Paragon - Chapter 52: Chapter 52

Quinn stared out at the seas of the north Caribbean as we began the descent.
I hadn't visited this part of the world since the Cold War. Perhaps much had changed, or perhaps it had not at all. It remained beautiful regardless.
"So, Colombia. Give me some background here, immortal." Quinn murmured, tilting her head between the aisle to cast me a look that was still half asleep. Her hair was chaos but the best kind.
I hadn't even mentioned a word of the fact that there was an immortal over a thousand years old on this aircraft. That conversation wasn't necessary yet. Getting her onto solid ground was. Not to mention my agreement to begin work for Paragon again in the near future–but that was for another time. I wanted my days with her as much as possible for now.
I flagged down an attendant and ordered an espresso. Once I had the cup in hand I politely smiled off the woman before slipping it into Quinn's hand ahead of me and nodding towards the aqua blue tropical waters beyond.
"Well, it has the second highest level of biodiversity on the planet–"
"I meant the culture, Fletcher." She deadpanned, taking a sip. "You can tell me all about the plant life later..."
I grinned, scanning the side of her face and leant forward until I could lean beside her seat as she watched the aircraft near Bogotá capital.
"The language is Spanish. The population is fifty million. They have some of the finest fruit in the world and enjoy empanadas."
She resisted a laugh at my break down.
"What are those?"
"Similar to the English pasty but deep fried."
She scrunched up her nose.
"I'll stick to the fruit."
"Yes, you always find the most creative ways of eating it..." I muttered, leaning back in my seat.
Quinn only took that moment to turn back and lean over her own with a devilish grin. She was soon reprimanded however and told to remain in her seat for landing. I chuckled and watched the rich blue seas rush towards us. Then the spiralling sprawls of kilometres worth of rainforest beyond. Even an immortal could lose themselves in this land. Entirely off the grid.
Our captain declared the scorching temperatures calmly and local morning time. Quinn yawned ahead of me and I smirked.
I'd situate us somewhere remote enough but within walking distance of the beach. She didn't know I had access to Paragon funds once more and would be pleasantly surprised... As if I would allow her to fund this escape either way.
When the aircraft touched the tarmac I pulled out my burn phone and started making arrangements. In the space it took us to taxi the runway I had a five star villa in the outlands booked and a car ready to be picked up from the airport. Immortal contacts really did make it too easy.
The seatbelt sign flashed and the cabin filled with the conversation and excitement of landing.
Quinn was already out of her seat with her bag over her shoulder. I eyed her as she flicked sunglasses over her eyes and appraised me.
"In a hurry are we?" I drawled.
She gave me a pointed look and scanned the aisles. "With certain cold blooded immortals searching the planet for us I would think you'd be a bit more on edge..."
I gave her an easy smile before dipping forward and kissing her head. Her pulse sang loudly before she regained herself and nodded towards the exit. I pulled the bag off her shoulder and enjoyed the protest before plucking my own bag out and throwing it over me.
"How much time do you think we have–before they–"
"Relax, Adams. It's taken care of." I remarked calmly.
She stared at the side of my face like I had grown another head. I nodded at the staff with a smile and thanks as we passed the threshold into the airport tunnel.
"Did they slip something in your drink?" She hissed.
I grinned ahead and fought a laugh.
"Seriously Fletcher shouldn't we be taking this seriously?" She demanded in an adorable fashion.
I nodded with a serious expression.
"You're right I'm only pretending to be calm because an immortal is right behind us."
"What?" She almost shouted.
She darted her head behind us. Several others stared in concern. It took her two beats to realise. Then she slapped my arm in what I imagined was hard. God it would have been so much fun with a mortal this bad at being subtle on the run from the most successful assassins.
"You know what–I risk my life to run from this elite organisation with you and the least you could do is take it seriously–why are you smirking like that?!" She demanded, pulling me to a stop and almost colliding with several passengers.
I sighed and pulled her alongside me as we approached security.
"Quinn." I murmured clearly, making those summer green eyes lose a touch of panic. She met my gaze and I took the side of her face in my hand. The heat of her warmed my palm as her heartbeat remained fast.
"We're okay. I will explain everything when we drop our possessions off."
"Off where? I haven't even planned that far ahead." She insisted.
"It's taken care of." I smirked, before winking at her and enjoying the lost expression she had. I dropped my hand from her face and pulled her fingers through my own. We passed through security without issue and were soon before the sliding glass doors that hit us with the new temperature of the southern continent.
