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“I know,” I nodded giving a slight smile at her sweet words, “but I hate that he’s in dang—” I froze when I saw headlights illuminating the darkness outside as they sped closer. “Oh my God!” I jumped out of my seat and pushed past Laura. “S-sorry, Laura. They’re here I think!” Hurrying down the aisle, I stepped outside the plane onto top stair, trembling as I waited for any sign that it was them.
Noah spun around, throwing his arm out, pointing. “Miss Ayala! Get back in the plane now!”
Curling my lip, I wrinkled my nose ignoring his warning. As the car came closer, I saw it was yellow. None of us owned a yellow car and that’s when I realized it could not have been the guys.
Noah drew his gun and dashed up the steps of the plane, shielding me. “Get in and get down!”
I yelped as I was trying my best to get back inside.
The car came to a skidding halt next to the plane. Noah aimed directly at the vehicle, ready to pull the trigger any moment. I peeked out from around the corner, which was something I should never have done, but I could not help it. The moment the driver and passenger doors opened I saw a very familiar face.
“Oh my God!” I broke past Noah, descending the stairs at an alarmingly fast pace toward Valentino.
Noah was right behind me, darting straight for William and began to help him pull Joseph out of the car. I gasped when I saw he was covered in blood. After seeing he was at least conscious, I sighed in relief. He was moving his lips, wincing as they helped him. Valentino gripped my arms before looking back at him.
“Go.” Noah nodded his head toward the plane. “We got this, boss.”
Valentino pursed his lips and gnawed the inside of his cheek for a moment before bending over. Without warning, he picked me up, throwing my body over his shoulder and took off running toward the plane. He scaled the steps with almost zero effort and set my feet down just inside the door. The moment we stepped into the cabin, the girls jumped up.
“Thank God!” Tanya exhaled.
“I knew you’d be here.” Laura gave me a wink.
Ignoring the women’s remarks, he pointed toward the couch that lined a section of the wall. “Make room for Joseph over there.”
The flight attendant sped over with blankets and a couple of pillows. “Mr. Greco.”
He whirled around and took them from her without athank you. He laid one of the blankets down, just in time for them to appear with him. Valentino backed away. “Get him over here.”
Joseph sank sideways onto the sofa. He slumped over, holding his midsection as his eyes scanned us. When his gaze met mine, he slightly smirked. “Glad you’re okay.” He attempted to wink but failed.
“Joseph, I’m—” My voice trailed off. Nothing I could say would fix what happened to him. I felt so terrible. Dropping my head, I stepped away. Nothing in me wanted to face him right now after what happened to him because of me. Of course, I blamed myself. I trudged to the back of the plane, hiding in the corner in an over-sized leather seat.
Valentino and Noah readied Joseph for takeoff. William, who was also a pilot, gave Tanya a quick kiss before disappearing into the cockpit with the other pilot. Soon, his voice echoed over the speaker.
Prepare for departure.
“Wake up, amore.” A hand lightly stroked my arm.
Blinking, I tried my best to crack my eyes open, still exhausted from the whirlwind of Felipe and trying to flee the country. I did not feel as rested as I had hoped. But, Valentino usually woke me up before we landed, so it had to mean we were in fact about to land.
“Are we there yet?”
He placed his hand on my thigh, shaking his head. “No, bella. Not even close.”
“What?” Confused, I snickered. “Did you wake me because you missed me?”
Smiling, he leaned forward, pressing his lips to my forehead. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” I stood. “I have to use the bathroom.” I stepped over him, excusing myself to the very rear of the plane.
He never woke me for no reason. As I started to become more alert, I worried why he might have woken me up if we were nowhere near the island. While I washed my hands, I stared at my reflection in the mirror, replaying the past events in my mind for the millionth time.
I wanted a normal life, but I did not want to lose Valentino. Life with him would never be society’s version of normal. The normal I wanted was peace. The new normal for me. The world where Felipe did not exist.
I loved Valentino so much and would never have once thought about walking away but why did he want to be with me?Look at me!My hair was messy, my expression was frazzled, and my makeup was smeared from crying and sleeping. Though I knew the answers to all those questions, and he loved me unconditionally, I could not help but wonder right now.
Whatever. You know why he loves you, Isabelle!I pulled myself together and wiped away the single tear that had escaped my eyes while I was having a moment.You’re a strong woman. You got this!I found myself giving more pep talks to myself lately. I took a small piece of toilet paper and wiped away the smears under my eyes then combed through my hair with my fingers before pulling it up into a messy bun with the elastic band on my wrist. Sniffling, I fixed my posture.There. This will do.
