Page 132 of Pucker Factor

“Uh…boss, how do you expect us to get the plane back? In case you forgot, we barely made it out of there.”

“I’ll make a few phone calls.” He narrowed his eyes at IRIS. “I want my fucking plane back. Make sure it happens.”

“And what about Max?” he asked.

“Drop him back in the Caribbean and leave him to his whiskey. I want us out of here within in the hour. Let’s move!”

* * *

“Shouldn’t we wait here?” Sarah asked.

I watched her twist her fingers anxiously. “Look, Red got you the medicine you need. You’ll be fine. You just have to take the pills.”

She looked at the bottle, but didn’t make a move to take them. “I was just thinking, we’re rushing home and maybe that’s not a good idea. What if…Scottie can’t get the plane. Shouldn’t we wait here?”

“Scottie will be in the Caribbean. It doesn’t really matter if we’re in Florida or back in Chicago.”

“Right, but…”

“But what?” Why was she acting so weird? I had the pills for her, but she still didn’t want to get on the damn plane. And then I remembered the words she muttered just before Cash started spouting orders.

Just another reason for me to get out of here.

“What did you mean when you said it was another reason for you to get out of here?”

Her cheeks flushed as she ducked her head. “Nothing, I just—”

“You just what?”

She pursed her lips, jerking her head to look past me when the door opened. “That’s our ride,” she said, scurrying past me.

Red walked over to me and eyed Sarah carefully. “What’s going on with her?”

“I have no idea. She was all on board to come home with us, and now she’s wanting us to wait. I don’t get it.”

“Did she take the pills?”

I looked at them still in my hand and shook my head. “She wouldn’t take them. I don’t get it.”

“Do you think this has to do with Simon?”

“In what way?”

“Maybe she doesn’t want to leave him.”

I scowled at my friend. “And why wouldn’t she want to leave him?”

“Not for the reasons you think. I don’t know, maybe she wants to try and reform him.”

“Too fucking bad,” I grumbled. “Let’s get out of here. I’ll figure it out later.”

“I’ve got the bags,” he said, hauling up the last two. “You get her down to the car.”

“Easier said than done.” I walked over to her and wrapped my arm around her waist, thinking I could put her at ease, but she laughed and stepped away from me. “Everything okay?”

“What? Yeah, it’s fine.” She glanced at the door, then directed her eyes to the ground. She was avoiding me, but I had no idea why.

“You’ll be fine once you get home and see your goldfish.”

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