Hearing that shocked me and I quickly went on the defensive. “That’s not true.”
“Pffft. Okay, she didn’t like us. So of course, we… I baited her every time I could. Eventually, she cracked. I mean, come on… how could she not? We’re the coolest guys ever.
“But Mark? Mark was head over heels for her. Even as prickly as she was. It was a match made by Jared.”
He stopped to smile widely, not noticing me going for the mic. I snatched it out of his hands and spoke directly into it, not taking my eyes off him as I did so, and said, “You had nothing to do with it.”
He snatched it back, still looking at me. “I had a little to do with it.”
“Get to the point, Jackson!” Ace hollered.
Exasperated at that point, Jared shook his head. “Fine… fine. Hold your glasses up, assholes. Oops, sorry, Murph.”
Glasses were raised high as Jared finally finished his toast.
“To Mark and Paige. Two of my favorite people. Two of my best friends. May you always find happiness together. And may you always be as in love as you are today.”
Without warning, tears filled my eyes. I tried my best to hide them, but in the end, they rolled freely down my cheeks, because once Jared was done with his toast, Mark and I were inundated with one from every one of our friends. They were sincere. They were cheesy. They were absolutely perfect.
But, out of all the hugs and well wishes, Jared’s touched me the most. I owed him a thank you, so I broke free from Mark and sought him out.
He looked a little down, but still smiled when I approached him. “You’re pretty hot for a girl dressed in enough fabric to make a king-sized comforter.”
Jared’s armor was sarcasm. He wore it well. Unfortunately for him, I knew as much and ignored it. I chose instead to hug him tightly.
“Well, I won’t say no to a hug from a beautiful girl, but what gives, Paige? Shouldn’t you be giving me all kinds of hell for my toast?”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Why would I do that? I liked your toast. And I really like the fact you didn’t find a way to embarrass me. So, thank you. And thank you for officiating.”
He blushed. “You’re welcome. I was honored to do it. Can I ask you something?”
I was caught off guard for a moment, but nodded. “Sure.”
“What made you change your mind about me? As a friend, I mean. It was like one day you went from hating me to liking me. Weird question… I know, but I always wondered.”
I hugged him again. “I never hated you. I never hated any of you. It’s just… you guys made me nervous. Maybe even a little insecure.”
He pulled back, looking down at me with his face screwed up. “Why? I mean, I talk a big game about us thinking we’re special, but the truth is, we’re no more important than anyone else.”
I shrugged. “You boys would never understand it even if I tried to explain it to you.”
“Riley never felt like that, did she?” he asked.
“No. But then again, why would she? She spent her entire childhood and teenage years around you. That’s probably what built her immunity.”
“Immunity?” He seemed lost.
“You guys were like the kings of high school. Untouchable. Unattainable. It’s a little intimidating being around you at first. And then, after watching you guys in action and how you looked after Riley… you showed me without even meaning to. You made me see that all of you were equals. That you didn’t think any more of yourselves than just a group of friends.”
One eyebrow kicked up as he listened. When I finished, he seemed more content.
“I never thought I’d say this, but you’re my best girl friend, Paige.” Seeing my look of ‘yeah right,’ he continued. “No, really. When everything was falling apart around me, you kept in touch with me. Riley and I would be lost without you. Mark too.”
I cried. And he held me.
It seemed weddings really did make everyone a big, sappy crybaby. Or at least they made me that way.
Less than an hour later, I’d been ushered off to change out of my wedding dress and into something comfortable enough to wear on an airplane. Our suitcases were hauled out to the waiting car as Mark and I walked hand in hand through the throng of guests who tossed flower petals at us.
Searching out my parents, I blew them a kiss and mouthed the words ‘I love you’, as the car carried us away.
WE LEFT FROM A PRIVATE airfield, still unsure as to where our final destination would be. Oliver had stayed with us the entire time.
