AFTER TAKE-OFF, I went downstairs and observed and assisted until Frank was about ready to explode. Then I went back to the service center and read a magazine. After a while, I got bored, so I went to first class to bug Alex.

TransGlobal's aircraft have first class "apartments" instead of seats. That means, instead of seats that turn into beds, each first class passenger has his or her own little box with a miniature living room/dining room, a bedroom, and a private lavatory and shower.

Alex's do not disturb sign was on, but I overrode it and let myself in. "Having a good time?" I asked. "You got to be. They really kiss your ass up here... hey? Alex? Where are you?"

 He wasn't in the living area and he wasn't in bed. I knocked on the lav, then opened it. Not in there, either.

Whatev. It was an airplane. There were only so many places he could be. I made myself comfy on his bed and waited for a minute before I remembered the lounge area in the front of the plane. He was probably up there. I got up and moseyed up front.

Sure enough Alex sat in a group of men, all man bonding and relaxed. One man said something, and the group burst out laughing. I moved past the curtain but stayed in the shadows. My brothers sat across from Alex. There were two men sitting next to them I didn't recognize. Given they were gingers, I figured them to be McIver Security. Two other redheaded men sat at the bar and pretended to read. The ones at the bar saw me, but pretended that they didn't.

Next to my brother's security detail was a balding man wearing black jeans, a black leather jacket, and black cowboy boots. Next to him sat a long legged man about Alex's age.  For some reason, he looked familiar. He also looked stupid stylish. He sat, all coolly casual, with an ankle crossed at the knee, all man spread and shit.

He leaned over and poured himself a shot of vodka. Alex said something that made him laugh. 

Then it hit me. That was the brother. The one related to Nick the Pirate douche. To be fair, he was good looking. Better looking than Nick, even, but that could be because he didn't look like an extra from Pirates of the Caribbean: Sex Traffickers Chest.

His hair was dark and short, his features all sharp lines and chiseled bone structure. His eyes were lighter than pirate dude's eyes. They almost looked silver. Had to be contacts. He wore a pair of jeans, handmade loafers with no socks, and a cashmere crew neck sweater that didn't cover the neck tattoo. 

What is it with Russians and neck tattoos? I mean, do you really need for your ink to go up to your head? Whatever.

He said something back to Alex that made all the men nod in agreement. Jeez. So that's why Alex came along. He had a meeting with big brother Constantinov. I didn't know whether to be relieved or insulted.

Like brother Constantinov, Alex had changed from his suit, too. Now he had on a sweater, jeans, and loafers without socks. He must have had them in his carry-on. Good for him. My brothers, because they are uptight assholes, still were in their suits. The security detail was all casual in jeans and sweaters.

Colin said something which made everyone laugh. Time to introduce myself. I moseyed up to the bar, winked at one of the security dudes, and grabbed a jar of Maraschino cherries. "Hiya, boys. How's tricks?" I pushed myself between Sean and Colin. "And tricks are not just for kids, don'tcha know?"

Cowboy Boots scowled at me. "Go away," he sneered in a Russian accent so strong it should be served with a side of borscht. "We do not need anything."

"No can do, comrade." I licked my finger and stuck it in Sean's ear. "Wet willy, wet willy."

"Siobhan, God, stop it." Sean slapped my hand and gave me side eye. Sean hated wet willys. "Go away. We're busy here."

"You are? Whatcha doing?" I pushed him over and sat between the two. "Is it cards? I love cards." I shoulder shoved Colin. "Hey, Col. What's up... oh my God, what is with your eyelashes?" I leaned into his face for a closer look. "Dude. You've dyed your eyelashes.  Holy Crap. You're such a girl." I reached up to feel, but he slapped my hand. "Come on. I wanna feel."

Colin flushed a deep red. "No, I haven't... Siobhan, stop it. Stop. It." He smacked me again. "Stop it, Siobhan. Go away."

I grinned and popped a cherry in my mouth. "No. Tell me what you're doing first."

"Working." He pushed me with his shoulder, which made me push against Sean. "Get up, Siobhan. Go away."

"No." I pulled the cherry stem out of my mouth and showed the table the knot I made in it. "Look. Cool, right?"

A smile twitched on brother Constantinov's mouth, but Sean rubbed his forehead and Colin groaned. 

Alex kept his pleasant look and cleared his throat. "Siobhan, baby, we're in the middle of something." Alex's face may have been pleasant, but his tone not so much. "Why don't you go wait in my suite? We're almost finished."

I sat the stem down in front of me and slowly ate another cherry before turned to Sean. "What are you working on, Sean?"

"Nothing," he growled and pushed me back as I tried to stick another finger in his ear. "Stop it... it's contracts. That kind of thing. Boring. Go away."

"Contracts!" I exclaimed and slapped the table. "Sean, you're not selling me again, are you?" I shook a cherry at him. "Because that would be dirty double dealing, and you don't want to be a dirty. Double. Dealer. Do you, Sean? Do you?" I shook a cherry stem at him.

Sean swallowed and looked away. "It's not about you, Siobhan... why don't you go see about getting us more drinks?"

"I'm not thirsty." I smiled and turned to the Russians. "Let me guess." I pointed my cherry stem at them. "You're Nikolai's brother. The one everybody's all... ooo, don't piss off Nikolai's brother." I pulled out another cherry and dangled it. "Hi."

The man with the neck tattoos lips turned up into what I assume was a smile. He turned to Cowboy Boots and said something in Russian that made him laugh, then turned to me. "Ah. The notorious Miss McIver. Truly, I don't see the charm."

