Runaways: Reverse Harem Romance (The Challenge Book 3)

by Lily Harlem

  “No phones.”

  His grin broadened. “You’ve got it in one.”

  Mason clicked his tongue. “Should have seen that one coming.”

  “Really? Still,” Harry moaned.

  “Sure thing. He thinks its doing you all good to be living in the moment and not online.”

  “He does have a point,” Evan said.

  “I agree.” Lucas shrugged.

  “Fair enough then.” Harry tutted.

  Olivia was secretly pleased. As long as she could check in with her parents from time to time, and Sandy, to let them know she was okay, she was quite happy to leave Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and emails far behind.

  “And as you hoped, Harrington,” Riley went on. “You have use of the Lear to fly to Cape Town, though it will have to be later today—your father is going to need it for the rest of the week as he has business to attend to in Europe.”

  “The sooner we get started the better.” Evan folded his arms and rested back on his chair. “No point hanging around here when we could be building.”

  “And Dante is also donating a tent for you to use as accommodation.”

  “Another tent?” Olivia said, thinking of the ones they’d had to use while traveling across America. “Will that be safe enough? If there’s wildlife about?” She remembered Anya talking about leopards nearby. There’d be other creatures, too—lions, hippos, crocodiles.

  “It is not any old tent,” Riley said. “It is made from sturdy canvas and the size of a small house. It has three bedrooms, a chemical toilet and, as you have the necessary skills, it will not take much to ensure you have running warm water for a shower, and a functioning kitchen area.”

  “Ah, good. I can cook.” Raul paced to the breakfast table and picked up a banana. “I’ll feed the crew well, keep them strong for building.”

  “That sounds amazing,” Olivia said. “A real home from home.”

  “It will be luxury for that part of the world.” Riley nodded. “Though when you arrive in Cape Town, and I know you’ll need a few days for deliveries to arrive and gather up some equipment, I have arranged for you to be collected by a driver called Josefa as you’ll be staying at Nokuzola.”

  “Nokuzola?” Harry kind of shrugged. “What’s that? A hotel?”

  “No, it’s a villa. It belongs to one of your father’s business associates. He has agreed to let you use it for a few days while he’s in the States. I’m sure you’ll find it very comfortable.”

  “That’s kind of him,” Olivia said, pulling out a seat next to Mason and sitting.

  “I agree.” Riley looked at his watch. “I’m just waiting for confirmation regarding a flight time later today. But I think it will be five p.m. so prepare yourselves for that.”

  “Bloody hell.” Paul looked at his watch and stood. “In that case I really need to get to Global Medics, finalize a few things with them, and get those vaccines organized.” He rested his hand on Mason’s shoulder. “In fact, I’ll meet you at the airport. It’ll take me a while to fill in the paperwork.”

  “Aye, that’s cool.”

  “You’ll be leaving from Long Beach airport,” Riley said. “If you let me have your mobile number, Paul, I’ll confirm it with you.”

  “Sure.” Paul whipped out his phone. After swapping numbers with Riley, he nodded at Harry. “I’ll see you later.”

  “You will.” Harry set the laptop aside and stood. He held out his hand to Paul. “Appreciate you coming with us, buddy. I hope you’ll settle into our little…group.”

  Paul glanced at Olivia. “I’ll make sure I do.”

  Chapter Seven

  The Lear was black and sleek on the outside, and spacious and comfortable on the inside. The seats were made of fine white leather, pale wood lined the fuselage, and a drinks cabinet was set at one end along with a TV screen. The round windows had white shutters, and four of the seats faced each other, with a table in the middle.

  “Wow,” Mason said, shaking his head. “This sure beats Easyjet.”

  “Aye.” Lucas and Paul shared at look, as if they couldn’t quite believe their luck.

  “Shouldn’t take long for the handlers to get those supplies on board,” Harry said, glancing out of a window then taking a seat at the table.

  Raul sat opposite him, dropping a Spanish food and drink magazine onto the table.

  “You okay?” Olivia asked Evan. He’d been quiet on the journey to the airport and was a little pale.

  He nodded.

