Page 7 of Stuck with My Bossy Protector

I nod, though I’m not sure if I’m more shocked or relieved. “Yeah, I think so. Just shaken.”

The snow swirls around us, jerking the plane and threatening to topple it over. Slowly, my heartbeat calms, and reality sinks in. We’re alive, but for how long?

Chapter four

Noah

Iglance over at Mia, relieved to see that she’s okay. She’s trembling like a leaf and hugging her camera bag to her chest, but she’s alive. We’re both alive. I take a few deep breaths to steady my own shaking hands, grateful for the surge of adrenaline in those heart-stopping moments before the crash. Now, it seems to be ebbing away, leaving me cold and disoriented.

I look out the window, past the swirling snow to the uninhabited wilderness beyond. The plane seems stable enough for now, but if this storm takes a turn for the worse...

“We made it,” I say, more to myself than to her.

She looks at me—incredulous but says nothing.

I know I’m going to get sued—just my luck. First, I get entangled with drug dealers I don’t know are drug dealers, and now this. The snowstorm is battering the plane from all sides, but Mia hasn’t moved.

“I’m really sorry,” I say, trying to sound as sincere as possible. “I didn’t expect the storm to come in that fast.”

“Sorry?” she snaps. “Sorry isn’t going to change the fact that we’re stuck in the middle of a blizzard! How could you let this happen?”

I take a deep breath, trying to stay calm. I honestly don’t know if leaving on time would have made a difference. But we’re here now, and there’s no changing it. All I can do is deal with the situation I find myself in. My thoughts are still a little jumbled. I really thought we were going to slam into the ground and explode in flames. I actually pictured my charred body lying in the snow.

But we are alive. Now, I need to make sure we stay that way.

“The weather is brutal right now. Walking to the cabin is not possible. We’re safer staying in the plane until the storm lets up.”

Her eyes widen in horror. “Stay in the plane? No way. We’ll freeze to death!”

“No, we won’t,” I say firmly. “The plane is insulated, and we have emergency blankets. If the weather clears, I can fly us the rest of the way. But we can’t risk going out there now. Look outside. It’s a white-out. You won’t make it ten feet.”

She glares at me, but I watch her panic start to recede.

“Look, Mia,” I say, my voice is as steady as I can manage. “I know you’re scared. Hell, I am, too. But we have no other choice.”

She takes a breath and sets her camera on the floor. She looks out at the icy whirlwind and slowly sinks back into her seat, nodding minutely. “Okay,” she murmurs. “Okay.”

The storm continues to rage outside our tiny metal sanctuary, and it’s all too easy to imagine the plane being buried under huge mountains of snow. Neither of us gets out of our seats. I am honestly not entirely sure my legs will even work. They are still feeling very heavy after every single muscle in my body tensed up during that hard landing.

“Are you sure we’ll be safe?” she asks.

“Yes,” I say, meeting her gaze. “Trust me, we’re better off here.”

Mia doesn’t look convinced, but she nods reluctantly. “Fine. But if anything happens to us, this is on you.”

“I understand,” I say, trying to reassure her. “Let’s get settled in. We need to stay warm and conserve our energy.”

“What about water?” she asks. “I can go without food, but what about water?”

I smirk. “We’re about a foot deep in water.”

“That’s snow,” she snaps. “You can’t drink snow when you’re fighting to keep your body temperature up.”

“I’m not suggesting we bathe in it,” I say with a shake of my head. “We’re not going to die from dehydration. Besides, I have a case of bottled water in the back.”

She glares at me. “Why wouldn’t you just say that!”

I shrug and finally undo my seatbelt. I climb into the back and see my bag along with the gear I keep on the plane in case of emergencies. In my line of work, flying into the desolate Alaskan bush, I am always prepared to be stranded for a few days. It is the nature of the beast.

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