AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Of course, that’s the Rob Hartley that I know. He wouldn’t abandon anybody. The tension within me eases, realizing it must be a story with a happy ending.
“Our guys open fire to cover Mr. Hartley and Ruiz, but a few yards from the house, Mr. Hartley stopped. It was both training and instinct. Having spotted something across the road, he turned around and shot his M9…” Wyatt looks at me. “A standard Navy handgun, which anyone would say is useless in that situation. But he’s holding Private Ruiz, so there was no way he can use his assault rifle. Rob’s shot brought down the enemy gunman, who was hiding on the second floor of a building. The gunman died with his finger on the trigger of another RPG. We would’ve been dead if Mr. Hartley hadn’t nailed the son of a bitch.”
Major Robson Hartley. He was a hero to his men. Would he be my hero too? I certainly hope so. My need to be with him mounts. This party… how I wish it was a date with just the two of us. I pine for something more than just sweet, experimental and comfortable.
I turn my head, looking at Wyatt, who seems to be engrossed in his own story. “Was Rob’s dad in the Navy too?”
Wyatt shakes his head. “No. Although I think he secretly wanted to be. The old man was just crazy about boats.”
“Was he a nice man?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Rob is different when he talks about his dad.”
“Well, Graeme Hartley wasn’t a bad man. That’s all I can say. He had a lot to do with his son’s success. He was a good teacher.”
I acknowledge Wyatt. I already know that Rob and his dad had their differences, but I’d like to know what kind of a father-son relationship it was. I want to hear it from Rob, though, not his pilot.
“You know, Miss Cannizzaro, Rob wasn’t always a billionaire. But he’s always been as generous as he is now. Many years ago, I had a hard time getting health insurance for my daughter. She had leukemia. Rob came to my rescue. He’s one of the reasons my daughter is still alive today. That guy…”
I put my hand on my chest. So his heart is made of gold, just like his necklace I’m wearing.
“Speak of the devil!” Wyatt presses a button, and then holds his headset. “Rob wants to talk to you,” he says. “Just pick up that handset next to your armrest.”
I look around for a handset.
“Right next to you. The thing that looks like a landline phone,” Wyatt says, chuckling.
Oh, that handset!
“How are you, Amber-Rose?”
“I’m having one of those strawberry gummies. They’re nice.”
“Glad you like them.”
“So, what’s gonna happen after we land?” I ask.
“I’ll meet you there. You should be twenty minutes away right now. Then you’ll be with me, and you can start with whatever you have to do to make it up to me.”
I press my lips together. I intend to do just that, but I simply say, “I’ll see if you’re worth it.”
Rob chuckles. “See you soon.”
The handset slips through my hand as I put it back in its tray. Wyatt tells me that we’re entering Newport. That complex in the distance is no doubt Hartley Marine. It’s not an ordinary industrial estate—it’s expansive, and with its generous green spaces and glassy design, it looks like a complex from the future.
“Where’s the party?” I ask Wyatt.
“At the showroom. You see that biggest glass building?”
It’s enormous. I guess the space has to be big enough to house his luxury yachts. Beneath the glassy exterior, I can see blue.
“You’ll love it there, Miss Cannizzaro. It’s like SeaWorld meets Amazon Headquarters, without the killer whales and Jeff Bezos.”
I chuckle. “Where is his office?”
“Somewhere in that middle dome. The space is fun and open. Only three floors high, but it’s pretty impressive.”
