Spiral (The Salzburg Saga Book One)
SPIRAL
The Salzburg Saga Book 1
D. U. OKONKWO
All rights reserved
Copyright © 2015 by D. U. Okonkwo
Published by A Few Words Press Ltd
20-22 Wenlock Road, London N1 7GU
ISBN: 978-0-9931617-4-2
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical photocopy, recording, scanning, or other – except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles without the written permission of the publisher.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. Any similarities to any person, living or dead are purely coincidental.
First Edition 2015
Edited by:
Jenny Sims
at
Editing4Indies
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
Nina slipped her passport into her tan leather cross-body bag and zipped up her roller bag. The sharp slide of the bag’s zip punctuated the tense silence of the living room. After a moment’s hesitation, she flicked a glance at the man sprawled on the long cream sofa three feet from her.
In ripped blue jeans and a too-tight white polo shirt, his gray-socked feet hanging over the arm of the sofa, Alex Riley raised his light brown eyes from his latest issue of
Classic Cars
, his eyes clashing with her blue.
They eyed each other for several seconds. Alex eventually broke the stare, his eyes dropping resentfully to her luggage. “All ready then?”
Though her lips thinned at his tone, Nina nodded and buttoned her sky blue ski jacket over a red wool jumper. “Yes, but, Alex–” She broke off.
No, she would not succumb to another argument about this trip.
“It doesn't bother you at all, does it?”
She tightened her dark brown ponytail. “I can't let it bother me, Alex. Like I’ve said, this is a business networking trip. How could I ask to bring my boyfriend along?”
“You could have asked Neil." Bitterness laced his words.
Her teeth ground together. “This isn’t Neil’s trip; it’s Parker Drayton’s. You know he’s our biggest client. Besides, you don't even like him or his two sons that he’s bringing along.” In all honesty, she wasn't crazy about Justin and Hugh Drayton either, but Parker himself was fine.
“Why must I like them?” Alex flipped a magazine page with a flick of his wrist. “While you network, I could be on the slopes. You said Parker’s rented a ten-bedroom chalet. Good enough for me. I don’t have to talk to him or his idiot sons.”
Nina just looked at him. Typical. He’d fire insults behind someone’s back then take from them with a smile on his face. She glanced around her elegant living room. Located in Islington, it was the nicest place she’d ever lived in, and yet over the last six months, since Alex had moved in a year ago, it had become a hub of tension.
“You're happy in your little palace aren't you, princess?”
Her gaze whipped back to him. She hated it when he called her that. It wasn't a compliment. She knew it, and he knew that she knew it. “I work hard to keep us in this little palace, Alex.”
His face reddened. “How could I forget? Nina Bishop, hotshot lawyer.” His eyes were hard, his lips thin. “Everything's always been so easy for you.”
Easy for her?
Nina almost laughed. He didn’t have a clue. And she hadn’t told him everything about her past because for some time she had realized he lacked the maturity to handle it. Turning away, she hefted her luggage onto her back. She understood how her being a partner in her own law firm, owning a nice flat, and driving a Mercedes looked as though it had come easily. Those things always looked like they came easily, when in most cases they came from hard work and grafting. “You didn't complain when you moved in last year, Alex. It’s a marked improvement from where you were before."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she winced. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
Too late. His face had flushed a dull red, shooting into the hairline of his light brown spiky hair. Sitting up on the sofa, he stared straight ahead. “No need to remind me that I can't afford a place like this. As my girlfriend, you’re supposed to be supportive.”
“I am supportive.”
On the rare occasions you do something worth supporting.
“But I’m not responsible for you racking up a hundred thousand in debt.” She spoke slowly now as if speaking to cantankerous child. “I got you that position with the law firm Hayes and–”
“It’s a position inferior to yours.”
“You haven't passed the Bar." Anger blew up inside her, making her words curt and brittle and her fists clench at her sides. “I busted a gut getting you that position.” She’d called in several favors to get him into such a prestigious law firm. And for what? He’d barely shown any gratitude. This business trip would give them both the space they needed. And if she was completely honest with herself, it had been part of the reason she hadn't pushed to bring him along.
A car horn beeped outside. The flat was located on the ground floor, and when Nina crossed to open the large window and draw up the blinds, her sister Hazel stood only feet from her front entrance. Crisp February air prickled Nina’s skin as she smiled at her younger sister. Hazel waited at the front door, bundled in a royal blue wool coat with a white scarf around her neck, grinning at her. Wisps of pale blond hair poked out from under her baker-boy hat.
“Come in, Haze,” Nina said. “The door's open.” She snapped the window closed and turned to Alex. “Haze is here,” she told Alex.
“Lucky us.”
Her mouth tightened. “If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have a lift to the airport.”
“I’ve told you that the wheels on my car need servicing.”
“It’s needed servicing for the last three months. You–” She stopped when Hazel entered, and with a relieved smile, Nina went to embrace her sister. When they pulled apart, Nina caught Hazel’s barely concealed disdain as her sister’s hazel gaze swept over Alex. “Alex.”
