STAN
I hated this jet and used it as infrequently as possible.
My abduction and the plane’s hijacking, then my ass needing to be rescued by my sister and brother-in-law as they waded into an internal war for my sake, didn’t inspire fond memories.
The flight didn’t improve any when, barely two hours in, our pilot asked to speak to me and woke Kitty up in the process.
Two hours of watching her, no interruptions, no distractions. One-twenty minutes of savoring her presence on my lap. In the comfort she found in me.
As if the disturbance didn’t sour my mood enough, the pilot informed me that we had to make an emergency landing in Texas of all places, because of a mechanical issue.
The only consolation was that we’d crossed into US air space.
My mind raced as I sought ways to break the news gently to my angel. “Sabotage?”
“Unlikely. It’s throttle stagger and?—”
Ignoring the explanation, I inquired, “Whereabouts in Texas are we? Can we limp along to Rutherford?”
The pilot eyed me askance. “Why Rutherford, sir?”
“We have allies there.”
Suddenly grateful for the round of ammo Martinez had gifted me via Miguel before our departure, I waited for the pilot to check the flight deck.
Seeing as he spoke ‘mafia’ fluently after a few years of service, I accepted his “I’ll see what I can do, sir,” with a nod of thanks, knowing he’d make my request happen.
I returned to my seat, where Kitty was already fretting—her anxiety back at full tilt.
I didn’t fight the urge to drag her onto my lap as I braced myself for the fallout while cursing our bad luck.
She started fucking crying.
Which brought her sisters over for the conversation too.
I tucked her face into my throat to give her some privacy. “It’s going to be fine, Kitty. I swear.”
“You don’t know that!”
God, her fear made me want to fucking kill someone.
But if I killed the pilot, that would literally get us nowhere.
Being logical had its issues. Especially when everything about her made me irrational.
“I do know that. We’re going to land and they’ll fix the problem and then we’re flying onward to Vegas.”
“Whereare we landing? An airfield? Is it safe?”
“Safe as can be,” I said calmly, though I didn’t mean it because more than likely, it’d be a field.
The second we arrived, I’d have to make some calls. The Hell’s Rebels’ MC might supply ghost guns for myStiddari,but that didn’t mean we exchanged friendship bracelets.
I rubbed my nose over the line of her jaw. “I swear this will work out, baby.”
“You swore you’d meet me last night.”
Her pouting reassured me that all was not lost. “And I did. It didn’t go as planned. You know why too.”
