Triple Major

by Lana Hartley

  I couldn’t have imagined anything more mind blowing than last night. My eyes finally open, and I turn my head to the right, seeking out Sienna.

  She’s laying on her side, facing me. She’s fast asleep.

  Her soft breathing is all that fills the room.

  God, she’s fucking exquisite.

  I reach my hand out and gently caress her from her ribs down to her hip.

  She lets out a contented sigh. As much as I would love to wake her up by sliding my cock into her sweet pussy, I resist. I need to check on things.

  Quietly, so as not to disturb Sienna, I roll out of bed to search for clothes.

  Dressed, I walk out into the suite’s living room area.

  Just as the door to the bedroom gives a soft click to indicate it’s closed, my phone rings.

  Business fucking awaits.

  I just miss the call. Ten missed calls from James. What the hell?

  The phone lights up as James calls for the eleventh time.

  I pick up on the first ring.

  “What?” I growl.

  “We have an issue, Nathan. Shaw is on a rampage to find both you and the girl. He wants you dead.”

  “We knew that already James. Shaw isn’t a man to be betrayed.”

  “There’s more,” James says.

  I hear the tension in his voice. James is always calm. Whatever the issue is, it has him wound up tight.

  “Shaw has put a bounty on your head,” James says. “Every criminal in the country is looking for you to cash in. That’s not the worst of it though. Shaw’s offering twice the amount if the girl’s brought to him alive.”

  “Fuck!” I yell.

  I begin to pace the living room. This is bad.

  Not only is Shaw going after me, but he’s now going after Sienna. The bastard knows that I can handle if he comes after me.

  But Sienna? Never.

  The fact that he’s demanded Sienna be alive and brought to him is like a knife stabbing me in the heart. Shaw’s probably counting on that little detail driving me crazy imagining the horrible shit he has planned.

  I’ve seen what that sick bastard does to people, to women.

  I shudder.

  I’ll die before I let him touch a hair on her head.

  I hear mumbling on the phone.

  “Nate, you need to get out of there. Now! Titus just received info from an inside man that Shaw knows you’re in LA. It won’t take him long to locate you and the girl and send men after you.”

  This morning has gone to complete shit.

  My mood is dark, and I’m furious. I should’ve killed Shaw beforehand.

  My hands itch to grip the cold steel of my Glock. My trigger finger itches to pull the trigger and put a bullet straight through his skull.

  I take a deep breath.

  Think, Nathan. Get Sienna out safely, and then you can end Shaw.

  “Get the plane ready,” I tell James. “Tell Titus he’s taking Sienna back to New York.”

  “And you?” James asks.

  “I’m staying here. This needs to end. Shaw needs to die. Until he’s dead none of us are safe. Especially Sienna.”

  “Will do,” he replies.

  I hang up the phone.

  Sienna just came back into my life. I’ll be damned if Shaw takes her away from me.

  She’s my light in all this darkness.

  Her happiness, her smile, her love is everything to me. It’s the air I breath and my reason for living now. She’s the center of my universe.

  There’s no fucking way I’m going to let him take me out of her life either by having me killed.

  As long as I’m alive, I can protect her. I can worship her.

  Right now, I need to get her back to New York. Far away from Shaw.

  I rush back to the bedroom slamming the door open. Not trying to be quiet at all this time.

  “Sienna, get up!” I say with a raised voice.

  She wakes up, startled.

  I’m grabbing anything and everything in reach to pack into her bag.

  “What?” she says groggily.

  “Get your ass out of bed and get dressed. We’re leaving. Now.”

  “What? Why?”

  She’s crawled out of bed.

  I toss some clothes at her, not paying attention to what I’m giving her. I don’t give a shit, as long as she’s dressed so I can get her ass moving to the plane.

  “Nate!” she yells.

  I stop to look at her.

  “Why do we have to leave?” she asks.

  Walking over to her, I come nose to nose with her.

