A Surprise Favor – Chapter 8

I clutch the covers to my chest and stare at the ceiling.

Holy shit. Did I really make Takemo a part of my network last night?

I roll over and face Kalvin, still asleep next to me. What’s he going to say about this? What will Saif say? I didn’t consult either of them! My decision was rash and motivated by lust… as if I don’t get enough sex already from two men?

Once I realized I could have Takemo, though… Yeah. It was impulsive, and I fear I’m going to pay the price for it.

I sigh and try to put it out of my mind as I admire the luxurious renovation of this bedroom — the high ceilings, neutral walls, and floor-to-ceiling balcony window with a view of the beach.

Relaxing on a planet is nice. You get the extra space, giant beds and bathtubs, and the smell of life that you can’t experience on a ship. The door is open to let in a cool, saltwater breeze, and seagulls call in the distance.

“Mmmm, someone’s awake,” Kalvin murmurs, rolling over to pull me to him.

My first instinct is always to shrink away. My body tenses at signs of affection, like I don’t deserve it. Sex is different somehow, though the line between the two fades every day.

“Relax, princess.” He wraps his arms and legs around me, bringing me to his chest. I sigh as I rest my forehead on his neck, just below his chin. “That’s better.” His returning sigh is deep. “You were on fire last night. Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah.” I yawn. “You tired me out. Good job.”

“I know it wasn’t just me.”

I can’t see his face, and I can’t tell from the tone of his voice if he’s disappointed or not.

“Do we need to talk about Kenzie?” he asks, and I blink at the change of subject.

“No. I don’t think so. Do we?”

He pulls away from me, and my heart seizes. His green eyes are ablaze with a mix of confusion, frustration, and regret. He’s still struggling to move on from his past. “No. Definitely not. I was never in her network. Never signed a contract or anything. We slept with each other when I worked for her, and then she fired me unexpectedly.”

“That’s when you started flying for Cressida?” I ask, trying to ignore the building tension.

“Yeah. What a fucking nightmare that was.”

“And it’s over between you two?” I hope the answer is what I expect.

A conflicted expression passes over his face, and he heaves another sigh. “It is for me. She tried to get me back before we left for Rio, but I was clear. No, absolutely not. She’s not a good partner. She keeps secrets, and I couldn’t stand that.”

Secrets. Didn’t I tell Takemo he couldn’t keep secrets from me?

“So, it’s morning now.” His head sinks back to the pillow and his eyes close. “Can I ask what happened with Takemo last night?”

Relief mixed with apprehension floods my chest. I’m ready to face this decision and deal with the fallout.

Here we go.

“I made him a part of the network.”

Kalvin cracks one eye open.

“He’s going to need to be added to the schedule.”

He sighs. “Ah, fuck.”

My heart rate soars, and my hearing rings. Oh, no. Did I screw this up?

“I’m sorry,” I say, pushing away from him. “I was too impulsive. I’ll fix this. I promise.”

Kalvin breaks out into a wide grin and reaches out for me. “No, no.” He chuckles. “I… I fucking lost the bet.” He growls as he rubs his face. “I owe Saif fifty credits now.”

I blink a few times. “What?”

He laughs as he swings his feet out of the bed and over the side. “Saif and I had bets on whether you would let Takemo in within a week or a month. Honestly, I said, ‘A cold day in hell,’ because you were really mad. And I know not to mess with you when you’re mad. Saif said a week.” He shrugs and turns to me. My eyes take in his body before he pulls up his boxer briefs. “Any chance I can have fifty credits? I forgot to hit the bank before we left.”

I flop back in the bed and laugh. These guys. “In my bag on the dresser.”

When we reach the kitchen, clothed and washed up, we’re met with the aroma of Saif’s cooking. Marcelo and Takemo are both eating and reading across from him on the island chairs.

Kalvin steps up behind me and takes a deep breath in through his nose. “Mmmm, something smells amazing.” He rubs his stomach, looking at Saif at the stove, grinning while he cooks.

“It’s almost done.” Saif dishes out eggs and bacon from one griddle while the other cooks pancakes.

Takemo pushes his chair away from the table and hops off. He makes his way to Saif and collects two plates before walking over to me with a cheeky smile on his face.

