Page 127 of The Bratva King

“Whoa,” Luke breathes.

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper.

Nik squeezes my hand. “I thought you’d like it.”

The pilot takes us along the rim, then dips down into the canyon. The walls rise on either side of us, ancient and massive. I’m gripping the armrest again. Nik’s hand slides up my neck in a gentle caress. We’ve touched plenty of times, but this is different. He’s comforting me.

It’s working.

Mostly.

I’m still praying to be back on the ground sooner rather than later, but I’m breathing. I don’t think Luke is picking up on my fear. I’ve learned how to hide it from him. If I’m afraid, he’s afraid. So, I breathe and keep smiling.

Luke is glued to the window, pointing at everything. A hawk circling below us. The ribbon of the Colorado River winding through the canyon floor. Rock formations that look like castles.

“Can we go to the bottom?” Luke asks.

“Not today,” Nik tells him. “But we could come back. Take a mule ride down.”

“Really?”

“If you want.”

Luke nods enthusiastically. “I want.”

I look at Nik, wondering if he’s only saying it for Luke. But Nik doesn’t make promises he won’t keep. He’s already planning the next trip. The next thing we’ll do together.

Together.

Like this is what we are now.

My chest tightens, and this time, it isn’t fear.

“Where else would you like to go?” Nik asks Luke.

“Dinosaur museum,” Luke says immediately. “The big one. In New York.”

“The Museum of Natural History,” I supply.

“We could go,” Nik says. He looks at me. “Take a long weekend. Make a trip of it.”

“Maybe,” I say carefully. “Someday. I don’t want to push too much at once.”

We are not going to New York. Ever.

The pilot circles back toward Vegas. The canyon falls away behind us, and the desert spreads out again. After a while I see the Strip in the distance, and the glittering line of hotels and casinos.

By the time we land, my legs are so shaky that I have to steady myself before helping Luke down. He’s still buzzing with excitement, talking a mile a minute about everything he saw.

Nik thanks his pilot, and we head back to the SUV. Luke climbs into his car seat, and I buckle him in.

“Did you have fun?” I ask.

“Can we do it again?”

“Maybe someday.”

“Tomorrow?”