????Nova left the party and met the limo waiting for her outside the apartment building. Sliding into the spacious back seat under the watchful eye of the driver who'd opened the door for her, she let her head drop back against the seat and stared upward.
????The limo's engine fired and the vehicle smoothly pulled away and into traffic. It didn't take long to reach?a rather sedate-looking facade, behind which housed what she surmised was the BDSM club Brehnic had recommended.
????The door suddenly opened and the driver waited patiently. When she didn't emerge, he leaned down and looked into the interior, his brow furrowed.
????"You okay, ma'am?"
????Nova gave a small nod but there was no movement from her otherwise. The club was suddenly the last place she wanted to go. She needed care, but there was only one person on the planet?she wanted it from.
????"What's your name?" she asked?the attentive, uniformed employee.
????"Jonathan...ma'am," was his brief reply, still staring at her, one hand resting on the open car door.
????"Well, Jonathan...I've changed my mind. Would you please take me to the airport?"
????"Absolutely, ma'am." He'd been hired to give the customer what they wanted.
????"One more thing, Jonathan. Please don't call me ma'am. My name's Nova."
????It took about three seconds, but Jonathan finally smiled at her.
????"Sure thing...Nova. Any particular terminal?"
????Nova replied simply, "charter flights." She needed to get back to St. Barts immediately. It'd been a huge mistake?coming to Vegas, she knew that now. She'd felt uneasy about it from the beginning, and after what had transpired tonight, she knew she'd made a grave error in judgement.
????A affirmative nod from Jonathan. "You got it." He shut the limo door and she heard him climb in the front and start the engine. Ten minutes later, they pulled into the artificial glow of the airport terminal. This time she did get out when he opened the door for her, and handed him a generous $100 tip.
????The young driver thanked her and pocketed the bill, but not without a brief flash of worry for this woman. She seemed so...preoccupied. Not anxious, but more like she was dreading something.
????He'd pegged?her perfectly. Explaining this trip to Jackson was going to be dreadful, she could feel it. She knew better than to lie or commit the sin of omission with him. She also knew he wouldn't put up with many more impulsive moves on her part. He wasn't built that way. He expected certain things from her and flitting around the world on a whim was not one of them.
????Jonathan's deep voice broke through her reverie. "Will there be anything else, ma'am...er, I mean, Nova?"
????At that, the Italian chuckled. "Oh, a blindfold, I should think."
????He looked at her quizzically.
????"Just a little joke, sweetie," she reassured him, patting his arm. " You're off the hook. Thanks for everything." She squared her shoulders and entered the terminal, leaving him standing there.
????In his short time in this job, he'd seen his share of good tips and beautiful women. This was Vegas, after all. But this woman...there was something so peculiar about her. She hadn't used her charm on him or flaunted her looks like most of his fares did. She'd come across as earthy...basic...unpretentious...and that in itself was an oddity in this city. His eyes followed her a moment, then he shrugged and walked around the front of the limo, settling once again in the driver's seat. He flipped on the radio and wheeled the long car back into traffic.
????Inside the terminal, Nova had located the proper counter and paid handsomely for an immediate flight to the West Indies. She could bring her sword with no problem. She was on her way home and all?would be?right with?her world...she hoped.