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“I told you, Eden. Where you go, I go.”
He kisses me, and all my doubts and fears melt away. We’re doing this, and we’re doing it together. And with Steph and the Viking twins having our backs, we cannot fail.
Right?
5
WHERE’S THE FUN IN THAT?
I’ve never been on a private jet before, but if I had to guess, I’d say this has to be one of the higher-end models. The seats are a plush, comfy leather that face the center with endless leg room and cocktail tables set between each one. Closer to the back, there are two couches, and there’s even a large, full bathroom complete with a shower behind a wooden door.
Jesse spared no expense to ensure our comfort.
I’m cuddled up with him on one of the couches now that we’re at cruising altitude, and the pilot assured us we can remove our seatbelts. His arm is around my shoulders, and my bare feet are curled up beside me as I lean into his chest and listen to Steph try to banter with Erik.
Try being the operative word. He’s not actually bantering back, but my best friend has never been one to give up easily.
“I’m just saying,” she goes on when all she gets is a grunt in response, “New Orleans seems like a romantic place. The history, the music, the magical energy… If you want to give yourself over to any basic urges, I’m here for it.”
“Jesus, Steph,” I mumble under my breath, and Erik grunts again as if in agreement with me.
Leif lets out an amused chuckle, and I see Erik shoot him a dark look.
“See? Leif is having fun. Let go and live, Erik. Let go and live.”
“How much longer is this flight?” he grumbles.
The intercom dings, and the pilot’s voice echoes around us. “We should be landing in about thirty-five minutes.”
I lift my head and look around with wide eyes. The cockpit door is firmly closed, and I can’t imagine a fancy jet like this having microphones in here so the crew can listen in on the passengers’ private conversations.
“The pilot is one of us,” Jesse murmurs, rubbing his hand up and down my back. “He was a pilot when he was human, and he still enjoys flying. My father helped him buy this plane in return for allowing our family to use it whenever necessary.”
“Oh,” I say, letting my head drop back to his chest.
“Since we’re so close, we should discuss our plans once we arrive,” Erik says, no doubt an attempt to stop Steph from continuing with her advances.
“I’ve booked three rooms in the Quarter,” Jesse says, and I sit upright. “One fore Eden and me, one for Steph, and one for the two of you.”
Leif nods, and I see Erik shoot a quick unsure look in Steph’s direction. He averts is eyes before she can see, and I watch him for a moment, feeling my gut clench as his uneasiness affects me, too.
“I don’t think Steph should stay by herself,” I say before Jesse can go on.
“Why not?” Steph asks.
“It’s not safe,” I say gently, hoping she won’t get offended.
“I don’t need protection,” she says, tilting her head to study me. “You don’t think I can handle myself?”
“Of course, I know you can,” I say quickly. “But these are extraordinary circumstances. We’re headed into this blind, not sure how the witches in the area are going to react to visiting vampires. We also don’t know how they’ll respond to me should they realize I’m a hybrid. They could see you as some sort of traitor, associating with us, Steph. We shouldn’t take any unnecessary risks.”
She stares at me for a long moment, then gives me a slow nod. Relief floods through me. She understands. She’s not offended and isn’t going to fight me on this.
“I’ll stay with the human. Leif can have the single room,” Erik says, breaking the silence that had fallen around us.
Steph’s head jerks in his direction, a Cheshire cat smile curling her lips.
“You’re going to protect little old me, big boy?” she purrs, batting her lashes at him.
