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NINE
The loss of control was unnerving.
Four hours after my awkward conversation with Alex, as I settled into a plush leather seat on Emmy’s private jet, I realised why I’d grown so comfortable in Baldwin’s Shore.Not the easy job or even the people but the fact that for the first time in my entire life, I’d been the mistress of my own destiny.Until the unfortunate incident with stepfather number four, my mama had been in charge, and then I’d relinquished my entire existence to General Zacharov.
Now, Emmy had taken over.
Or rather, Emmy’s team had because Emmy herself didn’t deal with the mundanities.As Nine, I’d had zero say in the jobs I undertook, but I’d still been tasked with arranging the logistics myself.Transport, accommodation, food… In those days, I’d felt a tiny rush of pleasure if I managed to reserve an exit-row seat with six inches of extra legroom, but now all of that was out of my hands.When I’d asked Alex if I should arrange a rental car, he’d just waved a hand dismissively and told me Blackwood had people who did these things.
“Drink?”a blonde in a white shirt and tailored black pants asked.“We also have snacks if you’re hungry.I’m Marte, by the way.Are you new to the team?I don’t recall seeing you before.”
“A bottle of water would be good.”
“Darya is a contractor,” Alex added when I failed to expand on my answer.“Yes, she’s new.”
Didn’t he understand the concept of privacy?
“Why did you tell her that?”I hissed once Marte had vanished toward the galley.
“Because it’s polite?”
“I don’t like people knowing my name.Not my real name.”
“You don’t trust us.”
He said it as a statement, and I detected a hint of disappointment.
“I don’t trust anyone, and cabin crew aren’t exactly famed for their discretion.”
“Marte’s the co-pilot,” Emmy said from behind me.“She spent four years in the Swedish Air Force, and her father is Director of Operations at Blackwood’s Stockholm office.”Oh.“She’s not going to gossip.But if you want to come up with a fake name, then by all means do so and we’ll be sure to use it.”
Ana glided up silently.“Everyone’s vetted.I used to worry too, but…” She gave a one-shouldered shrug.“Now I don’t.”
Marte returned, holding out a bottle of water with a smile.“Here you go.Can I get you folks anything else?”
When everyone shook their heads, she disappeared again, this time to the cockpit.Yes, I was still very much off balance, and I wasn’t sure I’d find my footing until I returned to Baldwin’s Shore.But at least I’d return thousands of dollars richer.Mental note: open a new bank account.
“I came over to ask if you have any dietary preferences,” Emmy said.“It’ll be time for a late dinner when we arrive, and my husband offered to pick up food.”
Her husband?He was also going to be there?This just got worse and worse.
“The hotel doesn’t have a restaurant?”
“We’re staying at our place in Malibu, but if you’ve got a burning desire for room service, someone can chuck a croissant outside your door in the morning.”
Theirplace?I had to stay in a house with her?It was official: I was trapped in a new nightmare.You can cope, Dasha.If the job lasted a week, then I could afford to put a new roof on my cabin, and I’d survived worse—every single job I’d done with Pavel, for example.At least Emmy was unlikely to strangle a prostitute.
“I can make my own breakfast.”
“Super.What do you want for dinner?It’s California—you’re legally required to have at least one food intolerance.”
“Well, I don’t, and I’ll eat anything.”
“Noted.”
She headed for the table at the front of the cabin, and I closed my eyes.This would all be over soon.And at least one person was happy.When I’d called Brooke with a tale of woe involving a fictitious sister and her scummy boyfriend—thankfully, I’d had the forethought to invent a sibling in case an emergency such as this arose—she’d volunteered herself and Paulo to step in for a week just as I’d known she would.She’d also mentioned that if I needed to stay away for longer, one of the ladies in her Thrive group loved crafts and had a background in retail.Brooke said Everly needed extra money, and if there was enough cash in the kitty to pay her, she’d be thrilled to pick up some shifts.Since Emmy was footing the bill, I’d told Brooke to invite Everly in for a trial this afternoon.Bradley would stick around for a day in case there was a problem, but I trusted Brooke’s judgment.