“Here you go.” Takemo hands one plate to me and one to Kalvin. I take my plate in hand and look down at the mix of fried eggs, bacon, potatoes, and fresh fruit. I will be well fed on this trip, that’s for sure. My stomach rumbles in approval as I thank Takemo for bringing me food.

“Hand out,” Kalvin says, approaching Saif at the stove. I round the island behind Marcelo and Takemo to the refrigerator and set my plate next to it. I hope the citrus juice made it through the party.

“Huh?” Saif sticks his hand out, and Kalvin slaps the fifty credit bill in it. Saif looks at it, his eyes widening. “No,” he says, his voice breathy with shock. “I won?”

“You did.” Kalvin heads for the coffee maker.

Saif flips a few pancakes and edges to the side of the stove. “Welcome to the network, man.” He puts out his hand to Takemo.

Takemo’s smile is just this side of smug. Marcelo leans to the side to look him up and down.

“I guess I should have gotten in on this bet earlier.” He makes eye contact with me. “I might be fifty credits richer.”

Yes! A full bottle of juice is at the front of the fridge. I pour a glass and start to gulp it down. I’ll layer coffee on top of it soon enough.

“Add that man to the schedule,” Kalvin calls out over the coffee grinder.

Takemo’s eyes meet mine, and I raise my eyebrows to him twice. He better be good in bed. I got a little preview, but you just never know.

“I’m going to transfer money later today to help pay for the Amagi’s fuel and docking fees.” He turns to Marcelo. “And I’ll cover the staff for the week since you didn’t make this match.”

Marcelo sticks out his hand, and he and Takemo shake. “Thank you. That’s very generous.”

“I want Skylar to have a relaxing and enjoyable vacation. Fuck knows she needs it.” Takemo stabs a piece of pancake with his fork and smiles. “Maybe a spa day or something?”

I point at him. “I never say no to a massage.”

All the guys raise their hands. Kalvin jumps up and down and says, “Oooh! Oooh! Pick me!”

“From a professional,” I clarify.

“Damn,” Saif says, turning off the griddle.

My heart swells to be part of this group, feeling like I belong. I have found love and transformed my life despite being certain a few months ago that no man would ever love me. Funny how that happens.

I make a cup of coffee just the way I like it and grab my plate.

“I’m going to eat out back.” I jerk my chin at them. “You all work things out without me.”

Saif approaches me and leans in to kiss my jawline. “Go enjoy the weather. Carlos, Nisrine, and Lia are out there.” His lips move to my ear. “It’s my night tonight. I miss you.”

“I miss you too.” I whisper back. “And there’s no rule against sex in the middle of the day.”

I leave and shoot a smile over my shoulder at him.

Vivian told me to have a lot of sex while I’m here, and by God, I will do just that. I went a long time at flight school without it from a real human being. I might as well take advantage of this while I can.

The sun hits my face as I walk out to the back. Ahhh, that’s nice.

“Morning!” I call out cheerfully to Carlos, Lia, and Nisrine, sharing a happy breakfast together. It was the right decision to go on vacation. We needed it. My sandals slap against the stone as birds chirp and trees sway in the breeze.

Carlos motions for me to join them.

“Good morning!” Lia smiles as I sit down next to her at the table. “We were just talking about how gorgeous this weather is today. Perfect for the beach, don’t you think?”

I nod in agreement and sip my coffee.

“Yeah, we’re definitely hitting the beach. Declan invited us all over to his place later today, if you want to come.”

Nisrine hides her smile behind her coffee cup. “He’s a handsome one. A lawyer, I heard?”

I nod. “I hope he’s going to be the one to keep the Amagi out of my mom’s hands.”

“Good,” she replies with a nod. “I like my job already. I don’t want to quit because of this.”

“I don’t want that either.” I slice into my fried eggs and take a bite. Yum. Okay. It looks like both Saif and Kalvin can cook. I drag the potatoes through the runny egg yolks and hum with pleasure as they pass my lips. The perfect hangover antidote.

“So good, right?” Lia sips her juice. “Wait until you try the pancakes.”

“I’m gonna need a nap after this.”

Carlos laughs. “If you can stay awake, I’d like to get started on preparations for that court case coming up,” he remarks between bites of food. Lia rolls her eyes playfully but concedes with a sigh; she knows there’s no way around it at this point.

Nisrine gives him an encouraging smile before turning her attention back to me. “It’s best to have all of your ducks in a row as soon as possible. The more your lawyer knows ahead of time, the better. He can make a plan of attack that way, before discovery.”

