My sister is fearless, taking whatever she wants with no regard. Something must have resonated with Dahlia. Even though I gave Calla shit for teaching her to fight, it’s more because the thought of her getting hurt seizes my lungs.
Throughout the drive to the private airport, Dahlia bounces in the seat, barely containing her excitement.
On the tarmac, the sleek black jet waits for me. Enzo and I own two identical ones. They both take off simultaneously when we fly somewhere, minimizing the chances of getting ambushed.
The crew waits for us at the top of the stairs, welcoming us in.
They’ve never seen me with a woman, but don’t even bat an eye, keeping their professional masks intact.
Black leather and brown furniture deck the inside of the jet, just as luxurious and with the finest amenities as everything I own. In the back, there’s a small cabin with a bedroom and an adjoining bathroom.
It will be a long flight with one stop. But that’s another surprise. After the classical concert at the New York Philharmonic, we’ll fly right to Paris.
We take our seats across from each other. A table rests between us, but that’s too much distance, so I move next to her.
The flight attendant asks what we’d like, and Dahlia fidgets with her fingers on her lap. “Just a glass of sparkling water, please.”
“Bring us a bottle of champagne too.”
Dahlia peeks at me, slumping deeper in the seat. “I’m not nervous.”
Buckling her in, I look straight into her eyes. “Would I let anything happen to you?”
She shakes her head. “Not things in your control.”
Her implicit trust undoes me, pumping me up with renewed determination never to break it.
As the jet takes off, soaring into the sky, I hold her hand. She clutches mine, glancing out the round window. I’d like nothing more than to slaughter her fears and bathe in the fucker’s demise.
“I’m your god, Dahlia. If I say nothing will happen to you, I mean it.”
“Not cocky at all,” she giggles, glancing at my cock.
Goal achieved. Now she thinks of other things. The flight will be long, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make it pleasurable enough. Then I remember Enzo. We share fucking everything, including our staff. It’s pissing me off.
She senses my unease, so she unbuckles herself and straddles my lap. “What is wrong?”
I cup the side of her face, caressing my thumb along her soft cheek. “Nothing for you to worry about, baby girl.”
Her eyes bore into mine as she palms my chest. “Oh, my Mika, when will you accept that your troubles are my troubles?I feel it viscerally when something is not right… That pain of not being able to help you fists my chest, threatening to stop the beats to my heart.”
Her words unravel me to my bones. She deserves complete honesty from me. But I don’t want to trouble her when I don’t know the outcome yet.
Curling my hand around her nape, I bring her face an inch away from my mouth. “I want you to understand one thing, baby girl. You’re embedded in my genetic coding. I breathe you in, filling my lungs with the very oxygen that keeps me alive. I refuse to live without you.”
Her eyes glisten with raw emotion.
“I’m not hiding or keeping myself away from you, but it’s my duty to protect you. Not the other way around.”
I hear the flight attendant coming with our drinks. She sets the glasses and bottle of water and champagne on the table, taking forever.
I rake a hand through my hair, groaning. “Thank you. I’ll call you when we need you. Don’t bother coming before then.”
She finishes her duties quickly before disappearing at the front of the jet.
The tip of Dahlia’s nose crinkles. “That was rude.”
I shrug, frustration pulling my mouth into a hard line. “I said thank you. But I’m so fucking done with people interrupting or me not being able to do what I can’t stop myself from doing.”
