"Do you want a beer or a glass of champagne sir?"

A wide eyed stewardess smiled down at Marcus, her fitted uniform a deep blue.

"No, no alcohol, thank you."

Shrugging, the woman continued on to help others. Marcus exhaled, buckling his seat belt, preparing to get into the air. His estranged wife's words still echoing in his mind.

You've always loved her. And you will never stop.

She wasn't wrong. Charlotte. It was always Charlotte. He knew that his path was forever intertwined with hers. Ever since he met her at work and then especially when they began to bond more. But she was in trouble, that much he knew. He had to help her in anyway that he could. Flying to Denver seemed like the most logical thing to do. Only, he was unsure of how she would respond.

We last ended on a bad note.

Stuffing the feelings aside, he focused on his laptop. Pulled up on the screen was an old, archived article from a small town paper near Denver. The title, 'What is hiding under the new Denver International Airport?' softly glowed back at him. He swallowed the lump in his throat and began reading. He had a sickening feeling that Charlotte had stumbled upon something big. Bigger than she realized. And he had to find out what that was. For her sake as much as his.

Back on the ground in Denver, Charlotte curled her hair using a curling iron. The heat steamed as she wound each section around the hot barrel. It was getting close to the time to leave and see Johir again. This time she would be prepared. Acting as if she were excited to see him, she intended to use her 'gifts' as a way to get him to talk or let his guard down. At the very least, to keep him from harming her. If he would be so stupidly bold.

What is the ability to charm for anyways, if I can't use it to help myself?

Fear brewed in the back of her mind. She flashed back to the night of the crash, how scared she had felt. Knowing that Johir was behind it gave her pause. It had to be him, as he was the one who sent her to the interview at his former workers house. The spinning, the dizziness, the blacking out. Then a man walking through the darkness with a flashlight.

Trinity bus company.

If Johir had orchestrated the foreign sedan to run her off the road, Charlotte couldn't place where the bus company came into play. Or why. Supposedly the buses were apart of the militaries secrets. They contracted them.

"I should just ask Liam," she softly argued with herself.

Shrugging, she finished her hair and applied a modest amount of makeup to her face. Liam would follow her to the meeting, he made sure she knew she wasn't going there alone. But the danger was still there, inside the construction headquarters, anyone could be waiting. A soft knock on her door made her flinch.

"Coming!" she called out.

Grabbing her purse, she went to the door and upon opening, collided with her handsome handler.

"Char," Liam said, his heart racing.

"My god, I am sorry. I am so nervous.." she spit out.

He helped her right her purse and stand fully on her feet. At his touch, Charlottes thoughts went alight. His lips were calling to her, but she stuffed them away immediately. There wasn't time for this.

"Ready?" Liam asked, amusement in his voice.

"Yes. Let's go."

Liam led her to the elevator and they both got on. Neither speaking a word. It was already arranged. He would drive her, drop her off at the door as if he were an Uber then leave, but park just around the block. She now had an undetectable listening device installed on her cellphone. Johir would not expect or suspect it. Just as Liam knew.

They arrived at the lobby and exited to children chattering at the check in desk. Exasperated parents were in the process of checking in. Thinking nothing of it, Charlotte exited out the front sliding doors as Liam glanced behind. The dad caught his eye. He looked darker complected and someone of interest. The man gave a chin nod and then turned back to the desk clerk. Shrugging the feeling off, he caught up to Charlotte, desire still lingering in his brain.

"I will be just outside, and my men will be closer. If you need us, just say something that makes no sense. Anything incoherent will do and then a second statement that is off, I will know then that you need help, and it will take less than a minute for them to get to you."

"Less than a minute?" she asked, climbing into the back seat of Liam's SUV.

"Yes. That is how we work," he whispered, close to her ear, shutting the door behind her for dramatic affect.

He knew what he was doing, Charlotte felt tingles up her spine at his words. It was almost too much for her to handle and keep focused. But, she had skills from her film days. Breathing in softly, she counted. Then exhaled.

"Fuck.." she moaned.

"Something wrong?"

"I forgot my notebook.."

"Here," he said, tossing her a spare one from the front. "Use this."

Sighing at the way he treated her; she took the military grade field notebook. It had waterproof paper, not that she would need it, but it was handy, nonetheless.

"He is going to question you about what you have seen at the airport. About what tours you have been given, where you have gone and anything that might lead to the underground areas. But you have to lie Charlotte. Lie the entire time. Don't slip up."

"I know," she softly replied.

Nerves began to surface, and she felt a tad panicked. Johir was handsome, as were the men surrounding her. He was much older though, even than Zach. And likely seasoned in seduction. He would use anything to get her to talk. Film research was never this dangerous.

"He cannot know that you saw what you did."

Liam's tone changed and Charlotte took note.

He even sounds worried.

"I will be ok; I plan to see what he wants then I can take notes. Get in then out."

Before long, they were out front of the hulking glass building. It stunned in the late evening rays. If she didn't know better, he picked this time to disarm her.

"Right around the corner," Liam repeated, his jaw slightly clenched.

Nodding, Charlotte exited the SUV without looking back. The front glass doors opened and out stepped Jeremy Johir. Grey hair and freshly groomed beard stood in stark contrast to his tan skin. He wore a fitted tee and a pair of tailored khakis, also fitted. He looked like an older male model.

"You decide to Uber? Is your rental car not suiting you?"

"I had a drink a few hours ago at the hotel and I don't like to drive after..."

"Say no more," he cooed, beckoning her to come inside his office construction headquarters.

As she passed by him she got a whiff of his cologne. It was expensive. Not unlike Marcus' taste. And it was vaguely familiar. But she couldn't place from where. The glass doors clicking shut behind her, their footsteps could be heard loudly, her heels clacking on the tile floor. She had gone all out dressing up for the meeting, wearing a fitted work dress with a generously low neckline.

"Up to my office if you don't mind talking in there?"

"Sure," she replied.

Taking one step at a time, Charlotte gathered her thoughts. First, she would bring up Timothy, the man he had sent her to interview. Then depending on his response to that, she would ask about his knowledge of the airport. Hoping he would trust her enough to bring something up. Once at the top floor and inside his office, she sat in a leather chair while he pulled the twin to face her.

He sat and smiled softly, sizing her up. "This is nice. I am glad you were able to come by again."

"I was intrigued as to why you wanted to chat. My nature is inquisitive, as you know," she said with a smile.

Allowing herself to take stock of his looks, she let her eyes linger on his muscles. His torse was chiseled, showing through the fitted shirt. And his skin glowed a healthy tan. Part ethnicity and part sunshine, she had to admit he was attractive. Forcing the feelings began to pay off as Johir licked his bottom lip and adjusted his sitting posture. He was being drawn in.

"Tell me why you sent me to see that former worker. I know you wanted me to get a better inside account of what working on the airport construction was like but.."

"But he told you about his payments?"

The hair stood on the back of her neck. He knew already.

Of course he did.

Her heart raced.

"Yes," she managed to say calmly.

"You are a sexy and smart woman. I thought you should know what you're dealing with in digging around at the airport."

Licking his lip again, he stood, his arousal obvious. Charlotte glanced over but then moved her gaze immediately up. Her face aflame.

"Come. I want to show you something."

She knew this was dangerous. Johir was dangerous. But her curiosity said to follow, as did the nagging in her gut. He was part of the organization Liam worked for; she just knew it. Even if Liam wouldn't share the details. Her heels clacking again on the marble, she followed him to a side door which he unlocked using a small key in his pocket. He opened the door to a dark room. Stepping in, he called out to her.

"In here."