Chapter 12
“Calm down,” I whispered roughly against her ear.
She stilled within my arms, giving me the chance to turn her in my arms so we would be face to face. The moment she realized it was me, her movements paused, but her eyes were full of fire. I knew she had a million questions, but I also knew I couldn’t answer them all.
“If I remove my hand, you have to relax and keep your voice down. You’re in danger. Just give me a second to explain,” I rushed out.
Her brow raised, and then she nodded. I slowly moved my hand from her mouth. We stood staring at one another for a moment before she reached back to slap the hell out of me. I caught her wrist before her hand could connect with my face.
My dick hardened. Damn, was this woman full of fire, but I also knew this wasn’t the time or place to be doing this. I should have known better to think she would let this fly.
“How dare you?” she yelled.
I quickly brought my finger to my lips, hoping to calm her down, but that shit only made it worse. I quickly pulled her body flesh into mine, then pulled her close to the edge of the wall to look out into the hallway. I wanted her to see what she didn’t the entire time she had been moving through this damn airport.
The woman wasn’t aware of her damn surroundings at all. I had been watching her from the moment she got here and so had the two lackeys sent to follow her. I knew my twenty-four hours were running out.
“Close your fucking mouth for a minute and look. Those two men with the steel boots have been following you since you got here. Who taught you about looking out for yourself? Whoever it was, they fucking failed. You should have known those men had been tailing you for a minute.”
I pulled her from the opening back into the shadows where we had previously gone. Her eyes were wide, but steam could practically come from her ears.
“Don’t you dare criticize me. You left me with a fucking note and a watch! Which you aren’t getting the watch back. It’s nice, and it’s mine now. I earned it for last night. Don’t you think?” she asked with her brow raised.
Her arms crossed against her chest as she practically chewed my ass out. I tried to hold back my smirk, but I couldn’t help it that her spunk was turning me inside out. I held my hands up in mock surrender.
“I’m not trying to piss you off or hurt you. You can have the watch, and I left for a reason to avoid all this shit, but clearly, I didn’t leave soon enough. I fucked up and that’s on me, but I hate to give you more bad news, but you can’t board that plane.”
She craned her head to the side and rolled her eyes. I was sure she thought everything I said to her was just a line, but I truly wanted to keep her safe.
“Why the hell not? And what exactly have you gotten me into?” she asked.
I wish I could give you the answer to that right now, but I can’t. I unzipped my bag to pull a rag out I had put there earlier.
“You know what? I don’t give a damn. I’m boarding that plane. Whoever the fuck you pissed off, I will tell them you were just a quickie and nothing more.”
I didn’t give her more time to continue because I could clearly see she was not going to come with me willingly. I rushed into her space and covered her nose and her mouth with the rag. I wrapped my arms around her as she tried to fight until her body went limp in my arms.
I lifted her and rushed toward the exit door I left cracked open for this moment. The moment we got outside where all the planes were, I stopped briefly in the shade to check her purse and pockets for her phone. Once I located it, I broke it and tossed it to the side. I didn’t need anyone tracking her. Until I could make sure she was safe, she would be with me.
I reached into my back pocket to call VC, and he answered on the first ring.
“The plane is fueled and waiting for you two. Did you get rid of everything?” he asked.
“Come on now. Did you have to ask?”
“Hell yeah. This woman is the reason you’re in the shit you are in now.”
“Man, I handled it, and they’re taking us to the coordinates I told you?” I asked.
“I’m not the one pussy whipped. You better get to that plane before they figure out this woman is missing and notice something is up. If they haven’t noticed already. Isn’t her plane supposed to be taking it off within the next ten minutes?”
I knew he was right, so I hung up instead. I didn’t need him to tell me a damn thing. I lifted Skye again and rushed through the shadows, checking every now and again for the workers. No one seemed to be on station. We had timed this perfectly. Once I was certain I got us to the private jet we had fueled, I quickly carried her up the steps and alerted the captain I was ready to go.
I placed Skye in one of the comfortable chairs and locked her seatbelt in place. This was going to be a long flight and even longer day the moment she woke up and realized I had knocked her ass out. I essentially kidnapped her, but it was for her own good. One day, she was going to thank me for saving her life.
