Chapter 50
Fifty
A ccording to Keira, five in the morning was a stupid time to be awake but I liked being up to watch the sunrise.
Despite her hatred of five am, Keira had stayed up all night with me, watching films and eating our weight in pizza, all in an attempt to distract me from how nervous I was about my trip with Alfie.
It had helped for the most part but now Keira was snoring away in bed, grabbing some precious sleep before work, and I was in the back of a Rolls Royce, ignoring Elliot as he sped us towards Heathrow.
Apart from a polite nod and an offer to help me with my bags which I’d declined, Elliot had allowed me my pointed silence. There was no apology, no explanation for what he’d done and if I was honest, I didn’t want one.
We arrived at the airport and I noted without the least bit of surprise that Alfie’s plane was much bigger than Damien’s. It was a sleek air shark, all the more intimidating knowing who awaited me inside.
I stepped out into the sharp November chill, giving Elliot an equally frosty ‘Thank you’ for opening my door. An air steward collected my bags from the boot of the car, flashing me a polite smile as he carried them to the plane.
“Miss? Right this way.” Elliot gestured towards the steps leading up to the plane. I wrung my hands, fighting the urge to jump in the car and speed myself back to the warm safety of my apartment.
Come on, Lo. Think of the Miracle Garden .
That was the only thing that got my feet moving. Though my feet came to a stop when I saw Alfie standing at the top of the stairs, staring down at me.
I climbed the steps, forcing myself to meet his gaze as I reached him. It was unfair that he looked so perfect whilst I had barely made it out of my pyjamas.
“How are you, Lo?” His voice was low, seeking and searching, as if it could wrench every truth out of me.
“Fine,” I answered, but the tilt in his head told me he didn’t believe me and this plane wasn’t going anywhere until I was honest. “Tired and scared,” I admitted.
“Me too,” he said, letting me see how nervous he was. “Shall I show you around before take off?”
He turned, leading me into the plane, Elliot following close behind. I expected rows of seats like a normal plane, instead I found myself in a foyer of sorts, a set of golden doors ahead.
Alfie must have sensed my hesitation because he paused, one hand on the door handle. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just thought it would be like a regular plane but with extra leg room.”
Alfie looked amused. “No, baby.”
He pushed the door open and I followed him, finding myself in a decadent lounge area, with two familiar pairs of eyes on me.
Maia sat in one corner, looking nothing like her usual, casual self. Instead she wore a sharp suit, her curls slicked back into a tight bun. She stood when I entered, offering a sharp nod to Alfie and an almost impassive glance at me.
Before I could react to her unexpected presence, my attention was drawn to the other pair of eyes on me.
“Hello, Lola.” Angie was as beautiful as ever, chic and sleek with not a wrinkle in her silk shift dress.
“Hi, Angie.” A thick silence fell over us and I looked up to find Alfie’s ever watchful gaze on me. “It’s good to see you again,” I lied.
Angie offered me an even smile. “And you, I’m glad you’re joining us.” I guess we were both telling lies today. Her smile softened as she looked at her boss. “Alfie, I believe Sarah is eager to get going.”
Who was Sarah?
“She’s the pilot,” Alfie said, answering my unspoken question. He turned to Elliot. “Run security checks and tell Sarah I want to be in the air in fifteen.”
With a nod, Elliot disappeared to the front of the plane and Alfie ushered me towards the door to continue our tour. Maia said nothing as I passed, only dropped her gaze, a mirror of every other member of Alfie’s security team I’d ever met. It hurt.
“Really, Maia? Like we haven’t shared a fucking bathroom for the last two years?” I snapped but Maia didn’t even flinch. I heard a tittering and spun to glare at Angie.
“Sorry,” she laughed, not looking in the least bit apologetic. “You just haven’t changed a bit.”
Alfie’s hand closed around my arm and he dragged me from the room before I could retaliate. I found myself now in a stunning dining room, complete with a twelve seater table. This was just ridiculous.
“Lola—”
“What?” I glared at him, not giving a damn about the warning in his voice. “Is Maia even her name? Why is she here? And why is she acting like she doesn’t even know me?”
Alfie pushed his hands into his pockets, unfazed by my outburst. “Which question would you like me to answer first?”
“All of them. And what is Angie talking about that I haven’t changed? She hasn’t changed. At least I got a new haircut in the last two and a half years!” I shouted, loud enough for her to hear me.
I slumped into an ornate gold chair, scowling at the tableware sporting an emblem I recognised as Versace. Years of having a fashion obsessed best friend was finally rubbing off on me it seemed.
“Your anger is justified but I don’t appreciate you lashing out. If you’re going to take your anger out on anyone, it should be me.”
I turned my scowl up at Alfie, he was really in no position to be judging anyone’s behaviour. “At least I’m not running away.”
He gave me a smile. “Maia is her real name. She’s here because you need security.
