The knock on the door came too soon. “We have to jet,” Adam said through the barrier.
“We’ll be right out,” Chase responded, keeping his arms locked around Gray and her head tucked under his chin.
“You’re not coming, are you?” she asked, her voice low, her steady breath a warm whisper brushing against the skin of his neck.
“No.”
She dropped her arms, and taking a step back, she put some space between them. Chase stepped forward and closed the distance. Cupping her face, he kissed her, tasting her tongue, and taking her in.
When he spoke, he kept his lips against hers. “I’m not letting go, Gray. Not of you. Not of him. Do you understand?”
Opening her eyes, she lifted her head and nodded.
“Say it,” he demanded, his gaze boring into hers.
“I understand.” She covered his hand with hers, turning her face to kiss his palm. His heartbeat stuttered, and he hesitated, not wanting to leave her. In the end, she found the strength he lacked to break them apart. “Go find Tak.” She kissed him one last time before slipping her hand into his and tightening her grip. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
Proppedon the couch at the back of the plane, Grant watched Chase and Gray emerge from the bathroom. Her gaze bounced from man to man until they landed on him. She looked heartbroken, and Grant wanted to rage at the world for raining this shit on her.
No one person should have to endure the amount of loss she’d suffered in the past week.
Jay’s raised voice captured her attention, and she turned those sad eyes away from him. In that instant, Grant vowed he’d do whatever it took to bring back her smile. Which meant he had to keep his promise and stay alive long enough for Doc to dig out the bullet and patch him up.
“You’re an asshole, Mackenzie,” Jay shouted and stalked off. Throwing himself into one of the cabin’s large recliners, he dug out his phone and started typing. Sitting opposite him, Davis strategically kept his head down.
His gaze locked on his teammate, Mackenzie walked straight through the red blob staining the carpet in front of the bar sink. Barefoot and looking where she stepped, Gray made a detour, avoiding the patch altogether.
When they reached him, Mackenzie bent over to speak into Jay’s ear. Their exchange was brief, and although he didn’t look happy about it, Jay clasped palms when Mackenzie offered his.
Crammed into a corner in an attempt to find an elevated position that didn’t cause him to bleed out, Grant felt the vibrations of the jet engines increase. He ran his arm along the back of the couch, gripping the smooth leather as a stabbing pain echoed around his left pec.
The pilots were powering up for takeoff.
They were flying cross-country to the JTT’s new base. At least most of them were. He could tell by the look on Mackenzie’s face as he approached, the man had other plans.
Mackenzie let go of Gray’s hand when they reached him, and she laid herself down on the bench. Her back against the cushion, she put her head in Grant’s lap and closed her eyes with a heavy sigh.
The cocksure bastard didn’t even blink at seeing his girlfriend’s head in another man’s lap. “I need you to keep an eye on Gray,” Mackenzie said, his look direct.
“I don’t need a babysitter, and in case you haven’t noticed, he’s shot to shit.” She hitched her thumb in Grant’s general direction.
“He’ll do,” Chase said.
His voice projected confidence, but the raised eyebrow asked a question he didn’t want her to hear. In answer, Grant gave a thumbs-up with the hand not pressed to his side. “Yeah. Don’t worry about me, sunshine. All my parts are still working.”
“Don’t make me hurt you, Kincaid. And stop fucking calling me sunshine, dickhead.”
“I’m almost sorry I’m going to miss this,” Chase said, looking between them and causing Grant to smile despite the pain radiating through his back.
Gray opened her eyes and rotated her head to look up at her man, her expression fierce. “Go find Tak. We’re good.”
From the look that passed between them, Grant knew exactly what it cost Chase to leave her. The price was an all-expenses-paid trip to hell. For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Chase Mackenzie had put a piece of his soul in Grant’s hands for safekeeping.
Tired and heavy, he lifted his arm off the back of the couch and settled it around her shoulder. Then leaning his head back against the wall, he gave Mackenzie the reassurance he needed. “We’re good, Mac. Go get Tak and bring him home. I’ll hang until you get back.”
“Roger that,” Chase said, and with a last glance at Gray, he turned on his heel and left.
CHAPTERFORTY-SEVEN
