Page 122 of Last Fall

29

Zoe

Running Around Inside MyOwnBook

Tony madeone thing abundantly clear: he wasdangerous.

He knew everything about me, including where I was staying. I could not get off this plane with him. He wasn’t going to kidnap me, at least I didn’t think he would, but I was going to use the same sage advice anyway. I would not be taken to a second location withthisman.

When we were about thirty minutes out of LAX I excused myself again, only instead of simply using the restroom one last time, I slipped a note to Mariah detailing who Tony was and that I would not get off the plane with him.Period.

When I left the restroom she gave me a sad smile and a nod. “It’s all takencareof.”

I didn’t know what that meant but it was a huge relief to know I wasn’t in this alone. I returned to my seat and waited. Once we arrived at our gate Mariahhurriedover.

“I just wanted to remind you that you have that special carry-on we had to stow in the back. Unfortunately you’ll have to wait for everyone on board to deplane before we’ll be able to retrieve itforyou.”

Fifteen million butterflies took off in my chest as relief washed over me. I damn near started crying right then and there but somehow kept it together. “Of course. I understood bringing it on board would affectthings.”

“I appreciate that,” Mariah said. “Not all of ourpassengersdo.”

“This is ridiculous,” Tony sputtered, realizing he wouldn’t get to manhandle me off the plane. “Can’t you retrieve it now so she isn’t forcedtowait?”

Mariah turned her cold stare on him. “Excuse me? I don’t believe this has anything to dowithyou.”

Ten points toMariah.

“I’m simply trying to help out a fellow passenger. What’s the point of paying for First Class if she’s going to be treatedthisway?”

“Tony,” I warned. “This has nothing to do with you. I knew bringing it along would mean waiting. Trust me,I’mfine.”

The asshole had the nerve to pat my hand. “I know she’s not used to how things work up here, butIam.”

I jerked my hand and my head back. “Excuseme?”

“Sir, you are being inappropriate and you need to stop,” Mariah said, looking down the aisle at one of hercolleagues.

“I’mbeing inappropriate?” Tony’svoicerose.

“Sir, this has nothing to dowithyou.”

“Is there a problem here?” The man from across the aisleasked.

I really needed to find out his name. At this point“man across the aisle”wasn’tenough.

“No problem,” Mariah said, turning just enough to include him in the conversation. She kept her eyes laser locked on Tony. “Our policy is that special sized items are stored in the rear of the plane. Miss Hyde will have to wait to retrieve it. That is the beginning and the end of theequation.”

“Something I am completely fine with,” I interjected. I hated how Tony could overtake aconversation.

“Great,” the man said. “Then we can all stop talking and get off the plane. You first.” He pointedatTony.

I saw some very angry sides to Tony over the years, but never this version. His anger was palpable as he grabbed his bag and stalked off theplane.

“Guess it’s my turn.” The man winked at Mariah and took off with his bag, following Tony very closely, Inoticed.

Mariah moved into Tony’s now vacant seat. “His name is Brian. He works for Contention Security, the company we use to monitor some of our flights. I let him know we might have asituation.”

“Youdid?”

---