Aggravation and excitement warred within me. We’d only been told to pack for warm weather. In all that was unsaid, I had a slight inclination there was more to our honeymoon than Oliver let on.
It was when the car pulled up to a two-story house only hours after being in the air that I realized my gut instinct had been right. Oliver confirmed it when he opened my door to let us out.
“We’ll be staying here for a few days before you head out on your honeymoon,” he’d said, leaving me to grab suitcases out of the trunk.
Paige got out of the car. A cross look masked her face. “I don’t suppose you’d like to tell us why the hell we’re here and not somewhere sipping a fruity umbrella drink?”
Oliver snorted.
Paige, not to be deterred, marched up to him and poked him in the chest. “Listen here, buddy. I did not agree to be kept in the dark. I can just as easily walk away as I can stay and listen to you.”
The only sign he’d heard her was the quirking of one eyebrow.
“Talk,” she demanded.
“No,” he answered as he walked away, heading for the front door of the house.
I knew better than to try and calm her down when she had a head full of steam and a temper set to explode. I also knew she wouldn’t let any of it go. She’d badger Oliver to death until he either relented or snapped. Then I would step in. I hadn’t made it this far with Paige by rushing in and being some kind of hero. Paige didn’t need saving. She needed a partner. Someone who could be her equal.
She bolted after Oliver. “If you think—”
The door fired shut behind her, leaving me alone in the front yard. Maybe it was best. Let her get all the shouting and name calling out of the way before I went inside.
I couldn’t do that either. For better or worse, I thought.
Paige sat dead center in the couch with a drink in her hand, looking dumbfounded at the little yellow umbrella sticking up out of it.
“What—not fruity enough for you?” Oliver asked as a sly smile stretched across his face.
“How did you…” She plucked the umbrella out of her drink and twirled it between her fingers.
“You wanted to know what’s going on. Now I can tell you,” Oliver said, ignoring her question.
Paige stuck the umbrella back in her drink and put the straw in her mouth, waiting.
Oliver looked over at me with something like a ‘what the hell?’ look. I shrugged. It was better for him if he just explained himself, than it was to question her behavior.
“Come on, follow me,” he said.
I waited for Paige to get up from the couch and walked beside her as she continued sipping her drink. The straw hadn’t left her mouth once since she’d stuck it in there. At that rate, she’d have the drink finished in no time at all. Maybe that was what she was going for.
Before I could think more about why she’d want to straw chug her drink, Oliver spoke.
“This house is one of many owned by Cole Enterprise. Its location is off the map, so to speak, just like all the others. We use the houses as they are needed. From safe houses, to training facilities, every house is utilized as it’s needed. And every house is fully stocked. In time, you will know where every single one of our two hundred and forty-eight houses are located.
“But for now, let’s just call this house number one. Follow me,” he said, leading us to the basement stairs.
Lights flickered on without having to flip a switch as we
descended.
The basement had been set up like some sort of man cave. Pool table, wet bar, and a dartboard were laid out with ample space between them. Oliver walked over to the bar and opened the mini fridge as he gestured for Paige and me to sit in the plush leather bar chairs.
Once Paige was seated, she slid her empty glass toward Oliver, smacked the bar, and said, “Make mine a double.”
Oliver ignored her request as he filled three glasses with ice, and then poured a stream of amber-colored liquor into each one, following it with a stream of soda. “Hope you like Coke, because you’re shit outta luck if you don’t.”
It didn’t matter to me. I didn’t drink a lot of soda, but out of them all, Coke was my preferred drink. I picked a glass and took a sip, enjoying the bite of whiskey he’d added.
He handed Paige her drink and then took a deep drink of his own.
“So why have all this down here?” Paige asked.
“Most people who have to be put in a safe house tend to get cabin fever after a while. Having all of this helps keep the boredom at bay. That door there…” He pointed to the wall behind him. “That’s where extra firearms and ammo are kept. The security camera bank is set up there too, along with all the monitors. The biggest feature of this basement is that it can withstand most anything. Fire, bombs, flooding. You name it and you’re pretty much safe from it.”
