There was much to prepare.
Tomorrow, after midnight, it was definitely game on!
* * *
Hammond was disappointed to note that redheaded Lori was cuddling up to her movie-star boyfriend like a limpet. He had hoped to further their flirtation, but it was not to be. All the other women on the trip seemed to be quite cosy with their significant others, which left him no options – apart from the Asian. Xuan was not a prospect, too militant and too short. He didn’t like his women short.
Sierra was by his side and silent. He’d brought her back in line fast. Did she honestly believe she could get away from him?
No chance. He had her exactly where he wanted her. Compliant and scared.
Threatening her once-upon-a-time boyfriend seemed to affect her more than threats against her precious family.
The thought occurred to him that maybe he should arrange to have Flynn killed anyway. There were people for hire who took care of that kind of thing. Why not?
Hammond smiled grimly at the thought.
Damn! He hadn’t called Eddie back. And he’d instructed him not to call unless it was urgent.
Too late now, thanks to Sierra. He’d call Eddie first thing in the morning.
‘Can I get you a drink, Senator?’
Hammond turned to inspect Renee, the stewardess with the Australian accent. She wasn’t bad-looking, although a little horsey with her large teeth and generous mouth. She was tall though, which meant long legs. He was quite partial to long legs, especially when they were wrapped around his neck while his penis was firmly tucked inside the owner of the legs.
Why hadn’t he noticed this one before?
Probably because the pushy Mexican girl had taken centre-stage, while this one had hovered on the sidelines, that was why. He glanced over at Sierra. She was engaged in conversation with Ashley and Cliff. ‘What’s your name, dear?’ he asked the stewardess, turning his back on his wife.
The girl blinked like a startled deer. ‘Uh . . . uh . . . Renee,’ she stammered, blushing slightly.
Ah, she was impressed. A United States Senator was asking for her name and she was thrilled.
Of course she was.
‘Where are you from, dear?’
‘Australia.’
‘I gathered that from your accent. Whereabouts in Australia?’
‘Brisbane, actually.’
Hammond’s eyes dipped to her breasts. Not too big, not too small. He would’ve liked them to be bigger, but maybe her nipples would compensate. Hammond had a thing about nipples; he preferred them extended and chewy – all the better to bite on.
‘Renee is a very pretty name for a very pretty girl,’ he said, giving her the sincere smile that always worked.
‘Thank you,’ she murmured, lowering her eyes.
He winked at her. ‘I’ll have a glass of champagne, Renee.’
More blushing. He was on her radar.
He would fuck her. She was ripe and ready. Better than the redhead. Better than the blonde with the big tits. Better than their hostess. And sure as hell better than the Asian piece of work.
Hammond knew a sure thing when he saw it.
Chapter Sixty-Six
Preparations were in overdrive. Cruz’s men were more than ready, they were on fire and primed for action. Too much lazing around was not good for them.
Second thoughts were plaguing Sergei about going along with them on their mission. Much as he harboured a strong desire to be the first to see Aleksandr Kasianenko’s expression when they boarded The Bianca, Cruz was right, he had no experience when it came to hijacking. What if he got inadvertently shot or knifed or injured in any other way? It could all go wrong and he might easily become a victim.
Cruz’s gang of misfits were heavily armed for battle, which made Sergei seriously think about veering towards the cautious side. He didn’t fully trust Cruz. If anything happened to him, Ina’s brother stood to gain the full ransom, so wasn’t it foolish to set himself up as a target?
He’d financed this entire operation and it had cost him plenty, but if Cruz got greedy, he wasn’t about to have it cost him his life.
Finally he came to the conclusion that the smart thing to do was back off the actual raid, and have Cruz’s men bring Kasianenko to him while he stayed at the villa and waited – a far wiser plan.
When he informed Cruz of his change of heart, he wasn’t quite sure, but he thought he noticed a flash of triumph flit across the Mexican man’s weather-beaten face.
Interesting. It paid to always be alert.
‘I’ll be sendin’ two of my men with you to grab Kasianenko,’ Sergei announced. ‘You’ll arrange to have a couple of your team bring him back on one of the boats. I’ll be waiting.’
