go to Thailand, or maybe Bali. How about Vietnam?”
Dalton rolled his eyes, although a smile toyed at his lips. “Nice try, but it didn’t work back in Cornwall and it won’t work here.”
“Fine … it was worth a shot.” I placed the pile of plates down and stepped into his arms, giving him a quick hug. “You’d better get going.”
“I’ll make sure I say good-bye before I leave.”
Dalton disappeared into the building, and relieved of clearing everything by another waitress I headed back up to reception so I’d be early for my shift. Near the automatic glass doors someone blocked my path. His tall frame made it impossible to get round him and he followed my steps until I had to meet his stare.
“Can I help you?” I snapped. Dalton wouldn’t have been pleased if he heard me, yet people who wasted time irritated me. If he wanted my help couldn’t he say so? Did he have to stand there getting in the way?
“Do you work here?”
“Yes, what can I do for you?” I folded my arms and cocked my hip, fixing him with my coldest stare. The T-shirt I wore clearly had the word ‘staff’ printed on the front of it. However, as I stared at his face my gaze repeatedly flicked to the large scar running down the right side of his cheek. From just above the corner of his eye, it trailed all the way down to stop in line with the corner of his mouth.
Realising he was speaking again, I pulled my gaze fr
om it. I didn’t want to gawk.
“I’m looking for information on a friend. I know he stayed in the area and I’m trying to track him down because he may be in trouble. Do you know if he stayed here? His name is Cole Arno—Ashford. Dark brown hair, six-two, impressive build … ring any bells?”
“Yeah, I know him. We hung out a few times.”
“He hooked up with you, didn’t he?” His lips curved shrewdly, like he could tell from just staring at me. “You’re exactly his type.”
Taken aback by his comment, I resisted the urge to flip him off. Instead, I spun on my heels and stalked over to the reception desk, aware my shift was about to start. I called over my shoulder, “I don’t think I caught your name. Who are you?”
“Sorry, I’m Levi.” He held out his hand, leaving me no choice but to shake it. His name instantly triggered a memory of Cole mentioning him. He was the cop.
“Okay. What can I do for you?”
“Is he staying here? This is the only hotel I haven’t checked in the area, and when Cole left England he’d gotten himself in a lot of trouble. I was the only one helping him and I’m worried something might have happened.”
“No. And I don’t know where he is before you ask.”
“Right. Well, thanks for the help and sorry for wasting your time.” He spun to leave and the sudden desire to find out more overpowered my urge to let him go. Maybe if I knew Cole’s secret I really could shut him in the past.
“Wait, what kind of trouble is he in? He was always so secretive about everything.”
Slowly, Levi twisted back around to me, shaking his head. “It’s best you forget him, love. We wouldn’t want you dragged into this mess, would we?”
“What mess?”
He rested his arms on the counter. “He got mixed up with a local gang. Hell of a lot of trouble. Big cover up. It even made the national news, which is why I need to find him before they do. There are people out there who want him to pay for what he’s done.”
I gasped, my eyes widening. I knew I’d been heading in the right direction with my thoughts.
“He’s innocent of course. Otherwise I wouldn’t be helping him.”
“Well, good luck finding him, and I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help. He left me without an explanation.”
“Sounds like his style.” He pushed off the counter and tapped on it with his knuckles as if to leave, but paused. Reaching over to my side of the desk, he grabbed a pad of sticky notes and a pen, quickly scribbling something on the top one. “Here’s my number. If you see him around or he contacts you, can you give me a call? I need to get a hold of him as soon as possible.”
He slid the pad back towards me where I could see his name and number clearly written down.
“Why would he contact me?”
“I doubt he will, but it’s just in case. Like I said, I can’t help him if I don’t know where he is.”
I shrugged, peeling off the note and pocketing it when a deliveryman hovering awkwardly behind Levi caught my attention. He held a large bouquet of deep red roses.
“Give me a minute.” I held up a finger to Levi, sliding along the counter so I could accept the delivery. The man placed them on the counter and I fully expected to have to sign for them. However, he turned and left without a word. I was about to return to Levi when my gaze fell upon an envelope with my name scrawled across the front.
My pulse spiked. I reached for the envelope with my breath held, and as I pulled out the card I exhaled heavily.
I’m sorry I left. I needed to go somewhere safe.
If you’ll give me the chance, I’ll explain everything when I see you again soon.
I’ll even let you win the bet.
C
That egotistical, arrogant, self-centred bastard! I heard nothing for a week, and then I received a note saying he’d see me soon? It only confirmed the reasons I needed to leave. If he thought he could come running back to me like he hadn’t taken off then he was going to be sorely disappointed. I didn’t care if he’d been in trouble; the last thing I needed was to see him again.
