Chapter 24
Fallon
Heroes came in all sizes.
That was something my mother had told me both as a little girl and when I’d gotten older, just beginning to date. She’d also cautioned me to look past the exterior, using my special ways of peeling away layers to see the real man inside.
I’d asked her why she’d told me that and her answer was something I hadn’t understood until now.
She’d said that if she hadn’t overlooked my father’s gruff exterior or his ugly reputation, she wouldn’t have seen the incredible man inside.
I remembered arguing with her at the time saying I could easily tell if a man was good or bad within seconds.
All she’d done was smile.
Now I truly understand what she had been getting at.
Yes, Vissarian was arrogant on the outside, rough and unmerciful, but on the inside, he was something else entirely. I’d seen the look in his eyes when I’d opened the bathroom door. There’d been so many emotions that all I’d wanted to do was to stay in his arms for hours.
But he’d insisted we hurry, trying to keep me occupied as we’d left his cottage. However, I’d seen the dead bodies. Four men with blood seeping underneath them. I’d seen the carnage and no matter how hard he’d tried to keep me from witnessing the horrific scene, I’d wanted to capture the moment.
Not for some twisted sense like onlookers of a terrible traffic accident, but merely to register that I’d come from a dark place, a family with little moral conscience.
Except my father had left the brutality for love.
There was something very heroic about that, a love story and while it had a tragic ending, my parents’ devotion to one another would last through the generations. My father had been willing to give up so much because of the woman he adored.
There was no story written that could impress me more.
My knight in shining armor, although Vissarian wouldn’t want me to call him that, had remained on edge as we’d driven to the airport. He’d constantly checked all the mirrors and no longer tried to hide the fact he was carrying weapons. One had remained on the dashboard throughout the drive.
In truth, I felt safer.
Now, at the airport, I was as eager as he was to get off the island.
“Where are we going?” I asked as he secured the exit.
“Las Vegas.” When I said nothing, he lifted and cocked his head. “You are coming with me, Fallon. That’s the only way I can keep you safe.”
A slight trickle of fear was right there, easy for my mind and my heart to grasp, but I shoved it aside. “Fine. I won’t fight you. For now. However, we’ll need to refuel. I suggest Miami. I can make arrangements.”
He thought about what I’d offered and nodded. “Make it happen.”
Everything about him was different on this beautiful morning. He even appeared more dangerous with his constantly locked jaw and the penetrating look in his eyes. The man was also much more possessive, as if he’d laid claim to me, since our pasts had been revealed.
Was he still going through sadness? Yes, but it was as if a cloud had been lifted.
I took my seat, grabbing the headset and doing my preflight checks.
And all the while, every inch of my body was tingling.
Not from the terror and strangely unraveling despair from the night before, but from a stronger sense of being. Of knowing who I was. Of believing that love could conquer all.
Na?ve?
Maybe, but I would hold onto my thoughts for a little while longer. Just to pretend this was some fairytale instead of what it was.
A nightmare.
People were out to kill us. The danger wasn’t finished yet. I could feel it in my bones.
After contacting the tower and being given instructions, I looked over my shoulder, studying him the same way I’d done when we’d first met.
How things changed in such a short timeframe.
Now I had deep feelings that I didn’t understand and shouldn’t want.
But I did.
Just like my mother had felt.
With the storm having passed, I had no issue guiding the jet to a successful takeoff. Hopefully the ride would be smooth.
A sudden brush of something against my arm made me smile. “Hiya, sweetheart. You’ll need to be good for mommy dog. Maybe you can spend some time with… With Vissarian.” I’d almost called him daddy dog.
Another memory surfaced of Megan.
The day a stray pup had appeared on the ranch.
We’d both loved the furry creature more than anything. She’d been so adorable, all blonde thick fur and bright eyes. She’d spent her time lounging on my bed or on Megan’s and when Megan was away taking classes, she’d never left my side.
I stroked behind Bella’s ear, almost wishing the memories wouldn’t keep popping to the surface. Right now, thoughts of my sister were painful.
I’d long since stopped believing she would walk back into my life one day, but I’d hoped she was happy, living a fabulous life.
Maybe I was still shell-shocked from what Vissarian had told me and yes, I wanted proof.
Proof that I had a monster for a grandfather who’d possibly commanded Luis to marry my mother to keep her silent or on a short leash.
There was anger mixed with the sadness, more so than I thought possible given my hatred of Antonio. Maybe he hadn’t killed my mother. Maybe Giovanni Bruni had ordered her killed. Maybe Luis had cared to a point about her, which was why he’d also been murdered.
The ugliness would remain in the forefront of my mind.
While I should fight Vissarian on being taken to a city I’d never been to and didn’t have any interest in, I now honestly had nothing and no one. At some point, I’d call Jasmine, but what could I tell her? That my entire life had been a big, fat lie?
Bella rested her head on my leg, her tail constantly thumping back and forth. Now I knew why the sweet and loving dog had entered my life.
My sister had sent her.
No one would ever be able to tell me otherwise. I knew the fur baby was her gift from heaven. A single tear formed in my right eye and I rubbed the area vigorously.
