21 | What A Trip, Eh?
Canada in winters was something else.
Cold, yes. But utterly beautiful, like this Brit seated next to me on the passenger-
I'm going to pretend I didn't think the last part.
It was the day. The shareholder meeting. The reason why we were driving to Val d'or, to the headquarters of the shady gold mining company.
According to Liam's research, a few other shareholders were Russian, forcing me to go there with this certain translator. Liam knew the language as well. But when I asked him to tag along with me instead of Allegra, he suddenly forgot Russian.
These two and a half French boys really do cause me a hell lot of inconvenience at times. Rafael had taken the private jet with him resulting in us taking a normal flight to North Bay airport which was about five hours away from our destination.
I would have saved two days of traveling if he hadn't felt like kidnapping my sister one fine day. I can't wait to break his balls when they return.
Disregarding all the thoughts about murdering my best friend, I pulled up in the parking lot of a coffee shop and silently hopped out. I didn't want to disturb Allegra who was busy sleeping as always.
Thankfully.
She stirred ever so slightly at the sound of the door closing when I returned with two cups of steaming cappuccino. Her sweater riled up in the process, allowing me to see the scar of the bullet wound on her stomach.
Nikolai. That bastard.
My fingers itched to graze over the scar like that would erase the mark and the memories away. But I can't touch her like that. It's inappropriate, right.
Of course it is.
"Allegra." I shook her shoulders, turning my eyes away to not look at her tall frame curled into a ball with her legs pulled to her chest.
"Yes, love." She smiled in her sleep. Her naturally smokey voice sounded even more husky in her sleepy state.
Love.
"I'm not whoever you are dreaming about. Wake up. I've got some coffee." My tone suddenly turned harsh. I didn't know why.
"Oh, hey there Ollie." She yawned, finally opening those bright blue eyes.
"Take this." I thrusted the coffee cup into her hands and started the engine which roared to life.
"Thanks. How far are we?"
"About an hour." I replied curtly and began rolling the car on the highway once again.
"I slept for four hours straight?" Her eyes went wide.
"Can't believe I can be so lucky, can you?" I deadpanned.
"Is that you woke me up using the not so required coffee as an excuse?" She smirked.
Yes.
"No."
Thankfully, Jake called, ending the discussion right there. Her manicured finger pressed the button and his voice filled up the space inside the car.
"Good afternoon, sir. I assume you've reached the hotel. Did you have a safe journey? Do I have to do something from here? "
"He's such a sweetheart." She mouthed from next to me.
He is.
"Our car broke down in the middle so we got a little late. We shall reach there in an hour or so." I informed.
"Very well, sir."
"Oh and Jake! Any updates about my best friend who has a good 99% probability of getting killed by the girl's brother who he kidnapped just to prove a point?"
"I assume you're talking about boss." He said in an irksome calm tone.
Alli over here was dying of laughter.
Allegra. I meant Allegra. No, wait! I meant Miss Tanner. Ugh!
"You're a genius, Jake. Now answer my question." I groaned in annoyance.
"I have no idea about them, sir."
"Jakie! Don't tell him even if you know." She chirped.
"I wouldn't, under any circumstances." He assured.
"Jake!" I yelled.
"But I don't know. So that's beyond the question. Have a nice day sir."
"Sure." I grunted and hung up.
"And you, Miss Tanner! Stop playing the cupid. I thought you didn't like Rafael being around your new bestie."
... Because you thought he was just like that asshole Nikolai. But I didn't say that. His mention seemed to disturb her.
"One, I did it solely for the video. And two, I have to admit I'm horrible at judging people. Especially men."
The video part should capture my interest but surprisingly it was the latter which I couldn't move on from.
I focused on the road and occasionally looked around at the white snow and green pines lined alongside the road to evade that thought. Green was supposed to be calming, right. It didn't seem to work on me.
"Which man you couldn't judge right?" I blurted.
Sapphire eyes snapped at me in a side glance. "Aren't you the king of good questions?"
That was all. She didn't say a word after that. Neither did I. The air was filled with a stretching silence which could snap amy moment.
And it did.
"You." Venom dripped from her words. She was so disgusted that she didn't even look at me. "I was wrong about you. I thought you were a good person."
I wasn't. I knew I wasn't.
"And what are your thoughts about yourself? You are the poor little damsel in distress, aren't you? The good girl who just goes on telling others how evil they are. Am I right, Miss Tanner."
"No. I'm the bloody wicked bitch who knows nothing else other than using people. I lie, I cheat and I take advantage of people. Are you satisfied?"
My fingers tightened over the steering. She shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have heard that.
The rest of the ride went in a tension filled quietness. I didn't disrupt it this time. It was better that way.
"We're here." I announced, pulling up in the scanty parking lot of the small hotel which was the only one in the vicinity.