He didn't look up from his magazine. “Hazel.”
Hazel gestured to Nina’s large roller bag. “Just this?”
Nina nodded. “It's only a three day trip, besides, Parker suggested we wear as much as possible in order to keep our luggage light.”
Hazel nodded at the ski jacket Nina wore. “Makes sense.”
. “We better go. I don't want to keep the others waiting.”
“I’ll go on ahead to the car.” Hazel began pulling it behind her as she strode for the door. “Thanks for your help, Alex.”
He looked up then, face stiff with unconcealed annoyance. “We're on the ground floor, Hazel. You don't need a man for that.”
Hazel stopped and glanced around the room in confusion. “Man? I don't see a man.”
“Haze…” Nina gritted. She knew there was little love lost between those two, and she didn’t want them to get into anything now.
“I'll wait in the car,” Hazel muttered as she slung Nina’s roller bag on her back and then left.
Alex stared after her with resentful eyes.
Nina paused beside him. “Alex–”
“Have fun,” he said dismissively, rising from the sofa. He left the room without a backward glance.
On the balcony of his hotel suite, Parker Drayton’s gray brows had snapped together. “What do you mean a change of plan?” Taking a drag of his cigarette, he blew a stream of smoke out into the London skyline, watching as the wind prevented it from forming a perfect ring.
“Just a minor inconvenience; we have everything’s under control.” To appease them both, Frank Gwynne, owner of the company providing the air transportation for the trip, spoke in soothing tones. On a sun lounger under the tropical rays of the Caribbean sun – blissfully a thousand miles from the grim cold of London – Frank picked up his second phone and pulled up Jake Rush's number. He wouldn’t allow himself to consider the possibility that Jake might have gone abroad for his annual leave. He himself had barely begun his own holiday before this nightmare had landed in his lap. He thought of Buzz again and his jaw clenched.
“So who’s piloting our jet?” Parker asked.
“Another of our top pilots, Jake,” Gwynne answered smoothly. “He’ll meet your party in Gatwick.”
Please still
be in London, Jake.
“He's preparing everything as we speak.”
Yeah, right.
Parker tapped his cigarette on the balcony wall. Ashes fell to the cold cement ground before disintegrating. “I assume he's good?”
Better than good,
Gwynne thought,
Jake Rush was his best
. “He’s a seasoned pro and knows the Challenger fleet like the back of his hand. With his copilot Ben, your party will be in excellent hands. You’ll also have our best air stewardess, Emily, on board, too.”
“Emily’s serving us?” Parker smiled, pleased. “She’s always very efficient.”
“Precisely. Just as a side note, Jake will be breaking his holiday to do this.”
“He is? That's kind of him.” At a sound behind him, Parker turned.
His eldest son, Justin, leaned negligently against the doorframe. He’d pulled on jeans, but his dark hair remained shaggy and uncombed. His muscled arms lay crossed over his bare chest.
“Hold on a second please, Gwynne.” Stubbing out his cigarette, Parker flicked it over the balcony then covered the mouthpiece of the phone. “You plan on traveling like that?” he demanded to Justin.
Justin ignored the question, instead nodding at the phone Parker held. “Problem?”
“No. Where's Hugh?”
Justin arched an indignant brow. “When did I become my brother’s keeper?”
Parker raised the phone to his ear again, his eyes still on Justin. “Gwynne?”
“Still here.” Frank cleared his throat. “I’ll call you shortly when I have timings confirmed.”
“Thanks.” Disconnecting, Parker slipped the phone into the pocket of his beige slacks.
“Who’s in charge of the hotels while we’re away?” Justin asked, clearly in no rush to get ready.
“Nick. Now will you please go and get ready?”
“Nick?” Justin’s dark brows snapped together as he straightened abruptly from the doorframe. “Since when did Nick Egan become family? Hugh and I should’ve been your first choice.”
“You and Hugh are on this trip with me, remember."
"We didn’t ask to be," Justin reminded him in a testy voice.
Parker sighed. "The three of us need to spend some quality time toget
–
”
“Quality time?” Justin laughed incredulously. “On a business trip with your lawyers?”
Parker held his son’s mocking gaze. “You and your brother have turned down every other suggestion I've thought of–”
“Because it’s too late to start playing happy family,” Justin cut in. Without waiting for a reply, he spun on his heel and headed back into the suite.
Parker started to call him back then stopped. Justin would only ignore him. Instead, he left the balcony, closing the door behind him, and went in search of his youngest son, Hugh.
Whatever ‘fun’ his sons had had last night while he’d attended a business dinner had left its mark. Used cigarette butts, lipstick stained wineglasses, and soiled serviettes littered the rich wooden surfaces of the worktops. They hadn’t used coasters, and consequently, glass rings now stained the polished surfaces, making them appear dull and lifeless.