Abrade - [Charles Leclerc] A Sequel To Corrode

Tre

Charles took the suitcase from Joanne and put it in the car to take it to the airport. They were leaving with Charles' jet in an hour to fly to Amalfi. Joanne looked forward to spending some time on their yacht with the family. Jules and Liam had been busy the last couple of weeks, and Teresa too. She had some assignments to get done and some exams, but now Teresa had her deadlines done, she was looking forward to being with her parents and brothers in Italy. She was able to participate in the classes she had online. "Take good care of the house, yes?" Charles asked Mick, who was standing next to the door. He was going to make sure everything would be fine while Charles was away from the headquarters of the crew. "And don't call me," Charles added, turning his phone off in the doorway, making Joanne shake her head at her husband as she turned to Mick. "You can always call if something's wrong," she said, cupping Mick's face as he leaned down for her, so she could kiss his cheek. "I know," Mick replied, smiling at her. "Take care and see you in a week," she said, making her way to the door. "Have fun and a good anniversary," Mick said, saying goodbye with a small wave, and closing the door behind him.

Joanne was the last one to get into the car, hopping into the backseat, and squishing between the door and Liam. "Last call of work, I promise," Jules sounded from the passenger seat as his phone rang. He picked it up, easily switching to Italian. Charles had raised him to be bilingual, with French and Italian, but he also spoke English effortlessly, and almost fluent in Spanish. It was beneficial for the job for sure. Charles muttered something to his son as he finished the call, and Joanne caught the glance between them in the front of the car, but she decided not to mind it. They were going to spend three days in Amalfi with the family, and then Charles and Joanne were going to travel to Paris to spend the weekend in their apartment. Jules would be the leader of the crew until Charles came back. Joanne's patience, ever since she and Charles started dating, got married, and got Teresa, was rewarded now. She had never complained that Charles couldn't always get away from the crew easily, that his phone would interrupt their dates, or that he would be in dangerous situations. But now, they were able to spend time together, just the two of them, and she knew the boys and Teresa would be fine, protected at home in their residence in Monte Carlo.

Charles took the exit off the highway and took the turn towards the hangar at the airport in Nice. His jet was already there for them, and he stopped the car close to the plane. Charles got out, opening the door for Joanne. He spoke to the staff, who went to take their luggage and put it into the aircraft. Teresa was the first one to enter the plane, hopping down in one of the last seats and pulling her book from her back, ready to curl up into the leather seat and read during the flight. Charles was speaking to the pilot as Joanne followed Liam and Jules into the jet. The boys sat down next to each other, and Liam was quick to put his headphones on and turn on the TV screen to entertain himself during the flight. Charles sat down on the opposite side of Joanne, giving her a smile. "Just a little over an hour and we're back in the place where I asked you to marry me," Charles said. "I still have that picture I pretended to take of you," he grinned. "Good thing for you is that I also still have the ring," Joanne replied, holding up her hand with the wedding ring that was sparkling as if he gave it to her yesterday.

"Thank god," Charles chuckled. It didn't take long before they were up in the air and on their way to the south of Italy. Joanne undid the straps of her heeled sandals and crossed her ankles as she placed them in Charles' lap. Like her daughter, she had a book between her fingers, sinking into the story as Charles' fingertips brushed over the inside of her ankles. Charles had his eyes closed, leaning back against the seat, he just sank away into his thoughts. He thought about Jules and what he told him about Mick working with him to get more information about the new crew he wanted to work with. Charles was proud because that's what he had taught him. To not just trust someone and believe the pretty words they spoke, but to firmly dive into their background and do thorough research. After years and years in the business, Charles had his own partners and network, not bothering to speak to others outside that tight circle, but he understood that Jules wanted to network on his own, to form the next generation. And while he was worried at first, Charles knew he needed to loosen up and trust his son. He had been his mentor since he was eighteen, after all. "My love, we're about to land." Joanne's voice made him open his eyes. "Hmm, okay," Charles said, locking his seatbelt again.