Polar Opposites (In Aeternum Book 4) (38 page)
Read Polar Opposites (In Aeternum Book 4) Online
Authors: Aliyah Burke
Tags: #Erotic Romance Fiction
Yes, she could tell them but when she’d asked about what they knew in regards to her birth parents or if she had blood siblings there had been pain in their eyes. She despised hurting them and so when Jasmine had first contacted her, she’d kept it to herself. And the first meeting. Partly to protect them—if she hadn’t gotten along with Jasmine, only Caro would have been hurt.
May not have been the smartest thing to leave without telling them exactly where I was going.
She sat up a bit more as the cab drew to a halt before the Dane County Airport below the Delta sign. Passing the driver as she exited, she handed him a bill. “Keep the change.”
“Thank you.”
She smiled and walked inside to the first kiosk, bag on her shoulder. Before long she had her boarding ticket and was making her way through to security and on to her gate.
Seated in first class, she used the pillow and blanket provided after storing her bag. She closed her eyes and waited for them to take off, alone in her row. She’d raised the rest between the seats.
The flight was uneventful and she woke with the announcement of flight attendants preparing the cabin for landing. She watched the night lights of Atlanta come into view as they approached the airport.
As they taxied to the terminal gate, she withdrew her bag from beneath the seat ahead of her, her nerves suddenly going wonky. She chewed on the side of her lip and wished that she had her papers—she made origami swans when she got stressed or nervous. As a child she’d read
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
and had created a thousand of her own and hung them up in her room. It was the only shape she could make but she had the ability to create them from any papers.
The seatbelt light blinked off and she gained her feet, swung her bag in front of her and disembarked. Once firmly in the airport, she sidestepped an employee then sent Terri a text before striking out.
She waited for a taxi and gazed around taking it all in. The night was warm, despite it being autumn.
“The Marriott on Peachtree,” she informed the driver as he held the door for her.
“Yes, ma’am.”
It didn’t take long after arriving for her to secure a room and ride the elevator up to it on the thirty-fourth floor. Bag on the bed, she went to the window and stared out. The golden dome of the capital shone brightly against the night skyline.
* * * *
She spent the next day touring the Underground and sampling Coca-Cola in flavors she’d never imagined. Dinner she ate at one of the restaurants in the hotel then at nine she took a taxi to where Jasmine had told her she’d first visited when she’d moved to the capital city.
Caro got out, paid her fare and strolled into the downtown shopping complex. After making her way to the bookstore she grabbed a small table in the café and sipped the coffee she’d ordered.
A few minutes before the allotted meeting time a woman with a large hat and big sunglasses swept into the seat across from her. The items were removed and Caro frowned. Jasmine.
“Jasmine, what is going on? No more of this cryptic talk.”
Jasmine held up a finger then went to order a drink and muffin. Caro stared at her twin. They didn’t much look alike currently. Sure there were, of course, similarities but Jasmine’s hair was pink—bright pink—now and styled, short and spiky. Her clothing…
I wouldn’t be caught dead in that.
Her skintight jeans looked uncomfortable. The stilettos, while extremely nice, were black as was the tight leather jacket she had on, its numerous zippers catching then reflecting the overhead lights.
Jasmine was hiding something. Granted, she didn’t know her all that well, but Caro wasn’t about to ignore her suspicions. Her sister returned, hips swaying with every step and sat.
There had been no hug or even a half-hearted attempt at one. Caro drummed her fingers along the rim of her plain coffee and watched Jasmine drink the concoction she had. “Well?” Caro prompted.
“I’m in trouble.” Her fingers clenched on the cup. “There are some guys after me.”
Unease skittered up her spine. “For what? What do they want and who are the ‘guys’ that are after you?”
Brown eyes met hers. “Really bad guys, Caro. I didn’t want to bring you in but”—she glanced around again—“I hoped you wouldn’t mind going with me to talk to the cops.” A shrug. “Cop. The one who I’ve been…dealing with. In fact I’d like you to go for me so I can take care of some things I can’t do with five-oh around.”
