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He shot Blake a menacing glare as her fear molded with every cell in his body. He tightened his jaw and then instantly relaxed it, for her sake. Don’t panic. It was just Blake’s way of saying you could be flying in any direction. Orly, I told you. I’ll find you, no matter where you end up.
“Sorry,” Blake said sheepishly, no doubt realizing Orly could hear him.
A small smile tugged at her lips. Maybe the Gulf isn’t so bad. I hear Florida is nice this time of year. I’ve never been there, and I’ve always wanted to visit those amazing beaches I’ve heard about. She was rambling through her fear and panic, but it was her attempt to smile that was breaking Luke’s heart.
I’ll take you to any beach you want to go. I’m so proud of you. You’ve stayed a lot calmer than I would’ve been.
No, you’d probably break your way out of this thing, kick some ass, and be on your way.
Luke snickered at her image of him as some kind of avenging hero, even if she was right about him doing everything in his power to claw his way out.
“What’s so funny?” Caden asked.
“Nothing, but let’s assume she’s not over the Gulf of Mexico. Russell’s either taking her to Los Angeles or somewhere between here and California where he can stash her until he gets whatever it is he wants from her. Obviously, if he just wanted to kill her, she’d be dead, and they wouldn’t be transporting her in a coffin, very much alive.” Luke said it as much for Orly’s sake as for his friends. He needed her to know and believe that her life was still valuable to Russell. And that meant they still had time to find her.
***
Orly did her best to stay calm. Keeping her eyes closed and seeing through Luke’s eyes was hard. Especially when all she wanted to do was keep opening them in the hopes this was some awful nightmare. She wanted to wake up from this hell and find herself back in Dallas, with Luke. But somehow, just being connected with Luke, and seeing the guys doing their best to find her, was comforting, even if she couldn’t actually be there with them in person. They were sitting at the same dining room table she and Luke often ate dinner at, played board games on, and sometimes even made love on. She smiled to herself, hoping to make more memories like that in the future.
We’re going to make lots more memories on this table, Orly. I swear to you. Our life together is only just beginning.
Orly nodded, because what else could she do. She couldn’t regret lying to Luke and Caden because it had saved their lives, but at the same time, she wished she could go back and do things differently. Maybe then she wouldn’t be locked in a coffin on plane to who knows where.
The rest of the flight was smooth for the most part, but she had no idea how much time had passed. Luke was still talking to his friends, coming up with possible ideas and scenarios when the engines made a loud noise, and the landing gear shifted.
I think we’re landing, Luke.
His attention immediately turned to her. Good. Stay alert, but don’t fight them. Remember, I will find you, Orly. Just do whatever you have to do to hang in there. If you can look around at any point, and give us some reference as to where you are, that would be great. Even knowing if you’re surrounded by palm trees or in two feet of snow would be helpful at this point.
Okay. Her heart was starting to race, just as she felt a soft pressure on her shoulder.
Do you feel that? Luke asked.
Yes.
Good. That’s me. I’m with you, all the way. He sighed, as if pulling himself together. Then the plane lurched and her fists clenched around the flashlight. Easy, Orly. Stay with me. Landing is a good thing. You’ll be on the ground, and I’ll be on my way to you as soon as I know where to go.
What if it’s hundreds or even thousands of miles away from Texas?
It doesn’t matter, Orly. I will get to you.
Orly nodded, holding back tears. She was terrified, and while having Luke in her mind was nice, she knew there was absolutely nothing he could do to help her when the lid opened and she came face to face with Russell or one of his men.
She hadn’t missed Luke telling his friends that Russell must want her alive, but she honestly didn’t know why. Russell knew about her ability, and what she’d seen him do. What more could he want from her? Unless he was crazy enough to think she would still marry him… Orly shuddered at the thought, then drew in a ragged breath, and let it out with a sigh - and a newfound determination. No matter what, she was going to stay alive long enough for Luke to find her.
The plane landed with a thud and a bump, and Orly bounced a little in the coffin, letting out a yelp. We landed, Luke.
I felt that. Luke thought. Are you good?
For now. Her eyes were open and her heart was racing in her chest.
The plane taxied for a while before coming to a stop. Orly practically held her breath as she listened to the locking mechanism unlatch. Then the lid swung open. She squinted at the bright light in the cabin. When her eyes adjusted, her gaze fell on an unfamiliar pair of eyes. “Who are you?” She asked, as she tried to sit up. But two strong arms from behind held her in place as she felt another needle prick the side of her neck. “Wait,” she started to say.
“Sorry, Sweetheart. Can’t have you awake just yet,” the man said. “Boss isn’t ready to talk to you.”
Her body sank back into the coffin as the lid started coming down. “Wait,” she pleaded again, but it was more of a whisper from the drugs they’d pushed into her. Luke, please help me…She didn’t know what to tell him that would help him find her, but it didn’t matter. The thought barely formed before her mind went blank, and everything went dark. Again.
Chapter 29