"I can see that." She shut the door a little harshly to let me know about her bitter mood like I don't know already.
"Remember you're Ethan Rivers. Don't slip anything." She commanded.
"Don't use that tone with me. You're not my boss." I said, retrieving our bags from the trunk.
"I am. Forgot that's what we decided?"
"That was blackmail." I jabbedd a finger in her shoulder.
"Which reminds me of..." She rubbed her palms wickedly. "You better listen to me or else entire Grayson Inc. will see just how perfectly their CFO can perform a fish pout."
She swiftly turned on her heels and progressed to the entrance of the hotel only to stop all of a sudden at the door. She casted me a brief look and immediately looked away. I searched for anything else but all I could find was a subtle fear.
I knew why.
What I didn't know was that why I felt a tinge of pain in my chest.
She shook her head and stomped inside. An obessed bald man in his mid forties greeted us at the reception with his crooked smile with several missing teeth.
"Welcome, ma'am." He drooled at my temporary boss, conveniently ignoring me.
"Ethan Rivers. Two rooms." I harshly tapped my hand on the desk.
He threw me a bored look which narrowed in confusion as he checked his computer. "There's just one room in your name."
What the actual fuck!
The Authier twins!
"I'm not sharing a room with you." She yelled, her voice echoing in the lobby.
Of course she wouldn't. This was bad. This shouldn't have happened. Toby and Liam really need to grow up.
"Make that two." She demanded. The man flinched at her tone.
"I'm sorry ma'am, this is a small hotel. It's fully booked."
She mumbled some curses and drew out a wad of cash, slamming it on the wooden desk. "Is it still fully booked?" She challenged.
He greedily pocketed the money. "No ma'am." He grinned and passed her the key.
She didn't wait for me and began heading upstairs to the first floor of this below average hotel.
The man looked at her receding form with raised eyebrows before switching his eyes to me. "Let me guess. You forgot your marriage anniversary."
"I wouldn't marry this baboon face even if he was the last man on earth." She yelled, without looking back.
"A jealous fiancée. You get what I mean?" I whispered, leaning in.
"Women, eh!" He shook his head, handing me the keys to my room. "Just next to her." He winked.
"Thanks mate." I picked up our extremely light bags and followed her with a grin on my face. That was....entertaining.
"Thank you." She took her bag and opened the door to her room. She didn't look at me at all.
"Allegra." I stopped her right when she was about to shut the door. Her gaze still didn't fall anywhere over me.
"What?" She said dryly, tapping her nails on the door.
Exactly! What! What am I going to say? Why did I stop her?
"I'm sorry, Allegra." I said genuinely.
"For what?" Her voice wavered, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.
"You know what." I mumbled.
Clear, blatant anger glazed her eyes but she struggled to speak. Her burning glare now directly set on me made me internally shudder. And then that unknown hurt made an appearance once again.
"Fuck you, Oliver Rivera." The door slammed shut right on my face.
•••••
"Are you there yet?" Allegra's voice cracked through the phone.
"Yes."
There were last minute changes in the plan. The shareholders wanted to make a quick tour of the gold mine before the meeting so I was on site, which was just thirty minutes away from the hotel.
We decided Allegra stay at her room because it's not safe for her. Nikolai had ried to kill her once. I didn't want to bear that risk.
"You have any idea how you'll find this Sebastian Voss? We don't even know the real identities of the shareholders." She asked, anxious.
"He has to be here. He's got a lot of money going in and out of this company. I'll figure something out."
I got out of the car and the board covered with dirt reading Edmonton Gold Mines presented itself proudly.
"I'll call you once again before the meeting starts. You be careful, Allegra."
There was a brief pause on the line before her voice was heard again.
"You too." She said bluntly before hanging up.
I sighed and thrusted the phone in my pocket and that's when my eyes fell over a certain white car at a distant. My eyes narrowed to read the number plate and then split wide when I registered the familiarity of the car.
Was that Luca?
I could be wrong considering the number wasn't very clear from the distance but he sure had the same car.
What were the odds? I shouldn't be surprised knowing his connection with the Visitant and this Sebastian Voss's still unknown connection to Esztar.
"Mr Rivera! What a pleasant surprise." A known voice with a known accent called me from my right.
I was spiraling! What in the world was happening?
"You?" I spat.
"You might want this for safety purpose." He said in his Russian accent, handing me a yellow helmet.
Disheveled, I looked back at the car. It was gone. Vanished!
"What are you doing here, Viktor?" I sneered, searching for Nikolai who wasn't to be seen.
"I heard you've got company." He stepped forward with a malicious grin.
Bam!
Something inside me exploded. Suddenly, nothing else mattered. I had just one thought running in my mind, wrapping me in dread.
Allegra.
Without any further thought, I made a dash for my car.
Oliver: Vote if you don't want the author to kill Allegra.