"I'm going nowhere with these Neanderthals," Parker growled as Chase disappeared out of the warehouse. Behind Parker, Jarod could see Pauly and the other "Neanderthal" approaching.
"We don't seem to have much choice," Jarod countered and pulled his eyes from the company they were about to have. "Just play along for now. We'll be able to slip away at the villa," his eyes meeting hers.
"We?" she arched an eyebrow. "You mean you will slip away and I'll be stuck there reenacting the Godfather saga."
A smile pulled on Jarod's face, "I promise, Parker, I won't let you 'sleep with the fishes'."
"Funny," Parker growled. She stepped closer to Jarod, menacingly so. "You know your new best friends still think you might have killed Joey. You've only been given a stay of execution, not a pardon."
"Yes, and now I won't be the only one they will kill if my pardon doesn't come through," his meaning clear as his eyes pierced into her blue eyes. "We're in this together, thanks to your 'help'," Jarod accused, his concern for Parker turning to frustrated anger.
Like a snake, Parker's hand shot out, locked onto Jarod's throat and proceeded to block his airway. With a low hiss she snarled, "Without my 'help', you'd be painting this floor with brain matter and blood."
"Problems in lover's lane," Pauly quipped behind Parker's back.
With disgust, Parker released her strangle hold on Jarod and swung to face Pauly. Whatever Parker was about to say was cut off as Jarod stepped in front of Pauly.
"You know women, they're always mad about something you do or something you don't do," Jarod complained.
Pauly smirked, "Yeah, don't I know it. Well, little lady, do you have any luggage to take?"
"Little lady" Parker snarled and Jarod swung around and encompassed Parker in his arms to hold her back from charging Pauly.
Jarod asked sweetly "Your luggage, is it back at the hotel or in the rental car?" even as he tightened his hold on Parker to get her attention focused on him. Parker's look would have frozen Tahiti as it lanced into Jarod. "Hey, if you want to wear this outfit for five days, that's up to you," Jarod clarified.
A battle of wills ensued as Parker and Jarod glared at one another. Then Parker looked over Jarod's shoulder to Pauly, "My luggage is in the rental car in back and my shoes are at the back door," her answer more like an order to a bellhop.
Pauly swung around and called to his friend, "Go get the lady's luggage and shoes, Phil, and pull her car into the warehouse. I'll get our "guests" settled in the car."
Jarod released Parker from his hold but instantly grabbed her hand and faced Pauly. "We're ready to start our vacation now," he offered with a smile even as Parker's grip was almost breaking every bone in his hand.
Jarod and Miss Parker made the two and a half hour ride to the villa in silence, each sequestered into their own corner of the back seat of the Town Car. Parker wished the two goons in the front seat had also taken the vow of silence. It was almost a relief to pass through the gates of the villa and know the journey was complete. Almost. Except for the armed guards patrolling the villa, making escape near impossible and the sinking feeling that she'd indeed be "sleeping with the fishes" before the week was over.
When the car came to a stop and Pauly and Phil exited the vehicle, Jarod's eyes met Parker's. "Staying together's our best chance to survive this, you know that."
"What I know is, that if I die here, I'm taking you with me, labrat," Parker threatened before getting out of the car.
"Glad we got that settled," Jarod mumbled as he too exited the car. He was unprepared for the large audience that was there to greet their arrival. It seemed that all thirty some guests of the villa were surrounding the car.
"Nah, it's not Chase," Pauly announced to the crowd, "He had some business to attend to before heading here." Some ahhs of disappointment went through the crowd and most, with only a curious glance back at the unfamiliar guests, climbed the stairs and reentered the villa.
What worried Jarod were the guests that remained behind. Well, maybe not the guests themselves but certainly their motives. The seven male guests' eyes were transfixed on Parker.
Immediately Jarod turned to Parker and knew he couldn't fault the men's admiration. He was struck anew with what he had always known, even as a cloistered boy, Parker was drop dead gorgeous. However, with her current outfit of a red leather mini skirt and red sleeveless blouse she was more temptation than a mere mortal could be asked to resist. And the gathering crowd was more vultures than mortals to begin with.
Striding quickly around the car to Parker, Jarod wrapped his arm possessively around her waist. "Well, we're here, honey," he drawled as he met her disgruntle look. "Let's get settled in," and he propelled them both up the villa stairs and into the villa's entrance hallway.
A wizened woman greeted them with a warm smile, "You must be Jarod and this must be Miss Parker. Chase told me to expect you."
"Yeah, we just couldn't pass up the invitation he gave us," Parker snidely replied as she took in her lavish surroundings. This villa would satisfy a king's grand tastes.
Jarod shot a glare to Parker but it was lost on her as she didn't even look his way. Turning to his host, Jarod poured on the charm, "Yes, it was very gracious of Chase to invite me not to mention, Parker. I feel kinda like an intruder on your family trip."
But the old woman's face was full of kindness, "No, no, this family is bound together by more things than blood. When you work with Chase, you're one of his family."
This brought Parker's look back to the woman with a raised eyebrow but she could sense no deception in the woman's sentiment. She shot a look of disbelief to Jarod but he merely shrugged.
"I'm sorry," the woman continued, "I've been so rude. My name's Anna and I hope we'll find much time to talk again. But now I'll have Pauly take you to your rooms. Pauly?" She called to the man who loomed directly behind Jarod and Parker. "Take them to the empty rooms on the left wing."
Pauly stepped in front of Jarod and Parker and planted a kiss on Anna's check. "For you, I'ld do anything," the fondness in his voice striking into Parker's heart. She had never heard that tone of fondness from her own father.