  “Because I said so. Now move your ass into gear.”

  She stares at me, saying nothing at first.

  I can see the frustration and anger building within her right before my eyes. I steel myself. She’s definitely going to fight me on this.

  “No,” she finally says.

  “No?” I growl at her.

  “No,” she repeats. “I’m sick and tired of running. I don’t want to leave. I’m also worried about my mother back home.”

  I’m torn for a split second. I know she’s worried, and I want to take all her worries away. My need to make sure she’s safe is stronger then ever.

  “This isn’t up for debate, Sienna. I said get your ass moving.”

  “Please, Nate. My mother needs me. I need my mother right now. Home is where I need to be, not wherever you’re planning on taking me. I’ll be safe at the Rose Estate.”

  “No,” I say. “You don’t understand. You can’t go home. Just trust me.”

  She stomps towards the bathroom. The door slams behind her.

  In the next moment, I hear her muffled scream of frustration.

  She can be mad at me all she wants. As long as she’s safe, that’s all that matters.

  I grab our bags and carry them out of the room to place them by the door for when we leave.

  I’m sending out messages to some of my trusted men when she finally comes out.

  “Ready?”

  “Do I have a choice?” she asks sarcastically.

  “No,” I tell her.

  We stare at each other.

  “I’m just trying to keep you safe, Sienna. That’s my only priority right now. You can be mad at me all you want, but you’re going to thank me one of these days. When it’s safe, you can see your mother, but right now, it isn’t. New York is the safest place for you.”

  “You’re right. I do have a right to be mad at you. But, if you think I’ll thank you for keeping me away from my mother, you’re out of your damn mind.”

  Shit. She’s infuriating sometimes.

  My phone suddenly rings.

  Titus.

  “The plane is ready,” I tell her after I end the call. “Let’s go.”

  She stomps out the door ahead of me.

  Yep. No doubt she’s pissed.

  But she’s going to be pissed while safe from Shaw.

  That’s all that matters.

  I’ll make it up to her later. After Shaw is dead and no longer a threat to my angel.

  Sienna

  I can’t live like this. Constantly on the run, not knowing who to trust. The only person I can rely on is Nate.

  Now he’s sending me away.

  I had hoped that once we came back to LA, that would be it.

  Or at least, I had hoped that Nate and I could stay for longer than two days.

  Leaving LA never gets any easier, especially when he won’t tell me when I’ll be able to return. Or if I’ll return at all. He won’t even tell me why I’m being forced to leave.

  I thought Nate would’ve checked that it was safe to come before flying me back here, and now he’s just changed his mind.

  He said that he’s trying to keep me safe, to protect me. I wonder how Nate can be my rock—how he can say he’ll be there for me, if I don’t even know where he is?

  As we prepare to leave, only my bag’s waiting by the door.

  Why doesn’
t he trust me?

  As the minutes pass, my blood begins to boil. I’m angry—so fucking angry—at Nate, at Titus and James, at this whole situation they’ve put me in. I didn’t ask for this to happen to me—I didn’t ask for the mafia to kill my dad, kidnap me, and make my life a living hell.

  And now, when I’m so close to having everything—Nate, my mom, my freedom—it’s being ripped away from me again. And I’m powerless to stop it.

  I’m not Nate, I can’t just place a few phone calls to the right people, or drive in my limousine with my two best henchmen and solve my problems with blood.

  I’m Sienna Rose. My problems used to be that I’d have to stay up all night studying, or that one of my friends slept with her ex. Nothing couldn’t be fixed with the right attitude and a strong cup of coffee.

  But not this time.

  This time, I’m being driven to the airport in Nate’s Mercedes. He and I sit in the backseat while Titus drives. No one speaks, I’m sure they can both sense my anger. I’m not trying to make it obvious, but Nate isn’t stupid. He knows he’s pissed me off. But I don’t want to start a fight—not really, not with him.

