Page 48 of West (The Moral Compass 1)
“You just want another Chanel bathing suit, don’t you?” It’s the first joke I’ve cracked in over twenty-four hours, and it feels kind of good.
“We have to wait for North to come back,” I say, but Kara reaches in her pocket and pulls out an identical phone to the one I’ve left upstairs.
Shit, I need to go get that as well.
She texts away and, within seconds, the door to the game room opens. North is standing with my new mobile phone in his hand.
“You didn’t take this with you this morning. You need to keep it on your person at all times.” It’s the first time I’ve seen North not full-on smiling, but I take the phone from him and put it in my pocket.
“Sorry, I was just upset and distracted by the note. Kara and I were wondering if we could go in the pool and maybe make some drinks to pass the time.”
“Yeah, I don’t see why not. Give me a few, and I’ll join you. Do me a favour though and don’t go in the water until I’m there, okay?”
“Okay, Boss!” Kara salutes and winks at North, and he smiles and makes his way upstairs.
“Have you even looked at these phones?” Kara smirks.
“Yeah, like the year 2000 model or what?”
“Ha, yeah. I think they are the old Nokia’s, aren’t they? I only have four numbers programmed. Yours, West’s, North’s, and an ‘Emergency’, but it’s not the police number.”
Kara has had much more time with her phone than I have. I take a look at mine and it’s the same. Weird, but in fairness, it’s all I’ll need whilst I’m here. I’ll sort out a new smartphone when I get sorted.
Thinking of smartphones makes me wonder about the guy I’ve been told is my father. Does he know what’s going on? I didn’t see him in the room last night. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know about me as 'his daughter', but I can’t help wondering if he would even be interested.
Sitting by the pool with a few cocktails down, Kara and I have started to relax a little when North comes in wearing only his shorts and flip-flops. He takes his footwear off and walks straight into the pool.
“Coming in, ladies?”
“Yeah, I just need to put this phone somewhere,” I reply.
“Ah, the phones are fully waterproof and can even send messages from underwater. They have been designed for deep-sea divers to be able to communicate when up to one-thousand metres underwater. You know, for if they get in distress or shit like that. They were designed by Mark Fredricks. One of your father’s inventions. So, ladies, put them somewhere safe and come get in the water. It’s lovely and warm.” The cheeky smile is back.
Time went by so slowly. It had only been a few hours of West being gone. He had very quickly become a huge part of my life, and my connection with him was something I’d never felt before. As I watched the connection between Kara and North, I missed West.
One of the gorillas came into the pool area and North swam over to speak with him. They were too close to each other to hear what was being said. A few hand movements and North was out of the water and wrapped in a robe.
“Ladies, time to get out. You need to get dressed as quickly as you can and meet me in the lounge in, like, two minutes. No fucking around, okay?”
“What’s going on?” I called across the pool. North waved his arm in a 'come-on' gesture. I look at Kara, but she just shrugs and makes her way out of the pool.
“Sorry for the rush, ladies, but we have had a development, and you need to be dressed and ready to move just in case we have to go quickly.” North sat down across the room from us.
“But why, North? West said we were to stay here and not go anywhere,” I questioned.
“He also said to do everything Mum or I said. So far, so good, but I need to be clear now, ladies. Whatever I say, you must do. If I say go here, you go. If I say run, you run. Okay?”
I could feel my leg jumping. Run, Run. I could only just walk after the attack. How the hell am I going to run, and what am I running from?
“We have had word that Ralph’s crew knows you’re here. They are planning on trying to come and take you and probably you too, Kara. We will not let that happen, but you have got to listen to my commands. Understood?”
Gone was Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky. This guy meant every word, and there was no way I was going to cross him. Not now, not ever.
“Yes, no problem.” Kara and I both nodded.
Chapter 37
West
