Ben and Joan were nice-enough neighbors, and I’m sure if I needed it, they would have made room for me. But I did not want to be cramped in an SUV with them, their two toddlers and first-grader and their dog for I don’t know how many miles and hours. Nope, I would be okay.
I climbed into my vehicle, feeling weary and weighted down. It was then that I recalled I had not eaten anything all day long. It was shortly after two now, and I had a feeling it might be a while before I could get something to eat. I expected no stores to be open along the evacuation route, and I had nothing remaining at home to eat on the road. Everything had to be either cooked or microwaved.
Starting the ignition and plugging in my cellphone, I figured I would check to see if there were at least any convenience stores that I could stock up on junk food for my trip. Besides, I needed gas anyway, as indicated by the blinking gas signal. I couldn’t recall the last time I had gassed my vehicle up, and I cursed myself even now for ignoring such an important detail.
Pulling out of my complex, I turned the windshield wipers on as the rain began coming down. I turned off the radio, not feeling up to searching for music on my satellite radio, and not wanting to hear dismal news on local radio.
The ringing of my phone started up once more, and as I pulled into a long line of vehicles waiting to enter the highway. I glanced at it on my passenger seat. The phone was face down, halfway sticking out of my purse. I couldn’t look at it to see who was calling, and I was annoyed that I had forgotten to turn my Bluetooth back on. Therefore, no caller ID was popping up on the radio display.
Determined to check it when I got to the gas station, I turned my focus away from the ringing phone and back to the road. This was going to be a long journey, especially when I had no destination in mind.
CHAPTER 15 - GREYSON
This was crazy. No one had heard from her in the last couple of days, and she was not answering any of her phones. Jocelyn had broken down and confessed that even her parents had not been able to contact her and was worried about her whereabouts. In a last-ditch effort to locate Nicole, Jocelyn had called me.
I don’t know why she thought I might know where Nicole was. I hadn’t seen or heard from her in two weeks since she left my place. Hands full with Heather, I had attempted to convince my ex-wife to go into rehab. She had finally agreed after two days of going through hell, where I refused to allow her to leave my place.
Within the next twelve hours of her agreeing, we were on a short helicopter ride to Peachtree Crescent Hospital. It was a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for the wealthy. Confidential, around the clock in-patient care, would be given to Heather. She looked so forlorn when I finally left, but all I felt was hope. At least for her, I had no idea what my future held.
Now, I drove through the streets, searching for what I had no idea. Nicole could be anywhere at this point, and for all, any of us knew she could have evacuated with the thousands of residents that had already obeyed those orders, including her parents.
Jocelyn left me with a phone number to contact both her and Nicole’s parents should I locate Nicole. Jocelyn was on her way to Chicago to be with her own family. I was desperate to locate Nicole and get her safely out of this city, whether she wanted my help or not. I tried her cellphone once more as I drove by her residence. It went straight to voicemail as it had been doing the last couple of weeks.
A sense of hopelessness washed over me. How did I have any hope of finding her when she wouldn’t even speak to me? What if she wasn’t even here any longer? Yet, something in my heart told me that she was still here, that she had not escaped.
I could not believe I had caused her so much pain and agony that she would send herself through this. Or her family. What if she was hurt?
My mind was flooded with so many doubts and questions that I had difficulty thinking straight. Pulling my hand over my face, I spotted a nearby gas station. I needed a reprieve from the stress I had allowed to consume me over my worry for Nicole, and what would happen with GB Manor.
There were cars lined up trying to get the last vestiges of gas they could before making their way from the coast. My car was fueled up, that was far from my concern. I had a helicopter waiting not far away but needed to escape quickly before we were no longer cleared for takeoff.
My phone rang, and I glanced at it expectantly. A grimace changed my mood as I saw my father’s number.
“Hey, Dad. What’s up?”
“I was hoping you might tell me, son. Please tell me you’ve left the damned city.”
“Not yet, Dad. I’m on my way out.”
“Why in the hell would you wait until the last goddamned minute, Grey? The last thing I need is for my son to be missing. We need you. This company needs you, but you’re down there trying to prove something. What, I have no idea!” he groused.
I sighed. Typical of my father. Make everything all about him and his needs.
“Dad, I’m checking on a friend. I just need to make sure she’s okay.”
“It’d better not be that damned Heather. I’d heard she’d made her way down there somehow.”
My jaw clenched angrily. My father always had his spies. “No, Dad, it’s not Heather. She’s in rehab.”
“I’ve told you to stay as far away from her as possible. What do I have to do? Cut you out of the will?”
That was another threat I was tired of. I no longer cared. “Dad, she needed help. Besides, she’s not in my life like that.”
“Then who is it that’s got you acting like a damned fool now?”
“Victor.” I could hear my mother’s soft voice pleading in the background. “Is he okay?”
“Yes, Meg, he’s fine. You’ve got your mother over here worried out of her mind.”
I’m sure he had something to do with that, but I wouldn’t mention that now.
“Dad, I’ve gotta go. I’ll be heading to the helicopter any minute now.”
“You’d damned well better do so before you’re not cleared for takeoff.”
