Breakfast Buffet
Walking into the breakfast area in the morning, Presley was surprised to find it full of Russian men and she couldn’t contain her giggle when Cruz walked in behind her, and they all pounded their chests and screamed ”
Kong!”
“You are so never living it down.”
“I imagine they could have given me worse nicknames,” he shrugged as he nodded at Anderson who was
sitting in a corner morosely pushing an omelet around his plate. “They named him Chip.”
“Chip?”
“Like microchip but chip.”
“I wonder what is wrong with him?”
“I imagine it’s that,” Cruz gestured in the direction of where Halima was sitting at a table surrounded by six Russian men all eagerly sharing their breakfasts with her and flirting outrageously.
“Rami is here!” Presley tore away from Cruz and raced to where he was standing by the breakfast bar. “Rami!”
“My fifth sister!” he swung her up in his arms, hugging her tightly. “It is so good to see you looking so well rested.” He set her down and pulled something from inside the pocket of the cargo pants he was wearing.”
Look what have.”
“Is this my book?” she giggled as she recognized the cover. “Where did you get this?”
“Belkin was telling us how you’re an author. I got a copy. I am very excited to read it. No wonder you are so brave and heroic when you write such stories.”
“You do know this is a spicy book.”
“Spicy? Cookbook?”
“No. Sexy. It’s got a lot of s*x in it. The main character has two penises.”
“Lucky man! Is the book explicit?” he made wide eyes. “Does he use both p*****s?”
“Frequently.”
“I am going to like this book. You should translate it to Russian.” He pointed to the cook, “he reads all kinds of smutty books but says they are for the romance.”
She giggled at his words and then looked around and waved at Cruz who was talking to Mina who’d just arrived. Both of them approached. “Cruz, this is Rami. He’s the one who kept me safe from Liborio.”
“She kept us safe from Liborio,” Rami corrected. “She let us use her as a human shield. We used her to negotiate our captain’s release and the release of his family. She sat in front of the door knowing he wouldn’t shoot through it if she was on the other side. Your wife is brave.”
“Not my wife. Not yet. She will be though. Thank you for watching over her.” Cruz shook his hand and then. groaned when he saw the book cover. “It’s even in Europe?”
“I’m everywhere, Cruz!” Presley teased him and then laughed when Rami looked at it and then got a good look
at Cruz.
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Breakfast Buffet
“Oh! It is you. You are on the cover!”
Mina stepped forward, “according to Algernon, he is the inspiration of the book. Has two c***s and
everything.”
Cruz closed his eyes as the embarrassment tinged his cheeks a bright red. “Seriously Mina?”
“It’s what Algernon said. He said the first time you met him you told him you had two cocks.”
Rami chuckled, “who is this lovely creature?”
“This is Mina,” Presley introduced her. “Mina is Algernon’s assistant and one of my favorite people in the world because she threw a cup of coffee on Liborio when he was a dick.”
“You threw coffee on him?”
“It wasn’t hot enough,” Mina grumbled angrily as she looked over the breakfast buffet.
Points
“Rami was my savior on the ship,” Presley commented, her matchmaking romantic heart running in overdrive. “We spent a lot of time together. He told me all about his family. He has four sisters he takes very good care of. He talks to his mother and father all the time. He let me sleep in his bed while he sat up in a rickety metal chair watching over me. He’s a good man.”
“He is the man who they call The Mechanic,” Mina looked him over.
“He is the mechanic on the ship.”
“No.” Mina shook her head as Rami lifted an eyebrow at her. “I was tasked to figure out who was on the ship with you. The Mechanic is called this because he likes to expose the inner workings of his enemies.”
“I am the mechanic on the ship, that is all,” Rami grinned unrepentant. “The rest is rumors.”
“I don’t believe you,” Mina held his gaze.
“How can I convince you?”
“Why would you want to?”
“Tell me Mina,” Rami clearly picked up what Presley was throwing down as he took over Presley’s attempt to matchmake, “are you always so passionate and argumentative or is it only for my benefit?”
“I am French,” Mina lifted her chin proudly. “Passion is in my blood unlike you cold Russians. You should know Belkin is like a big brother to me.”
“Funny,” Rami gave a low chuckle, “is an actual cousin to me. What would you like for breakfast Mina? I will help you with your plate while you tell me all about the things you uncovered about me on your computer. I will correct your misconceptions.”
“I don’t think so,” Mina shook her head.
“Oh, I think so,” Rami was pushy now.
“Her fiancé cheated on her with his stepsister. His own stepsister.
“Where did Algernon bury him?” Rami asked as his easy smiled slipped off his face.
“He is alive and well.” Mina rolled her eyes as if she was annoyed by the fact the man was living.
“Not for long,” Rami shoved his book back into his cargo pants and took Mina’s hand, placed it in his elbow.