“Pretty much?” Paige repeated. “What do you mean by that?”
“Well, if someone got down here with you, the room wouldn’t stop them from killing you,” he answered.
“Oh goody,” Paige grumbled.
“You don’t have to worry about any of that though. You’re not hiding out here. You’re here for some training before you head out to Fiji and then Barbados.”
“Fiji and Barbados?” I couldn’t help sounding surprised.
“We figured Fiji would be safe enough for you to relax a bit before we sent you to Barbados,” Oliver said, a hint of something more in his eyes.
“So relaxation and then work? That’s what you’re not saying,” Paige said. I could hear the weariness in her voice.
It had been a long day. Longer still by our little chat with Oliver. “I’m exhausted. She’s exhausted, so let’s just cut to the chase. What is it you’re sending us for?”
Oliver set his glass down on the bar and leaned back into his chair as he watched us through the slits of his eyes. “In a nutshell, you’ll both be going into Barbados as a team. Your cover will be that you’re there to shoot freelance photos for several wildlife magazines. Paige is coming along as your wife slash assistant. You’ll be under the guise of taking pictures of the green monkeys, but really, what we need is surveillance of the jungle.
“Reports have come in about a small militia who’ve taken up residence inside the jungle. The country, to my knowledge, has been warned about them, but can never seem to track anyone down to garner any details. And without solid proof, they won’t send a team in on what they think is a wild goose chase.”
“So how is it that Cole Enterprise knows about it?” I asked.
“We just found out about it a few days ago after the lab came back with a positive ID on one of the men you photographed. Jason Clarke. Seems Jason is a native of Barbados, but what flagged us was his association with the Russian, Viktor Ivanov, one of our top-ten wanted. We haven’t had much luck with Ivanov, but now we have an association between the two men, we might be able to build more intel.
“Ivanov has evaded us at every turn, so any help, no matter how little, has to be checked out. That’s where you two will come into play. Being newlyweds helps. Gives you both a good cover story. That and being a photographer. Everything was already set in motion for you two to be the ones we could send before we ever thought of sending you.
“Now, my question for you both is, will you help us finally nail the bastard?”
We sat in silence for a minute. Both processing what he said. It was the longest speech I’d ever heard from him, and I knew right then how important it was to him. How important it was to Cole Enterprise.
“How long will we be in Fiji?” Paige asked.
“Three days,” Oliver answered, holding his finger up to stop her from asking him about the second half of the trip and said, “And you’ll be in Barbados for three more.” Seeing my nod, he continued, “Carry on as if you really were there to take pictures of the monkeys and enjoying your honeymoon. But watch your back.”
“You say that as if we’re professionals. As if we’ve had all sorts of training for this type of danger. The fact is you’re sending in two people who’ve never been in this type of situation before. What makes you think we’ll even be able to do it?” I asked.
Oliver smirked. “I didn’t think you could, but Ace did.”
"I'M GOING TO STRANGLE ACE when I see him again. If I see him again,” Paige hissed, tossing her hairbrush on the bed.
I was glad she still had hair left the way she jerked the brush through it.
“Seriously, what the hell was he thinking?” she fumed.
“Maybe he thinks we can do this. I mean, it’s just pictures, right?” I asked, grabbing the brush and tossing it on the floor before sprawling out on the bed. “And really, I don’t want to think about any of it right now. I just want you to get your ass in this bed. Preferably naked.”
I wasn’t sure if it was the silly way I wagged my eyebrows at her or the fact I’d caught her off guard, but whatever it was, it made her laugh.
“Stop laughing at me and get your naked self in this bed,” I said, patting the mattress for emphasis.
She rolled her eyes at me. “Bossy much?”
“Woman, don’t make me exhort my marital rights,” I said, rolling over to her side of the bed and making a grab for her arm.
