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“You’re going to have to steer,” Striker said. “Just hold steady while I go tie the lines.”
“Are you crazy?” I said more than asked.
“Just hold it as straight as you can. If we go to the left, bring us back right.”
“I can’t,” I said.
“Do you want to tie the lines? Because I can’t do both and there’s no one here to help.”
I shook my head and switched places with him. The water was rough, and each time a wave came in, we were pushed against the pier. I worried. What if the boat pulled away and he fell in? And if the boat slammed back to the pier…
“Not today,” I said out loud.
Time passed as if seconds were minutes as he worked to dock us. When he came back, he was soaked through to the bone and shivered as the air conditioning hit him.
“Let’s go, princess.” He turned the key and the engine stopped. “Go to the door.”
I hurried to do as he asked. Then the lights went out. We left the cover of the galley and stood for a second under the overhang before I took his offered hand and ran with him from the boat to the pier to the parking lot. A lone car was still there.
“Get in,” Striker called over the roar of the storm.
I didn’t question it. I opened the passenger door, which was surprisingly unlocked. He reached down on the floorboard and came up with keys.
“Griffin?” I asked.
He nodded. When he turned on the car, warm air came through the vents, quickly turning frigid. When the car was left, it must have been hot outside. Our hands collided as we both went to fumble with the controls. I pulled back and let him take control, and it didn’t bother me.
Then he pulled out his phone.
“It’ll work?” I said, forgetting for a second that we were back Stateside.
He punched in an address on the map and we took off. Then he made a call. When it was answered, he said, “Are you still here?”
“Yes,” came through the speakerphone. “I’m not sure how much longer I can stay. I’ll be grounded if we don’t leave soon.”
“We’re on our way. Twenty minutes tops.”
“Good, I’ll prep the plane.”
The roads were eerily empty. Striker did follow most of the traffic signals, though he only slowed when we came to red lights. There was no one. I was certain the island had been evacuated. Despite his speed, we didn’t arrive at the small airport for eighteen minutes.
We parked somewhere on the side of the road and broke every TSA rule as we ran from the car straight to the runway. The only lights on, besides the planes, were in the tower. The gales worked against us as we made our way to the plane’s stairs.
“Hurry,” Grant yelled over the shrieking wind.
Going up the stairs seemed as perilous as being on the ocean.
“We have about a minute to get up in the air.” He quickly shut the door behind us. “Strap in. It’s going to get bumpy.”
Grant dashed into the cockpit and didn’t close the door. No one had been there to move the stairs, but he backed up the plane as I heard him talking into the radio. This had to be illegal, but I assumed everyone wanted to get us clear of the hurricane.
“If you don’t clear me, I’ll leave anyway,” Grant said.
Striker reached a hand across the aisle and I took it.
“You are cleared to go,” came through the crackling radio.
Grant looked over his shoulder. “Hang on.”
Then we were racing forward. I had no idea how he could do it. The window was pelted with rain. I couldn’t see, so how could he?
Striker had a way of reading my mind. “There are instruments on the panel that let him know where we are. It’s fine.”
I nodded and squeezed his hand. The plane shook and my heart dropped into my stomach. We’d survived the belly of the hurricane in the water. Now we had to survive it up in the air. That would be some crap to die now.
When we rose high enough that the air was calmer than our shaky takeover, I let go of my death grip on Striker’s hand.
“You guys okay back there?”
Striker looked at me and I gave him a half smile. “We’re fine,” Striker said.
“Sorry I don’t have a flight attendant. Hazard pay wasn’t an option.” Grant turned and flashed us a toothy grin.
“I like him,” I said.
“Hopefully not too much,” Striker said back.
“I guess you’ll have to work hard so I don’t stray.” His smile disappeared and I replayed my words. I’d been joking. “I was only teasing.”
His silent agreement with the tip of his head was sharp and brief.
I unbuckled my seat belt even though Grant hadn’t given the okay and planted myself in Striker’s lap. “I’ve only been in a few relationships, but I don’t cheat. My parents are great examples of a long-term relationship. If I want out, I’ll tell you first, not fuck someone else.”