‘That means I’m gonna be two men short,’ Cruz complained, spitting on the ground. ‘Not possible.’
Sergei had not come this far to get into a pissing match with Ina’s annoying brother. ‘Then I suggest you make it possible,’ he ordered coldly. ‘Bring Kasianenko to me, then my men’ll take over, and your men can return to you.’
‘Chingado,’ Cruz muttered under his breath.
‘You should be smiling,’ Sergei said, a note of menace in his voice, ‘now you don’t got me on the boat where you didn’t want me gettin’ in your fuckin’ way. Remember?’
Cruz’s mouth twisted into a hard smile. ‘Sure,’ he said. ‘I can work it out.’
‘Make certain you do that,’ Sergei said. ‘’Cause you an’ me – we wouldn’t wanna screw with each other, would we?’
Cruz shrugged and groped in his pocket for a cigarette. ‘Never,’ he lied.
* * *
Ina wandered down to the dock, fully aware that both Cruz and Sergei would be furious if they caught her. So what? She was bored sitting around in the villa with nothing to do. They’d warned her not to sunbathe by the pool, but they’d never mentioned anything about not going down to the dock.
She wore high-heeled silver sandals and a white mesh cover-up over her bikini. Large black sunglasses hid her eyes.
Cruz’s team of misfits were busy.
Ina stood by observing. She smiled at the youngest pirate, Cashoo, who wasn’t bad-looking in a Johnny Depp kind of way. He wore torn jeans and a sloppy T-shirt with a colourful scarf flowing from around his neck. She noticed his beautiful high cheekbones, and wondered what it would be like to make love to someone so young. One thing was for sure – he wouldn’t call her fat and whack her on the ass. He would be honoured to have the pleasure of being with her.
Now he was returning her smile.
She noticed an attractive gold tooth and threw him a little wave. Then Cruz ruined everything by creeping up on her and yanking her by the arm. ‘Get back in the house,’ he growled. ‘An’ don’t lemme see you down here again.’
Ina turned and walked back towards the house, but not before giving Cashoo one last lingering look.
Chapter Sixty-Seven
‘We’re going to the press,’ Martin Byrne announced, ruddy cheeks ablaze. ‘This waiting around is a travesty. Skylar is nervous and upset. My wife is hysterical. We have to resolve this.’
‘Talking to the press will resolve nothing,’ Eddie said, his voice strained as he tried to figure out what to do next. ‘They’ll jump on the story with no facts, and your daughter will be crucified, exactly like Monica Lewinsky.’
‘How dare you mention that Lewinsky woman and Skylar in the same breath,’ Martin huffed, pacing up and down. ‘My daughter was sexually molested. It’s time the truth came out.’
‘I understand your dilemma,’ Eddie said, attempting to stay calm and in control as he tried to reason with Skylar’s father. ‘However, I can assure you that until I speak with the Senator, you should hold off doing anything.’
Lurking outside Eddie’s office, Radical, Hammond’s illegitimate fifteen-year-old daughter, kept her ear to the door.
Shitballs! This was like real juicy stuff. Daddy Dearest had been fiddling
with some girl called Skylar.
Did step-mom Sierra know?
Was this news fresh off the block?
Could she make money from it?
Radical was all for scoring extra bucks – money made the world go round. It also meant she could stock up on grass and coke without having to blow her New York dealer who was a Puerto Rican ass-wipe and preferred blow-jobs over cash.
As it was, she’d gotten thrown out of her Swiss boarding school for making out with her French teacher – who’d also gotten canned.
Now that she was back in New York it was time to like live it up. And money – plenty of it – could only help.
Skylar, huh?
Radical formed a plan.
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Yet another dinner in Paradise with an array of culinary delights served in a magnificent setting. What more could anyone ask?
Taking in her surroundings, Lori had no idea how she was supposed to ease back into normal life. She was savouring every moment of this once-in-a-lifetime trip. Everything was so perfect, including Cliff. She dreaded returning to their old routine, and the daily visit from Enid when Cliff wasn’t at the studio. Enid was a jealous old bag who, even though she claimed to be gay, probably had the hots for her handsome boss.
Get a life, Enid, and leave us alone.
