Private Pilot

by Karen Deen

  The boys all fist bump across the table.

  “For god’s sake,” Fleur groans and rolls her eyes. “I need to find me a serious man, not a boy like you idiots.” She and Bella put their arms around each other. “Bella and I are on the lookout for real men, so if you girls see any, be sure to point them in our direction.”

  “Not happening,” Tate growls quietly next to me. Before I can say anything, he’s pressed play on his phone and all I can hear is a wall of noise. Drunken singing that sounds really bad.

  “Oh Mason, is that you?” Reaching for the phone off Tate, I see my man on the stage, very drunk. But very fucking hot in his army uniform. Holy shit. I thought the pilot uniform was good. But oh my god. The terrible singing disappears, and all I can focus on is the sexy guy singing. As the video zooms in for a close up, his eyes catch me. He looks lost. It’s not from the drinking. His soul is lost. I see how bad he really was when he came home. I look up at him now, into his eyes, and all I see is happiness and brightness. Such a change. I’m so proud of him, seeing where he’s come from. I’m not sure anyone else will notice it, but I see him. The whole him.

  “Come on, Paige, you have to agree how bad that is,” Lex is asking.

  “All I see is a sexy soldier on the stage whose got some moves,” I declare to the table.

  “Yeah, that’s my girl.” Mason grabs me and pulls me in for a kiss.

  “You two are disgusting, you know that. There’s just too much happiness happening between you two.” Tate waves his hand at us.

  “You’re just jealous. See, true love means she doesn’t even hear how bad I am. If you’re really lucky, one night if we’re drunk enough, we’ll both sing together for you. Now that’ll be a treat.” Mason’s laughing.

  “I thought you liked your friends? Why would you want to punish them like that?” I ask while everyone starts laughing at us.

  “That’s what friends do,” Lex cuts in. “They punish each other. That’s part of the fun. I mean, we’re punished every day just having Mason as part of the group.” Lex grins at me with a bit of cheek.

  “You’re all crazy, that’s all I know,” Fleur declares. “I think we need another girls’ night out again without all the crazy boys. We can be ladies and all sophisticated.”

  “Because that worked so well for us last time. Fleur, you were trashed on cocktails. What part of sophisticated is that?” Tilly throws a napkin at her.

  “Hey, I wasn’t as bad as Bella. She was crying on my shoulder about how we needed to find her a different man because the one she wants isn’t available.”

  “Excuse me,” Bella yells. “What happens on girls’ night stays on girls’ night, or shall I repeat the conversation about the FF’s.”

  “No!” all the girls scream at once. Which just winds up the boys, and before long, there are more voices than you can follow in any one conversation.

  Mason’s phone starts ringing, and I see it’s Franco. He jumps up from the table.

  “Excuse me, I need to take this.” They’re too busy still yelling and laughing as Mason quickly moves out of the room for quiet into the gym that’s downstairs.

  “Franco, what’s happening?” He puts it on speaker phone because I followed him in. I want to know what’s going on too. “Paige is with me and you’re on speaker.”

  “Hi, princess. Okay, we have news. There has not been any movement on the invoice as yet, but the shipment has just left the factory and the invoice has been actioned at the factory to be dispatched in the morning. I expect any moment there will be a login from somewhere, because they’ll be seeing what we are, they’ll know it’s been shipped. But there is some disturbing news from the surveillance tapes.” He takes a breath and continues straight on. “Bent is the man who moved Mia and the kids into the apartment in your building. He has been coming and going when you’re on an interstate flight during the day. I can’t believe it all myself, but I have a feeling he’s the man that Jack described as the angry man who calls Mia a bitch. He looks very aggressive on some of the tapes as he leaves.”

  “What the fuck?” I can’t hold it in. “This can’t be happening. Why is he with Mia, how can he even afford an apartment here? How the hell does he know a single mom from the middle of nowhere?” My mind is racing. I’m so confused.

