Page 59 of Harper’s Renegades

“Later? Oh, we’ll see about later. I don’t think later is going to be a wise choice here, Ghost,” I muttered as I snatched the book out of his hands.

I could hear Magnus talking in a low voice over his headset, Jaxson commenting from time to time as the engine started up. Soon we were rolling out of our spot and heading to line up behind two other planes.

“I suppose now would be a silly time to ask if they are good pilots,” I said to Ghost.

He just smiled and gave me a wink. “Now, what would the fun be in telling you?”

Growling, I punched him in the arm and turned my back to him as I flipped to the first page. “Step one, for revenge against Ghost while he sleeps for being an ass…”

“Oh, I see how it is, Magnus pisses you off, and since you can’t yell at him, I get the brunt of it?” He let out a dramatic sigh. “Such is the burden of being the youngest sibling. Good thing you’re so sexy when you’re angry. It makes it much easier to bear.”

“Keep talking. It’s just helping me make my retaliation even worse,” I pointed out as I continued to write.

About three hours into the flight, I gave up on being irritated and snuggled up with Ghost to watch movies. If this was really going to be sixteen hours of us trapped here, I didn’t want us to be mad at each other. Plus, Ghost hadn’t been the one to piss me off. At some point, Jaxson came out to join us, taking a break before he switched off with Magnus in another hour or so.

“Gorgeous,” Jaxson said, pulling my attention from the movie to look up at him from where my head lay in Ghost’s lap.

“What’s up?”

“Earlier, you said that François knew about our engagement. Did he say anything as to how he knew?” he asked.

I shook my head. “When I asked, he just gave some creepy answer telling me he ‘had his ways.’” I said with finger quotes. “Ghost is right, though. He does seem strangely interested in me, and I can’t tell if it’s because he feels like it’s a way to control you three or if he really just likes me better.”

Leaning down, Jaxson whispered. “Don’t tell Mag, but I like you better than him, too, most of the time.”

“Most of the time?” I argued.

Jaxson chuckled. “Well, I’ve known him for my whole life, so there have been a few moments that I’ve liked him before I met you.”

“Fine, I’ll accept that,” I said with a sniff. “Why do you ask?”

“Magnus and I were just talking, trying to understand the logic. We’ve worked for the man for a few years and never seen him react this way to anything,” Jaxson shared.

I mulled that over in my brain and thought back to exactly what he said to me. “Random thought, but what if he knows I’m Dax’s best friend? Could he be trying to get in good with me to get in good with her? Maybe he’s picking sides or is just ensuring that no matter who wins, he will be in someone’s good graces.”

Both Ghost and Jaxson looked at me with stunned expressions.

“What?” I demanded.

“Angel, this is the most François style of plan if I’ve ever heard one,” Ghost said. “That makes perfect sense for a man like him. If he knows we are engaged, then why wouldn’t he also know that your Two Trick’s best friend? Most of the criminal world has learned this tidbit of information, making your bestie one of the most powerful women in the crime world.”

“I do have a pretty badass bestie, don’t I?” I chuckled. “Does that mean I need to be worried about people using me to get to her all the time now?”

Neither man answered me right away, which told me what their response would be. Not only did I have to learn to deal with having three men I loved moving about in the criminal world, now I also had Dax. That would have been inevitable regardless of meeting the guys or not. Dax being a powerful force in the shadows had been going on for years. Now that the blindfold was off, everything had to change.

“Don’t stress, angel. We’ll teach you everything you need to know. This world we know like the back of our hand, in no time will feel like you’ve lived this kind of life forever,” Ghost assured me.

“Jax,” Magnus called from the cockpit.

“Time to switch,” Jaxson explained as I sat up and watched him disappear into the nose of the plane.

A few minutes later, Magnus came out, stretching his arms over his head. His shirt rode up, showing off those yummy muscles that pointed to the prize hidden in his pants, making me lick my lips.

“Don’t think you can come out here acting all sexy to put me in a good mood,” I commented.

He paused and looked at me, confused. “What?”

Oops, it would appear he was just that sexy.