Chapter 5 Escape

• The two big frightening men were looking around for their partner, Levy Martin, as they surveyed everyone in the airport, still not finding him.
• "You need to focus with me, Lia, don't panic," he urgently told me as he gave me my bag and took out the big money stack wrapped by an elastic band placing it on my hand. "The hotel we will be staying at is Ritz Carlton, request for inter-connected rooms on the sixth floor and don't open for anyone."
• Fear surged through me as I frantically looked into the wave of urgency in his tired eyes. "When will you be back? are they going to hurt you?"
• We were at the gate of the arrivals and the two men were still looking around, trying to spot Levy. "No, they won't, I will meet you at the hotel and remember, don't open to anyone."
• I nodded and placed the money in the backpack, Levy gave me a quick peck on the lips and walked off to the intimidating men with black suits.
• Trying not to look in Levy's direction, I rushed out of the entrance with my bag trying not to look so panicky. I had never been into one of Levy's business deals, he only ever talked to me about it were the times where he needed to go for two days but this trip was important because he told me it would take a whole week for this, whatever this was, to solve it.
• I didn't expect the men to come so suddenly and right after we were content with each other's presence, they ruined our little moment. Levy must be an essential partner since they were willing to come at six in the morning. The airport outside was crowded with people waiting for cabs and honks that sounded out of the impatient cars behind indicating the Californian rush.
• After cursing for an hour, a kind cab neared me and I took it, going inside and closing the door. "To the Ritz-Carlton, please," I politely directed but the cab driver seemed to stare at me for long.
• "Didn't you hear me?" I snapped and he quickly turned his head around to focus on the road but he would often look at me in the rear-view mirror, meeting my unpleased glare.
• After a one hour drive since the airport was distanced a lot from the hotel destination, I took out the needed amount and I almost wanted to bash the money into his sleazy wrinkled face but I restrained myself as I gently placed the money on the passenger's seat beside him, not wanting to touch his pedo fetish hands.
• "Wow." I gasped under my breath at the gorgeous structure of the Ritz-Carlton royalist hotel, taking in the lights that seemed to welcome every guest and a waiter holding lemon with mint juice pleasantries along with wet wipes for the people who came in. Everything about it from the rectangular architecture to the detailed features was enticing. It was no wonder that this hotel achieved number one worldwide.
• Closing my eyes momentarily allowed me to feel California's soft, soothing breezes and salty scents of the beach near the hotel. It was too exhilarating, it was the first time, since that one date that Levy took me on to another royal hotel for dinner which was on our first anniversary, to ever step into such luxuriously mesmerizing hotels.
• After all, I was dating the multi-billionaire Clay Martin's son. It came with its perks when the waiter approached me with an orange juice along with wet scented towels. I kindly took them with a giddy smile on my face and entered the hotel.
• I did what Levy told me and requested inter-connected rooms. The lady, approximately in her thirties, asked me about the name of the reservation and I blanked at the fact that Levy forgot to tell me.
• Ignoring the grumbling people behind me, I tried to guess. Knowing Levy, he must have named it something like...
• "Mr. Levy Martin and Mrs. Lia Martin," I answered, trying to appear confident as well as freaking out internally, half hoping that my answer was correct.
• The lady looked into her computer and gave me an accepting smile, making me sigh out in relief. She gave me the card to the rooms and told me it was at the end of the sixth floor.
• I thanked her and went away so the people could stop whining. My eyes widened at the transparent elevator that had golden beads around the ceiling, what was more stunning was that I could see the entire ocean as well as the bright aqua-colored swimming pool with tanned moms and splashing babies that giggled in happiness.
• Swiping the card on the sensor, the first thing I did was drop my bag behind the door, ran to the plush, king-sized bed and jumped on it. This was so much better than school. I commented as my eyes took in the number of candies in front of the LG TV that had a welcome message on it for Mrs. Lia Martin. I chuckled at Levy's idea, he always liked to call me Mrs. Lia Martin, he told me it had a nice ring to it.
• I dropped my clothes in a haste to try out the jacuzzi in the bathroom and opened the massage option that had installed heaters in the jacuzzi. The moment I accustomed myself to the hot relaxing water, I groaned in pleasure as I plunged my whole body into the heated water as bubbles started to form. This was pure bliss, this was heaven. My muscles finally relaxed and my back stopped hurting me. I started playing with the bubbles until I heard a knock on the door.
• My fun was short-lived as I unwillingly stood out of the Jacuzzi and wrapped a pinkish robe around me with my lazy bun. I wore the cozy hotel flip-flops and looked at the door hole, remembering Levy's warning.
• It obviously couldn't be Levy because he was still on that business deal and I just left him half an hour ago. Looking into the hole, I tried not to gasp as one of the men that was with Levy, the bald one, stood in front of me and the only thing separating us was the door.
• What if something happened to Levy?