I always got a kick out of it when men negged me. Instead of eating the cherry, I licked it like it was a lollipop. "Your eyes are ugly."

The smile grew slightly. "You're rude and unattractive."

"Your accent's stupid. I mean, is it Russian? Is it British? Make a freaking decision." I leaned on the table. "Hey, here's a joke. What's the definition of a Russian string quartet? A Russian orchestra back from tour." I shoved Colin. "Funny, right? Ha ha. Get it? It's because of all the defections. Because Russia sucks." I sat back on the bench. "You know. Like your brother."

Brother Constantinov's eyes narrowed.

"That's enough." Alex pointed at the exit. "Siobhan, go. Now."

"No. It's fine." Brother Constantinov glanced at Alex with a thin smile. "I admire you for taking... that - " he nodded at me " -  on. I would not have the patience."

"She's a work in progress," Alex replied. "Siobhan. Last time. Go."

I ignored Alex and made another knot out of a cherry stem. "Hey, comrade, I've got a secret? Want to know what it is?"

Cowboy Boots muttered something that made Brother Constantinov laugh. "I can't think of anything I could care less about."

"Ew, burn." I leaned forward. "You might about this. I'm going to kill your brother."

Silence exploded. Behind me, the two men that had been sitting at the bar put down their reading material and came over.

"I know what you're thinking." I waggled my finger at him. "You're thinking I'm just a girl, what can I do?" I shrugged. "I get it. But here's the thing. I'm supposed to kill your brother." 

"Really?" His eyes widened slightly. "What makes you so sure?"

I looked him dead in the eye."It's written in the stars. From the first time I threw a Molotov cocktail at his head to whatever it is I do to push him off into his eternity, it's all because of God's will." I picked up Colin's wine glass. "Here's to Nick. The cheap, ugly pimp. Nick the dick. Nick the sex trafficking piece of shit." I burst out laughing and slapped the table. "Hey, that rhymed! Look at me, being all poet-like." I downed Colin's wine and slammed the glass on the table. "The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord."

"All right." Alex stood up. "Enough. She's making a joke. Siobhan has a dark sense of humor."

"Oh, no. I'm not joking," I corrected. "I'm going to kill Nikolai Constantinov." I held my hand up and gagged like I was hanging. "Ack... dead, dead, dead."

"Siobhan, I swear to God," Sean hissed under his breath, "this is not the time."

"Bullpoop. It's so-ooo the time." I reached for Sean's glass, but he moved it out of reach. I poked him. "Dude. Whatever. Anyway. As I was saying, comrade, there's a universal right, and a universal wrong. Your brother destroys the innocence of children, and that's a universal wrong." I made a sad face. "A very big universal wrong. You know, like boom! World ending universal wrong." I felt Sean staring at me. "What? You know I'm right."

Brother Constantinov poured himself a shot of vodka and downed it. "Alexander, this girl is lacking in reason. If you allow me, I can take her off your hands. Help change her way of thinking."

"Oh, I'm mental, because evil people will eventually face God's wrath?" I elbowed Sean. "Now, that's a degenerate for you, right there... ow... Alex!" Alex stood behind me, his hand on my shoulder. "Stop it!"

"Thanks, Max, but I've got this." Alex wrapped a hand around my arm and pulled me backward. "She's not serious."

"I'm serious," I corrected. "I'm very serious... ow... God, Alex... " I swatted at his hand. "Stop it."

"No. It's fine, Alexander." Cowboy boots muttered something that made brother Constantinov smile. "May I ask a small indulgence? I want her to hear what she has to say. How do you plan to kill my brother?"

"Max, I think she's said enough - "

"I have not!" I interrupted. "I don't know. It could be an ice pick, it could be I knock an a/c out of a window and it lands on his head. All I know is that it's going to be me." I pointed at myself. "Me, me, me." 

"Siobhan - " Alex grunted " - enough. Please."

I allowed Alex to win the tug of war and let him pull me off the bench. "What I mean, Max, is that it's God's will. I'm the one who's going to cut off his cajones with the sword of righteousness." I acted like I was swinging a sword while Alex tried to grab my hand. "This whole thing's, like, Biblical as fuck."

The security men were all watching me with varying degrees of interest. One of the redheads was trying to hide a smile. 

Brother Constantinov's eyes narrowed. "There is no God."

"Says you," I sneered. "Wouldn't it be funny if there was? You'd be all, like, whoops? My bad."

Cowboy Boots growled and reached over the table, like he was going to chase after us or something, but the security dude sitting closest to him grabbed his arm, as fast as a snake. "Sit," the security dude snarled.

Cowboy Boots looked at the security dude's hand, his face turning an unattractive, mottled red. Brother Constantinov snapped at him in Russian. Cowboy Boots gave the security dude a dirty look but lifted his hands. The security let him go, and he sank back down in his seat.

"You have just ruined a multi-billion dollar deal," Alex whispered in my ear. "Goddamnit, Siobhan... "

"So?" I smirked. "It wasn't God's will." 

"You're done here." Alex yanked me towards the exit. "Max, I apologize - "

"Don't bother, Alex." I shot brother Constantinov with a finger gun. "Tell Nick to repent, for the day of judgment is at hand."

_____ * _____ * _____ * _____ * _____

Another change. Since 2.0 is the love story, I went ahead and re-wrote this to be more actiony. Also, I wanted to introduce Max.

Thank you so much for taking time to read Siobhan's story! I look forward to your comments, and if you liked it, please remember to vote!

©Copyright Liz Charnes May 2018

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