My father hung up the phone, and I pushed my dismal mood aside. There were more important things to be concerned about at the moment.
The rain was starting to flow in and was mild now, but that could change at any given time according to the news reports flowing in. I grabbed a baseball cap from the seat beside me and pulled it down over my head. Tugging hard on the bill, I used it to shield the rain from my face. Bowing my head and hunching my shoulders inward, I ran towards the store.
People were expressing their concern about the incoming weather and how long they would be away. Some argued they wanted to stay in place and wait it out. I could understand many were scared they would lose homes, businesses, or both, but staying would not change that. They could possibly lose their lives. That thought turned my mind back to Nicole and angered me once more. This was stupid. I had to find her.
Grabbing a couple of bottled waters, a pack of gum, and some trail mix, I headed for the checkout line. Time ticked slowly by as I stood in line waiting my turn. When I finally paid for my items, I turned back to the door, ready to make a dash for it. The rain had picked up in the time I had been in the store. Glancing at my watch, I noticed that what would normally be a five-minute trip to the store had turned into twenty-five with the line.
“Umph!” I bumped into someone who went flying backward and landed on the sidewalk.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, reaching out a hand to help the woman off the sidewalk. I felt horrible. I had not been paying attention as I exited the store, preoccupied with looking at my watch.
The woman’s head instantly flew up, and when those chocolate brown eyes met mine, the look of shock in them turned into pure fury and then hurt. Jerking her hand away from me, Nicole scooted back as if she were scared.
I stood staring at her, my hand still outstretched as she pushed up off the ground and turned around, running away from the store. It was only a moment before I regained my senses and ran after her.
�
��Nicole!” I shouted over the noise of car horns honking, music playing, and car engines. “Nicole!”
I picked up my pace, knowing that I could catch up to her before she got into her SUV. Just as her hand jerked the door handle, pulling the door open, I grabbed her shoulder.
“Nicole!” I felt my voice thunder out, maybe louder than it should. As she turned around to face me once more, I could see the tears pouring down her face.
“Please, I know you’re angry with me, but right now, everyone’s worried about you. Your parents and Jocelyn have been trying to contact you, and I’ve been out looking for you.”
“Why?” she asked, the anger giving power and force to her words I had never heard before. The sweet, passionate woman I knew had turned into a feisty firebomb.
“Because we’re worried about you, Nic. We love you!”
“You don’t get to call me, Nic! Not anymore. And you...what?”
I surprised myself with the words that fell from my lips. “I love you.”
She frowned as she seemed to ponder the words for a moment. “You know what, you can save your love, Greyson! I don’t believe you anyway. I think those are words that some people callously toss around to get their way. Anything to do damage control. Especially someone of your ilk. You probably think you can buy your way out of anything.”
Her words hurt me because I had never shown that in my character for as long as she had known me. If anything, I ran from what my wealth could afford unless necessary. That was my father’s character. It was the reason that I worked hands-on in the concept, design, and development phases of our projects. Hard work meant everything to me, and no matter how many millions or billions I earned, I did not want to sit by and idly watch the hard work of others. I wanted to put the work in to prove that I cared. So, what she said, hurt.
But what did my hurt mean when I had hurt her even more. We could deal with her beliefs about my feelings another time. I was just thankful that we had crossed paths.
“Nicole, I won’t fight with you on that. You’re entitled to believe whatever you need to, and I understand why you would. Although I have not had a chance to explain things to you, I will assure you that your interpretation of the facts was incorrect, and I can only hope one day you’ll give me the chance to prove that to you.”
“You’re getting nothing from me, Greyson Black. I’ve given everything I had to give, and it wasn’t enough for you to respect or...”
“Stop it!” I shouted as the rain picked up some more. “Look, where are you headed right now?”
“Not that I owe you an explanation, but I’m getting the hell out of Savannah. I was stopping by to get some gas and a few snacks.”
I glanced at my car and then hers. Making a quick decision, I snatched her keys from her hand while she was unaware.
“What’re you doing?” she shouted in outrage.
“Get in the car, Nic, and slide over to the passenger side!” I ordered.
“No!”
“I don’t have time for this, Nicole, the weather is getting worse. Get in the car now, or I’ll be forced to put you in it!”
She stood with a look of bewilderment on her face, and I was not in the mood to argue further. I picked her up and pushed her into the car, shoving her until she was in the passenger seat. I climbed in beside her and started up the vehicle.
“What’re you doing?” she asked, as I waited to see where the gas gauge would fall. The ticker landed at full, letting me know she had filled it up at the pump just before coming into the store for her snacks.
“I’m getting you the hell out of this place!” I grunted, putting the vehicle in reverse and backing out of the space she had been parked in.
“You have no right, Greyson!”
“Look, Nic, I’m only going to tell you this once. The shit’s about to hit the fan, this storm is not what you all think it’s going to be. Most of these folks trying to evacuate are the holdouts like yourself. The interstate is slammed, and I doubt most of them will get anywhere safe before the storm hits. I was hanging on to find you, and now we’re heading to a mode of transportation that will get us out of here quickly and safely. But we’ve gotta get moving now,” I said, pulling out of the gas station and making my way through traffic.
