Keeping Thyme (Thyme Trilogy) (8 page)

I push off the bulging chest of my brother and frown. “What do you think you’re doing, you dickhead? You scared me. Plus, what if Toni saw me from outside?”

The similarities between Simon and Nick are painful to deal with sometimes. That was definitely something Nick would do.

Simon looks down and smirks smugly at me. “He wouldn’t see anything, don’t worry.” Simon strides away. “Come on, Liz is getting everything ready for you in one of the dressing rooms.”

My frustration quickly subsides and I follow Simon down the long, thin corridor until he stops in front of a regular looking door to the side.

“Now, before you go on you need to know that Liz and I will be arriving into St Petersburg just before you. There’s no way you’re going to Russia alone. Understand?”

“Understood.” I smile. I’m actually glad they’re going to be there. It will make my job a little easier.

Simon’s eyes fix upon mine. I stare back; I’m lost in a mirror’s gaze. I hope Simon never finds out what Tench likes to do to me. My peripheral vision sees Simon twist open the door handle to Liz spreading gadgets out, like she always does. She’s wearing a skirt for once, and it looks great on her. I glance towards Simon and catch him looking at Liz’s long, honey-coloured legs. I’ve seen that look on him before. I purse my lips to stop the smile from escaping. Liz doesn’t take her attention from the gadgets for a moment while she speaks. “Quick. You don’t have much time, Mia. I need to explain everything to you.”

Before she can say another word, I’m instantly drawn to the large black diamond necklace sitting amongst the gadgets. “Hey where did you get the Shadow of Love diamond that Tench gave me? I thought I had that hidden in my safe, and thankfully forgotten about … until now.”

“It’s not the real one.” Liz holds it up into the light. “This has a wire in it, so that we can hear you when you’re wearing it.”

“I am not wearing that
thing
anywhere. For starters, they will know it’s fake. And do you really expect me to wear a hundred and fifty carat diamond around everyday? I don’t think so, Liz.” I shake my head.

Liz frowns. “It’s not up for debate. You will wear this whenever you are amongst Tench’s guys. The only way anyone is ever able to see this is a fake is if a jeweller tests the strength of it. It’s point four of a precent stronger than the real thing. That’s the only difference.”

I’m not convinced and I tell myself that I won’t be wearing it … at all.

“What about Flossy? Will someone be looking after her while I’m away?”

They both tilt their heads and stare at me as if I’ve asked a stupid question, “We have that taken care of.” Simon assures me.

“Do they know that she likes meat in the evening and dry biscuits in the morning?”

Simon still stares.

“What? I’m going overseas to have some stranger look after my cat. These questions are normal Simon.” I stomp my foot.

Liz goes over the rest of the trinkets for me to understand what they actually do. I have a red lipstick that is laced with a sedative if ingested. Hairspray that acts as a neutraliser against gas when sprayed over my face, and another diamond-encrusted bracelet that lets off CS gas when it’s cracked open. She bundles everything into a Louis Vuitton toiletries bag and hands it to me.

“And, of course, your passport,” she says as she slides the dark blue passport into the toiletries bag. “Be careful. These guys don’t suffer fools easily.”

“I’ll be fine. Step aside 007, Mia Thyme will take it from here.” I laugh as I hold up the toiletries bag.

Simon shakes his head. I know he hates it when I joke at times like this. I just wish they’d both lighten up. I can’t take the constant seriousness. I know this is dangerous.

I breathe in deep and hug them both before making my way back down to my car. Either Simon or Liz has thankfully parked it here for me. Thank goodness they listen to everything in the mansion and act as quickly as I need them to. I couldn’t do this without either of them. I may think I’m on my own with this, but it’s far from the case. I might not play by the agency’s rules, but where I lack in knowledge and understanding of espionage, Simon and Liz surpass me in all areas. They’re the best in the business and they have my back. This should all be over with soon.

I pull the
car to a sudden stop at the front gates of Tench’s mansion. Toni arrives behind me as the gates open. Briskly parking the Mercedes into the mansion’s car park, I grab my toiletries bag full of covert gadgets and make my way towards the front doors.

Toni stands at the front steps. His large frame jiggles as he rumbles with laughter. “You sure know how to drive that car, Miss Miranda. I had a real hard time catching you.”

I smile and slap Toni on the side of the arm jovially. “Lucky I’m not going to do a runner then.” I wink.

Toni pauses for a moment before he laughs again. Hopefully he realises that I’m not going anywhere, but I could if I wanted to. Tench is waiting just inside and is looking at his watch when Toni opens the door for me. I almost want to sigh as I see how well put together he is, as usual. As if it’s in slow motion, he tosses a worn leather jacket over the shoulder of his black Gant polo shirt with one hand, and adjusts the shirt into his dark grey trousers with the other hand.

“We’ve got to leave straight away. What took you so long?” Tench frowns.

I unzip the toiletries bag. “Besides the essential girly products, I thought I had better find this,” I say as I pull out the passport.

Tench’s eyes narrow as he spots something within the bag. “You kept the diamond after all?” he questions.

“There’s no need to get rid of something so beautiful. Plus, what else was I going to do with her? Everyone knows she’s mine.” I feel like I have passed my mini interrogation.

“Yes, she is.” Tench’s statement is loaded with double meaning.

He snatches the passport held within my grip and flicks it open.

“Miranda Davis.” He smiles. “Why didn’t I know your last name until now?” His eyes narrow again.

Is this a question or a statement? I feel the blood drain from my face. Is this the agency’s sick joke? They gave me Nick’s last name on my passport?

“You never asked.” I grab the passport from his hands and smile as best as I can.

I flip the passport open and look at the photo.

“
Ick
… Forget the last name. How about the strange-looking blonde in the photo? This was so many years ago.” I roll my eyes and try to change the subject.