She sidestepped me, staying just shy of my reach. “This isn’t the 1700s, and I’m not that biddable,” she said, taking her shirt off, balling it up, and throwing it at me.
“Biddable, beddable, just get your ass over here. I’ve hardly been able to contain myself all day thinking about this,” I said, coming off the bed and sweeping her up in my arms, only to drop her in the center of the bed. She had no chance of getting away either, because I covered her with my own body. She gave instantly. Legs parting, allowing me to settle against her.
“I love you, Mrs. Stevens,” I added, kissing her into submission.
WE SAT ON THE EDGE of the pool, listening to Oliver explain the apparatus in his hand. It looked like a snorkel, yet wasn’t. It was a prototype. A scuba-diving prototype. It hadn’t been fully tested, but was deemed safe enough. According to Oliver, we had to learn how to use before we could leave for Fiji. He was insistent we get familiar with it in case things went to hell in Barbados and we had to take to the water and swim to safety.
“There is no way that thing will keep us alive underwater. I’m not using it,” Paige said, hoisting herself up from the ledge of the pool.
“Look, I’ll show you how it works. We’ll practice in the pool until you’re comfortable with it,” Oliver replied before putting the mouthpiece in, and then jumping into the water.
Paige snorted. “Oh look, he’s gone off the deep end.”
She hadn’t sat back down, but she hadn’t left either. I wondered if she was just as curious as I was about how it worked, or even why it worked. Looking at it, it shouldn’t. The small piece of black latex had no straps. It had no way to hook up to an oxygen tank, and it had no mask. Neither did Oliver. But he’d explained we wouldn’t need a mask in the pool since it was saltwater. And that it’d be best to get our eyes accustomed to it before we did any ocean diving.
Paige had startled at that before expressing how much she disliked the idea of becoming shark bait. Oliver took it in stride. He even went as far as telling her how much she’d be able to see underwater, and that he’d rig us out with dive knives and a spear.
He also warned us of using either in the presence of too many sharks. “If you ha
ve to use either one, get the hell out of there as fast as you can, or you’ll be caught in a frenzy.” Paige had gone white lipped and very pale after the warning, which was why she seemed to be against using the device Oliver swam all around the pool with.
He came up a few minutes later, took the piece off his face, and then tossed it to me. “Maybe she’ll believe you if you tell her how easy it is underwater with that. Best damn thing to come out of prototypes if you ask me.”
I put the mouthpiece in and settled the curved piece over my nose, pushing at it to get it to seal.
“Just breathe in once. It will seat itself,” Oliver instructed.
I did as he said. It sealed comfortably around my mouth and nose. Air filled my lungs as if it weren’t even on my face. I turned to give Paige a thumbs-up before hopping in the pool.
Underneath, the water was quiet. A peaceful sort of quiet you couldn’t explain. You had to feel it. The salt stung my eyes, but it wasn’t unbearable. The ocean would be brutal though. No matter how much training, there was no way I’d go diving in the ocean without goggles.
Breathing with the mouthpiece, I swam the length of the pool several times to get a feel for it. Not a single leak. Not even with me moving my jaw. I didn’t dare try opening my mouth. As much as I’d like to test it, taking in a mouth full of saltwater and coming up to the surface choking would not convince Paige it was safe.
Oliver met me at the side of the pool and showed me how to take the mask off by pressing the spot just under where the air was processed. In truth, the small contraption looked like a piece from Darth Vader’s helmet.
“You look like one of those creepy mermen with mouths like gaping holes,” Paige said, kneeling down beside me and put her fingers on my wrist against the steady beat of my pulse.
“I’m okay,” I told her, keeping my arm still because I knew she’d insist on making sure I was all right.
“No headache or nausea?” she asked.
“Nope. Fit as a fiddle,” I answered, holding the apparatus out for her to take. “At least try it before you decide you don’t like it.”
The Vows We Make (The Six Series Book 4) Page 13