  “There’s something that has been niggling at me about him, and I just couldn’t put my finger on it,” Mason says. “He was trying too hard to be my friend and lied to me about still staying at Paige’s father’s house. This shit has gone on long enough. We need to find out if he’s hurting Mia. If I find he is, I’ll make him hurt more than he could ever have imagined possible. It’ll be long and slow. Bastard! He was right under our noses. That explains why Ashton saw him here today, during the day.”

  Looking at Mason, I can see how livid he is. Normally I would try to calm him, but there’s nothing I can do to calm myself, let alone him.

  “You need to tell Ashton,” I say to Mason.

  “Already done,” Uncle Franco says. “He’s outside watching. The moment Bent arrives at the building he’ll follow him in. That bastard will never lay another hand on her. God help him if he’s touched either of the kids. I’ll kill him myself.”

  Mason starts to pace the room. The nervous energy is beginning to build and peak for him. Stopping dead in his tracks, he looks down at his phone, and I see his whole face turn red.

  “Ashton just messaged. He’s in the building waiting for the elevator. He has a bag over his shoulder. He’s waiting with him and is going to follow him up to that floor. I’m going too.”

  I grab his arm. “No, Mason, let Ashton handle it. You’re too close to this. You can’t distance yourself.” Now my anger has turned to being so frightened.

  “She’s right, son, let Ashton handle him. We don’t want you hurt,” Franco says through the phone.

  “Like fuck I’m letting a brother enter a battle on his own. Paige, stay here.” I can’t hold his arm any longer, he’s gone and out of the room.

  I run after him screaming, “Mason, please, no, just stop. Don’t go. I can’t lose you.” At the elevator, he’s banging hard on the button, waiting. Turning to face me, he puts his hands on my shoulders, holding me at arm’s length.

  “Paige, this is an order. You stay with the guys, they’ll keep you safe.” By this stage, everyone is behind me trying to work out what the hell is going on. “Lex, it’s Mia, she’s in trouble. I need to go down. Protect her.” He shoves me into Lex’s arms as the doors open.

  “No,” I yell, stomping on Lex’s foot and lunging out to put my hand in the door to stop it from closing. “You need me to help with the kids, Jack will trust me. Please, Mason, I need to do this too.” I’m almost begging. “I’ll help. We’ll keep her safe once we get the kids. We’re a team, Mason, you’re not on your own.” Lex shoves me forward into the elevator before Mason has time to disagree. Stumbling into him, I feel the three boys behind me as the doors are closing. Peering up at Mason, he looks torn.

  “I can’t lose you, baby. I just can’t. I won’t recover. I need you safe,” he whispers to me and softly kisses my forehead.

  “Your family has got your back; they’ll keep me safe. I promise. Don’t do anything stupid because I can’t lose you either.” He pulls me as tight as he can into his body while the elevator descends.

  I listen as Lex quickly explains to Tate and Gray what’s going on, and the two of them are as irate as everyone else. Just as the elevator starts to slow, Mason’s phone vibrates again.

  “It’s him. Bastard, it’s fucking him,” Mason growls.

  “Who, what are you talking about?” I grab his phone.

  “Oh, my fucking god. How the hell did he do this?”

  I reread the text message on the phone.

  Franco: The invoice has just been changed.

  The login used was Paige’s ID

  It’s coming from her building.

  It’s Bent. It has to be.

  Get
the bastard.

  Get the computer, it’s evidence!

  “Mason,” I say as I grab him. “Don’t kill him. I mean it. I don’t want you hurt or in jail. Just stop him, and we call the police. Promise me, Mason. Promise me!” The doors of the elevator open to a big guy dressed in dark clothes, with his finger on his lips to make sure we’re quiet.

  I’ve never been so scared but so determined in my life.

  Mason and Ashton are talking to each other in hand signals and codes. He then turns to me, whispering in the lowest possible voice.

  “Stay outside the door. Wait. We will send Mia and the kids to you, and then you get them out of here safe. Back home. Do not, under any circumstances, enter that apartment. Do you understand?” By the look on his face, I know not to cross him. This is his expertise. I’m not good at taking instructions, but today I listen. Nodding, he looks up to the other guys who also nod their understanding. He then leans to Lex and whispers something to him who then passes it to the boys. I want to know, but I’m guessing it’s Mason’s way of trying to keep me safe.