Holding up her hand, Caro shook her head. “What did you do? And what makes you think I would go as you.”
“I just told what I saw. It was against a crime boss. His men want to kill me so I can’t testify against him.”
Crime boss?
She had a sinking feeling. “You want me to go in your place to meet some cop?”
I need as much information as I can get here.
“Officer Declan McBride.”
She rolled her eyes and Caro got the feeling these two didn’t get along all that well.
“And what, he doesn’t believe you?”
Her twin shrugged. “We aren’t what you could call the best of friends. He doesn’t like me and… Let’s just say the feeling is mutual.” She drank. “The problem also is he has…certain views about how I am and may not be inclined to believe I will be there to testify.”
Caro kept her expression composed. She knew Jasmine’s adoptive parents had died and she’d been their only child so when they’d gone, she’d had no one. Jasmine’s expression was tortured.
Outrage grew inside her, unfolding like angry tendrils. How dare this man treat her sister this way. It had to be horribly frightening to be expected to testify against a crime boss especially feeling so alone.
“Okay, I’ll go in your place. I’ll help you, whatever you need. He can think what he wants, we’re sisters. Twins. It’s what we do for one another. I’ll go and you get your stuff done.” She finished her coffee. “When and where?”
“Thank you!” Jasmine smiled brightly and touched Caro’s hand. “We can do lunch after, it shouldn’t take too long. Tomorrow morning. I’m going to need you to hang with him for a short time so I can get a few things taken care of. Things I can’t do with a cop hanging around me. But I think if everyone is thinking you’re me and I’m, meaning you, are with the cops I can get this stuff done. Then I’ll come back and we’ll trade off again.” She wrote an address down on a napkin and slid it over to her. “We should switch bags as well in case he wants your—my—ID.”
Caro hesitated. Give up her bag?
Is this legal?
“Is this why you wanted to meet tonight? Like this? You’re scared?”
An indescribable emotion filled her features and Caro had that uncertainty again. Jasmine nodded and ate some of her muffin. “I figured they were listening to me and wouldn’t know where I was talking about. I wanted to get your help before I went back to the cops.” She fidgeted.
Caro waited a while then finally said, “Why don’t you leave if you’d prefer not to be out. Do you have a place to go where you feel safe?” She bit her lip and slid her bag to her twin.
“I do. That’s part of what I have to resolve on my own. It’s a small hostel but I blend in there. I’m safer there than I would be with the cops. This crime boss has a long reach and I would just assume to not be in his way if he tries to reach out and touch me.” She stood. “I have to go. See you tomorrow.” She donned her hat and glasses before walking off. Halfway to the door, she wheeled back around. “Thanks for coming.”
Caro gave a slight nod and waved.
I should be able to just relax if this only takes until tomorrow. She feels safer away from the cops. Perhaps this one is just incompetent in his job. If that’s the case we can always ask for another to be assigned. Something has her spooked.
On her feet she grabbed her cup and the items Jasmine hadn’t disposed of. Caro grabbed Jasmine’s bag and left to hail another cab.
About the Author
Aliyah Burke is an avid reader and is never far from pen and paper (or the computer). She is married to a career military man, and they have a German Shepherd, two Borzois, and a DSH cat. Her days are spent sharing her time between work, writing, and dog training.
Email:
[email protected]
Aliyah loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at
http://www.totallybound.com
.
Also by Aliyah Burke
Code of Honour: A Marriage Of Convenience
Code of Honour: The Lieutenant’s Ex-Wife
Code of Honour: A Man Like No Other
Code of Honour: When Stars Collide
In Aeternum: Casanova in Training
In Aeternum: Harbour of Refuge
In Aeternum: Protected by Shadows
What’s Her Secret?: Preconception
Keeper of the Stars: Part Three
Keeper of the Stars: Part Four
Keeper of the Stars: Part Five
Astral Guardians: Chasing the Storm
With Taige Crenshaw
With McKenna Jeffries
McKingley: All the Wright Moves
McKingley: Irresistible Forces
Totally Bound Publishing
