The Power Trip

  Sergei nodded.

  ‘They’re dangerous men – stupid an’ reckless as shit,’ Cruz continued, blowing out a stream of smoke. ‘That’s th’way they get the job done.’

  ‘Should hope so,’ Sergei grumbled, the nerve in his left cheek starting to twitch. ‘This deal is costing.’

  ‘You’ll get it back an’ plenty more when we go for the ransom,’ Cruz assured him.

  ‘I fuckin’ expect so.’

  ‘Here’s the deal with my men,’ Cruz said, taking another long drag on his cigarette. ‘They’re driven by the money – it turns ’em into heroes when they take home the loot.’

  ‘Fuckin’ heroes?’ Sergei jeered.

  ‘You got it,’ Cruz replied, stamping his cigarette underfoot. ‘An’ believe me, in the shithouse towns they come from they are the fuckin’ heroes, with a coupla pretty wives, a fancy car, an’ as many kids as they wanna have.’

  ‘You got a wife?’ Sergei asked, thinking that he didn’t know much about Cruz’s personal life.

  ‘Who’s dumb enough to buy the cow when y’can suck the juicy putas.’ Cruz chuckled. ‘An’ Somalian putas,’ – he made a wicked smacking noise with his mouth – ‘beauties, an’ grateful.’

  Sergei liked the sound of that, although he was well aware that you took your life in your hands if you visited Somalia. It was one of the most dangerous countries in the world, lawless, with a barely functioning government. The kidnapping of foreigners was a national pastime.

  ‘My men are scared of nothin’ ’cept hunger,’ Cruz announced. ‘That’s what makes ’em so fearless an’ strong.’

  ‘You really fell into it, didn’t you?’ Sergei commented.

  ‘You bet your ass,’ Cruz bragged. ‘Me – I live like a fuckin’ king. Got in at the right time with the right connections. I’m the only foreigner they trust. An’ as long as I keep makin’ ’em money, they’re gonna keep on trustin’ me.’

  Sergei nodded again. He understood.

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  The evening plan was a dinner on another larger island, and this time Aleksandr expected everyone to attend. Instructions were to meet on the deck by the tenders at 7 p.m.

  Bianca returned to the master suite and gave Aleksandr the silent treatment as she sat in front of the bedroom mirror braiding her long dark hair while wearing nothing more than a sexy leopard-print thong. She was well aware that seeing her naked always turned him on. He had a thing for her tits, so small and perfect. She’d already decided that tonight he wasn’t getting anything sexual, not until he apologized. Sex was definitely off the menu.

  Aleksandr needed to realize that she wasn’t just another pretty face he could boss around. She was Bianca. She was a super-star, and he’d better get that in his head.

  * * *

  Aleksandr had no desire to continue their argument, such as it was, although he was still determined to hold his ground as far as Xuan was concerned. Bianca could sit in front of the mirror half-naked for as long as she wanted, he wasn’t about to touch her until she learned that she could not tell him what to do or who to talk to. He considered it outrageous that she thought she could, and he wasn’t accepting it. Bianca had a spoiled streak, and it was his job to make her see that she could not exhibit that kind of attitude with him.

  He was the boss, something she still had to get used to.

  * * *

  ‘What an adventure!’ Ashley exclaimed, getting ready for the evening’s activities.

  Taye nodded his agreement. Sex with his wife on a daily basis was a hell of a lot more than he’d expected. As far as he was concerned, they could stay on the yacht for a couple more months. No problem.

  ‘Do you like these earrings?’ Ashley asked, holding up a pair of diamond-studded hoops to her earlobes.

  ‘Love ’em,’ Taye replied, thinking he’d love them even more when he got her naked later.

  Ashley put on the earrings. She was busy thinking about Cliff Baxter. She was especially excited as Cliff had been extremely friendly at lunch, and now she was quite sure that he fancied her. Cliff Baxter had what her mum would call ‘bedroom eyes’, and those eyes had been all over her.

  She fantasized about what she would do if he came onto her.

  Well, she wouldn’t turn him down, that was for sure. And as far as Taye was concerned, it would be payback time for when he’d screwed that page three slag.

