Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Justice gets lucky, a hard jolt of the plane makes my knuckle punch glance off his shoulder, instead of the back of his skull.
Beside me, I hear an angry hiss.
“You wouldn’t .”
Shit, Allison’s arms are crossed, her bottom lip protruding.
“Honey, if it means you're safe, I would.”
“But not now.” Justice settles into his seat. “Not with Sierra and Cole taking the plane. He wants you close, so you’re in luck this time, Gator.”
“For fuck’s sake, knock off the Gator shit.”
Allison tilts her adorable, stubborn chin. “I kind of like it.”
This conversation is going nowhere fast. That doesn’t stop me from arguing for a different call sign. “How about a pretty nickname? You’re a girl, I think you should have a soft, feminine one. Like…”
While I think of a lot of nicknames that aren’t meant for the public, she scowls at me until a little smile teases the corner of her mouth. “What? Can’t think of one?”
“Butterfly.”
“No! Do I look like a butterfly? I dig in the dirt for a living. I’m not some kind of pampered princess.”
Capturing her hand, I bring her wrist to my mouth. “You will be if you’ll let me take care of you.”
“Truck…” Her use of my name is more of a growl. “I’m a working woman.”
“If you want to quit, you could.”
She tugs her hand free, or tries to, but I don’t let it go. “Enough of this nonsense. Now, if you can’t come up with a better nickname, then it’s settled.”
Justice is laughing, the sound of it getting louder and louder. “Oh, my god, Allison, I thought of another hilarious one, since you’re an archo-metal-whatever. Are you ready?”
A bright grin lights up her entire face, and I’m struck with a jolt of jealousy.
He always makes her laugh. That fucker.
“Let’s hear it,” I grunt.
He laughs some more, then rubs his eyes. When he pulls his fingers away they are bright with amusement. “Golddigger.”
This time when I punch him, I land my blow, but the laughter doesn’t stop, and it’s on both sides of me.
“That’s awesome. Can you imagine me introducing myself? ‘Digger, Golddigger’.”
They burst out laughing even more as my chin hits the floor.
Allison leans in and plants a fast kiss on my cheek. “I like seeing you all flustered, Truck.”
“Whatever. And Justice—you’re not calling her Golddigger.”
Leaning against me, she sighs softly. “I think I’ll put them together. “Golddigger Gator.”
“Fuck, sweetheart, no one would get that right over the radio, you need a short name. How about GG?”
When she looks at me this time, her eyes are soft, the smirky smile is gone, and she’s all rosy and feminine as she holds our gazes locked.
Voice low, husky for my ears only, she whispers, “I’m finding it hard not to fall for you.”
“Well, good.” I rasp back. “Because I’m hard to get rid of. I think you know that already.”
“I do.”
Sliding her fingertips across my chest, she turns serious. “It upsets me that you’re so worried. I promise we’ll be in and out of my dad’s place quickly, and when this is all done, we can get away…”
“Get a fucking room,” Justice teases.
I glance toward the back of the plane.
That bedroom is a damned tease. “If we weren’t landing now, I’d see how well that bed back there’s built.”
Eyes widening, Allison pinches her lips together. She leans back in her seat, visibly flustered. It’s my turn to cross the arm rest and get in her space. “When we fly back to Vandemora, you and I are gonna work out all this adrenaline back there, sweetheart.”
When I drag my tongue over the pulse point in her neck, she shudders.
“Evil man. You’re gonna distract me.”
“If you keep your promise, do exactly as I say during this bat-shit-crazy op, then I’ll make sure you are rewarded nicely.”
When I pull back, her eyes are closed, her breathing is rapid, and I know she’s thinking about my hand on her ass. Bet those marks are still there.
I’m the one grinning when the plane lands, but as soon as my feet hit the tarmac, all the fun and games are done.
A storm is rolling in, black clouds racing overhead, electricity throbbing in the air like an omen. And that’s before Justice's phone rings, and he jogs up to me.
“Her father’s plane is in the air. He’ll be back here within two hours. We’ve got to make this shit happen fast. It’s an hour drive to the castle on the hill.”
I point toward the chopper waiting near the hangars. Ideas galloping through my head. “Think we can get one of those?”
Allison grabs my forearm. “That’s actually my father’s chopper. He’ll take it from here to the estate.”
Justice and I share a glance.
After a silent message passes between us, we both scan our surroundings.
It’s a small airport. No tower. The hanger’s closed up. The whole place is vacant besides that lone helicopter.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” I ask Justice.