Savage Tracker by Maggie Cole

29

Obrecht

"I've never been to Jamaica,"Selena says as we pull up to the tarmac. Excitement lights up her face, which only makes me happier.

The car stops, and my phone rings. I glance at the screen. "I have to take this."

"No worries."

The past few weeks, Jack's been working harder to find Selena. Now that Declan tapped into his emails and text messages, everything he writes, we see. We also are recording his phone calls. His desperation to find Selena is growing, along with his stress over taking his company public. The Ivanovs and O'Malleys know I'm taking Selena on a trip for her birthday, so they would only call if something is important.

I answer in Russian, "Dmitri, what's going on?"

"We have another one."

My skin crawls. It's code that our intel discovered another thug Jack hired to find Selena. I do the best I can to stay calm. "Secured?"

"Yes."

Good. He's at the garage.

"How close?" I ask.

"He's better than the others, but we don't believe he found or reported anything of significance," Dmitri replies.

A small amount of relief fills me. However, it's short-lived. As soon as this guy doesn't get in contact with Jack, he'll find another. Each man he hires is more aggressive, smarter, and another level of dangerous compared to the last. "Let me know what you find out."

"Will do. Enjoy your weekend. Tell Selena happy birthday for me."

"Thanks." I hang up and force myself to smile. "Dmitri said to tell you, 'Happy birthday.'"

No matter how calm I stay, Selena always seems to know something is going on. It's as if she has a sixth sense. She tilts her head. "Is everything okay?"

I slide my hands onto her cheeks. "Yeah, baby girl. Everything is great." I kiss her, putting everything in it I have, trying to squash any worries she may have. I don't want her experiencing anything but fun this weekend.

"Are you going to kiss me like that the entire trip?" she teases.

"I'd give you another, but our plane awaits." I nod at the private jet sitting on the runway.

She beams. "I can't believe you're taking me somewhere for my birthday."

I push down more rage and disgust that she was married to such a vile man who didn't worship her every day as she should be. He should have made her birthday special every year but did nothing for her. I open the door, get out, then reach in to help her out.

She steps out and glances at Matvey, Vlad, and Bogden. Her lips twitch. "Are we under attack?"

I laugh. "What?"

"Three bodyguards? Is something going on?"

"Nope. Bogden's catching a ride for a weekend off." In all reality, we're probably safer from Jack in Jamaica than Chicago. But I'm not taking any chances and leaving her security team at home.

She turns back to them. "So you do get a life outside of your Ivanov duties?"

"Yes, Ms. Christian," Bogden replies.

Ms. Christian.My stomach flips in disdain. Every time I hear her called that, I feel ill.

"Please, call me Selena."

"Yes, ma'am," he replies.

I put my arm around her. "Time to board." I lead her to the plane. When we get inside, Carla, Adrian and Skylar, Sergey and Kora, and Maksim and Aspen are already in the aircraft.

"What are you doing here?" Selena asks and hugs them all.

"Helping you celebrate your birthday," Kora says.

"Couldn't let our girl turn thirty-one without an entourage," Skylar adds.

Selena beams and gives me a quick kiss. "Thank you!"

The air hostess approaches us. "Happy birthday! Can I get you a glass of champagne?"

"Sure. Thank you."

"Happy birthday!" Hailee sings as she and Liam enter the plane. Since Liam stepped up and took care of Adrian's shooters, we've come to a new understanding. I'm trying to put the past behind us and concentrate on the future. Hailee and Selena have also grown close, so it wouldn't be right for me not to ask her to go. Nora and Boris both wanted to come, but the baby is only a few months old, and they didn't want to leave her. Dmitri didn't want Anna to leave the country since she's pregnant, even though the doctors said she could travel for a few more months.

Selena's grin widens. "You're coming, too?"

Hailee hugs her. "Yep!"

"Did you wax your furry pussy, Hailee?" Sergey belts out.

Hailee's face grows red. "Again?"

"Don't talk about my woman's pussy," Liam growls.

"Easy. It's just a joke," Sergey says.

"Some people are into that," Carla says.

"That's true," I state, knowing some of the club members' fetishes I've heard about over the years.

"Not funny. No more talk about Hailee or her body parts unless you're discussing how hot she is," Liam claims. He hugs Selena. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks."

The plane is perfect for groups. Only four chairs face forward. The rest is seating designed for entertainment. We spend the plane ride playing cards, pulling up pictures on the resort, and drinking. The four-hour trip goes quickly. We land, and the party bus I hired to take us to the resort is waiting on the tarmac. After a quick check with immigration, Selena and I get on first and go to the back of the bus.

"Wow! This is gorgeous," Selena says, staring out the window at the turquoise water.

"Yes. It never gets old." Carla focuses on the landscape.

"You've been here before?"

Carla turns. "Yes. I'm a bit addicted. I visit about once a month."

"Really? Do you stay at the same resort?" Selena asks.

She softly laughs. "Nope. I don't have the money for where we're going. I stay in different places but always near the club."

Selena raises her eyebrows. "The club?"

"Yeah. I'm sure Obrecht would have visited, but he met you around the time it opened."

Selena leans into my ear. She lowers her voice. "Is that why we're here? Are you taking me to your club?"

I shake my head. "No. I found the resort."

