Page 52 of What Remains

Gwen faces me, and I’m about to order her to strap in, because I can feel something coming, but that something beats me to it.

The jet bucks. A light chop, at first. Probably a shear layer the pilot plans to break through. But the next one? Not a chop. It slams like a vertical gust, punching the belly of the jet. The floor drops out hard enough that Gwen and Julian shoot backward and straight for me. I barely have time to brace before both of them slam into me, the impact shoving all of us straight through the bedroom doorway behind me.

My ass hits the bed, and I wind up in a seated position with Gwen on top of me. Julian thankfully shifts fast enough to drop to the floor, so he doesn’t land on us.

I keep a firm hold of her upper arms, and my thigh muscles lock around her to keep her from slipping or getting thrown into the wall. We ride the waves for a few more seconds before the sky finally calms down.

“You o—” Wyatt drops his words, and I don’t blame him. His daughter is on my lap and Julian is on his knees right beside us.

Spectacular.

Wyatt reaches for Gwen and hauls her up to her feet, pulling her to his side as both Julian and I stand.

“Turbulence,” Gwen sputters.

“Yeah, I know.” Wyatt grimaces, his gaze snapping between me and Julian. “Cabin. Now. Buckled.”

That’s an order I can get behind, and if he didn’t issue it to her, I would have.

I wait for Wyatt to guide her away before budging myself, but Julian’s hand on my arm has me putting on the brakes from following them.

“Whatever you think,” he begins while meeting my eyes, his forehead tightening, “unthink it now.” He lets me go and tears his hands through his hair, and I lose sight of his eyes. “That didn’t come out right.”

“I’m hoping not,” I say under my breath before I rage-throw him from the plane.

“There’s nothing going on between us, that’s all I’m trying to make clear. I don’t need you hating me, man.” He holds up his hands. “Just want to get along.”

I jut my chin out, shocked we’re having this conversation. Carter already did a number on me, and I don’t need this now. “And there’s nothing between Gwen and me, either.”

He angles his head as if he doesn’t believe me.

Shit. Can I call for a redo and take those words back? Because did I just give him the green light to go after her? Not that it’s up to me who she dates, but it sure as hell sounded like I said I wouldn’t stand in the way if he hit on her.

Thing is? I might, and I’m not sure how to process that.

“Whatever, man. Just stop looking at me like you want to kill me. I’m not your enemy.” He shakes his head. “I served, too, by the way. Not only from behind a keyboard.”

I already knew he was military and helped out both the CIA and MI6 on occasion. His brother-in-law, Jason Reed from Delta Shield Security, gave me his background report—along with everyone else’s in his family—when they met up with us at The Sapphire last fall for an op. What I don’t understand is why he’s telling me that.

“Even if I want . . .”

Even if you want what? Gwen? My pulse is motherfucking flying.

“I’m sure as hell not about to cross any lines with a fellow operator’s . . .” He doesn’t finish his dangling sentence, and I don’t do it for him. Instead, he tosses out a quick, “Invisible lines or not,” as if I’m supposed to decrypt what he’s talking about without the master key. He steps back and extends a peace offering in the form of a handshake, and I stare at it like it’s a grenade with the pin pulled. “We’re on the same side.”

I could really use some gum, so I don’t destroy my teeth with how damn hard I’m clenching my jaw.

I hesitantly accept his olive branch, because what choice do I have? We need to work together, and there is no Gwen and I (me and Gwen?). Fucking grammar. Not my thing.

“Yeah, okay. Fine.” I guess only time will tell whether we can really be friends.

CHAPTER 17

Gwen

Because of course I’d wind up nearly sandwiched between those two men. And of-freaking-course my dad walked in on that. Why wouldn’t he?

At least it was just turbulence, and it’s fizzled out now, and we don’t appear to be on the verge of crashing to our deaths. For a second back there, I was legit worried we were about to be Final Destination’ed. That we were meant to die in that helo crash and Death was coming for us now.