Page 54 of Wayward
“No, no one is that stupid. But we had to crowd together in one car, and the driver made off with all our luggage and carry-ons. We came straight from another event. You don’t know how cranky you can be until you’ve worked a twenty-hour event for a billionaire and then had to go straight to the airport. Rich people, am I right?” Dante doesn’t glance at Easton, which is a blessing.
The agent smiles. “I’ll call the police immediately.”
“What good will that do? He’s probably already sold our passports and tossed our clothes in the trash. We’ll straighten it all out tomorrow.”
“Okay. I . . .” The guy clearly doesn’t want to be an ass but knows there’s something not right with what’s happening.
“Put me down,” I whisper to Calvin. And he lets me slide to the ground. I take a few tender steps to the counter. “I’m really grateful that you’re able to help us. It’s been a horribly long day.” I put on my best stew smile and pray I don’t mess up what is an amazing con by Dante. But last year when I was working on Charlie’s boat, we had a group of mid-twenty-year-olds take a week-long charter. Seven girls. The tab at the end of the week was just shy of a hundred thousand a piece, and the primary was named Stella Freeman. The rock on her hand would have made Candy swoon. “Stella’s expecting everything to be just perfect. She’s so sweet, but we wouldn’t want her father to hear about any of this. Because he’ll get upset at Stella’s groom. It’s such a delicate balance with him, you know?” And I only barelyknow . . . bits of conversations I overheard stitch back together for me. “An overbearing, righteous father who believes no one will ever be good enough for his daughter.” I throw in a sigh. “But then she’s really pretty great. And a really good tipper.” I smile.
His eyes flick from his screen to mine. “‘I’ve heard that too.”
Champagne is going off in my stomach because I guessed right. This could have gone really wrong. Freeman isn’t exactly Smith, but it’s not far from it. “For the sake of keeping everyone’s tips in place, I don’t mind losing a bikini and a duffle bag of work clothes. We’ll take care of our passports tomorrow. Do you think you can just get us a room? We’ll come back and do everything properly in the morning.” I turn quickly, taking the money out of my bra. “Stella gave me some money to tip the resort staff as we get settled for her.” I slide a hundred dollars across the counter to him.
“Yes, please come back in the morning.” He pockets the hundred and slides a card across the counter. “I’ve got you in the Freeman staff villa. I’m afraid things aren’t set up correctly yet for the Freeman contractors. The beds aren’t pulled apart.” He takes a map of the resort out and draws a line to our villa.
“We’ll manage. Thank you.” I take the map. “Oh, and the guy who dropped us off and drove away with our bags? He’s really tall. Almost as tall as my friend here.” I place a hand on Calvin’s chest. “Brown hair. I hope he doesn’t come back. But maybe you could call the authorities if he comes around? Try not to tell him you saw us. He was making a pass at me. I was nervous. I think that’s why he drove off.”
“For sure!” Though he looks at the wall of muscle behind me and narrows his eyes at the guys. Like they weren’t willing to protect me.
“Thank you. You’re the best.” I pivot on my good leg and widen my eyes to Dante. Holy crap. I want to squeal both for thepain in my leg and the excitement that it worked. I hand Sam the packet of keycards, and we’re out the side door.
Chapter 24
Rough Water
Dante
Iclose the door behind Sam. Calvin’s already placed Haley on the sofa. Zane’s closing the curtains.
“You think Holloway will ask at the front desk if anyone has seen us?” Zane says, pulling another curtain shut. Calvin grabs a chair from a table and wedges it under the door handle.
They’ve got this. I sink down next to her. “Holy hell, Sassy. I didn’t know you could lie like that!”
“I didn’t either. Well, other than the occasional little white lie to a guest.”
Rockwell sits on the sofa table and takes Haley’s hand. “Damn, Firefly, how did you know who the bride was?”
“I wasn’t sure but?”
“I was losing the desk clerk. You’re the one who closed the deal.” I give her a kiss on the cheek.
“On Charlie’s boat last year, there was a group of girls. Remarkably easy to take care of?old money. A Vanderbilt, Cabot, Winthrop, and some others. Stella was the primary. They just read, sunbathed, and drank their weight in skinny martinisall week. Stella was marrying into a shipping family from Thailand. It wasn’t a sure thing, but . . .”
“Damn, you’re hot when you’re so smart. And telling the clerk that Holloway stole our bags?” I kiss the side of her neck.
“Thank you. You think it will work? It’s going to work,” she says to herself.
“I know it.” I squeeze her shoulders and stand.
Sam’s pacing by the window. Calvin’s peering through the peephole insouciantly. And Zane’s flipping through a wooden folder.
“What do you have, Zane?” I ask.
“We’re going to need supplies. And if we’re going to take the engineer’s advice and not contact the authorities . . . Are you still sticking by that?” Zane’s eyebrows raise. We went over it more than once below deck on the Green Summit.
“What?” Sam turns. “We go to the police. I don’t believe the Zambrano family are all-seeing.”
Zane pulls a crumpled file folder out of the back of his pants. “Bloody hell, it feels good having that out. Look at this, Sam, and you’ll change your mind.” Zane hands it to him.
