Burning Heart // CL16

Fifty

25th February 2024
Alessia POV

"Thank you," Charles says as we get out the car and I dig deep to not acknowledge the meaning in his voice. I don't want to hear it and so I get out the backseat of the car where I am sat with Ruby and work on releasing the straps of her car seat instead of responding to him. A quick glance to my right shows me that we are stood next to the private jet that is due to take us direct to Bahrain. The difficulty is that my blind rage at being here right now is making it so that I can't undo the straps attaching her to her car. I let out and angered hiss and before I can do anything else, Charles's hands are on top of mine, arms wrapping around me as he slows my movements down. He has total control, warm breath fanning my neck and creating a familiar fire fuelling my anger even more as he is the one to successfully undo the straps that attach Ruby to the car.

It's making it worse. The peace is painful and torturous in it's own way that I can't explain without sounding utterly insane or childish, it just hurts. I don't want to just give in to everything he wants... but when he does shit like that, calming my body down from the adrenaline that was filling it just moments before, I can't help but just let it.

On top of Charles's emotional blackmail to get us here - there was also the screaming of around two hundred members of the Tifosi who had somehow gotten his travel plans and were now stood 300m away from where we were, the car having had to push through them already to get into the air space. There was little denying their presence given the chanting and the nervous glances I was unable to stop myself from doing over my shoulder were a clear signal to Charles of the particular issue that was bothering me.

"Take her and I'll follow," he says when he steps away and I just nod relieved at the first thing that he's said in the last twenty-four hours that I've agreed with as I make sure that the sun guard is pulled over so no one can see her face. I don't look back as I climb the steps of the Vista Jet Charles organised to take us direct to Bahrain, not the smallest of their fleet which I do find strange but I can't say I'm bothered about the size, just about the privacy it affords us. Normally he flies with the team for these long haul flights but I'm glad he had the sense to realise that there was no way in hell that I was taking Ruby on a public flight, not even one with only the team.

I smile awkwardly at the air hostess who was waiting at the top of the stairs as I hold Ruby's car seat close to my chest and shimmy further into the jet with just a nod before settling in one of the table seats. I place Ruby's car seat in the one next to me, settling her how it is in the care as well. Fortunately for me, she's sound asleep as I peer over her and out the window to see Charles still standing with the fans. I have to squint because of the distance but it doesn't take a genius to realise that he is signing stuff but I get distracted as I realise our car is currently being unloaded next to the plane. I just sit and watch, curious as to how long this is going to take but then I realise that the people who are trying to load the bags onto the plane, don't know what is meant to make it on board with us.

"Merde," I curse under my breath as I force myself out my seat, a final check on Ruby before jogging lightly towards the exit. Once more I find myself shooting an awkward glance at the stewardess as I hesitate to leave Ruby alone before giving in and running down the steps of the plane. I know I'll be obvious to anyone with a camera over there - the simple sage green hoodie and black leggings meaning that I look very different to those standing around us. My hair being back to it's natural black and the fact that I was just seen carrying a car seat is more than enough of a sign that it's definitely me for the many internet detectives that I know are obsessed with tracking Charles's every move. One more check to my right shows that he's still distracted with them as I stand and try to help separate the stuff that needs to go onto the plane from the stuff to get stored below.