Aidan
When we touch down, and the plane pulls into the private hangar, Katie lets out a long breath, clearly relieved to be back on solid ground.
We get off the plane and step into the car waiting for us on the tarmac. Once our bags are loaded in, the driver heads off for our hotel.
I can tell she's still a little nervous about being back in Atlanta, but she's fighting through it. She's doing everything she can to do what I asked, which is to just relax and enjoy the weekend. I have something special planned, so I hope she can pull it off. I have a feeling it will be good for her soul.
The last thing I want is for that son of a bitch Victor to ruin things for us.
The car pulls to a stop in front of The Whitley, a high-end luxury hotel I've stayed at a few times when I've been in town on business. I thought it might impress Katie and hopefully, help her relax a little. I want her to be pampered and taken care of. More than anything, I want her to feel like a princess this weekend.
After everything she's been through, she deserves it.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, I'm good,” she says.
She's staring at the hotel, an awe-struck look on her face. She turns back to me, eyes wide, a strange smile on her lips.
“We're staying here?” she asks.
“No, I figured that I'd let you look at it before I have the driver take us to the Motel Six down the street,” I say.
She punches me in the arm and laughs. The driver loads our bags onto the bellhop's cart and wheels it ahead of us. I turn around, hand the driver a fifty, and let him know that I'll contact him when he’s needed. He nods, gets back in the car, and heads out.
“You're such an ass,” she says and laughs.
“You sure say that a lot.”
“You give me a lot of reasons to.”
She takes my hand, and we walk into the hotel together. As we approach the front desk, the clerk smiles wide.
“Welcome to the Whitley. How can I help you?” she asks, her voice dripping with a sweet Southern accent.
“We have a reservation under Anderson,” I say. “Aidan Anderson.”
The clerk punches a few things into her computer. “Welcome back, Mr. Anderson,” she says. “Lovely to have you with us again.”
“Thank you,” I say.
“Your room is all set up and ready,” she says, sliding a pair of keycards over to me. “And your appointment is in ten minutes, so you made it just in time.”
“Appointment?” Katie asks.
I give her a smile. “Surprise number one.”
“You’re not gonna tell me, are you?”
“I think you're finally catching on,” I reply.
That smile of hers lights up the entire lobby of the hotel, and I feel a warmth spreading through me as I bask in that glow. I thank the clerk and escort Katie toward the elevators. I happen to glance over and see Adam sitting in a chair near the fountain in the center of the lobby. His face is buried in a newspaper, but I know he's not actually reading it. He's there to see me. How he knew to find me is a mystery, though.
Even though I told Katie I was having surveillance run on Victor, I didn’t want to dampen the mood by reminding her of the fact. And introducing her to Adam would do that in the most concrete way possible.
Behind her back, I motion to him that I'll be a minute. It actually works out well, since the appointment is for her. I'll have some time to handle a little business.
“After you,” I say as the elevator car slides open.
I step into the car after her, and she grabs my shirt, pulling me to her. Katie pulls me into a deep, passionate kiss full of fire and heat. Full of emotion. She slides her hand down my body, grabbing my rapidly hardening cock through my pants. She rubs and strokes it as I press her up against the wall of the elevator car, wanting nothing more than to fuck her right then and there.
Unfortunately, there isn't enough time. At least, not right now. There will be time for that later though. I'll make sure we have plenty of time.
Reluctantly, I step back and let out a breath. “You're not going to get information out of me that way,” I say. “Though, it's a really, really good try.”
“You're a tough nut to crack.”
“Can be,” I say.
She laughs and the elevator door chimes as it slides open. When we step out, the bellhop is already waiting in front of our door with the luggage. We walk down, and he opens the door for us. Katie walks into the room and turns around, taking it all in with wide-eyed wonder. The bellhop sets our bags down, and I thank him and press a twenty into his palm. He closes the door quietly behind him as he leaves.
Katie flops down onto the bed, a wide smile on her face. “Oh my, god,” she says. “These beds are amazing. These sheets might be the softest thing I've ever laid on.”
She jumps back up on her feet and throws herself into my arms. I hold her tight, relishing the feel of her body pressed to mine. More than that though, I relish the feeling of closeness that’s grown between us the last few months. That sense of connection and genuine warmth.
She looks up at me with a bright light in her eyes. “How much time before this mysterious appointment?”
I glance at my watch. “Any minute, actually.”
“Aw. Damn it.”
I laugh. “Damn it?”
She pouts. “I wanted to –”
A knock on the door interrupts her, making Katie jump. Well, as high as a pregnant woman can jump. She looks at the door then at me, a look of confusion on her face.
“Wow,” I say. “Perfect timing.”
“Who is it?”
“Your escort, I would assume,” I say.
“Escort?”
I nod and quickly head to the door.
I open it to find a tall, dark-haired woman with blue eyes and rich, tawny skin. She's dressed in white from head to toe, her smile professional, carrying a tablet in her hand.
“Good afternoon,” she says. “I'm Janice, the spa concierge, and I'm here to escort Ms. Weathers down for her appointment.”
Katie looks at me, arching her eyebrow. I give her a smile in return and pull her to me, circling my arms around her waist.
“Go,” I say. “Be pampered. Enjoy yourself. You deserve it.”
“This is unbelievable, Aidan,” she says. “This is like something straight out of a movie.”
“That makes you my leading lady, then,” I reply. “Go be treated like one.”