  He places his hand on my leg, holding my thigh tightly. I half wish we were alone—or with a driver who I didn’t know by name.

  The tips of Nate’s fingers inch up my leg, slipping through the rips in my jeans. He strokes my inner thigh, giving me goosebumps. He’s teasing me, trying to distract me from the journey and from my anger.

  It’s almost working.

  I lean into his touch, opening my legs a little bit wider so that he might reach up further. I bite my lip, looking at Nate through my eyelashes—I’ll be so wet if he doesn’t stop. Titus looks at Nate briefly in the rear-view mirror, almost raising an eyebrow, and Nate subtly smirks back.

  He doesn’t care who sees us together—I’m his, after all.

  But we both know this isn’t the right time nor place. Nate pulls his hand back until it’s just resting at the top of my thigh, squeezing occasionally.

  I turn my attention to the window, looking away from them both so they can’t watch me catching my breath.

  Titus isn’t driving us towards the private airport where Nate’s jet was parked. It seems like we’re following the signs for the LA airport, for a commercial flight. I look back at Nate, trying to read his face. But I learn nothing.

  When the car stops outside the airport, we all get out. Titus grabs our bags from the trunk, and I turn to look at Nate.

  “What’re you going to do?”

  “I’ve got some things here to sort out. I’ll join you soon,” he says, striding towards me.

  I feel those strong arms wrap around me, holding my waist as he leans down to kiss me. His mouth captures mine and he kisses me intently.

  Nate said he’ll join me soon. But he’s kissing me like he’s saying goodbye.

  Conflicted, I kiss him back. My fingers cup his jaw as I hold him close to me for a few moments more before he begins to pull away.

  “You better join me soon,” I whisper.

  I want to be with him, obviously. But every second he’s here in LA without me feels like another knife being plunged into my back.

  Nate answers me with another brief kiss, capturing my lips for one last taste. He pulls away, looking at Titus. They share a knowing look, and Titus nods. Whatever unspoken order Nate just gave, Titus heard it loud and clear.

  As we walk into the airport, I look over my shoulder just in time to watch Nate drive away in the Mercedes, burning rubber as he disappears into LA traffic.

  I sigh, and Titus leads me into the airport.

  Once we’re through the gate, I kill time by shopping. I wander through the stores, looking at the shoes and makeup and perfume. Titus told me that Nate left him a black card and some cash so that I could have anything—everything—that I want.

  But shopping just doesn’t hold the same joy for me. I’m too distracted, too caught up in everything else.

  Briefly, I see the Dior perfume that my mom wears. I pause in front of it, and the memories of her at the funeral creep into my mind. There’s an ache in my chest as I can’t be there for her. I had to watch from afar as she buried her husband, her true love.

  I buy it. I’ll give it to her when this is all over.

  Whenever that will be.

  I buy it as a testament to the fact that I will see her again.

  Titus and I settle into the flight quickly—I’m almost used to the six-hour journey now. I never thought I would be.

  I call over the stewardess, and order two glasses of Grey Goose and cranberry—one for me, and one for Titus.

  “I shouldn’t,” he says as the hostess places it with a napkin on the table in front of him.

  “Come on, one or two won’t kill you,” I take my glass and spin the ice cubes, “We’ve got another four hours until we land.”

  “I guess you’re right,” he takes the drink in his hand. “So how’re you holding up?” I look at him and raise an eyebrow. He says, “Okay then, stupid question.”

  “I’m just tired of it all. Of hiding. Of running. Of not being allowed to go back to LA.”

  “I know, but it’s for your best interest, Sienna,” Titus tells me, and I roll my eyes. “It is. Do you think Nate would do all this if he thought there was any other choice?”

  Deep down, I know he’s right. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m being kept in the dark, and that it feels like Nate is hiding a lot from me.

  “Sounds like you trust Nate a lot,” I remark. “I bet there’s a story there.”

  “Of course, there is. In our line of work, there’re stories everywhere. Its cliché, but Nate’s helped me out of many sticky situations in this line of work. I practically owe him my life.”

