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Chapter 1
Raven
Oxygen masks drop from the ceiling of the plane, dangling in front of our faces like a warning of tragic things to come. Jasper doesn’t hesitate. He reaches for one, but instead of putting it on himself, he holds the mask to my face, the plastic biting into my skin as I push him away. He needs to put his own on; I can take care of myself, even if I do appreciate him putting my life above his. Goosebumps pebble along my skin, the temperature dropping drastically as the air rapidly gets sucked out the window.
We pitch to the side, and Jasper's head cracks against the wall of the plane moments before he wraps his arms around me. The strength of his grip loosens a fraction of a second later, but somehow he still holds me to him as we fall to the floor and the mask is ripped from my face. I'm not sure if it's the hit to his head that makes him black out or the lack of air. But I'm trapped underneath him and unable to look.
The plane seems to straighten, but right as I notice it, it sounds like it's being wrenched apart, metal screaming into the air. We're thrown around, bouncing against the floor like kernels of popped corn. Until suddenly, everything goes quiet.
The silence is eerie. Unnatural after what we just went through.
What even fucking happened?
I'm not even sure how long we were tossed about, the air being sucked out the window. But now everything is calm.
"Remi," Grayson shouts. He makes it to my side with a thud as his knees land on the sparse space next to me. He helps roll Jasper off me and immediately cups my cheek, searching my body for injuries. Somehow, I'm completely fine. Jasper accomplished what he set out to do, he protected me. Even if it was at the cost of himself.
Grayson helps ease me into a sitting position, and I immediately shift to check on Jasper. He seems to be breathing fine, but there's blood dripping from his hairline, which worries me.
Knowing Jasper and Grayson are at least alive, my gaze darts up to scan the rest of the plane. You’d think with all the turbulence and then the depressurization that it would look like a disaster area, and perhaps with more time in the air it would have, but everything seems to be mostly in place. Although that could have more to do with not much being loose in the cabin.
Cole’s limbs sprawl out in all directions right in front of the cockpit, and Vander is in one of the captain's chairs. He's the only one with a mask covering his face, which he rips off as he unbuckles his seatbelt.
"Reginetta, are you okay?" There's a shakiness in his voice, born of panic and fear. I can't blame him after he thought he lost me in the bombing, or when he saw me get kidnapped in front of him when I was a child. Doesn't mean I don’t want to flinch when he's acting like a helicopter mom.
"I'm fine, Vanner." I stand and pat his cheek when he reaches my side. He grips my face and plants a kiss on my lips, giving me no option but to kiss him back. When he pulls away, I stare into his gaze. "Seriously, I'm fine. Jasper held me to him, and I barely felt it when we hit the ground. There might be a few bruises, but other than that, I'm not hurt at all."
He stares at me skeptically, but lets me step by him to check on Cole. My hacker boyfriend groans, reaching a hand down to where I shot him. It wouldn't surprise me if the pain is flaming up from the healing wound. It's not a stretch to imagine it got jostled in the landing.
"You know," I start, a teasing tone dripping from every word. "You didn't need to crash a plane to one up me in declarations of love."
Cole sputters out a laugh that cuts off into a groan. "I wouldn't risk hurting you, Luv. You're too precious." He reaches up a hand and bangs on the door to the cockpit.
It opens a moment later, revealing the pilot, face drained of color. In fact, he might be a little green, but that could simply be a trick of the lighting. "We need to get off. I'm not sure what caused the malfunction, but there's always a chance something blows up."
He doesn't wait to reach for the door, throwing it open to reveal a grassy area. Certainly not what I was expecting. I'm distracted from watching him when Vander lifts me to my feet from where I'm kneeling next to Cole.
"You heard him; we need to go. Grayson, grab Cole's electronics bag. I'll grab the weapons bag and toss it out to you, then I'll carry Jasper. You good to get yourself out, Cole?" Vander instructs us in the calmest manner, like he's used to giving commands in high-risk situations. Not that I feel any kind of rush. We're safe on the ground.
Smoke billows past the open doorway, the blackness of it making me reconsider. Okay, perhaps we should get off. There's a fuel tank somewhere on here, and I'd hate to be close by if it ignites. I reach for Cole's grip, helping him to his feet, and put his arm around my shoulders.
"I'm fine, Raven. Only a limp at worst. We can check your love mark when we get a chance. I need to see what we can salvage before we leave. Let's get you off first though," he says. We walk to the opening and he holds a hand out to assist me with deboarding.
Once I'm on the ground, I give him my best pout, with my fists on my hips. I should probably have more sense of urgency with us getting away from the potential explosion, but it's well documented how broken I am compared to normal people.
"What's the look for?" Cole asks, staring down at me. Apparently, he has that same damaged trait in his personality.
"You said you'd get me off."
The most panty melting smirk spreads across his face. "Oh, don't you worry, Luv. I'll take care of that as soon as we're settled." He gives me a wink before disappearing into the plane.
Smoke billows in my face, dark angry puffs making me hack out a cough. The sound of sirens draws my attention to the area behind me. I find the pilot trying to flag them down, waving his arms frantically. As if they couldn't find the downed plane without his help. What a fool. Although, few know how to keep calm in a situation like this one.
Taking in more of our surroundings, I find we're still within the airport perimeter, even if we haven't stopped on the runway. I can't fault the pilot on his skills though, we aren't far off from it. He overshot the tarmac and skidded through a grassy field, leaving deep grooves from the tires.
Grayson steps next to me, the backpack and a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. "Fuck. You don't think they'll ask to see what I'm carrying, right?" He shifts his weight like he's nervous. I can see why. I know exactly what's in the bag, and if anyone saw, they'd question why someone needs to carry that many firearms, much less why they'd be worried about taking it off a crashed plane.
Right as the thought crosses my mind, a sparking sound draws my attention from the aircraft. I turn in time to see a small flame flicker to life. Shit. Seems the fear of an explosion is more serious than I gave it credit. I slip my hand into Grayson's, wanting to bolster his grip on remaining calm.