“What are you going to do?”
I shrug. “Don't worry about me. You just worry about having a good time and relaxing.”
“I don't know what I've done to deserve all of this,” she says. “To deserve – you. Or this baby.”
There's an inscrutable look on her face, and a tidal wave of emotion behind her eyes. She's trying to hold it all in, but I can see it nonetheless. I place a soft kiss on her forehead.
“Have fun, Katie,” I say. “Enjoy yourself and relax.”
She gives me a smile, that expression still on her face, then finally turns and walks out. I watch her walking away with the spa concierge, talking excitedly to her as they step into the elevator, disappearing from my view.
* * *
“How in the hell did you know we were staying here?” I ask as I join Adam at the bar in the hotel lounge.
He gives me a lopsided smile. “Because I'm very good at my job.”
“Clearly,” I say and chuckle.
The lounge is dimly lit and tastefully appointed – as you'd expect in a high-class place like the Whitley. Soft jazz music plays, lending a hushed atmosphere to the place. It's only half-full and there’s no one at the bar except the two of us, so we have a little bit of privacy.
“How is it you Anderson boys always seem to find yourselves with the most beautiful women?”
I laugh. “Luck of the Irish, I assume.”
The bartender drops off my whiskey and a fresh beer for Adam. We drink in silence for a minute or two before he turns to me.
“I sent the entire dossier I've compiled to you,” he says. “But, let me just give you the quick and dirty details – Victor is a bad guy. Nasty guy.”
“Yeah, I gathered that,” I say. “Hit me with the highlights.”
He nods. “Well, he was an All-State safety in high school,” he says. “Big-time recruit. Ended up with a full ride, but blew out his knee. Scholarship disappeared, and he ended up in Atlanta.”
“Bitter and pissed off,” I say.
Adam takes another sip of his drink and nods. “Yeah, just a bit,” he says. “Has a jacket. A few assault charges. Vandalism. Nothing too major. Now, he runs with a group of bikers – the Steel Cobras. Though, from what I've gathered, he's more of a fringe guy.”
“Sounds like a fun crowd.”
“Oh, it gets better. A lot of those guys have jackets for heavier stuff – including murder,” he says. “Tough crowd. The Cobras are also known drug and gun runners. Apparently, they haven't been nailed for it yet, but the locals and the feds also think they're involved in human trafficking.”
“Oh, that's just wonderful.”
I motion to the bartender to bring a fresh round. He comes over a moment later and drops off two new drinks, taking away the empties, and disappearing without a word. That's one of the many good things about somewhere like the Whitley – the employees are discreet.
“I'm telling you this because these aren't guys you want to get on the wrong side of,” Adam says.
I sigh, rubbing my temples. “May not have a choice.”
“Then you better have a plan,” he says.
I take a sip of my drink, and look around the lounge, letting my mind work over the problem in front of me. That's when something occurs to me. And as I turn it over in my head and think over the timing of everything, I start to see the bigger picture in play – and it’s fucking chilling.
“You said Victor hasn’t made it with the Cobras yet,” I say.
He nods. “That's what I picked up, yeah.”
“What does it take to do that?”
“Usually killing a rival or something equally as awful.”
“What if Victor's job is to kidnap Katie and turn her over to the Cobras,” I say. “Then they sell her… or something equally heinous.”
A sour expression touches Adam's lips. “There's a comforting thought.”
“Can you verify it?”
He shrugs. “I'll poke around, but that's going to be tough to confirm,” he admits. “It's not like I can interview them about it directly.”
“Yeah, I know,” I say.
“I'll see what I can do though,” he replies.
“I appreciate it.”
“That's what you're paying me for,” he says and grins.
The more I think about it, the more I think I'm right. He's not going to try to kill Katie – there would be no profit, or anything in it for him if she were just dead. If I'm right – and I'm ninety-nine percent sure that I am – that works in my favor. If that is Victor's way of making it big with the Cobras, that means it's something he has to do on his own. He's not going to get any backing from the gang he's trying to prove himself to.
At least, I'm pretty sure he won't.
“Have you heard him talking about Katie?” I ask.
Adam nods. “Yeah,” he says. “A little bit. It's clear he's pissed and wants to get back at her for not just leaving him, but for making him look like a chump in front of his club. I haven't found any specific plans yet though. But, he's definitely carrying a torch for her.”
“You think he's going to take a run at her?”
“Based on my experience?” Adam asks. “Oh yeah. He's carrying so much hate for her, it's eating him up. In my mind, it's not a question of if, it's a question of when.”
I let out a long breath and swallow down half of my drink. I've been hoping that Victor is just blowing smoke or is playing games with her – like she wants to believe. I never entirely bought it, but I was being optimistic about it.
Clearly, I was wrong and should have stuck with my cynical point of view from the start.
“Wonderful,” I say. “Does he know she’s pregnant?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know. He hasn’t said anything about it, but that doesn’t mean anything. I'm going to stay down here a little while longer,” Adam says. “Dig up whatever else I can and keep you updated.”
“I appreciate that, Adam.”
He gives me a tight smile. “If I were you, I'd prepare for the worst,” he says. “Sooner, rather than later. I'll do what I can on this end to help take the fangs out of the Cobras.”
I tap my glass against his. “Thank you, Adam,” I say. “My brothers were right about you.”
He gives me that lopsided grin again. “Of course, they were,” he says. “Did you actually have doubts?”