18. April 12, 2023
Demon
Thirty minutes later, Demon made his way upstairs. When he tried the door, he found it locked, which he actually found both concerning and reassuring. It bothered him she’d felt so unsafe that she needed to lock him out, yet he was glad she was smart enough to do it.
He knocked softly. Hopefully, she wasn’t still in the bath as he didn’t fancy trying to scale the wall to get in through the balcony.
A few moments later, he heard the door unlock and the handle turn.
Cherry stood just behind the door, her long fingers curved around it and one eye peeking out.
He slid through, closing it behind him, and flipped the lock.
Before he knew it, Cherry had thrown herself into his arms. She didn’t cry. She didn’t even utter a sound. Just grasped him close, her head planted in his chest. Her clean scent from the bath drifted into his nose and spread to his lungs, making him dizzy .
It was so difficult to remember why he couldn’t love her all night long and make her every promise she asked for.
Proposition or not, she wasn’t ready for what she’d suggested.
Even though he’d agreed to her proposal, he began listing in his head all the reasons it would be wrong and why it would be unfair to her.
Yet… each reason he came up with, he took another deep breath, and the space between reasons became longer and longer.
Gathering every ounce of strength within him, he disengaged from her grip. Holding her arms, he ducked down to look into her eyes. “Are you okay?”
She nodded jerkily again. “I’m just glad you’re here.”
He nodded his head toward the bathroom. Grabbing a small duffle bag from the walk-in closet, he pulled her with him into the room and closed the door.
Once inside the bathroom, he started the shower.
They had swept the room for bugs when they arrived and found none, and he’d set up one of Midas’ gizmos he’d built that sent an alarm to his watch if any type of surveillance device showed up, but he never trusted the rooms after they’d left them, and he didn’t have time to check again before leaving.
Anyone could get into their rooms while they were out and about, so it was better to assume the worst and sweep for bugs anytime they returned to the space.
Since he didn’t have time to sweep the room, the noise of the water should drown out voices if anyone was listening in.
Quickly, he ripped his bow tie loose, then slid his jacket over his shoulders.
He watched her eyes open wide when he rushed to unbutton his shirt, shuck it off his shoulders, and toss it to the vanity.
Keeping his voice low, he explained, “I need to meet the team. I can’t go by the main road or the beach proper, so I’m going to have to swim out. I texted the guys, and they’re going to meet me out in the bay.”
A look of horror crossed her face. “You’re going to have to swim forever. That’s not safe!” she hissed.
He kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks.
“I don’t have a choice. Besides, it’s not that far.
Remember who you’re talking to here.” Rustling in the backpack, he pulled out his night-surfing wetsuit that covered him from head to toe, including the matching hood, to protect him from the frigid temperatures of the water.
“Grab the electrical tape out of the bag for me,” he ordered.
As she reached into the bag on the counter, she continued her rant. “It’s salt water! There could be sharks! You need a board.”
He grinned at her. “Fireball, I’m not paddling out there; I’m swimming. Besides, a board will not protect me from sharks.”
Electrical tape in hand, she breathed in deeply. “No. You’re right. It won’t. On a board, you’ll look like a nice shark-size appetizer on a fucking plate.”
He stopped to consider her worry for a moment. “Raw human equals shark sushi?”
“Don’t be a twatwaffle. I’m being serious!”
“I surf in the Pacific Ocean every day. There are sharks there too. I’ll be fine.”
He unbuttoned and unzipped his tuxedo pants, pulling them and his underwear down. When they pooled around his ankles, he stepped out of them and kicked them to the side.
The gasp he heard, followed by the invective of “Holy hell, horseshoes, and hand grenades!” as he pulled up the wetsuit, made more than his ego swell.
Oops. He was in such a hurry, he’d forgotten who was with him for a second.
Standing up straight, he pulled the suit up over his hips and carefully tucked himself inside the neoprene.
“Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, fireball, or you’re going to pass out.
” Pushing his arms through the sleeves, he watched her face turn bright red, her eyes still glued to the crotch area of his suit.
If he read her lips right, she was murmuring something to herself about being jealous of the sharks getting a taste of him.