  Grayson pulls me back against him and holds me tight. Tate stands in front of me. Lex is on the side of me so that effectively I’m surrounded by them all. Ashton walks up to the door. Mason flattens himself against the wall next to the door.

  Ashton checks that everyone is set, then he lifts his hand to the door, banging a couple of times.

  “Maintenance, checking the smoke alarms, as per the email we sent.”

  I hear noise but can’t hear what’s being said.

  “Won’t take long, ma’am. We’ll be in and out in five minutes. Otherwise the fire department has to come in and do a thorough inspection.” Ashton remains calm and signals to Mason that they’re coming to the door.

  Slowly the door opens, and I hear Mia’s very timid and scared voice. “My husband’s not home. I’m not allowed to let people in when he’s not here.”

  “That’s okay, ma’am, it will take five minutes and we will be out the door again. If you would feel more comfortable, you can wait outside with your kids while I’m inside. Here’s my ID card.” He holds something up.

  There’s quiet where she must be hesitating a little and doesn’t know what to do.

  “Okay, but I’m leaving the door open and only five minutes. Don’t touch anything.” You can tell in her voice she’s trying to sound tough, but there’s very little fight left.

  Mason

  Ashton walks in casually. Listening, I try to quietly follow him.

  “Who are you?” Mia asks me, looking at me scared.

  “His assistant. Looks like you have children here. Where are they, asleep?” Mason asks.

  “Umm, yes umm sleeping in there. You can’t go into that room.” She stands in front of the door.

  Ashton goes about pretending to look at the fire alarm on the ceiling, when we hear a little voice from behind the door. “Ouch that hurt.” Then there’s a noise.

  We both move at the same time. Not waiting any longer. Ashton grabs Mia as I charge through the door.

  Sitting on the bed is Bent, typing madly on his laptop while trying to hold onto Jack.

  “You can stop now, Bent, and let the boy go, it’s all over,” I calmly say to him.

  “What, do you think I’m as stupid as that? These kids are my insurance policy. If I hand them over, then I’m screwed.” He doesn’t look panicked at all.

  “No matter what, you are not leaving this room without handcuffs or in a body bag. You choose.” You can’t get any plainer than that.

  “Always the hero, aren’t you, Captain. Come in and sweep her off her feet so she thinks you love her. We all know you’re after her money. Well, guess what? I have my fair share from her too. So, you won’t get it all.”

  “Bent, let the boy go and then we can talk about this.” Ashton is beside me now, carrying the baby girl who he managed to grab while Bent was distracted with me. He passes her behind me to Mia.

  “Go, Mia, now,” he instructs her.

  “No, not without Jack. I can’t leave my baby. Not like she did.” She’s starting to get worked up which is the last thing we need.

  “Mia, we’ve got him. Go.”

  Hearing her crying behind me, I know she won’t leave.

  “She’s dumb, my sister, she never listens. She wasn’t supposed to talk to anyone, but of course she opened her big mouth. Talking to her and letting her find out their names.” Bent says. Behind me I hear Mia gasp.

  “If she’s your sister, why are you treating her like this? Why are you scaring her and hurting your nephew?” I try to keep his attention and am thankful Jack is standing still and not making a fuss.

  “She’s just my half-sister. She’s not worthy of any attention. That’s why Mom got rid of her.”

  “You’re a liar. She was protecting me,” Mia yells. My head is now spinning at how this all links in.

  “You’re such a stupid bitch, just like that other stupid sister of ours, your dad didn’t want you. You were girls. The weaker sex,” he yells loudly.

  “Fucking asshole, why would you say that?” I shout at him. Then Bent starts yelling his story at me.

  “So, Mom got rid of them. She finally got it right and left their dad and got remarried, then had a baby. Me, the perfect male. Just what my dad wanted. He was so proud of me. He didn’t need or want any more children.”