Tench chuckles and steps in to wrap his arm around me. “I thought it looked quite cute. You look very innocent,” he says as he kisses the top of my head.

I stare at the picture again and feel a burn in the back of my throat. This photo was taken when I first started my training with the agency. Since then, my life has had a too many twists and turns, and I can barley keep up. I close my eyes and picture the white sandy beaches of the place where I can finally rid myself of all of this. A place where Tench will never be, and where trouble will never find me. I want to go where
no one
will ever find me.

“Come on. The plane is waiting for us on the tarmac.” His strong hand slides down and grips onto mine.

I move towards his pull and we make our way to the car while Toni collects our luggage and puts it into the back of the Range Rover.

“What do you think Mrs Oktar does while you’re away?” I ask as the car pulls away from the mansion.

“Who knows?” Tench chuckles. “She probably throws wild sex parties.”

I laugh, but can’t help but wonder once again what’s going to happen to Mrs Oktar when Tench is locked up? I hope she gets out of this okay. If I could, I’d take her with me. Who knows how she even got a job with Tench in the first place? She seems to be very loyal, despite being aware of Tench’s criminal vocation. Where does a woman like that come from?

The lights of the city fade as the Range Rover pulls into a private entrance at Sydney International Airport. Two men in dark blue customs uniforms wait beside the private jet. As we park, another two men with Alsatians leading them walk out of the plane. They gather together as we approach and talk to one another before their attention is drawn to Tench and I stepping out of the Range Rover.

“Evening, Mr Tench.” One of the men dips his head as he speaks.

Big Toni holds his hand out towards me. “I’ll take your passport and handle it from here, Miss Miranda. You and Joe can go ahead and board the jet.” He smiles.

Hesitantly, I hand him my passport and Tench ushers me up the stairs of the private jet.

The engines start up once we step inside. A young blonde girl in her late twenties beams a glossy smile as Tench steps in. Her shiny, blonde hair is smoothed back into a perfect bun at the nape of her neck.

“Good evening, Mr Tench,” she coos.

Tench slides his arm around me and greets her with an ambiguous, “Claire.” He turns to me and kisses me on the cheek; I can only assume by his actions that he’s had some form of an encounter with her before. The look on her face once she sees me is far from excitement.

“Right this way, Mr Tench and …”

“Ms Davis,” He shoots back to her.

I cringe at the name.

“Sit where ever you’re comfortable, gorgeous.” He squeezes my hand as if offering me control.

“I sit wherever you are,” I whisper into his ear.

I hear the subtle pause in his breath before I’m being pulled towards the long, leather bench-seat on the left of the cabin. Tench pulls me towards him and I playfully giggle as I fall into his lap. I want this to be real, but it’s not. Not even close. I slide the belt across my lap, and hear the engines roar a little louder than before. The men outside my window laugh along with Toni as they all slap one another across the back. I wonder which side the customs officers work for? Tench or the agency? It’s hard to tell when the lines are so blurred on both sides. They hand back the passports to Toni and he makes his way up the stairs to the jet.

The interior of the private jet is stunning yet understated. A beautiful rich oak accents the cream leather interior of the cabin. The rear is sectioned off with oak panelling and I assume the toilets, galley and other rooms are beyond the partition. A long bench seat lines the wall where Tench and I sit and another two large swivel recliners sit opposite

“We’re all cleared for take off, boss,” Toni says as he enters the cabin and makes his way towards the cockpit.

He taps on the cockpit door and a tall, slim man in a pilot’s uniform steps out. Toni hands over some paperwork and the pilot approaches Tench with an outstretched arm.

“Good to see you again, Mr Tench,” he says as he shakes Tench’s hand.

“You too, Dean. This is my Miranda.” He motions towards me.

“Hi.” I offer my hand to the pilot.

“We have a nice tail wind for most of the journey to Beijing so we will have you arriving for a brief fuel stop in the morning, then we’ll be heading straight up to St Petersburg and arriving by tomorrow afternoon. We have top clearance at Beijing so you won’t be bothered at all, and the runway here has been cleared for immediate take-off. There are clear skies tonight so we will have a smooth run. I have co-pilot Capitan Mattherson with me for the journey.” The professional Dean seems more than pleased to announce such a pleasant flight ahead for us.

“Music to my ears, Dean. This is why you are the best in the business.” Tench somehow manages to stroke his own ego with a compliment to the pilot.

The pilot makes his way back into the cockpit and the attendant Claire brings a bottle of Pol Roger, Tench’s favourite, to us with two glasses.

“I thought you might like a glass each before take-off.” She smiles politely, “There are two meals from Aria restaurant waiting once we’re in the air, and I’ll set up a table for two in the back as soon as we’ve reached altitude.” She pours a glass each for us and leaves the bottle in the built-in ice bucket positioned next to Tench.

Toni takes a seat in one of the recliners and Claire stomps her way to the back of the plane. She glares at me as she passes. No doubt the flight attendant was hoping the other meal was for her. I can only imagine what Tench would have been like with her before I became a permanent fixture in his life. I don’t know why I care, really. But there’s just something satisfying about winning over a man like Tench, even more so when it will all be to his demise.

Tench holds his glass out towards me. “To our first official holiday away together.”

My glass of champagne meets his with a light chime. “The first of many.” I sicken myself sometimes.

It’s hard
not
to smirk at a statement like that, and it doesn’t go unnoticed with Tench.

“What are you smiling at, gorgeous?” He sounds amused.

“Our future,” I reply with double meaning to the answer.

“I meant what I said in the note I left you.” He takes another sip of his champagne.

The plane powers ahead as we throttle up the runway. Toni continues looking out his window on the opposite side to us. Now is the time for me to strike on Tench’s emotions.