I was the senior operator in charge of our drone defense at Hillcroft, a passion project of mine.
“What’s that one called?” Kiera pointed at the helicopter.
“It’s an AW139,” I replied. “One of my favorites for low-risk assignments. We go way back. I had to kiss a fuck-ton of ass to get my boss to buy one for our permanent fleet.”
She chuckled. “Maybe you shouldn’t leave it in Afghanistan.”
I smirked. This particular model didn’t belong to us. Once we were done with our op, this one was returning to her owner in Cyprus.
“You’re lucky we have it now, seeing as it’s apparently your new bedroom,” I said.
She pointed to the bird. “There are zero spiders and scorpions in there.”
“There’s also zero heat,” I pointed out. “You know it gets cold at night.”
Also, there were no scorpions in the cabin. I’d looked with my UV light.
I hated scorpions.
“I’d rather freeze than wake up with a spider on my face,” she retorted.
Suit yourself.
CHAPTER 5
Kiera Lane
Okay, this was ridiculous. It hadn’t been this cold last night.
Maybe because you’d slept three feet away from a fucking fire.
I gnashed my teeth and stared up at the ceiling of the helicopter. Just when I thought I’d won the lottery with my new bed, the temperature had to drop to the point where I couldn’t stop shaking.
I wasn’t going to let James think he was right. He probably knew anyway since he’d taken back his blanket and given me his sleeping bag instead, plus a hoodie.
It was a good brand that promised to keep me warm at temps above ten degrees, and I called bullshit. It wasn’tthatcold out. Was it? No way. We weren’t that high up in the mountains. Probably.
Nope, new plan. I’d make a fire outside, boil up some water, jump around to get my blood pumping, and drink hot water with honey. Then I could make a fresh attempt.
I shuddered violently and sat up, and I unzipped the sleeping bag.
James’s hoodie was insanely comfortable, and it stayed on. He might never get it back.
“F-freezing f-fuck,” I breathed. Leggings stayed on too, obviously, and I snuck my popsicle feet into my shoes. Then I grabbed James’s flashlight and the bottle of honey on my way out.
GoodGod, it was frigid.
I switched on the flashlight at the lowest setting—as instructed—and made my way over to the firepit. James was toasty warm in the cabin, wasn’t he? I could see the glow under the door.
The fire from last night wasn’t completely dead yet, so I added some wood and poked around, sending embers flying skyward. Ohhh, that was the warmth I was looking for. I bet I could crack an egg on the rocks that I’d surrounded the pit with, and it would be ready in a minute.
After returning the pot to the made-by-James three-legged stand above the fire, I poured water in it and?—
The door swung open, revealing a dark silhouette that made my heart jump up in my throat.
“Get in here, Kiera,” he bit out.
“What, why?” I asked shakily. He’d scared me again!
