say.
Cade just shakes his head at the man. “You are going to escort us out.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Through the back. A private entrance.”
“I don’t—”
Cade goes for an emergency door and opens it.
“Hey!”
Surprisingly, there are stairs outside of it.
“You can’t go down that way, there are regulations.”
“Who do you think will win a legal battle, after violating my sister’s right to privacy, discriminating against her, racially profiling her, and then banning her without cause on top of all that?”
“Racially profiling?” Marvin asks, looking at me with a frown.
Cade yanks me down the stairs.
“Hey!” Stone calls.
“Come on,” Cade calls back.
I hear one of them curse, then follow us down the stairs.
“You should be a drill sergeant or something,” I tell him.
“Or something,” Cade says, looking up the stairs.
We wait at the bottom as the two marshals rush down.
When they get to us, Marvin is panting.
Stone seems to be doing better.
Cade points at a set of doors.
“That’s baggage check.”
“Yep,” Stone says.
Marvin just nods.
“You need to work out more,” Stone says.
Marvin looks at him. “I sit on a plane all day.” He pants some more. “Where am I supposed”—more panting—”to get this magical free time in which to work out?”
Stone just shrugs.
Cade pulls me toward the doors, and the marshals follow.
Chapter 21
We get led—I guess it’s more accurate to say Cade leads us—through the back alleyways and secret passages of the airport, until we pass through doors which have some warning about security, and not being an entrance, and then we’re out into the airport.
The marshals stop in the door.
“Okay, thanks for your cooperation Mr—” He stops himself, and looks around like we might be being listened in on. “Well, thanks.”
Cade gives them a look, then dismisses them, and pulls me outside.
“I’m not going to run away, you know,” I tell him.
He looks at me, for the first time since getting off the airplane.
“Especially after learning what my sleeping arrangement’s going to be.”
He grins. “Good, because I have to make a call, and I’d prefer to do it with two hands.”
I get closer. “What else do you like to do with two hands?”
I hear him groan. “Don’t. We’ve got to get out of here first.”
I surreptitiously brush his crotch, and he groans again. I smile, and take a step back, satisfied at my power over him.
“I can’t look at you right now,” he says, and takes out his phone.
My smile widens.
While he’s on the phone, I look around the airport, half-expecting Gus to show up with some demented plan.
But, this has failed to come to fruition by the time Cade hangs up.
“Let’s get to Hertz.”
“So, we’re driving there after all.”
He stares at me. “No.” He takes my hand. “Come on.”
While we wait in line at Hertz, Cade tells me, “Keep your eyes open.”
“For what?”
He shakes his head, looking around the airport. “Anything.”
“I don’t get it.”
“I don’t trust him.” He glances down at me. “Who I had to call for approval. I wouldn’t be surprised if we had to deal with the paparazzi.” He scans the area again. “Or worse.”
“Worse?”
“Just keep your guard up.”
“It’s up.”
He focuses his attention on me. “I’m sorry, little bird, this will be over soon.”
I touch his hand.
“Next!”
“Jesus,” I say, putting my hand to my heart.
“Next!” the woman repeats.
“Some Gold Member service,” Cade says, and we walk up to the counter.
“So where are we going?” I ask Cade in the parking lot as we get into our new rental car—a Chevy something, which is surprising, but he said we weren’t going far.
“The other side of the airport.”
I laugh. “Seriously.”
He starts the car, then glances at me. “What?”
“Are you joking?”
We back out.
“About what?”
“Where we’re going.”
He puts the car in
Cade just shakes his head at the man. “You are going to escort us out.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Through the back. A private entrance.”
“I don’t—”
Cade goes for an emergency door and opens it.
“Hey!”
Surprisingly, there are stairs outside of it.
“You can’t go down that way, there are regulations.”
“Who do you think will win a legal battle, after violating my sister’s right to privacy, discriminating against her, racially profiling her, and then banning her without cause on top of all that?”
“Racially profiling?” Marvin asks, looking at me with a frown.
Cade yanks me down the stairs.
“Hey!” Stone calls.
“Come on,” Cade calls back.
I hear one of them curse, then follow us down the stairs.
“You should be a drill sergeant or something,” I tell him.
“Or something,” Cade says, looking up the stairs.
We wait at the bottom as the two marshals rush down.
When they get to us, Marvin is panting.
Stone seems to be doing better.
Cade points at a set of doors.
“That’s baggage check.”
“Yep,” Stone says.
Marvin just nods.
“You need to work out more,” Stone says.
Marvin looks at him. “I sit on a plane all day.” He pants some more. “Where am I supposed”—more panting—”to get this magical free time in which to work out?”
Stone just shrugs.
Cade pulls me toward the doors, and the marshals follow.
Chapter 21
We get led—I guess it’s more accurate to say Cade leads us—through the back alleyways and secret passages of the airport, until we pass through doors which have some warning about security, and not being an entrance, and then we’re out into the airport.
The marshals stop in the door.
“Okay, thanks for your cooperation Mr—” He stops himself, and looks around like we might be being listened in on. “Well, thanks.”
Cade gives them a look, then dismisses them, and pulls me outside.
“I’m not going to run away, you know,” I tell him.
He looks at me, for the first time since getting off the airplane.
“Especially after learning what my sleeping arrangement’s going to be.”
He grins. “Good, because I have to make a call, and I’d prefer to do it with two hands.”
I get closer. “What else do you like to do with two hands?”
I hear him groan. “Don’t. We’ve got to get out of here first.”
I surreptitiously brush his crotch, and he groans again. I smile, and take a step back, satisfied at my power over him.
“I can’t look at you right now,” he says, and takes out his phone.
My smile widens.
While he’s on the phone, I look around the airport, half-expecting Gus to show up with some demented plan.
But, this has failed to come to fruition by the time Cade hangs up.
“Let’s get to Hertz.”
“So, we’re driving there after all.”
He stares at me. “No.” He takes my hand. “Come on.”
While we wait in line at Hertz, Cade tells me, “Keep your eyes open.”
“For what?”
He shakes his head, looking around the airport. “Anything.”
“I don’t get it.”
“I don’t trust him.” He glances down at me. “Who I had to call for approval. I wouldn’t be surprised if we had to deal with the paparazzi.” He scans the area again. “Or worse.”
“Worse?”
“Just keep your guard up.”
“It’s up.”
He focuses his attention on me. “I’m sorry, little bird, this will be over soon.”
I touch his hand.
“Next!”
“Jesus,” I say, putting my hand to my heart.
“Next!” the woman repeats.
“Some Gold Member service,” Cade says, and we walk up to the counter.
“So where are we going?” I ask Cade in the parking lot as we get into our new rental car—a Chevy something, which is surprising, but he said we weren’t going far.
“The other side of the airport.”
I laugh. “Seriously.”
He starts the car, then glances at me. “What?”
“Are you joking?”
We back out.
“About what?”
“Where we’re going.”
He puts the car in
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