CHAPTER 10
Travis
I set off for the airport, only momentarily distracted by the sight of Scarlett’s shapely butt mere inches from my face, her tight jeans all too revealing. But as we set off, my mind quickly reverted to more important matters, like getting to the airport safely and wondering if we were being tailed.
I kept an eye on the traffic behind us. The trick was to see if any cars had joined the journey soon after departure, and if they kept a discreet but consistent distance from us.
The last trick was to take a slight detour, changing tack suddenly, if possible, and keeping an eye on what the cars did behind you. If they were really good, they would appear and disappear with two or three cars doing the tailing to reduce suspicion.
I couldn’t see any sign of a tail though. Having said that, the car I was driving wasn’t exactly inconspicuous and would be easy to tail without giving much away.
Thing is, if they were that good, they wouldn't need to follow us. They would know we were going to the airport. If they knew where we were headed, they most likely knew our destination.
I relaxed somewhat, with the odds of no immediate danger stacked hugely in my favor.
I’d had the privacy glass down for a while, mainly so I could catch glimpses of Scarlett through the rearview mirror, my dark sunglasses hiding my wandering gaze.
She smiled and joked with her friends, in her element.
God, she was so damned beautiful.
I’d seen her look at me a few times in the house, but couldn’t tell if she was just in awe of my strength, slightly scared of me, or actually attracted to me.
The girls’ chatter increased over the next few minutes, and then a second gold bottle of champagne was being procured from the fridge near Raven.
I decided to wind up the privacy glass for the remainder of the journey.
Without the distraction, I turned my attention back to the traffic around me. My eyes flicked to the wing mirrors every few seconds out of habit, looking for a sign of something I knew I was unlikely to find.
I settled into the drive, my mind on the traffic, the impending check in and flight, and the trip to the destination. I thought over the route, visualizing landmarks and analyzing possible danger.
We arrived at the airport about twenty minutes later. As the girls were flying first-class; the airport staff had known in advance of our arrival, through the booking process. A few attendants waited for us near the fast track check-in, which led directly to the first-class lounges.
At least I ain’t gotta lift those fucking suitcases again, I thought, looking on the bright side.
With the attendants helping the girls out of the car and struggling with their cases, I had time to survey the traffic surrounding us and took reassurance in the weight of the revolver in my jacket.
The girls rushed off to check in, babbling excitedly, my presence momentarily forgotten.
I turned my head slightly toward them, and saw Scarlett looking back at me over her shoulder. She smiled briefly and I nodded back.
I grabbed my bag from the back of the limo, slinging it over my back. I took one last look at the crowd behind me, waiting until I thought the girls were likely to have checked in. Once through security, they would be safe. And by then, I’d be right behind them.
I dumped my knife and gun in the glovebox and parked the limo, ready for it to be chauffeured back to the depot. I then grabbed my passport and ticket, and headed through to check-in.
I walked through the crowd with ease, people subconsciously parting for me as I walked directly to the checkout desk.
After checking in my single bag and going straight through security, I went through to the business-class lounges adjacent to the first-class lounges.
I found Scarlett standing outside, waiting. “Hey, big guy,” she said.
“First-class too fancy for you?” I said. I noted she was still smiling, studying my face. A prickle of apprehension went through me, wondering what was going on in that pretty little head of hers.
“Listen, I just wanted to say thanks. And to apologize for my friends. It’s just their way of having fun. Once they realize you’re not interested, they’ll get bored and find something else to amuse them, I promise.”
“Don’t worry, Scar. Your friends ain’t my type,” I said.
Her eyes widened slightly as she continued studying me for a second. “Good,” she said and then paused for a moment. “I can take a guest into the first-class lounge with me. You interested?”
“Lead on,” I said, not wanting to admit that I had planned to spend the hours ahead of me loitering outside the lounge, keeping an eye on the comings and goings. “Bet they have nicer whiskey in there.”
I almost flinched when she hooked her arm through mine, guiding me. Feeling her hips and thighs pushing close to my leg as we walked, I fought hard not to get aroused, only halfway succeeding.
I followed along behind the girls as they left for the plane.
Scarlett had asked if I could board with them, and the staff were all too happy to oblige, which wasn’t surprising considering the amount her dad had paid for the tickets.
We were first onto the plane, which meant I’d be able to keep tabs on everyone entering by business or economy. I’d checked out the rest of the passengers in the first-class lounge already and none of them had struck me as remotely dangerous. They were mainly just rich families and high-ranking executives.
I left the girls to their personal suite in first-class and took my seat in business-class, which was comfy enough. The seat reclined flat, boasting a length of two meters, which gave me just over two spare inches.
I sat at the front of business, as close to Scarlett as possible. When a pretty air attendant approached, I waved away the champagne she offered. “I’ll take a whiskey, darlin’. On the rocks.”
She smiled and hurried off to oblige.
I made a show of setting up my seat, standing regularly to survey the other passengers as they boarded. I even helped a few older ladies with their suitcases so that I could get a better look at everyone around the cabin.
Only one guy stood out. Grim-faced and observant, he sized me up with a calculated look in his eye, trying to gauge if I was a threat.
Don’t worry, Mr. Air Marshall. I ain’t a threat. Not to you, at least.
Having decided there was no one worth spending any more time inspecting, I settled into my chair and pretended to relax. I just needed to walk through economy and take a look upstairs, if they’d let me. Then I could fully relax.
The last few passengers boarded, and the crew made the final flight checks. The bustle of noisy activity washed over me, waves on an immovable rock. I thought things over, re-planning my route to the Paris hotel. I’d memorized the location of the safety deposit box and would go there as soon as possible to collect my guns.