Page 14 of One Filthy Kiss

“In an airport? So, what, do you have a flight to catch orsomething?”

It’s a little unconventional, and I’m already working out how much it will cost me to get a taxi back to the motel, but if he’s in a hurry, perhaps we can grab a sausage and egg McMuffin to go. The sooner I get away from him the sooner my heart can start functioning properly again.

“Something like that.”

I don’t like his tone or the glint of amusement in his eyes.

“Are we going on an airplane?” Amber asks.

“No,” I say, at the same time as Gio says, “Yes.”

“Oh, no. Absolutely not.” I sit forward, and rap on the glass partition separating us from the driver. “Turn the car around.”

The driver ignores me. He gets out of the car and opens the passenger door on my side of the car and waits for me to climb out.

I don’t.

“Take us back to the city,” I say to Gio. “Now.”

He releases his safety belt and sits forward, nodding at the driver as if everything is in hand.

Everything is abso-fucking-lutely not in hand.

“Meggie, I want you to trust me. Please.”

“Trust you?” My voice is shrill. “First you kiss me in front of an entire film set filled with people, and now you’re trying to kidnap us. I am not getting out of the car until you order your driver to take us back to our motel.”

“Boss?” The driver pokes his head inside the car and then quickly retreats.

“It’s okay, Ric.” Gio gives a barely perceptible shake of his head.

“It is not okay, Ric!” I shriek. “He brought us here against our will.Youbrought us here against our will. You’re complicit in our abduction. You can go to jail for this kind of thing, you know.”

Gio chuckles openly, flaunting my distress in my face.

“How dare you fucking laugh at me!”

Amber hunches her little body between me and Gio, and my raging yellow anger subsides instantaneously.

“It’s all right, Amber.” I pull her against my chest and fold her into my arms, stroking her hair and breathing in the mango scent of her shampoo. “Gio will take us back to Auntie Nikki now. Won’t you?” I stare at him above her head.

“I will take you back to Auntie Nikki,” his voice is calm, placating, infuriatingly so when I know that I’ve been shrieking like a psychotic banshee. “But first, I promised that I would make it up to you for what happened earlier. And besides, a breakfast date isn’t long enough to get to know you.”

I don’t know what I’m supposed to think. Or what I’m supposed to do.

How can I believe him when he clearly does whatever the hell he wants with no consideration for anyone around him. But screaming for help will only freak Amber out, and there are two of them against me and my little sister.

So, I try the helpless female approach.

“Look, I don’t know where you’re planning on taking us, but we were awake at silly o’clock, it’s been a difficultmorning, and all I want to do is go back to our motel and chill out for a while. So, will you please ask Ric to take us back to the city?”

I think I’m getting through to him when he hesitates, his eyes flickering back and forth between me and Amber.

But then he says softly, “You agreed to breakfast, Meggie. I promise I’ll bring you straight back after and you’ll never have to set eyes on me again.”

“We’re getting breakfast in the airport?”

“No. My private jet is waiting to take us to New York.”