Page 57 of Ruthless Beast

“The Boss prefers to use his own plane.”

Impressive. Lucas’ organization must be raking in the cash. I try not to think about the manner in which they make their money. Today is an exciting day, one of almost zero that I’ve enjoyed in the last few months. I intend on focusing on the bright side.

The driver takes us to a private entrance once we arrive at the airstrip. Lucas is already on board when I board the Gulfstream G650ER.

“Good morning,” he smiles.

“Hi. Nice wings.”

“Thanks. It gets me where I need to be. Please make yourself comfortable. Would you like a drink?”

“I’d love a coffee, thanks.”

“Olivia, would you bring my guest a cup of coffee, please?” Lucas asks the flight attendant.

“Cappuccino?” she asks.

“That would be nice, thank you.”

“Have you eaten? Are you hungry?” Lucas adds.

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“Well, there’s plenty of food onboard. It’s a twelve hour flight, depending on the weather.”

“Plenty of time to brush up on my French.”

“Mais bien sûr.”

“Très bien. So, will anyone else be joining us, or is this it?” I ask, looking around the cabin.

“Yes. Andreas is coming along. I’ll introduce you.”

“Do I get to ask him what he does, or is that also need-to-know?”

“Andreas is my right hand man.”

“That’s all I’m going to get, isn’t it?”

“Clever girl.”

“What can I say? I’m a quick study.”

“Of that, I have no doubt.”

Once we’re in the air, Dominick and the other two bodyguards disappear, giving me the illusion that I am once again a free woman. I suppose there isn’t much chance of harm coming to me in the air.

Andreas is the stoic sort. I judge him to be more or less the same age as Lucas. He’s polite and intelligent. I wonder what exactly it is that he does, but I’m learning to keep my curiosity to myself. I imagine I’ll be more likely to stay out of harm’s way if I ask as few questions as possible.

Lucas and Andreas leave me behind in the main cabin while they talk in the office. Would Lucas tie me up and gag me if I attempted to use the onboard phone to call Dannie? Probably. I don’t want to make waves at this stage of our relationship. We’ve been getting along so well that I’d hate to overplay my hand and force him to lock me away again.

I enjoy a light lunch while Lucas and Andreas are talking. I’m thankful that it’s a private plane because I’ve never been particularly good at sitting still. After lunch, I walk around the cabin so I can stretch my legs.

“Can I get you anything, ma'am?” the flight attendant asks politely.

“Oh, no thanks, Olivia. I’m stretching out a bit.”

“That’s a beautiful suit you’re wearing.”

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