The Rented Husband (Southern Nights Series)

    Seth was the epitome of cool, calm and collective.  His training and instincts were kicked into high gear.  “It could mean everything Ted, now tell me," he implored, "What happened?”

    After listening to everyone bicker, Cane stepped up to the fray.  He was starting to see what Seth was getting at.  “He said that some pretty little petite blond haired woman came onto him. Once she got him on the elevator she cold-clocked him, knocking him unconscious."

    Seth pushed his way through everyone and knelt by the security guard.  “This woman,” he said, pulling out his phone, could you identify her if I showed you a picture?”

    “Hell yeah,” he replied.  “She was the type of woman that sticks with a man.  I’ll never forget it,”  he winced, knowing just how true that statement was. Feeling the large knot on the back of his head wasn't letting him forget either.

    Seth opened his phone and scrolled through his videos, pulling up the one that he had transferred from his laptop.  Turning the phone around, he prayed that this was his lucky day.  Showing it to the security guard, he asked him hoarsely, “Is this her?”

   Pointing at the image it only took him a split second to respond. “That’s her alright.  No mistaking it, that is the vixen that knocked me out.”

    Seth turned around, his eyes meeting Brody’s. Their look confirming what they were both afraid of.  She was here and had probably already taken Olivia.

    “Son of a bitch!” Brody cursed, turning and slowly walking away.  How could this have happened?  He was only gone maybe ten minutes.  Covering his face with his hands, he tried to force himself to think.  He had to find her, but the million dollar question was how?

    “Hold on a minute.”  Seth stood, an idea already forming in his head.  He jogged over to the information desk and whipped out his phone, showing the man behind the counter the image. 

    Brody continued to watched him with bated breath.  He could see their mouths moving quickly but couldn’t hear a word that either of them was saying.  The employee started to vigorously shake his head back and forth and Seth, in a burst of fury, reached over the counter, grabbed him by the collar and angrily whispered something at his ear.

    The employee held his hands up in surrender.  Seth released him dropping him back to the ground  He pointed at the computer and the guy started to tap away.  Fifteen seconds later, he looked back up to Seth and said something.  Brody still could not hear them and wondered what in the heck was going on?

    Seth pivoted away from the desk and made his way back to where they where all anxiously waiting.  Seth didn’t bother to stop, he simply said room 912 while making a bee line for the elevator with Brody following close behind.

                                                    **********************************************

    Olivia was floating.  She felt as light as a feather.  So free…. so happy, she didn’t have a care in the world. 

    “See,” Patton said, standing over her, “I told you that you’d be smiling.”  She picked up the spoon and measured out another dose of the white powder.  Going through the same motions, she flicked the lighter and held it under the spoon, letting it do it’s magic.  “You ought to be thanking me for this,” she chattered.  “At least this way, you can have an open casket funeral.  Death won't do a thing to harm that pretty face of yours.”

    Something niggled at the back of Olivia’s mind.  It was a warning of sorts that tried to break through her happy haze but she couldn’t quite make any sense out it.  She felt boneless and blissfully pleasant.  She couldn’t remember the last time that she felt so care-free.  Everybody should have an opportunity to feel this good, she thought to herself.