"It's like inhaling water. Again." She noted, scanning the bright daylight as taxis darted between lanes ahead of us. Palm trees lined the glass building.
"That's tropical heat for you." I quipped, checking my phone.
Right on time.
A driver pulled up in a white McLaren Artura.
Quinn stared for a moment before she shook her head and went for the passenger side without argument. I smiled widely at the valet and exchanged the usual small talk before swiping the keys and slipping in beside an exasperated lawyer.
"Fletcher, I'm not even going to ask. Just take me somewhere with air conditioning please." She stated dryly, leaning back in the seat and shutting her eyes.
I took the wheel and shifted into gear, loving the growling response of the engine.
"Yes ma'am."
* * * * *
She sucked a wedge of watermelon intently.
I crossed my arms before the steering wheel and gazed at her mouth. "The idea was to eat it when we got there." I deadpanned.
She licked the corner of her mouth slowly.
"What's wrong with right here, detective?"
My blood flashed cold and I tightened my arms against my shirt. I glanced past the fruit vendors and at the orange tiled buildings beyond. Several eyes lingered on the car dangerously and I met them with immortal glares.
"It's not far." I finished, turning the car back on. She smirked and resumed eating.
But soon she was leaning forward taking in the sights. The bright sun bleached colours and vehicles from a past era. She nodded her head to a Spanish singer and guitar that floated in the open window.
"How exactly did you manage that without the immortals bankrolling us?" She quipped.
"I thought it would be better to tell you when we were off the plane..." Her eyes shot to mine. "–An elite found me on board. We just talked—" I emphasised as she threw the fruit down and her adrenaline spiked.
"About what? The beach?!" She demanded in a higher pitch. "One of those assassins interrogated you and you didn't tell me—"
"Not an interrogation. A conversation. Immortals don't announce themselves in front of so many mortals." I answered calmly.
Quinn was silent a moment. Then she took a slow breath and pulled her knees up around her.
"So..?"
I met those green eyes with a small smile.
"So, I think a lawyer is rubbing off on me. We came to a deal." She raised an eyebrow but didn't dare to smile yet. "They need me as much as you thought, Quinn. So much so, that they're willing to let me go with you—as long as I can be called upon when needed."
"Fletcher..." she murmured lost a moment. "That's—that's everything! That's perfect!" Her face was unbidden in the shock and release of the deaths looming on both of us. She leant across the dash and kissed the side of my face.
I heated under her and fought to keep my focus on the road. I captured one of her hands with my free one. "First the fruit, now this..." I muttered.
"That's just the beginning, detective." She whispered near my ear making me need to straighten the car on the road.
"You know I'm trying to keep us in one piece."
She smiled before leaning back and taking up her fruit again.
"This is really going to work..." She mused, gazing out the window and making the space in the car smell of that sweet fruit and her own scent. "You and me... we're going to work."
I glanced at her with my own burning emotion beneath the cool surface. I wanted nothing more than her. Nothing more than us. And I'd managed to make the oldest organisation alive see that there was no way around it unless I was with this woman.
I couldn't help but fantasise myself.
This was everything we were fighting for. I still had to fight relentlessly to keep myself in check but we didn't have an order hunting our every step. We didn't have assassins or nomads to haunt or guilt me away from her. We could be together.
For the time Paragon gave me away without their phone and orders I would get to spend my days with Quinn in that secluded villa. A country whose tropical heat flaunted white beaches, lush jungles and a mortal that also... made a certain mortal wear next to nothing.
She had already discarded her jeans and wore one of my shirts. The edges running up the height of her thighs—
"Stop looking at me like that." She answered my thoughts around a mouthful.
I snapped my eyes dutifully back on the road with a dark smirk. I didn't miss her own.
"You know I'm going to need that nice temperature of yours a lot more here." She murmured.
Her words did nothing good for my imagination. Or perhaps everything good.
Quinn sprawled out across a bed overlooking a beach that I wouldn't glance at. Each line and curve of her calling me closer. How she would draw me closer, bring me forward and eliminate the distance to her skin. I'd roam her body without fearing my cold to her heat—she would only want it more, want me all over her—
"Fletcher, that light has been green for the last two minutes." Quinn said interrupting my thoughts and making me notice the swearing Colombian that was already out of his car behind.
I snapped the stick back and accelerated hard before he could even reach our window. Quinn's answering laugh only made it worse.