Page 75 of Diamond Don

“Yeah. It’ll be fun, you’ll see.” He smiles at me again before turning to Yuri. “Ready?”

“I’m ready when you are,” the man joyfully replies.

“I’m not going into that thing,” I tell Nik, digging my heels in.

“Oh, come on, it’ll be fun, Kat. You’ll enjoy yourself, I promise.” He laughs, amused by my hesitation.

“No, I won’t. I won’t enjoy plummeting to my certain and horrific death when that paper plane crumples up in the air.”

As he drags me closer to the plane, Nik chuckles. “It’s completely safe, I promise.”

“It’s so tiny, Nik,” I protest.

Nik climbs into the plane and turns to me, stretching out his hand to help me climb into the death machine. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to, but I think you should give it a shot. It’s completely safe. I’ve done this a dozen times.”

“Nik,” I cry, ready to tell him why I think this is a bad idea, but he interrupts me.

“Do you trust me?” he asks, his hand still outstretched.

I look at him. His eyes are warm, searching my face. The wind ruffles his shiny dark hair, and he looks so gorgeous that my heart aches a little. Wordlessly, I take his hand. His answering smile is like a fine glass of whiskey, warming me up down my neck, through my chest, and down to my belly.

Nik effortlessly pulls me into the plane. After leading me to my seat, he helps me buckle up before sitting down in front of me. We both put our headsets on, and the plane’s engine roars to life.

Yuri says something over the intercom system, but I can’t discern his words over the deafening sound of my thundering heart.

I could have mentally prepared myself if Nik had warned me we would be doing this. I would’ve had time to get ready for this moment. As it is, I feel entirely out of sorts, like I’m already free-falling from a mile up in the sky.

Nik clasps my hand, holding it tightly. I look at him, and his expression takes my breath away. His eyes are like molten ore, and there is a carefreeness in them I haven’t seen before.

Without much preamble, the plane takes off, and it’s my turn to squeeze the Russian’s hand. Mid-laugh, Nik grabs my other hand, squeezing both my hands tightly in his.

We rise higher and higher. I shut my eyes as my stomach drops and my ears pop.

A minute or an hour passes—I couldn’t say. Nik squeezes my hand again.

“Kat,” he rasps. “Open your eyes, milaya.”

Reluctantly, I do.

“Eyes up here,” he says. “Just look into my eyes.”

I do as he says. After a moment, it helps calm down my nerves. Maybe because staring into this man’s eyes is my kryptonite.

“There you go,” he says in a soothing voice. “You’re doing great. Now, take a deep breath and try to relax your muscles. Just try it.”

Still looking into his eyes, I do, to a small degree of success. “This isn’t so bad,” I say tentatively.

“It really isn’t,” he says with an encouraging smile. “We’re almost ready for Yuri to start the maneuvers.”

“Maneuvers?! You didn’t say anything about maneuvers.”

Nik laughs. “It’s an aerobatic flight, Kat.”

“Oh, god, I’m going to puke.”

“No, no, just look into my eyes. You’ll be fine. You’re safe, and you’re going to have fun.”

“Nik…” I gasp, unsure of what else to say. He clutches my hands tightly, his eyes never wavering from mine.

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