AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Rhett’s thick shoulders shrug beneath my grasp and the feeling of them flexing sends a thrill through my heart.
“Only one way to find out,” he says.
“Sir! This is not a parking space!” A security guard has come out of the lobby and is heading our way.
“Quickly,” I say. We dismount and head to the limo, the guard calling after us.
I pause at the door, unsure if I should knock or just call Bill’s name.
Rhett, meanwhile, doesn’t hesitate. He cups his hands to the tinted window and peers inside.
Unfortunately, instead of Bill, the chauffeur jumps out.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he demands. The man looks like he doubles as a body guard, and I hasten to intervene as he advances menacingly on Rhett.
“We’re sorry, it’s just—” I start.
“Back away from the vehicle!” he shouts over me.
Rhett isn’t phased in the least, even as the security guard joins us, shouting about the bike on the sidewalk.
“Who’s in there?” Rhett asks.
“Get outta here!”
“Sir, you can’t park your motorcycle on our doorstep!”
Rhett is as cool as if he’s in the middle of ordering wine at a restaurant. “Is it Bill Alencar?” he asks the driver, completely ignoring the security guard.
“Are you crazy?” the chauffeur asks. “Are you trying to get hurt?”
Rhett shrugs. “It’s a simple question.”
I suddenly get flashbacks to the welcome dinner in Chicago. As chaos descends on all sides, Rhett manages to keep his cool. As if he knows that things are going to work out in his favor.
And he’s right. Because once again, Bill Alencar comes to our rescue.
He emerges from the limo, confusion overtaking the misery still etched on his face. He’s still clutching that manila envelope, and I get the feeling he hasn’t let it go since I saw him last.
“Rhett? Liz? What are you two doing here?” he asks, gesturing for his driver to stand down. Even the security guard stops his protests at the sight of Bill.
“We’re stopping you from making a horrible mistake,” I say.
“What do you mean?”
“Have you submitted that paperwork yet?” Rhett asks.
Bill hesitates and then shakes his head. “We’ve been sitting here for a while,” he confesses. “I’m not sure I have it in me at the moment.”
“Then you need to come with us,” Rhett says. “We have something to show you.”
I turn to him, a question in my eyes, but a brief glance from Rhett asks me to trust him.
Bill waffles, uneasy in the face of our intensity. It doesn’t help when the chauffeur cuts in saying, “I wouldn’t go anywhere with these people, sir.”
“Can I speak with you for a moment, Bill?” Rhett asks. He nods off to the side. “Privately.”
Bill and Rhett step out of earshot and I watch Rhett’s lips move, explaining something to Bill. What is he telling him? It seems he wants to keep the specifics a surprise, which, with further thought, makes sense. That’s really a conversation Bill and Marie need to have with each other.