  I respect his loyalty to Nate. I can see how much Nate depends on him, too.

  Each time I see his cup getting empty, I order Titus another drink. I switch him from vodka to whiskey—not that he seems to notice. I know that he’s is a man who can hold his drink, judging from his stature and size, but I can see that I’m beginning to get to him.

  I’ve been deliberately drinking my Grey Goose slowly, pretending to take sips and instead focusing on what he has to say. There are very few men who can resist the attention of a beautiful woman and some expensive alcohol. I almost feel guilty about taking advantage of him like this.

  Almost.

  When the plane lands, we exit into the security area with Titus carrying the bags. JFK is busy—as always. Crowds of people walk this way and that.

  We’re in line for the final screening when two security guards—two tall, relatively muscled men—approach Titus. Titus towers above both of them, but the badge on their chest and pistols at their hips give them the authority over him.

  “Excuse me, sir, can you step this way please?” they ask, politely but firmly.

  Titus looks at me before saying, “Of course, gentlemen.”

  This is my chance. As the guards lead him off to one side, I begin to walk in the opposite direction. I look over my shoulder at Titus and watch as his face goes from content to a distinct look of ‘oh, shit’.

  I slip into the crowd, letting them carry me through the airport. I don’t look back again.

  Nate

  “Nate, man, we have a problem,” Titus says.

  His voice sounds unusually on edge.

  I can only think of Sienna.

  “This better not be about her, Titus. Tell me it’s not about her,” I say, my blood beginning to boil.

  “It is,” he says regretfully.

  “You had one fucking job, Titus. You were supposed to keep her safe. Tell me that’s still what’s happening. Tell me that she’s safe,” I say.

  “Nate, I’m sorry. She’s cunning. She waited for me to get held up by security and then she took her escape. Don’t worry, man. I’m gonna find her. I already have our guys in New York working on it.”

  “Fuck that!” I yell into the pho
ne. “You lost her, Titus. You did the one thing I expected you not to do. All you had to do was keep an eye on her for one fucking flight. And you lost her.”

  I slam the phone down.

  All I see is red. I’m angry at her and at myself for letting this happen.

  Titus is my main guy. I didn’t think in a million years she could outsmart him or run from him. But apparently, the most surprising thing has happened.

  Fuck.

  I have to get out of LA. I have to get to her.

  Anxiety forms in the pit of my stomach as I think about Edison getting his hands on her. Doesn’t she know that he’s ruthless? Doesn’t she know that I’m trying to protect her?

  I’m fuming. But there’s no time for that now.

  I tell the limousine driver to step on it and to get to the airport. Fast.

  I call my guys to make sure the private plane is fueled up and ready to go.

  Time seems to slow as I realize that I might lose her. All because I was too fucking stupid to do the job myself.

  Obviously, Sienna has to be escorted everywhere like a little damn child. She can’t be trusted for a second.

  I thought she understood the merits of not escaping. I thought she had some fucking clue how dangerous it is for her to be out there alone, without my protection.

  “Go!” I tell the limousine driver.

  I can’t get to New York fast enough.

  He does his best to get to the airport, but we’re stuck in LA traffic.

  Damn this town.

  It’s the same old thing all the time.

  Nothing ever fucking changes.

  After what seems like an eternity, we finally get to the airport. I get into the jet, yelling at the pilot to hurry.

  The entire way to New York, I’m organizing things, having my men search for her. No stone will be left unturned.

  I’ll search the entire goddamn city if I have to.

  But I will find her.

  “James, you’re never gonna believe what happened. She fucking escaped. I never should’ve left her in Titus’s incapable hands. I thought he was better than that,” I practically scream into the phone.

  “Calm down, Nate. We already have people on the ground looking for her. She won’t get far. Besides, she doesn’t know the city,” he says.

  “Yeah right,” I say, not believing a word of this.