< Breakfast Buffet
Let us discuss all the things you would like to see happen to him.”
As they walked away, Cruz whispered in Presley’s ear, “how did you know they would click?”
“I didn’t until she walked up here. Rami likes to have someone to take care of. He’s a good big brother.”
“You know she’s not kidding about his name? He’s a murderer.”
“He’s bratva,” she gave a careless shrug. “I need bread,” she looked around the buffet.
“Presley!”
Presley turned around to see Marsha dodging around the increasingly crowded space. “Marsha. Hi!”
Marsha pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her cheek. “I’m so glad you’re safe and back. Are you okay? He
really didn’t hurt you?”
“He didn’t touch me.”
“Your face has a bruise.”
“It was from the bodyguard he assigned to me. She didn’t like how mouthy I was, and she smacked me off the door. She got in trouble for it.”
Marsha nodded nervously as she stroked the bruise with her thumb, “I’m sorry you went through this.”
“I’ll be okay.”
“Did you see Odin?” Marsha looked away as if embarrassed for asking.
“I did. He took a bad beating Marsha and then he took a couple more. He needed medical intervention, and they got him off the ship and straight to their medical services.” She looked around the room, “they promised me he would live. I trust them.”
“He’s alive?” Marsha’s eyes watered as she blinked. “I know all of this is his fault and he caused all this s**t but he’s still my son and I feel so guilty,”
“Hey,” she reached out and hugged Marsha tightly. “It’s not his fault. He did f**k up, but all of this was because of Liborio Bartoli. He saw me years ago and immediately set out on finding out the best way to get me and since he’s a sick bastard with no capability for real emotion, he decided to use Odin to get to me. He arranged everything with Odin’s extortionist because he knew Odin’s secrets. He took Odin’s secrets and manipulated him in such a way he would react poorly. He knew Odin was already volatile, emotionally unstable and highly jealous of me.”
“I’m sorry. I should have gotten him the help.”
“Marsha, you love him. He’s your son.”
“I’ll never forgive him for this.” Marsha said quietly. “I know he was manipulated but he still made his own choices and decisions and his treatment of you has been ongoing since you were born. What he did, he did willingly. I’m glad he’s alive. I hope he recovers but,” she took a cleansing breath, “I’m cutting him out of my life. I can’t trust him not to do something like this to someone else. He’s a sick man. I’ll always be his mother, but I can’t be his mom anymore!”
“Marsha,” Presley felt her tears filling her eyes.
“He’s so damn toxic, Presley. He would come into my condo and treat it like it is his personal dumping ground. He’d berate me and talk down to me because I’m a woman. The day I told him I was gay,” she choked
O
< Breakfast Buffet
8 Points
on her words, “he told me I was one more big disappointment in his life and if I thought he was going to be supportive and start going to pride parades with me I was wrong. I failed as a parent.”
“No. You didn’t.” Presley didn’t want to tell her she thought both of Odin’s parents failed him, but it felt more important to support her in her time of crisis than to add to her burdens. “Odin failed himself, Marsha. You’re right. He’s a grown man who made his own decisions. The men I was with on the ship promised me they would make sure he was healthy but,” she cleared her throat, “they are also going to keep him. He’s going to be working for them so he can never hurt another woman again.”
“I’m not going to see him ever again, am I?” Marsha whispered.
“Probably not.”
“But he’ll be alive?”
“He will.” Presley caught movement at the door, “Paris is here.”
“They live in Seattle,” Marsha looked over her shoulder. “She’s such a loving woman and her husband, while I don’t like d**k at all, is a very loving man. They have been so supportive and honestly, it’s like having a romantic version of my friendship with your parents.” Marsha smiled. “I’m older than both of them yet, they dote on me like I’m fragile and special and I like it. I don’t know where it will go but at least we’re within a couple hours drive of each other.”
“I hope things work out for you.”
“Me too.” Marsha kissed her cheek.
“We’re going back to Vancouver tonight,” she told Marsha. “Cruz is arranging a private jet with Algernon to take us home. Will you be coming back or staying with Paris?”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to think on it. You’re really going back? What about the wedding?”
You have three more weeks of your vacation.
“I am so done with vacation. The next time I decide I need to travel the world; I want someone to tie me to my room. This kind of adventure is great for my book heroines but not for me. Cruz and I also decided to table the wedding for now. We’re going to plan a big one back home.”
Marsha chuckled. “Fair. Oh, your parents are here. I’m going to go say hello.”
As the woman walked away Cruz rubbed Presley’s shoulders. “How did someone so sweet have a son as evil
as Odin?”
“Who knows?” she shook her head regretfully and looked up at him. “I still need bread.”
He laughed, “come on then Ladybird. Let’s get you fed and we’ll spend our last day in Nice on the beach? Deal?”
“Sounds perfect to me.”
5
