He’d almost lost her today.
And over his dead body would he let her take any more chances with her life.
“Get on the plane.”
She huffed. “Make me.”
He looked over her shoulder to the man waiting by the boarding stairs. “Cavanaugh.”
Her eyes shot wide and then narrowed to angry slits as Zander approached. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“I would.” He kissed her hard on the mouth. “Now are you going to get your ass on that plane or am I going to do it for you?”
“I’m not—”
Adam didn’t let her finish. With one letter of the alphabet, he issued his order and three seconds later, Eve was in Zander’s arms, kicking and screaming like she was being abducted by aliens.
“You sure about this?” he asked.
“Hundred percent,” Adam replied. “Put her on the plane, and make sure her ass stays at the lodge until I get there.”
“Roger that,” he acknowledged and turned to go.
“You’re going to regret this!” Eve growled, her fury unmistakable. And poking her head around Zander’s shoulder, she speared Adam with a wounded look that would have hurt his chest, if his chest hadn’t already felt like it’d been cracked in two.
“I’m sure I will.” He waited until they were at the top of the boarding platform before he shouted his final goodbye. “See you tomorrow, princess.”
“Go to hell!” she shouted back as she disappeared on board.
“Already there,” he mumbled, missing her before he’d even left. No question the next twenty-four hours would be the longest he’d ever gone without a heartbeat.
“Gutsiest move I ever saw, man.” Grant yanked open the passenger door and waved Adam inside like a damn parking lot attendant. “You know she’s gonna go crushinator on your jizzbits when you get back to the lodge, right?”
“Don’t make me shoot you in the face, Kincaid.” He stepped onto the running board and swallowed a groan at the vicious spike of pain. He’d never had a collapsed lung before and had no idea how much it would hurt to breathe.
Add on the ache of being separated from Eve and—
“Safety first,” Grant said, pulling on the seat belt and attempting to buckle Adam in like a child.
“Knock it the fuck off, Betty White.” He yanked the strap out of Grant’s hand and clipped it himself. “If you’re done playing nurse, can we get the fuck out of here?”
He wanted to be back at the lodge as soon as possible. Yeah, Eve was mad now, and her anger served to hold her together, but it wouldn’t last, and he wanted to be there for her when the real emotions hit.
Grant snorted but wisely kept whatever comeback he had to himself. He shut the door and gave the good-to-go signal to Chase in the cockpit.
He responded with a thumbs-up and a two-fingered salute.
Adam searched the passenger windows for any sign of Eve and found none. His heart sank as Grant settled himself into the driver’s seat.
“She’s tough,” he said, starting the truck and putting it in gear. “And in good hands.” He pulled a U-turn as the plane started to taxi. “You wanted to keep her safe. She won’t fault you for that.”
Sure, she’d forgive him for the plane. Eventually. But what about her brother? What about when she started to process what happened in the cell beneath the garage? Would she hate him for shooting Bryan? Think of Adam as a cold-blooded killer?
And what about Vonn? What if she couldn’t get past the abduction? Past the trauma? What then?
“Wait,” he said when they reached the exit gate. “Pull over.” He wanted to see the jet take off. Needed the reassurance of knowing his family was safely in the air and on their way home.
In position at the start of the runway, the plane started to pick up speed. Halfway down, the nose lifted into the air, and the wheels left the ground. His heart rate climbed with the jet’s rapid ascent, and he winced at the beating his ribs were taking.