  Careful of what you do in life, Ashley thought. ’Cause one day it can come back and bite you firmly on the bum.

  Ah yes, Ashley’s fantasies were in full bloom.

  * * *

  A feeling of helplessness overcame Sierra as she sat in their stateroom listening to Hammond drone on about exactly how he would deal with Flynn if she ever dared to talk to him again, or mention the word ‘divorce’.

  ‘You do know that I can have him killed any way I want,’ Hammond crowed, sweat beading his forehead. ‘Skinned alive. Shot in the head. Blown up in a car. And I might even give you the pleasure of choosing his fate, my dear wife – now wouldn’t that be an interesting decision for you to make?’

  This torrent of threats had been going on for some time and she didn’t know what to do. Was Hammond completely psychotic? Had he lost his mind? Or could he actually arrange to have those threats carried out?

  Was it possible?

  Anything was possible. This was exactly how he’d kept her tied to him all these years. Threats against her personally. Threats against her family. But Flynn’s name had never entered into the equation, and once more it all seemed so horribly real.

  ‘Why are you doing this?’ she managed.

  ‘Why am I doing this? Hammond replied, simmering with fury. ‘Why am I doing this?’ he repeated, his bland features contorting into an angry mask. ‘You are the one who is doing this to us. You are the one who is determined to end my political career.’

  ‘No, I’m not,’ she objected, swallowing hard, holding back tears because she felt so helpless against his threats. Helpless and alone. She should’ve known there was no way out.

  ‘Save me the whining,’ Hammond said harshly. ‘We are going to the island for dinner with our gracious host, and it would be nice if you could behave like a loving wife for once. These people are my future, so try to remember that. Now get dressed. I do not care to keep anyone waiting.’

  * * *

  Lori luxuriated under the warm shower, savouring every delicious moment of Cliff’s lovemaking. What a changed man! What an unexpected delight.

  Cliff had showered first and gone to one of the upper decks for a drink before their island visit. This time their trip to the island would be at night, so Lori wasn’t quite sure how to dress. Should she take her bikini? Would there be midnight swimming in the ocean? Maybe even skinny-dipping?

  She was exhilarated. How about Mrs Cliff Baxter? Could that elusive title possibly be in her future?

  Do not get carried away, she warned herself. One session of cunnilingus does not a marriage make.

  Although things were definitely heading in the right direction.

  Yes.

  Mrs Cliff Baxter.

  Who knew what the future held?

  * * *

  ‘Do I have to go?’ Jeromy groaned like a petulant child.

  ‘Please yourself,’ Luca responded, keeping his tone noncommittal as he selected a sexy black frilled shirt from the closet. As each day passed he was getting more and more fed up with Jeromy and his condescending attitude. It seemed that nothing and no one pleased him. It was quite obvious that Jeromy was not the centre of attention, which pissed him off. Jeromy was used to holding court, and on this trip there was no court for him to hold.

  ‘Don’t you want me to go?’ Jeromy asked, trying to manipulate Luca into begging for his presence.

  Luca was having none of it. After this trip was over he’d definitely decided to ease Jeromy out of his life.

  Jeromy was giving him an expectant look.

  Luca shrugged as he put on
the shirt. ‘Like I said – do what you want.’

  ‘I want you to tell me what to do,’ Jeromy replied, going for the subservient role, which didn’t suit him at all. There was a long silent beat, and then realizing that Luca was not about to beg him, he added a reluctant, ‘All right, I’ll come.’

  Luca would have preferred it if Jeromy had opted to stay on the yacht, but it was not to be. He pulled on a pair of white pants, added a narrow black crocodile belt, and headed for the door. ‘See you upstairs,’ he said, and exited fast, wondering how he was going to manage another few days of Jeromy’s company.

  In retrospect he realized that he should’ve invited Suga and Luca junior on this trip with him. They would’ve loved it, and everyone would’ve loved them.

  Too bad and too late. He was stuck with Jeromy.

  * * *

  Cliff Baxter was already on the upper deck when Luca appeared. Cliff was sipping a martini and looking very suave in a long-sleeved charcoal T-shirt and matching linen pants, his dark hair slicked back.

