The Love Of Money - Episode 117
28-07-25 (14:39)
"Do you mind if we just leave? I'm sorry about the
mess, but I need to go. It's important."
"Yeah, man," Dillon said. "You okay?"
"Yeah," I said. "I'll tell you about it later."
"John's out front with the car, but he says the mob is
still out there. The other two are prepping to clear a
path for you," Chloe said.
I fist-bumped Dillon and gave him an appreciative
smile, and then we made our way to the front.
"Cool. Just a heads-up," I said to my bodyguard, my
voice low as I kept a vigilant eye around the room, but
I couldn't see any sign of my would-be assassin. "Some
guy just tried to pull a gun on me in the bathroom."
"Fuck," Chloe cursed under her breath. Her hand
disappeared underneath her jacket.
As we approached the door, I gave her a brief account
of what happened in the men's room, not skimping on
any of the details. Erin and Helen had stressed the need
for Chloe to have as much information as possible, and
now was starting to understand why it was so
important. After what just happened, I'd probably let
her watch me take a piss
When we reached the front, Chloe muttered to the
man she called Ray, "We have a broken arrow. Target's
MIA. Male. Roughly six feet. Scar on his face and
wearing a brown canvas jacket. He's armed. Just get
him to the car."
I thought my bodyguards were professional before, but
the speed and efficiency with which they moved
showed me that I hadn't seen anything yet. Between
all three of them, every step and movement was
calculated as they exited the Strange Mudd. The two
men flanked me, keeping their hands hidden under
their Jackets. Chloe was in front, firmly pushing any
paparazzi back who tried to get too close as she
escorted me roughly thirty feet to where' my car was
idling with the other John sitting in the driver's seat.
Within moments, Chloe was in the car with me, and
we drove away. The other two would follow behind in
a different car.
"I shouldn't have let you go alone," Chloe said after a
few moments of silence.
"It's not your fault," I said, though I supposed technically
it was. I glanced down at my hands and noticed they
were shaking. I suddenly felt lightheaded and laid my
head back on the seat, shutting my eyes. The
excitement and adrenaline must have been wearing off
now that the immediate danger was over.
"It's one hundred percent my fault," she retorted.
"You had your hands full, and I'm fine."
"That doesn't matter! There were four of us there, sir! If
we'd done our jobs properly, at least one of us should
have been in the bathroom with you. Instead, you got
your ass pulled out of the fire by that brainless gold-
sniffer, Carla fucking Tanaka."
She was right, but I could tell she was beating herself
up over it, so there wasn't any point in piling onto
whatever she was working through. I kept my eyes
shut and tried to calm down.
"Where are we going?" John asked.
That was a good question. Between the ambulance
chasers, the gold diggers, and the men trying to kill me,
I wasn't sure where' I would be safe from harassment,
let alone murderers. My apartment? Sure, but couldn't
stay there indefinitely. Chloe and Erin claimed the
paparazzi would die down in about a week. While that
wouldn't solve all my problems, it was a start. Maybe I
needed a change of scenery to clear my head anyway
"Out of town," I muttered.
Tuesday 1:33 pm
"I don't understand why I can't just take first class."
Erin looked at me, her hands on her hips. "You're
kidding."
"I'm not. The house is an extravagance, but I get it. This
feels like a whole other level of being extra," I said,
waving a hand around the interior of the private jet we
were viewing. "Especially when I want to leave today.
There has to be a lot that goes into buying a plane."
"Yeah. That's why brought the small army with us," Erin
replied. "Test flight, inspection, appraisal, insurance,
jurisdiction... I have it all covered."
She turned and stuck her head out the door. "We're
going to be a little while. Mr. Upton wants to make sure
it meets all his needs," I heard her say.
"Please! Take all the time you need!" our salesman,
Sam, said from the steps just out of view.
"Thanks! I'm just going to shut this so we can get the
full experience. I promise we won't take off or
anything," Erin sing- songed that last bit and slid the
door shut, cutting off what sounded suspiciously like
sounds of protest from Sam. It moved similarly to the
door on a van but much bigger and came with a
massive handle that Erin had to move with both hands
to seal it.
I glanced at Helen, and she smiled at the younger
woman's antics. "She's right, you know. Aside from
saving you time and a headache, it's safer."
Erin had suggested Helen accompany us for the
purchase, and I agreed, though for very different
reasons than what imagined Erin had. Helen's team
was vital in this purchase, but was sure Vikram or
someone else could have handled it for her. I wanted
her there because I had questions that needed answers
"I know I'd feel a lot better about it," Chloe said, her
arms crossed over her chest as she reappeared from
one of the rooms just down the hall. After what
happened earlier at the coffee shop, she insisted on
checking every room before letting me explore the
plane. So far, I'd seen the cockpit, a kitchen, dining
room, den, massage room, bathroom with a jacuzzi tub,
and two bedrooms. I was amazed private planes could
hold all this and still manage to get off the ground but
considering the weight of so many people on
commercial airliners, maybe it didn't seem so
outlandish.
"Yeah," I said. It's just between the apartment and the
plane, it's a lot of money to blow in a week"
"Speaking of which," Helen said. "The company that
owns the Liberty Elite building called back. They
appreciate the offer but aren't interested in selling at
this time."
"Damn," I said and walked past Chloe to look down the
hallway she'd just emerged from. The door on the right
opened to a nice bathroom that would have looked like
one you'd find in a nice home if you didn't know any
better. "Was the offer good?"
"Maximum appraisal value, Helen replied as she
followed me down the hall,
"See if they'll accept fifteen million more," I said,
walking into the largest bedroom I'd seen on this plane.
The entire plane was set up to show off like an open
house, and the bed had been made with a nice spread
and decorative pillows. I tested the mattress, pushing
on it with my hands. It was more comfortable than
anything I'd ever slept on before two weeks ago.
"Why do you want to buy it?" Erin asked, following
Helen into the room. Don't forget to leave a Comment 
