“We’re experiencing light turbulence,” the captain’s smooth voice came over the sound system. “We’ll have some bumps for the next half hour. Nothing major. I’ll update if conditions worsen, but that isn’t expected.”
I’d had one of the cabin crew tell me there were seat belts hidden in the couch cushions once, but we’d never used them. Aspen rubbed my back and smirked down at me, and I hugged him, then gave him a wee shove that had a smug smile spreading across his face.
“Don’t.”
“You’re not afraid the plane is going down, are you?” Aspen’s eyes twinkled and he ran a hand over his beard. He wasn’t usually an arsehole, but I’d been at my worst for a bit, so I supposed he deserved to get some of his own.
“Ye’re better than me.”
“Says who?” he asked, voice soft, and there was too much seriousness in the question. He didn’t push me away, but he shuffled back a step, and I paced into the sitting area with my hands curling into fists before I forced them open again.
Jamie sat at the end of one of the couches, hunched forward with his head in his hands. I’d never seen him looking so shellshocked. Of course, we’d been hustled onto the plane so fast our heads nearly spun. His brown eyes were wider than usual, and he hadn’t said a word since we’d all marched out of Sloan’s office. For once Corbin’s unshakable bland mood had cracked, and there was a grumpy wee scowl twisting down the corner of his mouth.
With a growl, I kicked one of the couches.
“Don’t do that,” Corbin said, but he didn’t sound much like he cared.
“I’ve never been so humiliated in front of Sloan, and once I killed a guy who was naked with no weapon because he surprised me. That’s how feckin’ stupid this was!”
Jamie snorted and glanced up at me. “Heard about that from Mickey. He said he saw the whole thing. It was a grand day.”
“He’s a fecking liar. Tadgh Quinn was there, and he’d already scarpered for warmth by the time that happened.” I rolled my eyes. “Was a cold day, and we’d had the heat off most of the night to torture the bastard.”
Jamie straightened up and combed his fingers through his curls. “I took the blame. Ye can relax, Cillian. There isn’t a bloody chance Sloan is laying this one at your feet, not with me there and giving the order to go.” He bared his teeth and shook his head. “Had to happen eventually, but I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone look at me like that, not since my ma when she caught me pilfering money from her purse as a boy.” He rubbed his ear. “She made me regret it, too.”
“No, I can’t fecking relax,” I spat at him, and his eyebrows jumped high. “Whatever way ye look at it, this was my cock-up.” I jammed a finger in his direction. “I don’t need yer bullshite.”
“Ya don’t have to be such an awfuleejitabout it,” Jamie grumbled.
Corbin snickered.
I started forward toward Jamie because, higher on the ladder than me or not, I wasn’t about to stand for this tonight, but Aspen grabbed my wrist and wouldn’t feck off, not even when I tried to shake him away and glared at him.
“Let me go,” I hissed at Aspen.
He shook his head and squeezed my wrist.
“I pushed the button,” Aspen said, glancing around at us. “If it’s anyone’s fault that we didn’t get the right target, and you don’t want to put the responsibility on Jamie, blame me.”
Corbin glanced between all of us. “Mr. Killough wasn’t angry. He was more miffed.” He wobbled a hand back and forth. “What we experienced was a strong chastisement. Got worse from the nuns in school.”
Jamie laughed and it was a tad more hysterical than he would cop to later. I swung toward Corbin, and he tugged his cap lower, shielding his eyes.
“Ya serious with that?” Jamie asked Corbin, smacking his shoulder.
Corbin shrugged. “He didn’t shoot us dead. It’s okay.”
All at once, a wave of fury rolled through me and I thought my head might explode. Vail and Fallon were still at the mansion, and if Sloan decided he was through with me...he might kill them. Odds were he wouldn’t shoot either of them, but the possibility tickled my mind. I’d had my chances with the boss. I’d fecked up and promised not to do it again.Bloody hell.“I needed this to go right,” I snapped.
Aspen tugged lightly on my wrist until I glanced at him. “Corbin is telling the truth. We got a Reyes, just not Joaquin. Sloan is okay with what happened, we just still need to take out our target.”
“Feck.” I winced. “It’s not that I mind killin’ anyone who deserves it, but that woman wasn’t who we were after. What was her name?”
“Noa Garcia,” Corbin said.
Jamie let out a long breath and his eyes narrowed in irritation. “This one is on me, so can ya fucking relax?” For once he didn’t sound like his normal, jovial self.
“Feck ye.”