  Idly Luca wondered if the movie star had ever taken a walk on the wild side – there were always rumours – or did just women do it for him?

  ‘Hey,’ Cliff said, greeting him with a smile.

  ‘What’s goin’ on?’ Luca responded.

  ‘Don’t know about you,’ Cliff said, ‘but I think I just experienced one of the best days of my life.’

  ‘That’s sayin’ something, comin’ from you,’ Luca remarked.

  ‘Yeah,’ Cliff said. ‘I came to the conclusion that Lori is a keeper.’

  ‘And you didn’t know that before?’ Luca asked curiously.

  ‘Outside influences,’ Cliff said vaguely.

  ‘I get it,’ Luca said. ‘Shouldn’t listen to the chorus. When I came out, none of my advisers wanted me to do it. “You’ll lose all your fans,” they warned me. Hey, you know what? I gained fans. So I did what I wanted, an’ it all worked out.’

  ‘I admire that,’ Cliff said.

  ‘You admire what?’ Bianca asked, appearing suddenly. She had a way of inserting herself into other people’s conversations as if it was a perfectly acceptable thing to do.

  ‘Never mind,’ Luca chided. ‘Where’s Aleksandr?’

  ‘He’ll be here,’ Bianca said, waving an impatient hand at Mercedes. ‘Who do you have to fuck around here to get a damn drink?’

  * * *

  Mercedes decided that when the time came, she would take Bianca’s clothes. Even though the supermodel was at least eight inches taller than her, she coveted the many outfits Bianca wore. The sexy bikinis with thong bottoms; the selection of wild T-shirts and designer jeans; the long skirts and backless dresses. And the jewelry. Diamond bangles, a white Chanel watch, a large aquamarine ring surrounded by diamonds. It was all expensive and ready to be taken.

  The other women’s clothes were more low-key – expensive, but not flashy enough for Mercedes. When this caper was over she planned on stepping out and enjoying herself. She was thinking of buying herself a small apartment in the Seychelles – far enough away from Daddy Cruz and his heavily guarded complex in Somalia which she’d only visited a few times. Cruz hadn’t wanted her living with him anyway – ‘Too dangerous,’ he’d informed her. But he liked having her work for him. And so far she’d always blended in as one of the crew – a crew member who’d been able to supply all the information he’d needed before conducting a successful takeover.

  This hijacking was different. Who expected to get taken over by Somalian pirates while quietly cruising the Sea of Cortez? Certainly not this group.

  That a man of Aleksandr Kasianenko’s wealth and importance would be travelling with just one bodyguard was loco. And with a group of rich famous people aboard? Asking for trouble.

  Mercedes had to admit that Cruz was one smart tiger. He’d somehow or other arranged to get his entire gang out of Somalia ready to do their thing. And Cruz’s team were a ruthless bunch who always got the job done.

  Screw it! she thought, licking her finger then dipping it into Bianca’s martini before delivering it to her. I’m getting impatient. I’ve had enough of catering to these rich spoiled chingados.

  The only one who treated her with any kind of respect was Luca Perez. He spoke to her in Spanish, and always asked how she was doing. Unlike his imbécil partner, whom she truly loathed with his I-am-better-than-anyone-else attitude.

  Ah, if Jeromy Milton-Gold only knew how many times she’d spat in his drinks. A small satisfaction.

  Meanwhile, her relationship with Kyril – such as it was – seemed to be developing nicely. Once she’d discovered his weakness for chocolate, it was all systems go. She could get into his space anytime she wanted, as long as she came bearing treats. Chocolate cake, chocolate cookies, chocolate bars, and his favourite – a full mug of hot chocolate.

  He must’ve been deprived as a kid in Russia. Never gotten his chocolate fix.

  At least he only craved chocolate; she wouldn’t have to screw him or service what she imagined might be a gigantic cock. Or maybe not – sometimes it was the big men who had tiny dicks. Anyway, thankfully she wouldn’t have to find out. Chocolate had paved the way, and the time would soon come to put her plan in action.

  Mercedes couldn’t wait.

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  Another island, only this time it was night, and this time the island was not completely deserted. At the top of a steep hill stood a magnificent old Spanish castle overlooking the pristine beach. The grand balcony of the castle was the setting for dinner.

