Page 82 of Killer Love

Gio pushes me up the steps and follows me onto the small cargo plane. “Secure her down,” he says, gesturing toward one of the masked men as they pile on after us. “Sorry, Sofia. I don’t quite trust you yet…”

One of them steps forward and grabs my arm. He leads me toward a bench on the wall, his grip tight enough to leave a mark. I take a seat and he reaches beneath it for a black box with a white snake drawn on the top with marker. He reaches inside with a gloved hand and pulls out a pair of handcuffs.

I don’t fight him. I yield and present my wrist, closing my eyes to focus on my breathing. Air fills my lungs and I push it out through my lips.

It’s not over until we can’t do that anymore.

The metal cuff clicks into place around my wrist. He fastens the other to the balance bar along the wall behind me.

“Hold on to something and keep your head down.”

I open my eyes, drawn to the whisper in front of me. “What?”

He stares at me through his mask. I freeze on those familiar eyes. Soft and restrained.

Fox.

I look away, pretending not to notice as he stands up and blends in with the rest of them.

Gio grins wide with victory as he turns and reaches for the parachute above the latched door.

I smirk as he throws it on. “Still afraid of heights, sweetheart?” I ask. “Aren’t you a little old for that?”

He doesn’t answer me. Instead, he walks off toward the cockpit and slams the door closed behind him.

The plane lurches as the pilot accelerates. I glance out the window and watch the fields of bleak, Russian earth whiz by as we move faster and faster. My stomach twists into knots as I rise off the ground for the second time in my life. I grab the bar beside me and hold on as we ascend at a steep incline.

I look at the six men standing around inside the main cabin, each one of them gripping one of the balance bars along the ceiling to keep his balance. A few of them speak, but I can’t make out a word. I search what I can of their hidden faces, finding Fox at the far end of them with his eyes pointed toward the floor.

The plane finally rights itself and Fox releases the bar. He moves slowly, slinking between the others as his hand drifts to his belt. I grip the bar even tighter as he withdraws a switchblade and flicks it open.

Fox stops behind the man closest to me and raises the knife to his throat.

“Hey!”

Fox slashes his neck from end to end, spilling blood in all directions. Everyone instantly takes notice as the man tumbles to his knees and Fox knocks him the rest of the way down. The fuselage surges with sudden life, so much that I can barely keep up with it. Two men descend on Fox, but he twists free of them, quickly plunging his knife into one of their chests.

I cringe back against the wall as Fox pulls the knife out and stabs it deep into the second man’s neck with fast, almost elegant, precision. They both slump to their knees and Fox spins around to meet the next attacker as he raises a pistol to his head.

Fox launches toward the gun and snatches the man’s wrist. A shot rings out. I gasp, clenching my heart as the bullet just misses Fox’s face. He turns, keeping a tight grip on the man’s wrist and forcing him to point the gun at the only other man left standing. The gun fires again. I shelter my head as the bullet clips the other agent’s eye and he crumbles to the floor.

The gunman throws himself backward, growling with anger, and Fox stumbles into the wall behind them. He raises the man’s wrist and slams it down on his knee several times to force him to drop the gun. Finally, it tumbles to the floor and Fox knocks him away from it.

The two face each other with tight fists, barely pausing before they both lash out at each other. They trade blows, but Fox is quicker, tripping the man down to his knees so fast it makes me nauseous. Fox slides behind him, takes the man’s head in his hands, and I shield my eyes before he twists it too far.

“What the hell—”

I look up as Gio pops out of the cockpit with wide, angry eyes.

Fox grabs his knife and throws it at Gio, piercing his left shoulder. Gio screams and falls back into the cockpit door in shock as Fox takes wide strides in his direction. He grabs the knife handle and yanks it out, drawing another powerful scream from Gio’s throat.

“What the hell are you doing?” he seethes, staring into Fox’s obscured eyes.

Fox wraps his fingers around Gio’s throat and pulls him up, forcing him across the fuselage to the exit. He reaches for the door handle and my jaw drops.

“Wait!” Gio squeals with fear.

Fox glances at me. I nod as I wrap my hands tighter around the bar.

---