Parchment & Pearls

24. I Did Not Approve The Ride On The Emotional Roller Coaster

Chapter 24

I Did Not Approve The Ride On The Emotional Roller Coaster

"What the hell is going on?" Drake growled as we followed Flannery down the hallway toward the elevator.

"What does it look like, Drake?" she spat back. "Vince sent me and some guys here to follow you. Not interfere, but just see what you two were up to. Of course, I know what you're here for, but they don't. I tried to get in touch with you guys, but I could only get Cruz."

"Well, we can't exactly get great signal when we're locked up in a vault!"

"Would you stop?" I hissed at him, and then looked at Flannery. "You got in touch with Cruz?"

She nodded, looking down every hallway we passed. "They're already on their way to England. And don't worry about yourselves. I've got it all worked out."

"We could have caught up with them, though!"

"Vince already had guys headed their way!"

"Drake, shut up!" I growled at him.

"Thanks," she told me, giving him a look when we stopped in front of the closed elevator doors. "Here's what you're going to do." She reached into the pocket of her security guard uniform and pulled out a set of car keys. "There's a silver Audi parked just few up from the one you came in. A guy is waiting by the car you came in and he'll let the others know when you're on your way. They'll follow you, but you need to keep driving. Inside, I've left you two train tickets to London. Once you're at the station, they'll leave. They were told not to make a scene, just follow and watch. But when you get to London...well, you're on your own." She paused, taking a breath before grimacing. "Ditch your phones, too, because I had to hack into them to track you down."

"Thanks," Drake said flatly, and pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket. "And I just got this one after you destroyed my other..."

"Well, too bad," I told him, digging mine out of my clutch. I grabbed both and threw them against the wall, breaking them both to pieces. "There. Taken care of."

Flannery cracked a smile before looking at Drake. "You never told me how spunky she is. I like her."

He scowled over at me, though his eyes held anything but annoyance. "Yeah, well, I don't right now, especially since she's ganging up on me with you."

The elevator doors opened behind us and I stepped inside as Flannery started down the hallway again. But before Drake got in, he rushed over to her, wrapping her in a hug that she returned full-heartedly. He said something quietly to her just as the doors began to close, making her laugh, and I heard the unmistakable sound of a kiss.

Sure, I didn't know if it was a kiss on the cheek...or the top of the head...or the lips...or if it was Drake or Flannery who instigated it.

It was still a kiss, though, and a very intimate-looking hug.

But by the huge smile on Drake's face, putting his hand on the doors to stop them from closing and got in, I knew there was something between them that I hadn't seen before. Or maybe didn't want to see.

I swallowed hard as the fact that he more than likely wasn't exactly a monk these past few years wormed its way into my head.

I didn't know why it brought on the jealousy either, since I was definitely no nun.

I couldn't look at him then, not with that little green monster sitting on my shoulder. The jealousy was fire in my veins and I had to swallow my snappy comments that threatened to come up.