“Only because I didn’t think of it first.” I grip his hand in a tight squeeze and let go. Had Lanita not helped, I would’ve lost the only family I have left.
Swallowing hard, I wait for the unwanted feelings to pass, then return to the conversation. “Anyone would think I accused her of ditching my new bird on purpose.”
“Why? It was a mechanical failure. The helicopter was vibrating so much, I thought it was going to fall apart before we hit the water.”
Brace, brace, brace.Her ghostly voice echoes inside my head, my gut falls out from under me, and I clutch his bed rails.
When the vision passes, I reach for his bottled water, and take a gulp. “I know, I know, Dad. I was there, too.”
“So why didn’t you tell her it wasn’t her fault?”
Because something about her sets me off.I might just as well have said this out loud because my old man is a mind reader and starts laughing his ass off.
“Shut up. Next time, I’ll let you drown.” Needing some breathing room, I stand and stretch under his watchful gaze.
“Son, I’m not one to give advice…”
“Please don’t.” Whatever he’s going to say, I’ve probably said to myself a thousand times during the long night.
“If you really want something, go and get it.”
“Says the professional jewel thief.” I mutter this under my breath
His unrepentant wink is proof the man has no shame. “Rumors and fake news. Nothing has ever been proven.”
“Good talk. Thanks for the… hold on.” Jumping to the door, I turn toward the sound of angry voices. Down the hall, two men in navy NTSB jackets demand to speak to Landy.
“Shit. The Feds are here. I’ll be right back.” I wander past them, duck in her room, and close the door behind me.
“Investigators are outside. You want me to send them away?”Do you want me gone, too?I should apologize but I’m not exactly sure what to say which will cause me to muck things up even worse.
“Dammit.” The gorgeous brunette looks up from her phone. “I’ll have to talk to them, eventually.”
Frowning, she takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Listen, I’m really sorry about earlier and about your beautiful new bird.”
“Insurance will cover it. I’m glad we all made it out alive.”
Mayday, mayday.Despite slamming repeatedly on the stop button, the unending loop of the crash plays out on my brain’s internal monitor.
Ignoring it, I approach her bed. “I’m not sure if I thanked you for saving us… especially for going back for my dad.”
“How did I bang my head?” At her question, my chest constricts, and my personal horror movie morphs to her lifeless hand floating in front of my face.
Clearing my throat, I shake my head and temporarily purge the images. “I’m not sure. I thought you were right behind me but in an instant, you were gone.”
“You swam back to get me?” At her incredulous tone, the armor around my fucking heart cracks. How could she think otherwise?
Not wanting to make a big deal of it, I shrug and shoot her a crooked smile. “I couldn’t let you drown. My dad would’ve disowned me.”
At the sound of footsteps and animated voices, I glance across the hall. “You ready? They’re coming.”
“Not yet. I need to pee.” She lowers the bed rail, kicks her covers aside, and before I can help, she’s wobbling toward the bathroom, the IV stand in tow.
Her gown splits in the back, giving me a perfect view of her heart-shaped derriere. A better man would’ve diverted his gaze but, in my defense, I’m rather busy trying to keep her from toppling.
I let go of her waist in front of the toilet. “Can you take it from here?”
“Yup. You can go.” She places her hands at her back, realizes she’s mooned me, and her face turns crimson. “Oh my God.”
