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“Preferences?” Sam echoed.
“It depended on her mood,” I explained. “Some days she’d give all of her time and attention to Liam and ignore everyone else. Other days, she’d spend all of her time with me and completely stonewall the others. That wasn’t what we were about, not what we wanted.”
“When we realized that she wasn’t the right fit for us, we broke things off with her,” Adam said. “And it sucked. We all had deep feelings for her, and yet she walked away like she didn’t give a damn. We were just a game to her, someone to pass the time with but we were looking for something more permanent.”
Sam nodded understandingly. I was amazed at how open-minded she was. It filled me with a rising hope that maybe ? just maybe ? she might be interested in being with us if we offered.
“I’m sorry things didn’t work out with you guys and Jessica,” she said.
“Don’t be,” Adam replied. “It was for the best.”
The PA system chimed overhead. “We’ll be landing in ten minutes,” the captain announced. “Please fasten your seatbelts.”
Sam let out the most adorably excited squeal as she leaned over to see out the window. Below us, a rising cityscape surrounded by deep blue water on one side with luscious green jungle on the other came into view. Three long bridges spanned across the bay like ladders, connecting one peninsula to the other.
“Welcome to Macau,” I said.
9
Sam
The executive penthouse suite of the Royal Lilianna Hotel spanned two whole floors. The top one was reserved for Duchess Arianna, while the bottom floor boasted several lavishly decorated rooms for her security team. The elevator opened up right into the living room, which served as a security feature so that Kris and the rest of the team didn’t have to worry about strangers roaming about in the halls.
Arianna was understandably exhausted after the flight and proceeded to retire to her room for the evening. “I have a meeting tomorrow with a potential investor downtown,” she said before she left. “I’ll see you all bright and early.”
We all bowed to her as she ascended the spiral staircase to go to her room. As soon as she was out of sight, Kris came over to take my bag. He lifted it as if it weighed nothing at all.
“Your room’s this way.”
“Thanks!” I said, following him down the long hall.
“Dude, I need to talk to you,” I thought I heard Adam whisper to Liam as he pulled him into a huddle with Charlie.
I paid them no mind, too jet lagged to pay attention to anything other than my enchanting surroundings. I’d fallen into the lap of luxury. The whole penthouse suite boasted floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a gorgeous view of the city. The floors were made of polished marble. The furnituresmelledexpensive. And when Kris opened the door to my bedroom at the very end of the hall, I was at a loss for words.
It was massive! My room was the same size as Nana’s entire apartment. A dazzling crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling over the center of the room, illuminating the space in warm white light. The bed was massive, too, the silk sheets and fluffy pillows calling my name.
“Wow,” I breathed.
“I hope you’ll be comfortable here,” Kris said. “We’ll be running Formation Alpha tomorrow.”
Formation Alpha. It was our primary play involving all members of the duchess’ security team. I’d be playing decoy to pull attention away from Arianna, using the front entrance of the building to keep the crowds off of the actual duchess, who’d be entering the building using an alternate door.
“I’m ready,” I told him.
Kris nodded, his eyes lingering for a moment on my lips. “I’m glad. If you need anything…”
“I’ll let you know.”
“Where would you like me to put this?” he asked, referring to my bag.
My phone started to ring. Nana was trying to FaceTime me.
“Oh, shoot. I need to take this. Would you mind setting it on the bed?”
“No problem.”
I answered the phone quickly, eager to see my little boy and grandmother. Their faces appeared on the screen, the connection on their end a bit choppy. I was happier than ever when Max waved at me, his toothy smile wide as could be.
