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“It won’t be enough,” Alister dares to argue. “You have let vengeance consume you.”
“So be it. Now Rylan is by my side. Let’s hope the flames don’t burn her before you convince The Rites to hand Nelson over to me.” I end the call. I pull out the SIM card and toss it out of the window at the next red light.
The moment I reach the airport, I’m boiling with rage. My skin doesn’t feel like my own. Memories echo through the endless corridors of my mind—horror, blood, screaming, fire, rushing icy water that burned just as much as the flames.
With a jab, I release the seatbelt. Opening the back door as I step out, and cast my gaze down at Rylan.
“Soon,” I whisper, jaw tight. Vengeance will be mine.
I scoop her up and head for my private jet. Rylan has no idea she’s my key to everything I’ve ever wanted.
At the top of the stairs, Torben’s judgmental gaze meets mine. Behind him, Finnic glances over, then silently heads for the cockpit. Finnic is a man after my own heart; he doesn’t ask, just does.
Here we go. I take my final steps with a sigh. Torben continues to block my path; he gazes down at Rylan nestled in my arms.
“I thought sedation was Plan B,” Torben mutters, his gaze falling to the soft beat of her pulse in her neck.
“That was your Plan B,” I shoot back, stepping onto his stair. After a moment’s hesitation, he moves to the side.
I duck into the jet, heading for the plush leather couch. I take my time making Rylan comfortable. She’ll wake with a monster headache; the least I can do is keep her neck from cramping. One seatbelt goes around her torso and arms, while a second secures her legs.
Torben exhales heavily behind me, hovering like a watchdog waiting for answers. The door seals, the engines rumble, and the plane rolls forward. I sit across from Rylan and choose to ignore Torben. The jet’s too cramped for a fight.
He remains standing during our takeoff, his colossal arms grasping the roof as if he were Atlas supporting the entire world. “I’m not going to become a monster to catch one,” he expresses with firm belief.
I’m too exhausted for this. My eyes flick to him. “I never expected you to.”
“And what about you?”
“What about me?” I recline in the chair and meet his eyes.
Although we share the same father, our eyes are the only physical trait we have in common. Dad’s eyes. Where my skin’s kissed by the sun, his is kissed by the moon. He looks like the Viking dad claims we descended from. His hair is light brown, and although he’s younger than me, he could take on a bear and win easily.
“You have an unconscious girl on our plane.” He directs his attention to Rylan.
“She’s not just any girl.”
“She doesn’t know that. She was never supposed to be dragged into the shadows. You did this to her, Steffen. You’re responsible for what happens to her now.”
“Back off,” I say, tilting my chin upward. The pressure starts to build in the cabin, and it’s not just because we’re starting our ascent.
“Draw your line and make it firm.” His hands come down now that the aircraft is steady.
“I have.”
Taking a step back, he settles into the seat behind mine, his eyes locked on Rylan. “Your lines look smudgy as hell right now, brother.”
CHAPTER 6
Rylan
“Ugh.” My voice creaks like a mummy clawing its way out of a tomb. “I’m never eating Tootsie Rolls again.” I groan, rolling over, ready to burrow into my blanket, except something pins me in place, heavy and unfamiliar.
“I’m judging you hard,” the nightmarish voice purrs, his breath tickling my ear. “No one actually likes Tootsie Rolls, yet you’re mumbling their name as you wake up.”
I pry my eyes open. Mistake! Abort! I’m greeted by a pounding headache and a pair of smirking blue eyes—unmasked, assertive, and watching me. His stare feels as monumental as the sky. Endless, vast, untouchable.
My first thought is not sane or rational, but then again, my body is flooded with sugar and corn syrup, so it makes sense. He is the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.