  “Sure?”

  “Shall we sit here?” He indicated two seats set on their own and across the aisle from where Harry had sat. “Me and you?”

  “Sure.” She gestured to the farthest one. “You want to sit by the window?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “I don’t want to see out.”

  “You really do hate flying, don’t you?”

  “Yep. I’d rather walk there.”

  She squeezed his hand. “That wouldn’t be possible.”

  “Sail then, I’d rather sail to Cape Town.” He bit on his bottom lip. “I could do that.”

  “Hey, buddy, this is a top-of-the-range bit of kit,” Harry said. “You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

  “Coming from you, after Temptress, that’s why I’m worried.” Evan huffed.

  “Here, sit.” Olivia quickly took the window seat and tugged him down next to her. “Perhaps we’ll get a drink in a minute.”

  “Yeah.” Evan did up his seatbelt and clenched his fists in his lap. “Maybe.”

  “It’ll be okay.” Harry leaned over and gave Evan’s right forearm a squeeze. “Safer than going by any other mode of transport.”

  Evan pulled in a deep breath then let it out. He unflexed his fingers.

  “Seriously, it’s all cool,” Harry said, his voice gentle.

  Evan nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”

  Mason and Lucas sat in front of Olivia and Evan, and Paul slid in beside Raul. There were still another four free seats nearer the back.

  “Did you get everything you wanted, Paul?” Harry released Evan’s arm and sat straight in his chair again.

  “Aye, it took a bit of time, but luckily they keep a good supply of vaccinations at headquarters. To be honest, they were pleased they had to do so little to get them over to where they’re needed.” He paused. “I may have to train one of you guys to help administer them, though, I’ll be at it for days otherwise, there’s over two thousand tetanus, diphtheria, and polios.

  “No, no, do not give that job to me.” Raul shook his head. “I do not like needles.”

  “I’ll help,” Olivia said, “As long as you show me how.”

  “It’s easy.” Paul smiled. “And of course I will. Thanks.”

  “Hello and welcome aboard.” The plane’s captain, wearing a neat black suit with golden embroidery on the lapels, stepped from the cockpit.

  “Hi, James,” Harry said with a smile.

  “Got a long one today. We’re going to refuel in Trinidad then head south east over Venezuela, Brazil, the Atlantic and finally into Cape Town. Should be landing late morning tomorrow, which will be evening in Africa.”

  “Sounds good.” Harry nodded.

  “I trust you’ll be comfortable. The fridge is stocked, the weather forecast isn’t too bad as long as a storm blowing over Grenada continues on its northern trajectory and doesn’t increase in size.”

  “Bloody hell,” Evan muttered.

  “It’ll be okay.” Olivia frowned, wishing the captain hadn’t mentioned bad weather in front of Evan.

  “So I’ll leave you to it and get back to Gordon, he’s just finalizing our departure with the tower.” He checked the main door of the fuselage was shut and locked then slipped into the cockpit.

  “The sooner we get there the better,” Evan muttered.

  “Once we’re up in the air you can sleep,” Mason said, turning to peer between the chairs. “It’ll fly by then.” He chuckled. “Get it, fly by.”

&n
bsp; Olivia groaned. “That was terrible.”

  The engines started, and the Lear began to taxi toward the runway.

  Harry pulled several sheets of paper from his bag and set them on the table.

  “What’s that?” Olivia asked.

  “The plans Evan came up with earlier, for the hospital. We need Paul to have a look at them, see if we have the right number, or rather, minimum number of rooms. None of us have designed a hospital before.”

  “Mmm.” Paul rubbed his chin. “Let’s see.”

  The plane suddenly sped up, the engines roaring.

  “What’s this room, Evan?” Harry asked, jabbing his finger at the paper.

  “Er, what?” Evan asked then swallowed.

  “This room.”

  “It’s er…” He glanced over at the desk. “The main ward. I figured one main ward with two separate side rooms leading off it for infectious patients.”

  “Perfect,” Paul said. “And this is good, this decent-sized room at the opposite end. It can be for minor surgeries, emergencies, that kind of thing.”