I nod while stuffing my mouth with food. It’s just a matter of when I should take the plunge and actually start the paperwork.

“Have you considered filing a counter suit against your mother for the abuse you suffered as a child?” Nisrine asks me, her voice gentle yet encouraging.

I sip coffee in surprise; everyone must know now. I threatened Mom with a counter suit, but I wasn’t intending on following through unless she pushed me.

She’s been pushing me.

“I’ve been so focused on keeping her from repossessing the Amagi that it never occurred to me to do something similar for myself. That’s not a bad idea.” I pause and turn my face to the sky, thinking. “I mean, she’s caused so much pain and suffering in my life. Shouldn’t she be accountable for that, too?”

“Absolutely,” Lia says firmly. “It would be a powerful thing for you to do.” She forms a fist and raises it. “Take back control from someone who has wronged you.” She drops her fist. “The bitch deserves it,” she mutters under her breath.

Nisrine raises her eyebrows. “Revisiting childhood pain could be liberating, but counter-suing may backfire if driven by anger or revenge. You need to decide what matters most.”

“And you can’t do anything until you have evidence,” Carlos stresses. “Those backups could be gone at any minute. We have to get to them before Dominic does.”

“Yes, you’re right,” I say, wiping my lips. I turn over my wristlet. “Ai, can you give me a status update on Dominic and my mom?”

“Sure, Skylar. Let me check on them.”

I direct my eyes at Carlos while I wait. After a moment, he clears his throat. “Ai may seem to be everywhere, but she’s working off a remote host on very little memory. I would expect delays for the foreseeable future, especially while we’re on Laguna.”

“How long is the foreseeable future?”

He smiles as he lifts a forkful of pancake. “As long as it takes to upgrade my hosting solutions. That’s going to cost us at least sixty grand.”

Okay, then. A while. Unless Carlos gets a wealthy benefactor sometime soon. Hey, anything can happen, right?

“Your mother and Dominic are currently on Ossun,” Ai says, butting in. “Though I see they have booked passage on a ship, leaving tomorrow evening for Laguna.”

I close my eyes and hold back a curse. “Any idea why they’re coming here?” Carlos stops chewing and looks at me. He can only hear my side of the conversation.

“They have booked a hotel for a five-day stay about ten kilometers from you.”

I lift my eyes to the blue sky and sigh. “When were you going to tell me this?”

“Your timing is impeccable, Skylar. They booked this trip less than an hour ago, and I have been in power-save mode for the last six hours. I have sent a message to your inbox with all the details.”

I set my fork and knife down, grateful I ate most everything before getting this news.

“Well, I’m done now.”

“Good,” Ai says. “There’s a man approaching the front door. I don’t recognize him. He is currently telling Marcelo that he’s here to see you.”

I blow out an exasperated breath.

“Just a minute,” I say to Nisrine, Carlos, and Lia. “I’m needed at the front door.”

“I’ll come,” Lia offers, standing up.

“Show me the front cameras,” I tell Ai, and the gate pops into my view as I head into the house. I have massive ‘stranger danger’ lately, so I want to get a good look at him first before doing anything. The man is wearing a tropical printed button-down shirt, beige cargo shorts, a hat, and athletic shoes. His face is craggy and rugged.

Saif, Kalvin, Takemo, and Marcelo are all crowded around the security station.

“Who are you, again?” Saif asks, the panel microphone picking up his voice and broadcasting it to the outside.

“I’m here to see Skylar Kawabata. Is she at home?”

Marcelo glances at me. “He hasn’t said who he is. I can call the police. They’d be here quickly.”

I hold up a hand. “No. I have a feeling I know what this is. I’ll take care of it.”

I adjust my skirt and top at the front door, open it, and stride out to the stone walkway between all the garden plants.

“Sky, be careful,” Takemo warns, running up next to me. The others follow at a distance.

I approach the gate, and the man tips back his hat to examine me.

“Skylar Kawabata?”

I nod. He reaches into his front pocket and pulls out an envelope.

“You have been served.”

Extending my hand, I allow him to put the envelope in my fingers. As much as I want to run away and not face this, I have to.

“Have a good day, miz.” He touches the brim of his hat before he walks away.

I stare down at the envelope and sigh. “And that’s that.”