Champagne Brunch: The Stiletto Sisters Series Ainsley Claire (primary phonics books .TXT) 📖

my day. The press is all over the house, but I’m here with two people from Clear. I’m safe and I’m going to bed for the next 36 hours. I love you all. XOXO

I immediately turn my phone off, pull myself out of the tub, and walk into my room. I put on a Yale T-shirt and a pair of cotton boy shorts and crawl into bed. I fall immediately into a restless sleep.

Chapter 14

Axel

Waking up with my morning wood on Thursday, my thoughts immediately go to Mia. We’ve traded a few texts over the last couple of days, but I currently wish she’d spent last night here. She’s had some long days at work, and I know she’s exhausted by the situation with her friend. I would have gone to her place, but I’ve stayed at mine to be with Jeremy, and I keep meaning to look into the reporting she mentioned, but today is his fastball debut at home, and we’ve avoided watching the news. He’s required more of my attention than usual, but I know he’s nervous and a little out of sorts since he’s stuck at my place.

My phone rings and I hear “Urgent” playing. It’s the middle of the night in Australia. This isn’t a morning call I’m going to like.

“Hey, baby sister. What’s up?” I’m more alert than I want to be.

There’s noise in the background. “I’m at the police station here in Cairns,” Alana says, her voice ragged.” I need help.”

Cairns is on the Great Barrier Reef and has incredible waves for surfing, but I can’t figure out why she’d be that far north. The tour is long past Australia.

I sit up in bed. Alana’s been crying, and I can’t help but wish Australia wasn’t half the globe away. “What do you need?”

“I need to borrow money to pay for some damage Marco did so I’m not arrested and the kids put into foster care. And I need plane tickets for me and the boys to come back to California.”

“Of course. Where do I send the money for the damage?”

“If you can transfer it to my bank account in the US, I can move it over. The boys and I can be ready to leave as soon as you can book tickets.”

“You don’t want a ticket for Marco?”

“No. I’m already paying for the damage he did last night. He can figure out how to get home or what he wants to do, but I want nothing to do with him right now.”

I’ve walked over to my home office and stand at my computer, looking at the Qantas website. “What time is it now?”

“It’s almost two a.m.,” she whispers into the phone.

“Okay, there’s a flight out of Cairns just before seven your time to Sydney, and there are five seats on the two p.m. flight out of Sydney, which arrives here in San Francisco at eight a.m.—about twenty hours from now. Can you manage that? I can delay a day or two or whatever you want.”

I close my eyes. I want her home, and I feel like if she waits, she’ll find a way to get out of it.

Alana is quiet a minute. The tickets are ten grand apiece, but if she wants to bolt, I don’t care what it takes to get her and the boys here.

“These are nonrefundable tickets, Lan,” I add after a moment. “I would love to see you. Tell me what you want and need.”

“I want to come home.” She breaks down in tears.

A new voice comes over the phone. “Hello? This is Officer Fields.”

“Hello, this is Axel Remington, Alana’s brother. I’m sending her money for the damage, and I want to fly her and the boys home on a flight that leaves Cairns just before seven . Is that possible?”

“I’d say so, mate. I’ll help her get there.” The background becomes quiet. “Your brother-in-law went on quite the bender. Your sister is in pretty bad shape.”

“I have five first-class tickets for her and her boys. If they don’t have any suitcases, we’ll get them things here.”

“We’ve got some time. I’ll make sure she has her things. Her husband will be remaining in custody for a while.”

“Good. Thank you.” Marco has been part of my life for a long time, but I’ve been unhappy with him and his substance issues for a while. “I want him out of her life. I’m sending money so she can pay for the repairs, but if he did the damage on his own, I’d like him to figure out how to pay it back.”

“Right. What time’s the flight again?” the officer asks.

“It’s a Qantas flight leaving at six fifty-five and landing in Sydney at ten-oh-five. She has a four-hour layover before her next flight takes off for San Francisco. I’ll be here to meet her.”

“I’ll make sure someone meets her plane in Sydney and helps her transfer to her next flight,” the officer confirms.

A wave of relief flows through me. I click to buy the tickets without a second thought. It’s time to get my baby sister home. “Can I talk to Alana again?”

“She’s right here.”

“Hi.” There’s no emotion in her voice, and I can tell she’s barely hanging on.

“I know you’re tired. I booked you five tickets. I’ll be waiting for you outside customs once you land here. The police officer is going to help you get your things. How much money do you want me to transfer? Is ten grand enough?”

“I hope so,” she breathes into the phone.

“Let me know if you need more.” I move money from my savings into her account. I know I’ll never see it again, but I would do anything for her and her boys.

She starts crying again.

“Alana,” I tell her. “I’ve got you. Marco can call his