As soon as I found a side street, I turned left and escaped most of the traffic we had been facing. Picking up my phone, I punched a number and put the phone on loudspeaker.
“Hello?”
“Chavez, this is Grey. Can you pick up the car on the corner of thirty-seventh and Montgomery? It’ll be waiting at the One-Stop-Shop, and you’ve got the keys.”
“Are you crazy? You’re leaving that Benz over there? I don’t know if it’ll still be there, man, by the time I arrive.”
Nicole’s eyes flew to mine, a look of insult covering her face. I placed a hand over hers to bring calm and peace to her, but she snatched her hand away.
“Look, Chavez. Do what I ask and get the car to the garage. When you’re done, Sanders will follow you back to the garage, and he’ll get you both to the helipad.”
Enrique Chavez was my right-hand man. He did whatever I needed to be done at the moment and never offered a complaint. He had offered to stay in town to make sure that I had taken care of all my business, even after we had sent his family out of town. Anthony Sanders was my personal driver.
Chavez sighed and said, “Okay, man. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“Thanks,” I said, before clicking the phone off.
We were about one minute away from our destination before Nicole spoke up. “Look, I don’t know what you think you’re doing and what this is all about, but where the hell are you taking me?”
My jaw clenched as my fingers tightened around her steering wheel. I wished the woman would shut the hell up and let me take care of her, but that seemed to be a challenge for her.
“Greyson! I know you heard me. Where are you taking me?”
I continued to ignore her as I pulled into the lot and drove around back. I felt the moment her gaze flew to my face once more, and she grasped my wrist, stirring in her seat.
“Grey!” her voice was filled with concern and now softer and more patient. “Grey, you mentioned a mode of transportation before. What were you talking about?”
I shifted the car into park and released the wheel before giving a slight nod of my head.
Several hundred feet away rested a powerful onyx helicopter with champagne tinted windows. I heard her slight gasp beside me. I put the car back into drive and pulled into the garage, knowing her car would be safe here.
As soon as we stepped out, I watched as her eyes took in the dozens of vehicles that I had housed here. This concrete and steel garage would be safe during the storm, keeping our precious vehicles protected. Going around to the back of her trunk, where she had been headed, I grabbed her luggage. Now it was time to protect the most precious asset of all, Nicole Cabot.
CHAPTER 16 – NICOLE
My mind was blown, and I had been exposed to a different side of Greyson than ever before. I was still angry about what had occurred between him and his ex-wife. My hurt stemmed more from the fact I had given myself to him, and he had taken it for granted.
I had finally sat back and watched as he took charge of everything. Greyson had commandeered my plans and gotten us safely to Atlanta, ensured that Chavez, his assistant, and Sanders, his driver arrived safely, also, in a separate helicopter. I eventually learned the one helicopter we took was one in a fleet of the Black Elite. He had contacted Jocelyn and my parents to confirm that he had gotten me safely out of Savannah and into Atlanta.
Flying had never been a concern of mine, as I had become accustomed to it since childhood. Whenever our family traveled to certain vacation destinations, we took a flight. However, that was my first helicopter ride. Within an hour, we had arrived in Atlanta, and in less time than that, we had arrived at a beautiful mansion.
I sat curled up on a sleek white chaise lou
nge in an outdoor garden area, with aromatic blooms of red, orange, purple, and blue flowers all around. Turquoise water bubbled from a fountain a few feet away. Little birds fluttered around the fountain, and a tranquil breeze blew overhead.
The atmosphere and scenery were very different from the one I had left behind only a couple of hours ago. No dark clouds were in sight, no trash or debris hurtling down the street by strong winds. No congested traffic and panicked residents running about.
The only sign of the threat of imminent storms was the absence of the sun. While I could see no dark clouds overhead, it was slightly overcast.
“Would you like a refill, Miss Cabot?” Anise was Greyson’s housekeeper, and she had escorted me out here twenty minutes ago, with a pitcher and glass of raspberry, mango lemonade, along with the most delicious cranberry cookies I had ever had in my life.
I shifted my gaze towards her and sat up. “Oh, Anise, thanks so much, sweetie, but you don’t have to do that. I can pour my own,” I stated, glancing at her hovering hand that already held the pitcher.
“It is not a problem, Miss Cabot.”
She shared a warm smile with me that crinkled her eyes. It was genuine. I sensed if I told her no and insisted that I pour my own, I just might offend her.
“Thank you, Anise.”
I was starting to doze off in the serenity of the garden half an hour later when I heard Greyson clearing his throat. I sat up once more and prepared to swing my legs over the edge of the chaise. He rested a hand on my thigh, stopping my movement. The simple touch of his hand sent heat coursing through my body.
“I’m glad to see that you’re finally relaxing. I’m sorry I haven’t been very attentive, but I have had some matters that I needed to attend to.”
Gone were the jeans that he had worn earlier during our flight into town. They and the t-shirt he had worn had been replaced by a pair of grey slacks, a crème button-down shirt rolled up to the elbows and tasseled loafers. His hair had a carefree casual wave to it, and I could tell he was freshly showered.
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