Movement in my peripheral had my gaze lifting to where Levi started to leave.
“Hang on.” He paused, regarding me questioningly. “If you find him, will you give him a message for me?”
“Sure, love. Those from him?”
“Yeah. It doesn’t say where he is though.” I dropped the note on to the counter. “Can you tell him he’s an asshole and that if he ever comes near me again I will follow through on my threat from the train? Also, tell him the bet’s off in case it’s not clear enough from my first message.”
His lips twitched into a crooked smile that creased his scar awkwardly. “Fancy telling me what the bet was? I’ll be sure to make his life hell for it when I catch up with him.”
“You can make his life hell without needing to know that. Just make sure he never shows up on my doorstep again.”
“Sure thing.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Cole
Cologne, Germany
I’d just collapsed on my bed in Cologne when the second burner phone I’d purchased began ringing in my back pocket. After spending thirteen hours on a sofa, I had a lot of kinks to work out of my body and my aches made reaching for the phone a struggle.
“Hello,” I moaned gruffly into the handset.
“He’s in France.”
“Who?”
“Ryder.”
Levi captured my attention instantly. Even with my burning joints, I bolted up right. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. Do you think I’d hop on a fucking plane without being sure? You’re out of here, right?”
“Yeah, I left. Wait, you’re in France?” I heaved a regretful sigh, my mind playing catch up. Nonetheless, at least now I had a definite answer as to whether Crowley knew about me surviving the crash. It gave me a chance to plan.
“Yes, asshole, I’m in France. I’ve been tailing Ryder since Crowley got out, and checking up on where you were staying to make sure there are no leads to wherever the hell you’ve vanished to this time.”
“Do you curse this much with all of your clients?”
“Only the ones who ignore my advice and force me to travel. You know I hate public transport.”
“A holiday will be good for you.” At least if Levi had taken on the case it relieved some of the pressure. He wouldn’t allow them to find me.
“Keep your head in the game, Cole. Now is not the time to be cracking jokes. You were lucky you got out when you did. This was too close and I will not have you screwing up again. I can’t keep making you disappear. At some point I’m going to need to head home, and these guys aren’t going to stop searching until they know you’re dead.”
“Are you this aggressive with your other clients?” I changed the subject deliberately, not wanting to acknowledge the truth in what he said. I was well aware of the realities.
“If I remember correctly, you’re not paying me a penny. That means this is a favour for a friend and you get whatever attitude I think you deserve.”
He had a point so I let it drop. “I take it you didn’t find anything if you’re able to argue with me?”
“No I didn’t. You’ve become a ghost again and you had better fucking stay that way.”
“You’ll stay with Ryder?” I bunched my fist in the duvet, balling the fabric beneath my palm. I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to hear his answer or not.
“For as long as I can, but I can’t keep this up forever, Cole.”
“I know.” The defeat rang in my words despite my effort to cover it. “Who knows, maybe they’ll get bored and give up when they don’t find me?”
I could imagine him rolling his eyes on the other end of the phone. “We can only hope. Until then, stay low. I’ll keep in touch.”
“Thanks, man. I really owe you.”
“I know, and you’re going to hate me when I call it in.”
“Just make sure y
ou save my ass so you can call it in.”
The tense chuckle and muttered good-bye didn’t put my mind at ease. He forced it for my benefit, only the problem was I’d known him for twelve years. I knew all of his tells, could read every emotion, and therefore he couldn’t hide things from me. And when Levi stressed over something it was never a good sign.
It still surprised me he stuck around to save my ass honestly. After all, he’d been the one to convince his commissioner to offer me a lesser sentence for information. He’d been the one who made me disappear. He’d gotten me the cash I needed without leaving a trail that would tip off Crowley’s men or the cops, and he still covered my tracks. I thanked God every day Levi had my back because if I was screwed with him, I was fucked without him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Alaya
The visit from Levi and the roses made up my mind for me. If things went as far as one of Cole’s friends finding me then I definitely needed to move on, leave them all behind, and get out as soon as possible. I didn’t want any part in what happened to him.
“Who was that? He looked hot in a dangerous way.” Rose’s voice came from the door behind me, and my hand flew to cover my heart. I spun to glare at her with a sharp intake of breath.
“Can you make a noise next time?”
She swiped a strand of hair back behind her ear. “So who was he?”
“A friend looking for Cole.” I tapped away on the keyboard, pretending to be doing something with the booking form. I hoped she would get the message and not continue the conversation. Fat chance.
“That explains the tail end of the conversation I caught then. Who are the roses for?”