  “Yes.” Evan nodded. His fingers tightened on the armrests as the nose of the plane lifted and they were tipped back in their seats.

  “And this smaller area?” Harry directed the question at Evan again.

  “It’s for…” Evan paused as the plane took to the air. “Storing clinical stuff. I figured if Mason could make sure it had electricity, then a fridge would keep medication cool. Plus we can put a lock on the door, so things don’t go walkabout.”

  “Yes,” Paul said. “Lots of medicines are best kept cool, especially when it’s forty degrees plus outside. And you’re right, things will go missing. Wherever there are desperate people, things walk on their own.”

  There was a thump as the gear was lifted.

  Evan drew in a sharp intake of breath

  Olivia pressed her hand over his.

  Paul and Harry acted as if they weren’t being hurtled into the air at several hundred miles an hour. So did Raul, who was also studying the rough diagrams for the build.

  Flying had never bothered Olivia, she understood the engineering and the science behind it, and although she preferred being in control, of sails or a bike, she always went with the belief that the pilot didn’t want to die either.

  Finally the aircraft flattened out.

  “Relax,” she said quietly to Evan. “You can’t be this uptight for hours on end.”

  “I know.”

  She placed her hand on his cheek and turned him to face her. “Evan, you’re so brave about everything else in life. Why does this get to you so much?”

  “Heights and flying. It’s not natural.”

  “Neither is heading into the Australian outback for days on end, or skiing behind a yacht in the middle of the Pacific.” She paused. “Or wandering into a bar full of mean old bikers who are up for a fight.”

  “I know, I just prefer to have my feet on terra firma.” He pulled in a breath then sighed. “But I’ll try and relax, for you.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled and swept her lips over his. “Otherwise I may have to resort to drastic measures to take your mind off your irrational fear.”

  “First off, it’s not irrational—I can’t fly and I’m in the air—and second…” A grin tugged his mouth. “I’m curious as to exactly what you have in mind to take my mind off things.” He stroked her neck, his fingertip brushing over the necklace.

  She smiled and, still with her face close to his, rested her head back.

  In front of her, Mason and Lucas talked quietly. She heard the words pipes and cables, sewerage and energy several times, and figured they were still plotting how to get the essential utilities into the hospital.

  Life with her men was certainly interesting, and in twenty hours’ time, it was going to take on a whole new spin.

  She just hoped Evan’s nerves would hold out for the long journey.

  Harry, Paul, and Raul continued to plan the hospital. Mason stood and organized drinks for everyone. Lucas sat quiet, with a pen and paper. Evan gradually began to relax.

  “I think we’re there with the details,” Paul said as the sun slipped from the sky and the cabin lights came on. “We’ve got a main ward with infection control siderooms, a surgical room, a clinical storage room that can double as an office, and a toilet.”

  “And this shower area, too,” Harry said.

  “Don’t forget the dirty room,” Evan added.

  “Aye, the sluice. That’s gonna need some seriously robust plumbing, Lucas,” Paul said.

  “On it.” Lucas tapped his pencil against the side of his head.

  Olivia sipped her glass of cola. Her first plan was to get the Jeep working. The village needed a mode of transport other than feet as it was so remote. Then she hoped her engineering know-how would come in handy with the other elements of setting up the hospital.

  It was all very exciting and a little daunting.

  As it got later, the mood on the plane quieted. Harry dimmed the lights and handed out blankets and pillows from an overhead locker.

  “What, no solid oak four-poster?” Evan asked, shaking a blanket over himself.

  “Even the Vidal’s aren’t that extravagant.” Harry chuckled and handed Olivia a pillow.

  “Thanks.” She put it behind her head and tipped her chair back.

  “I’m not being rude if I ignore you,” Mason said, “I’m putting in earplugs, I need to sleep.”

  “Me, too,” Lucas added, his chair shifting as he settled down into it.

  Raul moved into one of the free seats at the back and lay almost flat with an eye-mask on his face. The elastic had caught in his hair, making it stick up comically.

  “You gonna get some sleep?” Olivia asked Harry.

