Chapter 43 Adeline
Adeline’s POV
I look at Percy, and he gives me a single curt nod to let me know it's legally sound. Honestly, this is a contract I should have been able to navigate on my own, seeing as I am a junior partner in one of the most reputable law firms in the state, but I completely trust Percy with these things.
I pick up the pen. My hand trembles slightly from excitement as I sign my name in block letters. Adeline Volkov.
"Excellent," Sienna breathes. She looks at the signature like she just bought a piece of space.
She reaches into her purse and pulls out two first-class tickets.
"We fly out in three days. The team plane is waiting at Teterboro."
"We will fly commercial," Percy interjects.
"Nonsense," Sienna waves a hand. "The team plane is faster, plus it has a medical bay for Adeline’s leg." She stands up, smoothing her suit. "I won't take no for an answer. Welcome to the family, Adeline."
She walks around the table and leans down to kiss my cheek. She lingers there, her hand resting on my shoulder and her fingers digging in slightly.
"You have no idea," she whispers in my ear, loud enough for Percy to hear, "how much fun we are going to have."
She straightens up and shoots Percy a look of pure triumph before strutting out of the restaurant.
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, grinning at Percy. "She agreed to everything! Percy, we’re going to Tokyo!"
"Yeah," Percy says, watching Sienna’s retreating figure with narrowed eyes. "We’re going to Tokyo."
I pick up my coffee and take a sip. It's my usual order, but it tasted better. "See? She’s not a predator. She just knows what she wants."
"She knows exactly what she wants," Percy murmurs. He should be excited that we got everything we wanted on the contract, but seeing as his jaw is clenched, I have a feeling he thinks we just lost the war.
Three days later, we're on the team plane, except the plane is not a plane at all. It is a flying luxury. The plane is pure black, and the only color on it is the gold emblem of a snake eating its own tail, which is the brand's symbol.
Percy parks the SUV next to the stairs. He’s been quiet all morning, checking his phone, texting Tiny, and making arrangements for the firm to run without him. Generally, he is unhappy and not even trying to hide it.
"Cheer up," I nudge him as we grab our bags. "We’re going on an adventure. Tokyo, Percy, Tokyo!"
"We’re going into the lion’s den," he corrects, shouldering my heavy duffel bag so I don't have to carry it. "And I don't like the lion."
We walk up the stairs and into the plane. The interior of the jet is insane. White leather seats with dark mahogany wood. It smells of old money.
I'm not surprised to find Sienna there already. For the trip, she's in a simple black jumpsuit, holding a tablet. She looks up as we enter, her face lighting up.
"There she is!" Sienna calls out. She stands up, setting the tablet aside, and ignores Percy completely to embrace me. "Welcome aboard, Ghost."
"This is... incredible," I admit, looking around. "I’ve flown private with Percy, but this is..."
"Custom," Sienna finishes. "I had the crew reconfigure the cabin this morning. Come, look."
She guides me to a large, plush seat on the left side of the aisle. The leg rest has been modified with extra memory foam and elevation pillows.
"For the leg," she says softly. "It’s a long flight. I didn't want you to be uncomfortable."
"You think of everything," I say, genuinely touched.
"I think of you," she corrects.
I sit down, sinking into the leather. It feels like a cloud. Percy takes the seat across the aisle from me, crossing his arms as his eyes scan the space.
"Champagne?" a flight attendant asks, appearing with a tray.
"Water for her," Percy says instantly. "Hydration is better for recovery."
Sienna laughs. She picks up a crystal flute of champagne for herself. "Oh, let her live a little, Mr. Akilov. We’re celebrating." She turns to me.
"To the Ghost and to Tokyo."
"To Tokyo," I smile, clinking my water glass against her champagne.
The pilot announces that the flight will soon take off, and Sienna sits in the seat directly facing me, crossing her legs. She angles her body in such a way that Percy is effectively cut out of the conversation.
"I have the itinerary for the week," she says, her eyes locked on mine. "We land at Narita, where a helicopter will take us to the compound in Minato. You’ll have a day to rest, and then we start track familiarization." She lowers her voice. "The Tokyo track is technical, but I have the best mechanics in the world prepping your bike. It’s going to be an extension of your body, Adeline. You won't even have to think."
"I can't wait," I say. The anxiety and hangups I have about the contract are being replaced by the thrill of the race. "I’ve been studying the track maps you sent."
"I know," she smiles. "I saw your login activity on the team server. You’re dedicated; I like that."
I blush. "Couldn't sleep."
"Neither could I," Sienna murmurs. "I was too excited thinking about what you’re going to do on that track."
Percy clears his throat loudly.
"So," he says, his voice flat. "Where am I staying? Since I’m not in the compound."
Sienna flicks her gaze to him. "I booked you a lovely corporate suite at the Aman."
"And how far is it from the compound?"
"About twenty minutes with traffic." She turns back to me instantly. "Adeline, I wanted to ask about your helmet. The fit was perfect, yes?"
"Very."
"You know what would complement it even more?"
"What?"
"A communications channel just for me so I can guide you from the tower."
"The crew chief, an expert, handles comms," Percy interrupts again.
"I am the crew chief," Sienna says sharply. Her eyes flash. "I own the team. I built the team. No one knows Apex better than I do." She softens as she looks back at me. "Trust me, Adeline, with my voice in your ear, you won't lose."
I look between them as they both try to stare each other down. Percy is protective, trying to keep me safe, while Sienna is intense and offering me the world.
"I trust you," I say to Sienna, then I look at Percy and reach across the aisle to squeeze his hand. "Both of you."
Sienna’s eyes drop to our joined hands, and the air around us seems to drop ten degrees.
"Get some rest," she says abruptly, picking up her tablet. "We have a long flight ahead of us."
I try to sleep as the plane lifts into the sky, but as I drift off, I feel two pairs of eyes on me. One feels like a shield, and the other feels like a net.
For the first time, I’m not sure which one I should be running toward.