Yeah. That didn’t help the swelling. Oh well. The freezing ocean water would take care of that issue .
He shrugged himself into the suit, then finished zipping it tight. “I need you to take the electrical tape and help me use it to cover the reflective stripes.”
They worked quickly and efficiently to cover the glow-in-the-dark blue stripes down the side, across his front, and across his back. Then he pulled a climbing rope out of the bag.
“I’m going to have to rappel down the balcony, and I need you to pull up the rope when I’m down.”
“How the hell did you know you were going to need that equipment?”
“Fireball,” he admonished. “The team’s been doing this shite for a long time now.
We all have basic kits we take when we travel.
When I have to swim, there have been enough times I needed alternative means to access the water that this has become standard.
When I pack for any trip, climbing gear is always part of it because it’s easy to pass off in luggage as a vacation activity. ”
As she finished the tape across his back, she asked, “Did you see the button on Howard’s uniform? Were there more?”
“Yes, I saw it. You’re right. It looks just like the emblem on those documents. I only saw one other one while I was down there, but thirty minutes wasn’t much time. Howard loves to hear himself talk, and then your uncle introduced me to some Princess Something or other.”
She rounded his body to face him, a scowl on her face. “He what?”
He continued like she hadn’t asked a question.
“I got delayed a few extra moments because he manipulated me into taking her out onto the dance floor, and then it was hell getting away from her. When she found out I was married, she got feckin’ worse.
Christ, that was a pain in the arse. Woman actually had the nerve to invite me to her room. ”
“She what?!”
He stepped closer to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
“Aww… jealous?” He grinned. “Don’t be. Most of what sh e said to me went in one ear and out the other, never to be remembered.
I don’t know where she’s even from.” He stepped even closer.
“On top of that, there’s no way she could draw my attention away from my brilliant, sexy new wife. ”
She seemed to collect herself, if somewhat petulantly. “Don’t let me stop you. I mean, it’s not like I have any real claim to you. Just be discreet so we don’t blow our cover.”
Turning on her heel, she made for the bathroom door, but he grabbed her hand and halted her progress. He pulled her back into his arms. “Hey. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. And you have a claim to me, fireball. You always have.”
Her eyes filled with what he thought was hope, and then he watched the emotion extinguish as fast as it had burned to life. “Just be careful tonight, okay? Please. I’ll worry until you’re back, and it will probably be hours before that happens.”
“I’ll be careful. I promise.” He squeezed her hand.
“I need to get this information to the team, and I don’t think it can wait.
” He hugged her, speaking into her hair, “Once I’m down on the ground, pull up the rope and take it inside.
Please keep the door to the hall locked, and don’t open it to anyone.
I mean it. Anyone. We can always pass off you not answering by saying you took a sleeping pill and didn’t hear a thing.
” He pulled back and looked into her eyes again.
“After I leave, keep the lights off. Lock the windows and pull the curtains as well. That way, no one on the veranda can see inside that you’re awake.
Do a cautionary scan for listening devices.
I’m sure it’s clean, but it pays to be careful.
I’ll text you when I’m back, and you can drop the rope and let me back in. Okay?”
She nodded.
“Feck!” He pulled her close, hugging her so tightly he thought it might take the jaws of life to pry him from her if someone tried. “I hate the thought of leaving you here by yourself.”
“I’ll be fine, Demon. I’m a pretty boss bitch babe, per Kubrick, and can hold my own if I have to. ”
He smiled. “Yeah. I know you can. Doesn’t mean I won’t still worry.” He kissed her forehead. “Show time, Triple B.”
He turned off the shower and led her by the hand to the French windows.
Before opening them, he hit a button on his watch that would scramble any short-range cameras for about thirty seconds.
Then he opened the doors and scanned both ways and up.
Seeing no one, he went silently to the balustrade and looked down, as well as scanned the area. The area was clear.
He threw the loop of the climbing rope over the stone finial on the rail and checked the knots in the rope that he would use as handholds going down.
Taking precious seconds, he grabbed Cherry’s face, kissed her hard, then pitched himself over the wall and down.
When he hit the ground, he took off at a run for the beach, hoping that Cherry would quickly haul up the rope and get inside without being seen.