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“Kill them all, and then Daphne and I are taking a trip to Hollywood.” I strap some weapons to my thighs and around my chest. “These men are going to learn that hurting women is no longer an option.”
Barrow gives me a nod, Diego heads for the stairs, and Charles grips my forearm.
“Let’s kill these motherfuckers, and you go set their bosses straight. But keep your head down,” Charles says.
“They won’t have a chance to rat me out.” I’ll get my hands plenty dirty when it comes to Daphne. But I know what he means, what’s at stake if anyone in the underworld realizes I’m still alive. But I’ll risk it. I have to for Daphne. She needs to know I’ll always back her, always protect her. If she wants to write twenty more exposés on dirty bastards, she should. And she should be able to do it without fear.
A shot rings out. Diego’s already picked off one of the mercenaries.
Charles, Barrow, and I go into motion. We can’t let Diego have all the fun, now can we?
* * *
“I know it’s not exactly your private jet.” I maneuver us above the clouds in a Cessna I rebuilt during my time at the lodge. There’s a small strip near Frozen Falls we use whenever we need quick transport.
“It’s not, but I love it.” She grins as she looks out the windshield.
“Do you? Seemed like you were trying to leave it.”
“No.” She frowns. “I mean, yes. I was going to go so no more trouble would come looking for me at the lodge.”
I shake my head. “Don’t you know that I can handle every bit of trouble that turns up? I handled plenty earlier.” I smile at the memory of outright carnage. I have an ongoing dispute with the guys over who killed the most mercs. It was me, of course, but Diego is trying to claim a sniper shot as his when the guy clearly died from my knife in his back.
She cocks her head. “Why are you smiling like that?”
“No reason.” I clear my throat. “But the point remains, you were trying to sneak off.”
“To keep you safe.”
“Don’t do it again.” I turn to her and take her warm hand. “Promise me.” I can’t put the feeling into words, the sensation of utter shock and loss when I saw her trying to leave.
“You mean …” She raises her brows.
“I mean I want you to stay.” I squeeze her fingers. “Don’t go. Okay, Red?”
She smiles, one that reaches her beautiful eyes and lights up her whole face. Radiant.
“In that case, I won’t. You’ll never be able to get rid of me.”
I pull her hand to my lips and kiss it. “From your lips to St. Peter’s behind.”
She laughs. “I think that’s supposed to be ‘from your lips to God’s ears,’ but I like yours better.”
Have I ever been this happy? The woman I love just promised she’d stay with me, and I have no intention of letting her go. I’d whoop to the treetops if I weren’t already in the clouds.
Her cheeks flushed, her lips still smiling, she grips the stick in front of her and asks slyly, “Can I fly it?”
“Can you?” I arch a brow at her.
She rubs her palms together, then blows in them like she’s about to do a somersault. “I can do it.”
I flip a few switches and let go of the stick. “You have it. Don’t kill us.”
She squeals with pleasure, making my cock act up. “I’m flying!”
I make a mental note to start teaching her to fly once we get back to the lodge. That’s where she’ll be living from now on, after all. She can dig Internet dirt all day long with Wi-Fi. Safe with me and free to write about whatever she wants.
Reaching over, I steady her hand on the stick. “Just keep your eyes on the horizon to stay level. You’re doing great.”