Without Enid’s interference, Lori felt that she and Cliff might have a real chance of staying together. Enid was a witch, the woman put the evil eye on her.
‘What’re you thinking?’ Luca enquired, approaching her as she stood by the railing on the terrace watching the dark waves crash on the beach below.
‘I’m thinking that this is a truly wonderful experience,’ Lori replied. ‘It’s . . . I don’t know . . . kind of magical in a way.’
‘That’s ’cause you’re in love,’ Luca said, adding a wistful – ‘I wish I was.’
‘You will be,’ Lori assured him. ‘Once you’re free you’ll have your pick of anyone you want.’
‘You think so?’
‘Oh, come on, get with the programme,’ Lori encouraged. ‘You’re Luca Perez. Didn’t I just read that People En Español magazine voted you their Sexiest Star of the Year?’
Luca shrugged. ‘It makes me nervous thinking about being by myself.’
‘Oh my God!’ Lori exclaimed. ‘If you’re nervous, then what the hell am I? Let’s not forget that you’re famous, rich and gorgeous – you’ve got nothing to be nervous about.’
‘And you’re a sweet girl, Lori,’ Luca said warmly. ‘Your friendship means a lot to me. When we get back to the real world we’ll stay in touch, yes?’
‘Nothing I’d like more.’
‘I can be your new gay best friend,’ he joked. ‘Every girl needs one.’
‘Especially me,’ Lori said, thinking of her lack of real friends in L.A. ‘I don’t have many friends – gay or straight.’
‘How come?’
‘It’s just the way it is,’ she said with a thoughtful sigh. ‘I’m a movie star’s girlfriend. People can’t figure out how long I’ll be around.’
‘If Cliff’s smart, it’ll be a lifetime deal.’
‘You’re the best! I think I love you!’
‘What are you two up to?’ Cliff questioned, joining them.
‘Oh, nothing much. I was just telling Luca what a babe he is,’ Lori said, winking at Luca. ‘I think I love him.’
‘Should I be jealous?’ Cliff asked, amused.
‘No!’ Lori giggled. ‘Anyway, I thought you were busy talking to Ashley.’
‘She was talking to me,’ Cliff explained with a rueful grin. ‘Or rather her tits were talking to me while I was trying to escape. Got a hunch she might be a bit of a fan.’
‘Well, that’s the understatement of the year,’ Lori exclaimed, with a quick laugh. ‘She’s all over you every opportunity she gets. Everyone’s noticed.’
‘Really?’ Cliff said with a sly smile.
‘Don’t act as if you don’t know,’ Lori scolded. ‘Being modest doesn’t suit you.’
‘I feel sorry for Taye,’ Luca lamented. ‘He’s such a great guy.’
‘Do not worry about Taye,’ Lori said. ‘Am I the only one to see that Bianca is practically eating him for dinner?’
‘She is?’ Luca said. ‘What about our host? He doesn’t mind?’
‘Our host is busy making plans with Xuan about all sorts of humanitarian causes,’ Lori said knowingly. ‘They’re quite a fit.’
Cliff started to laugh. It pleased him to note that everyone seemed to enjoy Lori’s company. ‘Aren’t you the little observer,’ he said affectionately.
‘I keep my eyes open,’ she responded.
‘You certainly do.’
‘I certainly do,’ Lori replied, mimicking him.
They exchanged an intimate smile.
‘Come, my favourite redhead,’ Cliff said, putting his arm around her. ‘Let’s go take a walk on the beach.’
‘Will you excuse us, Luca?’ Lori said, smiling happily.
‘Sure,’ Luca said, drifting back towards the table where Jeromy was earnestly trying to talk Sierra and Hammond into purchasing a pied-a-terre in London.
‘My darlings, there is nothing like a summer day in a London park,’ Jeromy said grandly, filled with nostalgia as he recalled his first encounter with a male sex partner behind a tree in Regents Park. He was thirteen at the time.
‘We hardly ever visit London,’ Sierra said, trying to studiously avoid even so much as glancing in Flynn’s direction as he spoke with Xuan and Aleksandr.