  “Yeah, I guess.” He gave a final blanket to Paul.

  “Cheers.” Paul took it. “Might just use the restroom first.”

  “Sure, it’s back there.” Harry nodded behind himself.

  Paul stood and headed toward the rear of the plane.

  “You feeling okay now?” Harry asked Evan.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Just want to wake up and be there.” Evan folded his arms, trapping his blanket against himself.

  “Won’t be too much longer.”

  Evan kind of huffed then closed his eyes.

  Olivia pulled a face at Harry. There wasn’t much either of them could say to get Evan out of his misery about being in the air for so long.

  Paul came back, though he was jostled as the plane lurched over a patch of turbulence.

  Evan tensed.

  Paul hadn’t appeared to notice the bump, and settled down with his chair tipped to near horizontal and a blanket spread out over his body.

  Olivia studied his face while he was unguarded. If she ignored his different hair color, and the fact his nose had a slight bump in it, he really was incredibly similar to his brothers. Though there was something gentler about his features. Maybe it was his profession, or the few extra years he had, or maybe he just wasn’t as tough as they were.

  She sighed and closed her eyes.

  Another bump, bigger this time. She flicked her eyes open, knowing Evan would have done the same.

  He was staring straight ahead. “That bloody storm is on the way.”

  “It’s fine.” Olivia said. “And I’m sure—”

  “Sorry about that, folks,” the captain said over the speaker. “Seems that storm has shifted a little. Might get a bit rough, so keep those seatbelts on. We’ll do our best to dart around it as quickly as possible.”

  “Shit,” Evan said through gritted teeth.

  “Hey, this kind of thing happens all the time,” Harry said.

  “Of course it does,” Olivia added. “Think of those planes that go into the eye of the storm to collect data.”

  “They’re military,” Evan huffed. “And I wouldn’t go on one.”

  Olivia gasped as the plane dropped and her stomach floated inside her body f
or a couple of seconds.

  Evan was breathing fast, his eyes wide.

  She covered his hand with hers. “It’ll pass by soon.”

  “Sooner if you take this.” Paul leaned over, his arm outstretched and with a small white pill in the centre of his palm.

  “What’s that?” Evan asked.

  “Temazepam. Next thing you know, you’ll be in Cape Town.”

  Evan pinched it up. For a moment he studied the tiny tablet, then he set his attention on Paul. “You sure?”

  “Let’s just say if I felt how you look…” He paused as the plane pitched to the right then up and down. “I’d definitely take it.”

  Evan didn’t seem to need any more persuasion, and tipped the tablet into his mouth.

  “Here.” Olivia handed him the last of her drink.

  He knocked back a mouthful and swallowed.

  She looked at Paul as she linked her fingers with Evan’s. She hoped to hell he was right and the Temazepam would take the edge off Evan’s anxiety.

  After several more upward jerks that rattled everyone and everything, the plane settled back on a smooth path.

  Evan had his eyes closed and the grip on her hand had relaxed.

  For a whole minute she studied his breathing and was pleased when it seemed steady and slow. He was finally sleeping.

  Deciding sleep was what she needed, she untangled her hand from his and spread out her blanket. But then realized she, too, needed to use the restroom. Carefully, she plucked her small bag from her rucksack, then manoevred past Evan and stood.

  “Okay, Liv?” Harry asked as he quietly put the paperwork away.

  “Yes.” After stretching her arms above her head and yawning, she headed to the back of the plane.

  The Lear’s restroom wasn’t the usual sort. It was bigger, the fittings the same shiny veneer as the rest of the fuselage, and the fixtures were silver. A white bowl was surrounded by fancy toiletries, and a fluffy white towel hung on a rail.

  Olivia freshened up, brushed her teeth, then came out of the bathroom.

  The lighting had been lowered yet again, so only small amber spots shone from the roof and a dim strip lined the carpet along the central walkway.

  Harry stood before her.

  “Hey,” he said, tugging her into his arms.

  She melted against him, tucking her head beneath his chin and enjoying the way his strength wrapped around her. “Is Evan still sleeping?”