Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 69909 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69909 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“Blue. Stop.”
I can’t look at him as tears blur my vision.
He pulls me into his arms. “There’s no if.” He takes my face in his hands and tilts it up to his. “I’ll come for you, Blue. I swear it. I’ll come for you.” He bends down to kiss my mouth and I set my hands over top of his.
“I’m scared.”
He draws back, a furrow between his brows. “It’s going to be fine. You’re going to be fine. Safer there than here.”
I shake my head. “No. I’m scared for you.”
He smiles, kisses me again. “Don’t be. I can take care of myself. I promise.”
“I,” I start but stop. What am I going to say? I love him? He doesn’t want that. He’s made that clear. Besides, saying it feels like I won’t see him again.
We walk out and get into the SUV, me dragging my feet to give Antoine time although if he knows where I am he might already have someone stationed near the house. I look around as Zeke drives, Dex in the passenger seat, me in the back. I catch Zeke’s eyes on me in the rear-view mirror and try to sit still as we drive toward the highway.
“Which airport are we going to?” I ask.
“Private one.”
The drive is forty minutes long and I can’t be sure if Antoine or his men made it or not. We pull onto airport grounds where a plane is waiting ready for us. Zeke and Dex climb out. I grab my tote and Zeke opens my door as I reach for it.
“Change your mind,” I say before getting out. Don’t make me have to betray you.
He shakes his head. “Come on, Blue.” He holds out his hand, but I don’t take it. I step out of the vehicle, looking around.
“What are you looking for, Blue?”
“Nothing. I don’t know.”
He drops it and we walk toward the plane where the captain and the first officer greet us. They shake hands with Zeke. I guess this is not his first private flight. Zeke introduces me and I try to smile. We all get on the plane, and, for a moment, I think maybe he’s changed his mind, but then he hugs me hard, like maybe he won’t get to again. Maybe I won’t get to hug him again.
Tears come unbidden as they always seem to and he draws back, wipes them away. His eyes are sad, and I get the feeling neither of us know what to say.
“Sir. Our time slot,” the captain says and Zeke nods.
“If anything happens to me, you’ll look after Wren?”
“Nothing is going to happen to you. What would happen to you?”
“Just will you?”
His eyes shine, that line that forms between his eyebrows making him even more handsome. He nods. “I promise.”
More tears stream from my face. I nod too because I can’t speak over the lump in my throat.
“Sir, we don’t want to lose our time slot.”
Zeke gives me one final, sad smile before deplaning. His phone rings as he does, and I hear that it’s Jericho.
“I’m on my way,” he says, and I watch him rush to the SUV through a small window. He doesn’t wait until we take off but speeds off and I wonder what Jericho said to him.
“We’ll be on our way in a few minutes. Just settle in and relax,” the Captain says over the intercom. “We’ll be flying to Boston to pick up the fuel we’ll need then we’ll head to Amsterdam. Should be landing by mid-morning.”
For some reason I panic about not having a passport. I have no idea why. They’d send me back, I’m sure. I shake my head, not sure why I even think about that.
I take my phone out, my hands sweaty as I watch intently out the window. Girard isn’t going to make it. They’re closing the doors and the engines have started. The captain announces we’re cleared for take-off and instructs the flight attendant to take her seat and I scroll to my calls and hit redial, my heart racing because we can’t take off. We can’t. But the call just goes to voice mail.
The plane starts moving and we slowly make our way toward the runway.
Shit.
I disconnect and dial again. Again, voicemail.
The plane turns and I lose sight of the main gate. I’ve just about given up hope when, just as we get to the start of the runway, I see a huge, black SUV speed past my window toward the front of the plane. Tires screech and the plane makes a sharp turn I guess to avoid the SUV, then comes to a sudden stop, jerking me forward. I grip the armrests hard.
“What the fuck?” Dex is unbuckling his belt.
“Sir, please remain seated,” the flight attendant says.
He ignores her, walking to another window to get a better look. He reaches under his jacket to the gun I’ve seen holstered there. Movement in my periphery has me turning my head and I watch three men stalk right up to where the door is. The first officer steps out of the cockpit looking paler than he did before we took off and unlatches the door.