  Ashton is like a ghost in the night. He has managed to take Jack from Bent while he’s busy yelling at me and Mia. As Mia comes around to the side of me, I see she doesn’t have the baby any longer. First two safe out of this nightmare. I put my arm out and stop her from going any farther.

  Then my worst nightmare. Her voice behind me.

  “Bent… are you my brother?” Paige is holding firm and calm. My heart is racing. I don’t want her in here. She must have heard what he said from the hall. Damn the guys not stopping her.

  “Paige and Mia, out now,” I demand.

  “What’s wrong, lover boy, don’t want your meal ticket getting hurt? Well, it’s too late. She took what should have been mine, so I took it from her.” I know she hasn’t listened to me. I can feel her presence behind me.

  “Bent, please, I need to know, are we all related?” I just want to get her and shove her out the door, slamming it behind her and locking it.

  “Don’t you listen? Christ, you run a big company with all that money, and you’re just as dumb as her. We all have the same mom, but your dad was a dick and didn’t want a girl. He used to bash our mother. So, she got rid of you before he had a chance to hurt you. The perfect mother protecting her kids.” Bent is now standing, getting more agitated. I need to shut this down.

  “So why are you stealing from one sister and holding the other one here and hurting her?” I ask to get his attention back on me.

  “Fuck off. I’m just taking back what is mine that she stole from me. My father died years ago. Everything was left to Mom. But instead of leaving it all to me when she died, no, she wanted to leave her precious girls something.”

  Both the girls gasp behind me at finding out the mother they never met has already died.

  “Girls I didn’t even know existed, until I found the scrapbook on the ever-successful Paige Ellen in her will. With a letter explaining about two baby girls she had and what happened to them. But here’s the kicker. Until I found you both, nothing from the will would be distributed. But imagine the jackpot I found with one of my sisters and her wealth. So, for years I was living with no money until I managed to get the job driving little miss precious here wherever she wanted. To be at her beck and call. Listen to her order me around like trash. But all the time I was working out how to get to her.”

  “I’m going to take you down for this,” I say, looking directly into his eyes so he can see the anger in mine. “You don’t realize what you’ve done and who you’re up against. These women are strong. You might think you’ve played them, but it looks to me like that’s reversed now.”

>   “Bent, why? Why didn’t you just come to me? I would have given you the money, to both of you. As much as you needed. I’d have taken care of you. All I wanted all my life was a family. To know where I came from. You don’t understand what that feels like.” Paige’s voice is starting to break. I want to tell them both to get out of here, but I know that the girls need this closure. To know why he betrayed them.

  “I do.” Mia’s broken voice follows Paige’s. “I didn’t get the happy family, Bent. Or the money and good life. No one wanted me. I ended up in foster care. I got a family who didn’t really want me but felt sorry for me. They tried but had other mouths to feed. Lying awake at night, all I ever dreamed of was a family of my own. Look where that got me. Married to an asshole and then blackmailed by a brother I didn’t even know who was going to give me up to the abusive man I was hiding from. Once you found me Bent, you could have saved me and the kids, but instead you continued our hell. I’ll never forgive you for that. ” Mia is crying now, and Paige is broken.

  Time to end this now.

  “Ashton, now. It’s time.” He knows exactly what I mean. Get the girls out and leave me with this piece of shit. I know my family will take care of them. Get them safely upstairs. I can hear Paige crying and screaming outside that she doesn’t want to leave me. They’ll take her anyway. They know the score.

  “Is this where the big bad boyfriend kills the thief? I bet that’ll make you her hero. Then she gets it all, doesn’t she? The happy life, the money, the whole deal.” Bent is standing defensively, and I’ve still got no idea if he has a weapon or not.

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Bent. The easy way out. Well guess what, I’m not that nice. I want you to suffer for everything you’ve put your family through. That’s right, they were your family and you betrayed them. Just like the lowlife you are. Then you went and dragged others into your little game. Tyson, who doesn’t have a backbone and can’t stand up to you.” My fingers are itching to grab hold of him, but I promised Paige I wouldn’t.