“Ryan Wheeler,” Mr. Touchy-Feely said to Savannah, “but you should call me Ryan.”
“Excuse me,” I said, pushing between them. I pointed to the overhead bin. “I need to secure the luggage.”
“‘Course, mate.”
The next two things I clocked about him were that he had a slight Australian accent, and he didn’t look the least bit fazed by my death stare as I stacked our bags in the overhead bin.
When I was finished, he stuck out his hand. “You must be the famous Purple Haze that Bloomers goes on about.”
I begrudgingly shook with him.
Meanwhile, Savannah had shaken hands with X, who then indicated the seat across from her. Savannah sat down, and before I could squeeze past Wheeler to get to her, the asshole sat in the seat beside her. I scowled until I caught Kyle fighting back a laugh at my expense. I realized my expression could be misconstrued as that of a jealous boyfriend, which I was not, so I made a concerted effort to put on a neutral look.
I sat across the aisle from Wheeler, which would make it conveniently easy to grab him by the throat if he did anything untoward.
“Purple Haze?” Savannah leaned forward and smiled at me.
I shrugged. “I didn’t make up the nickname.”
“He didn’t live up to it, either,” Kyle said, taking the seat facing me. “Imagine my disappointment when I found out he can’t jam like Hendrix.”
“He makes up for it in karaoke chops,” Savannah said unhelpfully. “Have you ever heard his version of the Rickroll?”
“Rickroll?” Wheeler glanced between Savannah and me.
“The Rickroll, you know, from our high-school days,” Bloom jumped in. “Someone would send you a link, and instead of going to the internet page you thought it would, you’d land on an 80s video by Rick Astley.”
“Oh, I remember that.” Wheeler-the-asshole grinned at me, then quietly sang, “‘Never gonna give, never gonna give,’” from the song, then pointed to me.
I didn’t rise to the bait. In fact, I doubled down on trying not to be annoyed by the guy, but Savannah was smiling at him So. Damn. Much.
X didn’t comment on any of it. Instead, she called out, “Carlos, we’re ready when you are.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the pilot responded. He engaged the engines.
“We’ll chat once we’re airborne,” X said quietly.
I couldn’t get a read on the woman, but I needed to figure her out because something about this situation was making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I couldn’t pinpoint a true threat, so I took that in as information and resolved to stay alert. As if I’d be capable of any other state.
Wheeler, who had been out of the spotlight for all of thirty seconds, piped up. “Now that I’ve met the incomparable Savannah—beautiful name, beautiful lady—I’m afraid I have to leave you. I promised the pilot we’d catch up on the flight.” He stood. “He’s an old buddy of mine from my days with the Air Force 24th.” He winked at Savannah. “But we’ll have plenty of time to get better acquainted later.”
If he hadn’t stepped into the cockpit and closed the reinforced door behind him, I might have followed him to have words. About what, I couldn’t say, since he hadn’t done anything worse than flirt—pretty pathetically—with my… friend.
Shit. She was only my friend. Even if she were more thanthat, I would need to behave better, but under the circumstances, I really needed to calm the hell down.
“Wait,” I said as my brain caught up with my ears, “did he say the 24th? As in the 24thSpecial Operations Wing?”
“The same,” X confirmed.
“That guy is spec ops?” I shook my head. I didn’t track. Maybe I was being an asshole, sounding so incredulous, but I’d had the guy pegged as a civie, and a slacker at that.
“He was until he joined us a year ago,” X said. “He’s as fire-forged and battle-tested as you are, Mr. Hayes.”
The four of us in the passenger seats were silent for the next couple of minutes.
The second we were aloft, X spoke to Savannah. “I have some papers for you to sign.” She pointed to the folded-up tray table to Savannah’s right, then glanced at me. “Mr. Hayes, you, of course, are still under the terms of the contracts you signed while you were in the Army.”
“Understood.” I fucking hated the direction this was going, and I was pretty sure whatever X said next was going to be the reason my senses had kicked into high alert the second we’d boarded.
