A million sarcastic comebacks were fighting to be set free, but I held them down. He was being serious. I just had a morbid sense of humor and a streak of insanity.
His eyes seemed to study mine. “You are truly not afraid of anything.”
“Not true,” I breathed, because for a second, his searching gaze had found mine. “I was scared a few minutes ago.”
“Why?” he whispered. His breath smelled so good. Like mint.
“I thought we were going to crash.”
“I cannot vow to stop death, but I will protect you at all costs. I will keep you flying if it is in my power to do so. You can trust me,uccellino selvatico.”
I breathed out. “But you can’t trust me, right?”
“Can I?”
The moment froze between us until Beni called his name, and he left me to meet him outside the plane.
Could he trust me?
That was a loaded question.
I automatically thoughtNo, no one should trust me. I’m too flaky and too independent, and I’m claustrophobic when it comes to the thought of commitment, of having my wings clipped.I could sense Naz felt it, especially after he probably got deep intel on me.
But…
Another voice whispered in the background…he’s different.
How did that change things? I had no clue in that moment. It would take time to understand all of this.
I turned my attention back to Naz and Beni, who were listening as one of the guards—he was dressed like one—spoke to them. The other guard kept darting glances my way.
Naz and the guard leading the conversation got into a heated discussion in Italian after the guard said something Naz didn’t seem to like or agree with. The guard kept shaking his head, and he gestured to me, then shrugged.
A minute or two later, the plane seemed like it was being stormed by more guards and sniffer dogs. They seemed to be sweeping the plane. The three stewardesses stayed seated and kept their eyes averted.
Where the fuck were we? I could hear the wind howling outside, and the rain was coming down hard enough to dent the metal, it seemed. When Naz had said we were in a real jungle, I took it metaphorically, because of who his family was.
He was being for real. We truly might be in the middle of a jungle, or someplace equally wild.
The Fausti family had so many secrets they guarded fiercely, and I was sure this was one of them. Wherever we were, it seemed to be off the grid.
Naz’s back was rigid as the guard climbed the steps to the plane and joined the search. He turned a second later and our eyes met. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but his eyes had turned as stormy as the night.
A guard came to stand in front of me. He pointed to the door with his gun. It was slung over his shoulder. “You will come with us,SignorinaGirardi.”
My eyes moved back to Naz’s. He nodded slowly, like he hated to do it, and I stood, straightening my clothes, walking ahead of the guard. After I was on the ground with Naz and Beni, the doors to the plane closed, and it felt like we were locked out of one reality, about to enter another.
FIFTEEN
AVA
Naz’s gripon my hip was like the chokehold I’d felt around my heart when I thought my sister had predicted my downfall. His temperature ran so hot, he was burning me through the thin silk. And as we walked toward a building that looked like it was made of stone, we had to find a stride where our hips didn’t constantly hit because he kept me so close to his side.
It didn’t take us long to find a rhythm, and we walked as one instead of two.
It felt like the most natural thing in the world to be connected to him this way. I couldn’t deny that his protectiveness and warmth made me feel safe in a way I’d never felt before.
I’d felt safe with Lilo over the years, but in a brotherly way. There was nothing sibling-like in the way Naz held me.
