Smiling through gritted teeth, I keep my mask in place. “I’m sorry. Would you like tea, coffee, or?—”
“Vodka. And hurry the fuck up, would you?”
“Yes, sir.” I bend over and retrieve a small bottle of vodka from the trolley. If my years of marriage taught me anything, it’s obedience. Silently, I curse myself for putting up with passengers like him, but the last thing I need is any more drama in my life. As I straighten my spine, I’m met with a wall of muscle at my back. Goose bumps break out on my skin as D’Angelo’s intoxicating scent surrounds me.
Dan sniggers and takes the small bottle of vodka from my hand. “Allow me.” He grips the man’s face between his finger and thumb. “I think you need to apologise to the flight attendant.”
My eyes widen. “Sir. Please take a seat.” My lips form a tight line as I glare at Dan.
The man spits out, “Fuck you.” He has no idea what Dan’s capable of.
Dan unscrews the cap with his teeth, then shoves the bottle in the man’s mouth, forcing him to guzzle it down or risk choking.
I gasp, and look around, checking for any sign of an air marshal before thisgets out of hand.
The man’s fingers claw at Dan’s arm, but Dan remains calm and removes the bottle.
“You must’ve been thirsty,” Dan says, inspecting the empty bottle. “Grace, hand me another. Let’s give the passenger what he’s asked for.”
I should stop him. Tell him I don’t need saving, but watching him stand up for me is the first time I’ve felt seen in years. A part of me doesn’t want him to stop. Not this time. Not when it feels this good to be visible again.
The man gasps for breath. “You’re fucking crazy, man. Security,” he shouts.
“Yes, let’s get security, shall we? You need to learn some fucking manners.” Dan turns to me. “Grace, another bottle, please.”
My pulse throbs in my neck, but on the surface, I remain graceful, like a swan. Underneath I’m kicking my legs just to stay afloat. With another glare at Dan, I turn around and bend down to retrieve another bottle from the trolley.
“All right. I’m fucking sorry, okay?” The man’s face burns red.
“Don’t say it to me. Say it to the lady who’s serving you.”
He tilts his head. “I’m sorry, miss.”
Dan pats the man’s knee. “There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“Can I have a bottle of water, miss?” the man asks. “Please.”
Dan sniggers as he walks back to his seat.
I roll my eyes. Some things never change. There was a time I'd have told someone like this man to go to hell, but after what I've endured, a few snarky words seem miniscule. I'm conditioned not to cause a scene. Keep my head down and get on with my job. Another reason why I cannot and will not allow Dan back into my life. He would disrupt the safe space I’ve built for me and my son.
After serving a few more passengers, I pour Dan awhiskey before he asks, knowing that was always his go-to drink. “It’s not the finest brand, but it’ll take the edge off.”
His fingers wrap around the glass over mine, sending an electrical current through my bloodstream. “Thank you, Grace.”
I smile and lean down to whisper, “You didn’t need to get involved back there. I’m a big girl. I can handle myself.”
He gulps, his sight lined up to my cleavage. “I already told you, I can see that. But I’ll never stop protecting my flower.”
Our eyes lock again and it’s like a zap to the heart each time he uses the pet name against me. It’s as if all the other stuff doesn’t matter. For a split second, I’m his and everything feels right in the world. But I barely survived the fallout the last time I let him in. If I fall for his lies again, I’m not crashing alone. I’m taking my son with me. And I can’t let that happen.
3
DAN
The seat shakes as the wheels touch down on the runway and I let out a sigh of relief. My muscles burn as if I’ve just done a workout. Then I glance over the seat in front of me and catch Rose’s eyes as she gazes at me with a reminiscent smile. At that moment, all the tension leaves my body.
She always had a way to calm my mind. It’s true what she said about me using her for information. I was young and vengeful back then and would have done anything to avenge my mother, but the more I got to know Rose, the more she discovered my heart. It’s as if she has the key to lock it away and unlock it as she pleases, because I haven’t felt it since the day she married someone else.
