The Power Trip

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Aleksandr sat alone and thoughtful on the private deck outside the master suite, smoking a cigar. He was satisfied that the long-planned-for trip was finally underway. There had been a moment in time when he’d sensed that everything might fall apart after he and Bianca had exchanged heated words. She could be so headstrong and unpredictable, who knew what she might do? However, once she’d seen that he’d named the yacht after her, she’d melted – exactly as he’d hoped she would, and here they were, everything on track.

  Bianca was like a world-class racehorse, difficult to tame, but apart from the occasional incident, such as the inappropriate photos on the Internet, all was going well.

  Unfortunately, his ongoing battle with his wife continued to heat up. What a difficult and spiteful woman Rushana had turned out to be. There had been affairs before – Aleksandr would be the first to admit that he’d never been a faithful husband. Only in the past, Rushana had chosen to ignore his infidelities. It wasn’t until Bianca had entered his life, and his request for a divorce, that Rushana had turned into a vindictive bitch. She was getting everything she wanted financially, but it seemed that wasn’t enough for her. Oh no, her anger that he was with a world-famous super-model infuriated her beyond belief. Rushana was desperate to see him single and alone, pining for the family he’d once had.

  Bianca’s latest escapade had only fuelled the fire, giving Rushana some powerful new ammunition. ‘I will not have my daughters in the company of such a prostitute,’ she’d screamed at his lawyers, along with other insults. ‘Until Aleksandr stops being with that tramp, there will be no divorce. And I will not allow him to see our children.’

  It was not a happy situation, although he was sure that once Rushana realized that he had no intention of leaving Bianca, she would be forced to give in.

  Rushana’s fury and jealousy had not changed his plans. He still intended to ask Bianca to be his wife, and if he had his way, by the end of the trip they would be engaged.

  * * *

  Drinks at five thirty on the top deck. The sun slowly setting in the clear sky. Champagne and canapés being served on silver trays by Mercedes and Renee, the two stewardesses. Den, the barman, standing attentively behind the bar. Soft Brazilian music wafting from hidden speakers.

  Bianca made her entrance in a white Valentino backless dress, Aleksandr close behind her in a long-sleeved black sweater and pants.

  Although Aleksandr was twenty years older than Bianca, they made a good-looking couple. A fact that did not escape Guy, who was on hand, supervising his staff. As entertainment director, Guy was very hands-on, always there to anticipate the boss’s every need. This was the first time he’d worked for Aleksandr Kasianenko – of course he knew who the man was, who didn’t? Before hooking up with Bianca, Aleksandr had managed to keep a low profile, but once they were together his cover was blown. The words ‘billionaire businessman’ and ‘Russian oligarch’ were forever attached to his name.

  Poor sod, Guy thought, watching the famous couple. It has to be a real downer, everyone knowing all your crap.

  Guy had recently viewed the raunchy and uncensored images of Bianca on his laptop. He considered her to be a feisty little minx, and he couldn’t help wondering how Aleksandr felt about his famous girlfriend flashing her pussy for all the world to see. The man was probably major pissed. Guy knew he would be if it was his boyfriend flashing his dick for public consumption.

  Luca and Jeromy appeared on deck at exactly five thirty, both in white suits. Checking them out, Guy considered them to be an odd coupling. Luca was hot, Jeromy not. What hidden talents did the gorgeous blond super-star see in the tall, skinny Englishman?

  Oh well, everyone to their own. Although Guy had to admit that he wouldn’t say no to a run around the track with Luca Perez. He was some Latin hottie!

  Mercedes immediately sprang into action, offering the couple champagne or a drink of their choice, speaking to Luca in Spanish.

  Guy didn’t know what Captain Dickson was so concerned about. The women on the yacht were all so bloody beautiful, why would a pretty young Mexican girl threaten any of them? Mercedes was perfectly suitable for her job. She was also appropriately dressed in a smart nautical uniform, so no one would mistake her for anything other than a hard-working and eager-to-please member of the crew. He liked Renee and Den too. They were fellow Australians like him, and they both seemed to know what they were doing.