"So you aren't going to take me?"

I study her. "I wasn't planning on it. Is that something you want to do?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe."

The club doesn't interest me. Now that I have Selena, I don't have the use for it. I can understand her curiosity though. "If you want to go, I'll take you."

"Okay. I'll think about it." She turns to Carla. "Do you go every day?"

Carla nods. "Yep. At night. I get as much use out of it as possible while I'm here."

Sergey turns in his seat. "Where do you go?"

"There's a club I'm a part of in Chicago. It has locations throughout the world. The newest is here in Jamaica."

Sergey smirks. "Are we talking about a dance club or a sex club?"

Carla doesn't miss a beat. She's probably more open about sex than anyone I know. "Sex."

Sergey eyes Kora. "Send me the link, will you?"

I shake my head. "You won't get in. You have to be tested. The membership requirements are strict. Unless you go with a guest, and members can't bring couples."

"They added a fast-test application. It's a twenty-four-hour turnaround," Carla informs us.

Sergey exchanges a glance with Kora. "Send me the link."

"What are you researching?" Adrian asks.

"You won't be interested," Sergey replies.

"Why?"

"It's a sex club."

Adrian rolls his eyes. "Yep. You're right."

"Oh. He discriminates," Carla teases.

He shrugs and tugs Skylar closer. "Not my thing. I've got my woman. Don't need anything else."

"What if she wanted to go?" Kora asks.

Skylar laughs. "I don't. I'm taking advantage of the luxury bungalow and this stud." She pats Adrian on the thigh.

He arrogantly smirks at Sergey. "See?"

"Whatever. Send me the link," Sergey repeats to Carla.

"Hailee! They have waxing services at the spa!" Aspen calls out.

She groans. "For real?"

"What did I say?" Liam barks.

"I didn't mention her...you know," Aspen teases.

The bus stops, and Liam jumps out of his seat. "I'm not joking. No more discussion on Hailee's body parts. No more talk about waxing, shaving, or anything remotely referencing this little joke you have going on. Got it?"

"Jeez. A bit uptight, don't you think?" Sergey replies.

Liam crosses his arms. "Do you want me to start talking about Kora?"

Sergey laughs. "Kora's my piranha. Try it." He winks at Kora.

"No more. I mean it," Liam warns again.

"Fine. Chill out and get off the bus," Maksim demands.

We all file out and check into the resort. Then we hop on golf carts and are taken to our bungalows.

"Holy..." Selena grabs my arm, staring at the overwater structure. Gorgeous blue water sparkles all around it. Each one has its own pool, deck with loungers, and butler. You can dive right off the deck into the ocean.

"Looks like the pictures," I happily state. I grab her hand. "Let's go inside and tour the place."

The butler is waiting for us when we step inside. He shows us the bedroom, living area, and kitchenette. Every room has a view of the water.

After he leaves, Selena throws her arms around me. It might be the happiest I've ever seen her. "This is amazing. Thank you!"

"I'm glad you like it. Happy birthday, baby girl. Do you want your present?" I ask.

Her eyes widen. "Isn't this my present?"

"This is your birthday trip. It's not your present."

"No?"

"Nope. Hold on." I dig into my bag and pull out a white square jewelry box with a sea-green bow. I hand it to her.

"My birthday isn't until tomorrow."

"Do you want to wait?"

She bites on her lip, staring at it.

I laugh. "Are you going to open it? Or wait?"

"It's beautiful." She runs her fingers over the ribbon.

"The gift is inside, my dorogaya," I tease. She's like a child at Christmas, staring at presents under the tree.

She slowly pulls the bow apart. She lifts the lid and picks up the assortment of Greek bangle bracelets while gaping at them. Each one is a different metal. One has her birthstone—a tourmaline gem. It's a mix of green and brown and reminds me of her eyes. The other bracelets have intricate designs with flowers, hearts, and stars. She traces her finger over each one then glances at me. Her eyes glisten. "These are beautiful."

"I'm glad you like them."

"I love them." She blinks, and a tear falls.

I slide my hand on her cheek and wipe the tear with my thumb. "Why are you crying?"

"These are Greek?"

"Yes. I had them flown in from a jeweler I contacted," I admit.

"They are from Gallanis," she states.

"Yes."

"How did you know?" she asks.

"Know what?"

Her lips tremble. She traces the gemstone. "My great-great-grandfather started Gallanis. He sold it during World War II. My mother had these types of bracelets. I used to get in trouble when I was little. I would wear them, and she would reprimand me for going into her jewelry box. I've always wanted a set." She rises on her tippy-toes and kisses me. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I have something else for you to go with the bracelets," I tell her.

"You're overwhelming me," she blurts out.

I chuckle. "It's more for me." I release her, dig into my bag, and pull out another package.

She slides her wrist through the bracelets and takes the package. It's wrapped the same but is larger than the jewelry box. She opens it and pulls out a white string bikini and softly laughs.

"Told you it was for me," I state.

"Should I put it on?"

"Yep."

Amusement fills her face. "Are you wearing a speedo?"

"Nope."

"Not fair then, is it?"

"Wouldn't want the other guys jealous," I claim.

She laughs.

I playfully spank her ass. "Get changed. I'm ready to rub sunscreen all over you."