When Pauly faced his captive guests, his fondness was replaced by steel menace. "Follow me." Parker and Jarod could do little but obey him. They were, indeed, in enemy territory.
TBC
"We don't seem to have much choice," Jarod countered and pulled his eyes from the company they were about to have. "Just play along for now. We'll be able to slip away at the villa," his eyes meeting hers.
"We?" she arched an eyebrow. "You mean you will slip away and I'll be stuck there reenacting the Godfather saga."
A smile pulled on Jarod's face, "I promise, Parker, I won't let you 'sleep with the fishes'."
"Funny," Parker growled. She stepped closer to Jarod, menacingly so. "You know your new best friends still think you might have killed Joey. You've only been given a stay of execution, not a pardon."
"Yes, and now I won't be the only one they will kill if my pardon doesn't come through," his meaning clear as his eyes pierced into her blue eyes. "We're in this together, thanks to your 'help'," Jarod accused, his concern for Parker turning to frustrated anger.
Like a snake, Parker's hand shot out, locked onto Jarod's throat and proceeded to block his airway. With a low hiss she snarled, "Without my 'help', you'd be painting this floor with brain matter and blood."
"Problems in lover's lane," Pauly quipped behind Parker's back.
With disgust, Parker released her strangle hold on Jarod and swung to face Pauly. Whatever Parker was about to say was cut off as Jarod stepped in front of Pauly.
"You know women, they're always mad about something you do or something you don't do," Jarod complained.
Pauly smirked, "Yeah, don't I know it. Well, little lady, do you have any luggage to take?"
"Little lady" Parker snarled and Jarod swung around and encompassed Parker in his arms to hold her back from charging Pauly.
Jarod asked sweetly "Your luggage, is it back at the hotel or in the rental car?" even as he tightened his hold on Parker to get her attention focused on him. Parker's look would have frozen Tahiti as it lanced into Jarod. "Hey, if you want to wear this outfit for five days, that's up to you," Jarod clarified.
A battle of wills ensued as Parker and Jarod glared at one another. Then Parker looked over Jarod's shoulder to Pauly, "My luggage is in the rental car in back and my shoes are at the back door," her answer more like an order to a bellhop.
Pauly swung around and called to his friend, "Go get the lady's luggage and shoes, Phil, and pull her car into the warehouse. I'll get our "guests" settled in the car."
Jarod released Parker from his hold but instantly grabbed her hand and faced Pauly. "We're ready to start our vacation now," he offered with a smile even as Parker's grip was almost breaking every bone in his hand.
Jarod and Miss Parker made the two and a half hour ride to the villa in silence, each sequestered into their own corner of the back seat of the Town Car. Parker wished the two goons in the front seat had also taken the vow of silence. It was almost a relief to pass through the gates of the villa and know the journey was complete. Almost. Except for the armed guards patrolling the villa, making escape near impossible and the sinking feeling that she'd indeed be "sleeping with the fishes" before the week was over.
When the car came to a stop and Pauly and Phil exited the vehicle, Jarod's eyes met Parker's. "Staying together's our best chance to survive this, you know that."
"What I know is, that if I die here, I'm taking you with me, labrat," Parker threatened before getting out of the car.
"Glad we got that settled," Jarod mumbled as he too exited the car. He was unprepared for the large audience that was there to greet their arrival. It seemed that all thirty some guests of the villa were surrounding the car.
"Nah, it's not Chase," Pauly announced to the crowd, "He had some business to attend to before heading here." Some ahhs of disappointment went through the crowd and most, with only a curious glance back at the unfamiliar guests, climbed the stairs and reentered the villa.
What worried Jarod were the guests that remained behind. Well, maybe not the guests themselves but certainly their motives. The seven male guests' eyes were transfixed on Parker.
Immediately Jarod turned to Parker and knew he couldn't fault the men's admiration. He was struck anew with what he had always known, even as a cloistered boy, Parker was drop dead gorgeous. However, with her current outfit of a red leather mini skirt and red sleeveless blouse she was more temptation than a mere mortal could be asked to resist. And the gathering crowd was more vultures than mortals to begin with.
Striding quickly around the car to Parker, Jarod wrapped his arm possessively around her waist. "Well, we're here, honey," he drawled as he met her disgruntle look. "Let's get settled in," and he propelled them both up the villa stairs and into the villa's entrance hallway.
A wizened woman greeted them with a warm smile, "You must be Jarod and this must be Miss Parker. Chase told me to expect you."
"Yeah, we just couldn't pass up the invitation he gave us," Parker snidely replied as she took in her lavish surroundings. This villa would satisfy a king's grand tastes.
Jarod shot a glare to Parker but it was lost on her as she didn't even look his way. Turning to his host, Jarod poured on the charm, "Yes, it was very gracious of Chase to invite me not to mention, Parker. I feel kinda like an intruder on your family trip."
But the old woman's face was full of kindness, "No, no, this family is bound together by more things than blood. When you work with Chase, you're one of his family."
This brought Parker's look back to the woman with a raised eyebrow but she could sense no deception in the woman's sentiment. She shot a look of disbelief to Jarod but he merely shrugged.
"I'm sorry," the woman continued, "I've been so rude. My name's Anna and I hope we'll find much time to talk again. But now I'll have Pauly take you to your rooms. Pauly?" She called to the man who loomed directly behind Jarod and Parker. "Take them to the empty rooms on the left wing."
Pauly stepped in front of Jarod and Parker and planted a kiss on Anna's check. "For you, I'ld do anything," the fondness in his voice striking into Parker's heart. She had never heard that tone of fondness from her own father.
When Pauly faced his captive guests, his fondness was replaced by steel menace. "Follow me." Parker and Jarod could do little but obey him. They were, indeed, in enemy territory.
TBC