  The next couple to arrive for cocktails were Ashley and Taye. Aleksandr stepped forward to greet them. As a football fanatic he wanted to spend time speaking with Taye, picking his brain about the team he was in talks to buy. He beckoned Taye towards him, and the two men moved over to a quiet corner of the deck.

  Ashley immediately zeroed in on Luca. ‘I can’t believe we’ve never met before,’ she enthused. ‘You being with Jeromy and all, and me being Jeromy’s partner. It’s so lovely to finally meet you. I’m a big fan.’

  Cliff and Lori approached just in time for Lori to overhear Ashley’s – ‘I’m a big fan.’

  Here we go again, Lori thought. Everyone’s a big fan of everyone else. What a clusterfuck!

  ‘Luca!’ Cliff exclaimed. ‘I was making a movie in Puerto Rico last year, an’ I managed to catch your concert. That was some wild performance.’

  Please don’t say it, Lori silently begged. Please, please, please!

  ‘I’m a big fan,’ Cliff added.

  Shit! Lori thought. You too.

  ‘Oh, and this is Lori,’ Cliff continued, introducing her as if she was some kind of an afterthought.

  ‘Lori an’ me – we’re old friends,’ Luca said, winking at her in a knowing way like he totally got it. ‘Isn’t that right, cariño?’

  ‘You two know each other?’ Cliff said, a look of puzzlement on his face.

  ‘We go way back,’ Luca explained. ‘We were hangin’ out by the pool today, catching up.’

  Lori experienced a small shiver of triumph. She wasn’t just an appendage on Cliff Baxter’s arm, she was a person in her own right.

  At which point Ashley and her cascade of blond curls moved, in big time; grabbing Cliff by the arm, she whisked him away.

  ‘Thanks,’ Lori muttered to Luca, who patted her on the arm and said, ‘I get it, sweet thing. Been there. Done that. You should know that when I was first married to Suga, nobody knew who the hell I was. I was simply the pretty boy in the background, and unless I was attached to Suga’s arm, nobody gave a fast shit.’

  ‘Then you totally understand,’ Lori said, relieved that at least someone was aware of exactly how she felt.

  ‘You bet I do,’ Luca said. ‘Don’t sweat it, bonita. We’re all here to have fun and relax. You’re one of us now. Enjoy.’

  ‘Enjoy what?’ Bianca said, creeping up behind them.

  ‘Everything!’ Luca exclaimed, indicating the sunset. ‘This is spectacular.’

  ‘We aim to please,’ Bianca said with a Cheshire cat grin. It is spectacular, she thought, looking around and taking everything in. It’s way over the top, and I love it!

  One thing about Aleksandr, he did not disappoint. He was a man of style, and she was looking forward to seven days of utter bliss.

  * * *

  Meanwhile, down in their stateroom, Hammond was taking his fury out on Sierra.

  ‘WHAT THE FUCK?’ he screamed at her. ‘You tell me what that loser bastard is doing on this trip.’

  Sierra knew better than to answer him. She merely listened to him rant on about how much he hated Flynn Hudson.

  ‘He’s nothing but a low-life scumbag,’ Hammond yelled. ‘Why is he here? How did this happen? Why didn’t you get a list of guests?’ A pause for breath. ‘You know something? You’re useless. You probably wanted the son of a bitch here, the loser you used to fuck. How I could touch you after you’ve had his cock inside you is beyond me.’ Another pause. ‘Let’s not forget you were damaged goods and I fucking saved you. I’ve given you a life you can be
proud of and this is how you repay me?’

  Sierra watched him closely. His face was red with fury, his eyes were bulging. He was acting like a raving lunatic and blaming her for Flynn being aboard.

  She chose to remain silent. She chose to close her mind to the broken heart she’d suffered when Flynn had betrayed her. It was all too painful to remember.

  * * *

  15 years earlier

  Just like that, Flynn stopped calling. Sierra couldn’t understand why until she received a FedEx envelope marked High Priority. She opened the envelope and there they were – six graphic photos of Flynn with six different girls.

  At first she couldn’t believe it, but after studying the photos she had no choice but to accept the worst. There was a typed note enclosed.

  STOP BELIEVING YOUR SO-CALLED BOYFRIEND IS PERFECT.

  OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE THE TRUTH.

  A week later, she realized she was pregnant. Heartbroken and alone, she confided everything to Hammond Patterson, who had been coming around to see her ever since Flynn left. Hammond had told her that Flynn had asked him to look out for her. At first she’d been surprised, for she’d not realized that Flynn and Hammond were at all close. But Hammond had turned out to be the rock she’d needed to lean on. He was there for her in every way. He even offered to pay for an abortion, insisting it was the right thing for her to do.

  She’d declined his offer, but he’d persuaded her to go to a party with him that night. At the party they’d both had too much to drink – especially Hammond, and while he was driving her home in his newly acquired Ferrari – a present from his adoring mother, he’d started coming on to her – one hand on the steering wheel, the other groping her breasts and between her legs.

  She had never considered Hammond anything other than a friend, and his sudden attack shocked and upset her. She slapped his hand away, but he was determined.

  Neither of them saw the oncoming car. Neither of them realized the danger. The rest was a blur as the Ferrari hit the other vehicle and immediately overturned, throwing Sierra out.

  She suffered a broken pelvis and lost the baby.

  Hammond suffered a damaged ego and walked away without a scratch.

  Rumours abounded, and it wasn’t long before the whispers on campus were that Sierra had been pregnant with Hammond’s baby. Hammond said nothing to deny it – in fact, he promoted the story.

  Still in the UK, Flynn heard the gossip and that was it for him. By the time he returned to the US, Sierra had dropped out of college and was back in New York with her parents.

  They never spoke again.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Sierra and Hammond arrived at the cocktail gathering shortly before it ended, due to the fact that Hammond could not seem to stop himself from spewing venom about Flynn and how he hated him, and why was he on this supposedly exclusive trip?

  Sierra had continued to remain silent while her husband paced up and down venting his fury, although she was somewhat confused as to why Hammond was so angry. Hadn’t he and Flynn been friends, even roommates, at one time? Wasn’t he the one that Flynn had asked to watch out for her? Was his anger due to the fact that Flynn had treated her so shabbily? And if so, why was he taking it out on her?

  It didn’t make sense. She was the one who should be upset, not Hammond.

  When they finally left their stateroom and joined the others, Sierra made sure she had no contact with Flynn whatsoever. She stayed by Hammond’s side playing her role of good wife, although her stomach was churning and she did not dare to glance in Flynn’s direction.

  Not that she wanted to. He was the man who’d broken her heart into a thousand little pieces, and she could never forgive him for that.

  After the car accident and the loss of her baby she’d spent time travelling across Europe visiting relatives, finally returning to her family in New York where she’d taken up social work, counselling young victims of rape and abuse. It was hard work, but she found it fulfilling. It was exactly what she needed.

  Eventually she’d moved out of her parents’ home and settled into an apartment with a girl she worked with. Soon she’d started dating sporadically – nothing serious, until one day she’d run into Hammond, now an up-and-coming lawyer with big political aspirations, at a fundraiser.

  At first he’d complained that he’d tried to contact her and she’d never returned his calls. Then he’d proceeded to court her in a way she’d found hard to resist. He’d been so damn charming, honest and committed to doing all kinds of worthwhile work which really impressed her. No longer the drunken horny student who’d been responsible for their horrific car accident, he seemed like a changed man with a definite purpose in life, and although she didn’t love him in the way she’d once loved Flynn, he’d finally worn her down, and she’d said yes to his marriage proposal. ‘Together we can change the world,’ he’d promised, and naively she’d believed him.

  They were married in Connecticut at her family’s house. It was a lavish wedding, exactly the way Hammond wanted it. Her parents had influential friends and they all turned out, so did his family. Hammond used the occasion to cement future connections.

  It took a year or so before she realized she’d made a horrible mistake. By that time it was too late. She was Hammond’s wife, a major political asset. And one thing she knew for sure – he would never let her go.

  * * *

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served,’ Guy announced. He had seen and heard that very line spoken in a series of old movies and he thought it sounded perfect. It gave him the personality and identity he imagined he deserved.

