Page 79 of Deserving Lara
“I just hope they haven’t cleaned the wall recently,” Lara mused.
“Right, so Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, and disgusting gum wall…anything else?” Owl asked.
“Ivar’s?” Lara asked, pushing her luck.
“Who’s that?” Stone asked.
“Not who, what. It’s a restaurant. They have amazing oysters…so I’ve heard,” Lara said.
“Didn’t peg you for an oyster girl, but if that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll have,” Owl told her.
“Hopefully they’ll have hamburgers,” Stone muttered.
Lara couldn’t stop smiling. They hadn’t even done anything yet, and she felt amazing. Like her old self. Owl led her to their rental car and lobbed the keys at Stone. “You’re driving,” he ordered as he settled himself in the back seat with Lara.
“Great, now I’m a chauffeur too,” Stone mock-grumbled.
Once she was buckled in, Lara leaned her head against Owl’s shoulder. He put his hand on her thigh, and she sighed in contentment. The worry was still there, but she’d managed to push it down far enough inside her where she could pretend she was a normal woman. On a normal business trip with her normal boyfriend.
She wasn’t normal, she still had a serial killer who’d vowed that she was his, but for now, just for today, she was going to try to ignore the bubble of anxiety that lived inside her. Carter Grant couldn’t get to her. Not with Owl and Stone by her side. She was going to enjoy the day, seeing sights she’d only read about, and then tomorrow, she’d get to do something very few people had a chance to do…travel the country by helicopter.
* * *
“It’s a go,” Ricky Norman said as soon as Carter picked up the phone.
Carter smiled. Huge. “Any problems?”
“None. They took the helicopter up as planned.”
“Was she there?”
“The chick? Yeah.”
“How’d she look? Was she scared? Nervous?” Carter asked impatiently.
“Not really. Actually, she seemed pretty relaxed. Especially around that man of hers.”
“What? What man?”
“The preppy one. The one without glasses. They were holding hands when they left and looking pretty chummy. I thought you said she was your girlfriend?” Ricky asked.
Fury swamped Carter, making it hard to think. Speak. Finally, he growled, “She’smine.”
“Right. Whatever you say. The money for the bird is supposed to be wired later today, but you still haven’t paid me.”
“You’ll get your money when you deliver the goods,” Carter told him between clenched teeth.
“I’m thinking that’s not fair,” Ricky said. “I’m taking all the risks. Disabling cameras at the airport, getting rid of two people, kidnapping a third. It’s likely I’ll be a wanted man after this. I’m thinking I need at least half up front.”
“No,” Carter spat.
“Right. Then the deal’s off.”
A film of red fell over Carter’s gaze. He was so pissed right now, if Ricky was in front of him, he’d kill him without a second thought. “No, it’s not,” he bit out.
“Then you better wire half my money today. If it’s not in my account by five o’clock this afternoon, the deal’s off. Your girlfriend and her…friends…will fly off with their new chopper tomorrow and live happily ever after on that fortress down in New Mexico, and you’ll have to figure out a new way to get her back.”
Carter’s hands shook with fury. “Fine,” he bit out.