“She’ll never be far from your mind.” Vissarian’s voice was gruffer than before, likely from facing his own traumatic past and exhaustion.
I also suspected being a superhero was tiring.
“I know she will. I just can’t believe she’s gone.”
He gripped my shoulder. “I know. It will take time to heal. If that’s even possible. Hey, Bella. Why don’t you come keep me company.”
“Do you care about her?”
He seemed surprised by my question. “Bella?”
“Yes.”
“What’s not to love? She’s an extension of you.”
I doubted the man was a poet or a romantic, yet the few words were exactly what I needed to hear. “Go, baby girl. Take a nap for Mommy.”
As I settled in for the flight, I realized that my life was about to change.
It didn’t matter that I’d been born Fallon Zimmerman because Steven Zimmerman hadn’t existed.
I suspected my mother had changed her name as well.
What would trouble me for the rest of my life was if Megan knew the truth and that was why she’d run.
Not that I’d blame her.
Was it true my father had been pressured to allow my sister to be married to some monster? I shuddered from the thought.
Bella licked my hand before trotting off with Vissarian.
A man who never slept.
What would have happened if he had fallen asleep the night before? I was finished with being afraid, with allowing my haunted mind to control both my emotions and my resolve. I was much stronger than the woman Vissarian had met.
I’d simply been running on empty.
No longer.
As of right now, I would never allow anyone to torment me again.
Including the big, brooding Russian who drove me absolutely crazy.
With a soft laugh, I concentrated on my job. The one he’d hired me to do.
Soon, several hours had flown by. Maybe I’d been lost in my thoughts, but when I finally took the opportunity to glance into the cabin, the vision allowed me to smile for the first time since the night before.
Bella was on Vissarian’s lap, her twitches indicating she was in a deep sleep.
Then there was the big Russian who tried his best to pretend he was nothing but a tough guy. His head was back against the seat, his eyes closed and he was snoring.
Not that I could hear him with the sound of the engine, but seeing his mouth open told me everything I needed to know.
He was finally able to let down his guard since no one could get to me here.
The thought had me wondering if I’d see monsters lurking in the shadows for the rest of my life. He’d killed four men.
For me.
To protect me.
I should feel horrible about that. Right? Why didn’t I? Did I need him to prove himself to me or was I finally able to realize the life I thought had been stolen from me in fact had existed only in the clouds?
Maybe the last thing I needed was to mind fuck myself.
I checked the gauges and the flight pattern, expecting to see nothing but open waters and a clear shot to Miami.
What the hell?
After double checking that I’d laid out the flight plan correctly, I checked the gauges again.
Wait a minute. Something was wrong. How had I not noticed this before?
Because the flight plan was automatic once set and I should have gotten notification if there was something wrong. Changes just couldn’t be made.
We were off course by several hundred miles. Not that it couldn’t be rectified, but I couldn’t believe I’d made such a simple mistake with my calculations. Even with the trauma and the sweep of emotions, my training had never failed me. Not once.
A tickling sensation swept across the back of my neck. Not exactly my hair standing on end, but close enough. I reset the course, paying close attention that no quick changes were made that would indicate a full instrumentation malfunction.
No, everything seemed to be on track.
If so, why did my instinct tell me there was something very wrong? I continued checking every single instrument, hating the self-doubt. This was the wrong time to be worried about my skills.
A flash of red drew my attention.
Immediately, my pulse shot up.
No. Oh, no. One of the engines was failing.
I tried to figure out what was wrong, continuously checking. The engine was sluggish but working.
Until it wasn’t.
The last thing I needed to do at this point was panic.
As every last bit of training I’d had on how to handle this kind of scenario rushed into my mind, I managed to concentrate. I ran through the various exercises. I’d trained on a similar jet, which allowed me to feel more comfortable with what she was capable of.
When I manually tried to start the engine, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
The engine sputtered to life.
What in the hell had happened?
I glanced over my shoulder, realizing Vissarian was awake.
After leaning forward and looking out, he swiveled his head toward mine, our eyes locking. I could swear the man had a sixth sense about him. Immediately, he rose to his feet, taking long strides toward me and into the cockpit.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Why do you think anything is wrong?”
“Because I know you too well by now. What is happening?”
Sighing, I checked the engine again. It was still running smoothly. “We momentarily lost an engine.”
“Damn it. I’m no pilot, but I certainly know better than to think that an engine is going to intermittently work on a recently renovated plane.” Vissarian slipped into the other seat in the cockpit, staring at the instruments. “I knew we should have checked the plane for sabotage.”
“I thought the plane was secured.”
He laughed. “There are ways around security, Fallon. You must be aware of that given your military background.”
Of course he was correct. “We’re also off course.”
“Fuck me. How can someone manage to do that?”
“Electronic interference. It’s risky, but possible.
I’ve got us back on course.” I didn’t want to add ‘for the time being’ since I had my doubts.
There was no chance with the renovation recently completed that two major issues would occur randomly.
“What about the people who handled the work on the plane? Trustworthy?”
“Other than the garish paint job, very. They’ve done work for the family for almost two decades. I don’t like this. Where were we headed?”
“Restricted airspace around Cuba.”