  Guy always hoped the guests not only noticed him, but depended on him for anything they might need, for being noticed and appreciated meant a much larger tip at the end of the voyage. He always made a bet in his own mind about who would turn out to be the most generous tipper. On this trip it would be Aleksandr, although one could never be too sure.

  Luca perhaps – famous singers were known for their generosity. However, Luca’s miserable English partner was bound to be a penny-pincher.

  The politician? No. Politicians raised money and were all notoriously stingy when it came to parting with their own.

  Well then, there was always the movie star, Mr Cliff Baxter himself. Except Guy knew from past experience that movie stars expected everything for free in exchange for their illustrious presence.

  Which left Taye Sherwin, a fine working-class lad who’d done well for himself. And Flynn, the journalist – a man who probably didn’t believe in tipping.

  Guy made a note to himself to drop the word – maybe to the movie-star’s girlfriend – that all guests were expected to tip the crew for services rendered.

  One of the things Guy most enjoyed on a cruise was getting to know everyone’s secrets, and on a boat, secrets were hard to hide. If he didn’t find out for himself, the maids or other crew members were always quick to fill him in.

  Life on a luxury yacht with guests aboard was very much an Upstairs Downstairs experience. With this group, Guy expected mucho gossip.

  ‘Dinner is served,’ he announced for the second time, repeating his words loudly because nobody seemed to be moving – they were all having too good a time.

  ‘Thanks, Guy,’ Bianca responded, waving her well-toned arms in the air. ‘Let’s go everyone, I’m starving!’

  * * *

  ‘What a fab table-setting!’ Ashley exclaimed as the guests approached an elegant oval table located on the middle deck. The table was decorated with cut-glass vases containing beautiful white roses – Bianca’s favourite flower. There was also exquisite crystal stemware, gleaming silver cutlery, black and silver dishes, and tall white candles in ornate holders. The result was a photo-perfect table.

  ‘Please all find your place-cards,’ Bianca announced, a tad mischievously. ‘I placed everyone myself, ’cause I’d like you all to get to know each other. I promise to change it up every day, so look out!’

  ‘T
rust you to mix it up,’ Luca said, admiring his old friend’s style. ‘Who am I next to tonight?’

  Bianca snapped her fingers and Guy handed her a list.

  ‘Looks like you’ve got Taye on one side and Ashley on the other,’ she said. ‘Hmm, Luca, a Sherwin sandwich. Think you can handle it?’

  ‘You know I can,’ Luca boasted.

  Jeromy scowled. He did not appreciate the thought of Luca getting too friendly with the Sherwins. ‘And where might I be?’ he asked snippily.

  Bianca consulted her list; she’d spent quite some time deciding where to seat everyone. ‘Let me see,’ she said. ‘You’re between two beautiful women. Sierra Patterson and Lori.’

  ‘Lori?’ Jeromy questioned with a slight sneer, even though he knew full well who Lori was. She was the nobody redhead attached to the movie star.

  Bianca chose to ignore Jeromy because he irritated her. Surely Luca could have come up with someone more exciting than this uptight turd? She turned to Cliff Baxter. ‘You’re sitting next to me,’ she said warmly. ‘And I expect you to tell me exactly what it’s like being labelled the Sexiest Man Alive.’

  ‘Pure hell,’ Cliff responded with a self-deprecating grin. ‘Women throwing themselves at me. Guys too. It’s a miracle I make it through the day.’

  ‘Ah, but I’m sure that you manage somehow,’ Bianca teased, licking her full lips.

  ‘I try,’ Cliff said with a jaunty wink. ‘It’s not easy.’

  ‘You’re seated next to Flynn Hudson,’ Bianca said, turning to Sierra and taking her arm in a friendly fashion. ‘I thought you two might have things in common. Aleksandr says Flynn’s a very smart journalist and writer, so I’m sure you’ll find him interesting.’

  ‘Really,’ Sierra murmured, her heart skipping a beat.

  ‘By the way,’ Bianca continued, ‘it’s a pleasure to finally meet you – and your husband’s charming.’

  Charming? Sierra thought. This woman should only know the real truth.

  ‘Yes,’ Bianca continued. ‘Aleksandr is quite a supporter. He thinks that Hammond has great potential to make big changes in America.’