Page 62 of Forbidden Access

There were no guarantees.

Instead, he reached out, his hand finding hers and squeezing gently.

“Let’s go.”

The pilot stepped out of the plane, a grizzled man with a cigarette dangling from his lips. Thorn went up to him, and they spoke for a moment, no doubt checking credentials.

Damian steeled himself. It was time to face the music.

CHAPTER 27

The aircraft touched down at Miami International Airport in the middle of a thunderstorm. Thorn watched the rain lash against the small windows, the turbulence rattling the plane as it taxied down the runway. She shivered.

That better not be a sign of things to come.

As soon as the wheels hit the tarmac, she breathed a sigh of relief. They’d made it. Now they had to face a different kind of tension as they remained on full alert.

Damian leaned back in his seat, his jaw clenched, eyes scanning the storm-drenched landscape outside. For a moment, Thorn felt like they were stepping into a battlefield.

The plane rolled to a stop far from the main terminals, coming to rest near a secluded hangar where a convoy of black SUVs and an armored van awaited.

Blackthorn Security.

Hawk, Pat, and two other men she didn’t recognize—all wearing tactical gear with earpieces—approached the plane.

She glanced at Damian, who met her gaze with a slight nod. He was thinking the same thing.

Let’s do this.

The sooner they were secure in the conference hotel, the better.

The pilot cut the engine, and the door creaked open, letting in the humid Miami air. Pat and Hawk boarded the plane and motioned for Thorn and Damian to follow.

“Good trip?” Pat asked as she picked up her bag.

She nodded. “Fine.”

“Glad to see you safe and sound,” Hawk added.

She shot him a brief smile. “Thanks.”

There was no time for small talk—they had to get to the sanctuary of the hotel. Thorn followed Damian out into the storm. The rain hit her skin like cold needles, the wind whipping her hair into her face as they hustled down the steps and into the waiting vehicle.

“See you at the hotel,” Pat said as he slammed the door shut behind them, sealing them inside the sleek, armored cocoon with blackened windows.

Thorn knew they’d be escorting the van to the hotel, providing backup cover if needed, in case they were ambushed along the route.

The driver took off immediately, the vehicle jerking forward as it merged with the convoy. Thorn could barely make out the city through the rain-streaked windows, the palm trees bending under the force of the storm, the lights of Miami blurred into a kaleidoscope of colors.

Damian sat silently beside her, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. She could see the tension in the set of his shoulders, the way his hands flexed against his knees.

She reached out, her fingers brushing against his.

He glanced at her, his expression softening for just a moment before he turned back to the window. She’d never seen him this on edge before. The easy-going, confident attitude was gone, replaced by a bundle of pent-up, nervous energy.

This meant a lot to him, clearly. She got that.

“We’re nearly there,” she said, breaking the silence in the back. The driver had the partition down, so he couldn’t hear them.

---