It was impossible; her mind refused to be still as she imagined Flynn making love to the Asian woman. She pictured them in bed together, naked and passionate, all over each other. It was too much; her eyes filled with tears. She was dismayed to realize that she was jealous – hopelessly, helplessly jealous.
‘I have to use the restroom,’ Hammond said, abruptly rising. ‘Would you keep my wife company, Jeromy?’
‘My pleasure, Senator,’ Jeromy replied, catching Luca’s eye and beckoning him over.
Hammond left the table. He’d noticed Renee hovering by the ornate arched doorway and he immediately approached her. ‘Where is the men’s room?’ he asked, all business.
‘Oh,’ she said, fidgeting nervously with an escaped strand of dark blond hair. ‘Let me show you, Senator. I’m supposed to escort everyone there in case they get lost. This castle is huge.’
‘I’m not everyone,’ Hammond said mildly. ‘Just plain old me.’
‘I know,’ Renee said with a feeble giggle. ‘But you’re a very important you.’
Hammond smiled. He was never averse to compliments.
The interior of the castle was dark and cold – nobody lived there, it was merely a place that could be rented out for special occasions. Long winding corridors led to a series of small rooms, and finally a semi-modernized bathroom – completely out of synch with the rest of the castle.
‘I can wait outside to guide you back,’ Renee offered.
Hammond studied her for a moment, moving close. ‘You are such a pretty girl,’ he informed her. ‘So very lovely.’
‘Uh . . . thank you,’ she mumbled, flattered that an important man like Senator Patterson had even noticed her.
‘Would it be presumptuous if I were to kiss you?’ he asked, deciding that he had no time to waste luring her in with seductive words.
Renee was ablaze with excitement, yet at the same time quite apprehensive.
Surely he was married? And not only that, but his wife was on the trip with him.
‘Uh . . .’ she stuttered, unsure of what to say.
Before she could say anything at all, Hammond’s lips were upon hers, his tongue pushing its way aggressively into her mouth. She tried to gasp, but couldn’t. His hands were suddenly on her breasts. Everything felt dangerous and forbidden.
Was this really happening?
What if someone came along?
What if the Senator’s wi
fe caught them?
Or Guy? He would fire her, for sure.
The day Guy had hired her he’d given her a strict lecture about never getting inappropriate with a guest.
Hammond’s hands had snaked their way under her uniform. He began manipulating her nipples through her bra, playing with them hard.
His lips left hers and this time she did gasp, a long drawn-out gasp of pure desire.
Hammond knew he had her.
Young girls were so easy.
Chapter Sixty-Nine
By the time they got back to the yacht, Bianca and Aleksandr were still not talking. Both strong personalities, neither of them was prepared to give in.
Bianca was livid that Aleksandr had spent the majority of the evening fraternizing with the enemy. Xuan. Asian bitch. Sneaky little man-stealer. Bianca hated her, and more than anything she wanted her off the boat.
Some of their guests had gone to the upper deck for after-dinner drinks. Bianca chose to join them. Aleksandr could do what he liked, she didn’t care.
Yet the truth was that she did care. A lot. He was her man and he was behaving like a stubborn asshole. Typical male behaviour.
On the upper deck Taye and Ashley were all over each other in one corner, Jeromy was boring the shit out of Flynn, who couldn’t stop agonizing over Sierra, and Luca was sitting with Lori and Cliff. Everyone else had gone to bed.
Bianca chose to join the Luca group. ‘What’s up?’ she asked Luca.
‘What’s up with you?’ he replied. ‘Are you an’ Mr Russia in a fight?’
Bianca tossed back her long braided hair, green eyes glowing. ‘What makes you think that?’
‘It doesn’t take a genius to see what’s going on.’
‘Nothing,’ Bianca said stubbornly. ‘Nothing is going on.’
‘Bullshit,’ Luca responded. ‘It’s me you’re talking to.’
‘I think it’s time for bed,’ Cliff said, standing up and stretching.
Lori followed his lead, said goodnight to everyone, and the two of them took off.
‘I wish you were straight,’ Bianca said wistfully, gazing at Luca.
‘How would that solve anything?’ he asked, never sure what kind of crazy logic Bianca would come up with.