I thought she would be a good fit as she already knows your moods and habits well.
Plus I figured that if you’re going to face one monster,” he pointed at himself, “and Angie, and Elliot, then you might as well face Maia too. Four birds, one very big plane.”
Clever, Mr Tell. Very clever. I gave him a wry look. “Ever the master manipulator.”
He didn’t respond, but I could see my words had stung. Being a manipulator was something he was working very hard to move away from. “As for her behaviour, she’s acting like the professional she’s trained to be. What she did was under my instruction, Lola. She didn’t enjoy it.”
“She still did it,” I muttered.
“For the money. She needed it and I played on that to get her to do something she wasn’t comfortable with. It should be me you hold accountable not her.”
“I do hold you accountable.” But she didn’t need to pretend she was my friend. That was the unspoken pain I wasn’t ready to admit out loud.
“Lola, if you want to discuss this with Maia later you’re free to do so but I won’t stand for you yelling at my employees, are we clear?”
I gritted my teeth as I glared at him. As much as I wanted to argue, I understood his point. “Yes.”
“Good. Now, Angie.”
“Behave myself, I’ve got it.” I waved him off. I didn’t think I could stand a lecture on being nice to Angie. Despite the hell she’d been through, she was still a Class A bitch that had tried to come between Alfie and I.
“I’ll speak with her, but don’t let her get to you.” He took my chin in his hand, forcing me to look up at him. “You’re better than that, my love.”
I pulled out of his grip, wishing I was anywhere but here. I didn’t trust any of these people. I traced a finger over the Versace emblem. I didn’t belong here at all.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ve never felt less fancy than a dinner plate before.”
“That’s actually an appetiser plate.”
“Oh, fuck off.” I rolled my eyes, fighting the urge to laugh as Alfie chuckled.
“Come on, let’s finish the tour before take off.” He led me through a cinema room, then into a hallway leading to six separate cabins with adjoining bathrooms. I paused in one when I found my bags neatly stowed there.
“I had your things put in here in case you wanted to sleep,” Alfie leaned against the door frame as I looked around the room.
“The flight is just under seven hours but I thought you might be tired as you’ve been up all night.
” My head whipped around, eyes narrowed.
His expression fell as he realised what he’d said.
“No cameras, I promise. I just know you.”
I stared at him, searching his face for a lie. Everything in his too-perfect face told me he was telling the truth. He wasn’t still watching me.
“I couldn’t sleep.” I sat on the bed, wishing that trusting him wasn’t so hard.
“Me either.” He crouched in front of me, close but not touching.
“I’m going to give you space on this trip, as much as you’d like.
If you want or need anything, please communicate with me.
I know you’re angry and I know that’s not going away for a long time but we have to keep talking, there’s no other way through this. ”
“I know. I’m trying but swinging between hate and fear and back around to wanting you again is exhausting. I’m giving myself whiplash, Alfie.” I sighed, clutching my fingers around my necklace. “I feel unsteady, like I don’t know what my mood will be from one moment to the next.”
Alfie nodded, studying my face. I let him, for once not trying to hide what I was feeling from him.
“I can weather the storm, Lo. If you need distance one minute and then to shout at me and cry the next, that’s fine.
If you need me to hold you all night and leave you in the morning, I’ll do it. Just don’t shut me out.”
“K.” I didn’t want to agree to let him in, it didn’t feel safe but I knew I had to try. If I couldn’t fix this part of myself he’d broken then I never would. “Right now I just need to sleep.”
“Of course.” He stood. “You need to be seated for take off but after that you can move around the plane as you wish.”
I followed him back to the lounge. Ignoring Angie, I slid into the window seat Alfie directed me to, not arguing as he took the seat next to mine.
The pilot announced our take off over the speaker system and I watched as Maia, Elliot and Angie each fastened their safety belts.
I searched for mine but instead of the simple belt everyone else had, mine seemed to be some kind of harness.
Alfie moved in front of me, taking over. I would have argued if the plane wasn’t rumbling to life. I’d rather be safe than stubborn.
“Maybe I should switch to a different seat with one of the easy belts.”
“No, I had this one installed for you.” He looked up as he held the harness out for me to put my arms through. “It’s safer. They use these for children.”
“Seriously? I’m in the kid seat?” The bastard smiled at me, laughing as I put my arms in the harness. He buckled me in, clicking all six buckles into place and tightening the strap with a firm hand. “You’re enjoying this way too much,” I muttered.
He ran his hands over the harness checking it was secure. “You have no idea.” His voice was low, sending an unwelcome shiver up my spine.
Alfie settled in his own seat and a minute later we were moving. I swallowed as we rose, my ears popping as we left London behind us.
I looked at my companions, each avoiding my eye except for Alfie who met it square on. I had demons to exorcise with each and every one of them. This was going to be a long trip.