The plane was still in the air when she woke up a little. I leaned back in my seat and waited. I knew it would take her a little time to realize that we weren’t at the airport anymore. Not to mention, I was sure she was still slightly dizzy, and the high pressures of being on this plane probably didn’t make it any better.
I went to grab her a bottle of water and a packet of Advil from the cabinet in the back. Once I came back, her eyes were completely open, but she was rubbing her forehead. I placed the contents in front of her onto the pull out table.
“I got you a bottle of water and some Advil to ease that headache, and I know you’re probably a little little thirsty.”
She craned her head to the side and then snatched the bottle of water from the table. I watched her every move as she popped the cap on the bottle, then tilted her head back to take a sip. Before opening the Advil and taking it along with it.
“I hope you know you’re going to jail as soon as this plane lands! Does your pilot know you kidnapped me? Sir or Ma’am! I am not here on my own free will!” she yelled.
I wanted to laugh because it didn’t matter what the hell she was talking about. He worked for me. She might as well save her breath and sit back. I chose not to say a word, then picked up my crossword puzzle I had been working on before she awoke. Not much time passed before she realized she was wasting her breath and time.
“I can’t believe I thought you were this amazing man. I should have listened to my best friend. She warned me I was making a mistake with you?—”
“Don’t say that,” I cut her off.
I continued to look down at my crossword, finally feeding into her anger and the attention she had been seeking since she woke up.
“Why do you care? You took me against my will. Wouldn’t you say this was a mistake if you were me? I don’t even know you well enough to be on a plane alone with you.”
I chuckled with a shake of my head. For the first time, I put my crossword puzzle down and gave her my undivided attention. I stood from my seat and stalked over to her. I leaned down, then gripped her chin until our eyes met. I leaned in slightly until all she could feel was my breath against her neck.
“You sure you don’t know me like that? Why is your body begging me right now to put you out of your misery? I can see the hardened peeks of those pretty nipples, and I just know that pussy wet for me. I can taste you right now. I’m only going to tell you this once. Don’t say shit you don’t mean. I would hate to get the wrong impression and have to show you just how much you do know me.”
This time, when her hand went flying, I didn’t try to stop it. I allowed that familiar sting to connect with my face. The justified look in her eyes was enough to make me groan aloud. I smiled down at her as I leaned in to kiss her cheek before releasing the hold I had on her.
I didn’t say another word before I found my way back to my seat, then picked up my crossword puzzle once more. The rest of the flight happened in silence. I figured she would take this time to ask more questions, but she didn’t, which let me know she was planning and scheming for the whole ride.
Which was fine for me. I needed a little bit of excitement. It let me know if she were ever in this situation with someone else, she would find her way to safety, but the bad thing was she wasn’t with the average criminal. She was with someone much worse. I wasn’t even considered a person.
It was one reason I never tried with any woman or tried to make a life for myself, but something about her pushed at the boundaries of what I felt I was worth or what I deserved. Some part of me, deep down inside, felt I deserved her, but that was not up to me, I told myself repeatedly. Once I got her in a safe place, I would leave her alone. No matter how perfect she felt to me.
I would enjoy the little bit of time I had with her, even if she planned to fight me the entire way.
“I know you’ve come up with this big plan, and I hate to kill your dreams, but it’s not going to work the way you think it will. I’m just trying to protect you. The normal law enforcement can’t help you, Skye. I am your best chance, and I’m also part of the reason you’re in this shit. Just allow me to get you out, and I will bring you back home.”
She finally looked up at me, and the once vibrant shine her eyes held in Fiji was no longer present. The stars she used to have were no longer available to me. I had snuffed out some of her confidence by bringing her here against her will, and I knew that.
“Isn’t that what all kidnappers say? I don’t believe it. I can take care of myself. Just let me go. It isn’t your business what happens to me, anyway. I come from a family who knows all about protecting ourselves. I know it doesn’t seem like it because I’m sitting on this plane with you, drugged, but I can do it. Just let me go, please,” she pleaded.
Her eyes misted over. I knew it was taking everything in her to hold back her tears, but I needed her to trust me. How could she trust someone who had broken it already? I released a sigh, then dragged my hand down my face.
“I can’t. I know what these people are capable of. If they get ahold of you, it’s over.”