  A long antique table made of fine wood held candles in ornate silver holders and different arrangements of exotic flowers. A trio of Brazilian musicians had been imported for the night, and the food was also Brazilian, with everything from caruro – a delicious mix of dried shrimp, okra and onions – to feijoada – a simmered meat and bean dish.

  Normally Bianca would’ve been all over Aleksandr since he knew she loved anything connected to Brazil, and these were a few of her favourite foods, but she was still not talking to him, while he impatiently waited for her to apologize.

  The two of them were playing a dangerous game.

  Bianca began flirting outrageously with Taye, who was mortified, because if Ashley got even the slightest hint that he and the super-model had once had sex – she would go ape-shit.

  So that Bianca could see that she had no influence over what he did or who he spoke to, Aleksandr got together with Xuan and informed her that he had been thinking about their conversations, and he would be happy to finance the school she was involved with in Sierra Leone, and perhaps they should talk about building an orphanage outside Moscow. He confessed that he’d thought about it often, since he was an adopted child himself.

  Xuan considered it a wonderful idea.

  She was delighted that this luxury trip with all these so-called celebrities was paying off. She had already asked Taye if he would be interested in sponsoring a sports programme for underprivileged kids in Haiti, and he’d said yes, while Cliff Baxter had agreed to be the star attraction at an auction to raise money for the refugees of Darfur.

  Xuan was fully satisfied.

  Flynn was not.

  What the hell was going on with Sierra? She wouldn’t look at him. She seemed to be in a daze again. She did not leave Hammond’s side, which he found most disturbing. It was almost as if Hammond had cast some kind of spell over her.

  Jesus Christ! What was he doing, allowing himself to get hung up on Sierra all over again? Too much time had passed.

  Hammond’s words were burned into his brain. She never loved you and she never will.

  Tomorrow he was definitely coming up with an excuse to get off the boat.

  * * *

  ‘I love your dress,’ Lori remarked to Ashley as they took their places at the dinner-table.

  I love your movie-star boyfriend, Ashley was tempted to reply. And I have a strong suspicion he fancies me back. Instead she said, ‘Thanks. It’s a Stella
McCartney. I always feel fab in one of her designs – she really gets me.’

  ‘Oh,’ Lori said. ‘Does she sell her stuff in L.A.?’

  Ashley shot Lori a semi-scornful look. Did Cliff’s girlfriend know nothing? ‘Actually,’ she said, a tad condescendingly, ‘Stella has a store on Beverly Boulevard. I can take you there if you want – they all know me.’

  ‘I thought you lived in England.’

  ‘We do,’ Ashley said, thinking it was a wise move to stay friendly with the girlfriend just in case Cliff kept her around. ‘Taye enjoys L.A., so we try to fly in a couple of times a year, stay at the Beverly Hills Hotel – Taye’s fave. Maybe you and Cliff can join us for dinner at the Polo Lounge next time we’re there.’

  Why is she being so friendly? Lori thought. This is a big change in personality.

  ‘Love to,’ Lori said brightly. ‘I’ll tell Cliff.’

  * * *

  As far as Mercedes was concerned, the timing couldn’t’ve been better. Almost everyone was off the yacht – including Kyril, who Aleksandr had decided should accompany him for once. Mercedes was one happy girl, having feigned painful and debilitating stomach cramps to get out of going with them.

  Guy had been furious; his bad moods were getting worse. ‘What’s wrong with you?’ he’d yelled. ‘Can’t you understand that we need all the help we can get?’

  ‘It’s my time of the month,’ she’d replied, staring him down. ‘It’s not my fault I suffer from bad cramps.’

  There was nothing Guy could do except give her the stink-eye.

  Too bad, Mercedes thought. He has the ever-obliging Renee and Den to take care of everyone.

  Apparently it was a big deal dinner, so not many of the crew were left on the yacht, which suited Mercedes just fine. Earlier in the day she’d received a cryptic message from Cruz that they were ready. It was on.

  Yippee!

  Servitude would soon be over!

  Cruz always operated at night. It was easier to board when most of the crew were sleeping.

  Cruz gave her the time.

  Mercedes gave him the approximate location.