Page 130 of Diary of a Mafia Princess

I nodded, wanting to get moving for Lynx’s sake. He was almost green with concern, and I hated myself for begging him to come. If he was caught, he’d be back in jail. I could see the fear in his expression, and yet he was doing it anyway.

Because I’d asked him to.

My heart clenched, but I didn’t dare try to touch him or reassure him. He wouldn’t feel better until we were on a plane and in the air.

We followed Luca to an area marked for private travelers. There was no line, and the woman behind the desk glanced up as we approached, doing a double take when she saw Luca.

“Mr. Guerra. It’s been a while!”

Luca just nodded and handed over his passport. “I’ve been sticking closer to home.”

She smiled at him and tapped her long fingernails across the keyboard. “Off to Scotland today then? How lovely. And you’re traveling with…” She glanced at me. “Girlfriend?”

“Friend,” I corrected quickly.

“Lovely.”

I almost rolled my eyes at the pleasure in her voice at realizing I wasn’t anything significant to Luca. I passed her my passport, and then Lynx handed over his.

The one with a fake name on it.

The woman studied it. “Reginald Harold. Nice to meet you.”

I had to take a sip from my water bottle to cover my laughter. I managed to hold it until the woman had checked us in and dismissed us with a wave toward security.

Once she was out of earshot, I let out the laugh. “Reginald Harold? Aren’t they X’s duck’s and cat’s names?”

Luca frowned at me. “X as in the mascot of my hockey team?”

I nodded.

Lynx scowled. “I couldn’t think of anything else when Luca asked me what name I wanted on the passport. And X is always over at the clubhouse with Reaper or down at Hawk’s place with the doc. He never shuts up about his freaking animals, so they were just the first names that came to mind.”

I giggled. “As long as I can still call you Lynx, then we’re all good.”

He glanced at me like he wasn’t actually sure we were all good at all.

Right, so he was definitely mad at me. Great.

Luca checked his watch and picked up the pace a little. “Come on. If everyone else is already on the plane, we’re going to get a lecture, and frankly, I’m much more interested in putting on some headphones, drinking a bottle of something expensive, and watching the back of my eyelids for the entire flight, rather than listening to my father drone on.”

He put his carry-on bag up on the security conveyor belt, and I did the same, Lynx following suit behind me.

Luca’s bag went through the machine, and he walked through the body scanners. I was next, and when no beeping went off, I stepped aside, waiting for Lynx.

“Whose bag is this, please?” the security guard called, holding up the bag he knew very well I’d put on the belt since we were the only people in the line.

I frowned and raised my hand. “Mine.”

Luca shouldered his backpack as it came back to him. “Is there a problem?”

The security guard motioned for me to come closer. “Please come with me, Miss Matish.”

Lynx grabbed his things and followed close behind me. “What’s going on?”

I was just as confused as he was. “I don’t know.”

Another security guard came over to us and held a hand out, not quite touching me, but his body language insistent. “Please come this way. The rest of your party will need to wait here.”