Chapter 1
Carter
Three rows of leather seats lined the narrow tube hurtling through the sky at five hundred miles an hour. The beige carpet in the aisle was thick and plush, screaming luxury. The oval-shaped window encompassed the clouds, the world a blue sphere beneath me, sandwiching me between the two. There was something so mesmerizing about observing the world from thousands of feet above—buildings reduced to the size of my fingertips and people so minuscule they disappeared in the rush.
In reality, our significance amounted to such a negligible level. We were mere blips on the extensive timeline of thisindifferent universe. Our ephemeral, aimless existence made us easy to manipulate and even easier to extinguish.
My fingers drummed against the armrest as the jagged Rocky Mountains came into view with bobbing legs and accelerated breaths. A sharp white light seized my vision.
My chest is tight, causing a steady pinching in my ribcage. My hands glimmer with blood—screams shattering my eardrums.
“The weather in Gypsum, Colorado today is a brisk sixty-five degrees without…”
I cleared my throat, shaking away a bitter rush hitting me in the solar plexus.
“…but give it an hour, and that could change.”
The speakers crackled, and the flight attendant with a short blonde pixie cut, who’d smiled through the entire flight, giggled—the glasses she moved around, clinking against one another.
I washed down the unwelcome memories with the last of my bourbon, my knuckles bloodless as I clutched the tumbler and gathered a deep breath through my nose. The bourbon bled off sweet notes of toffee, making my mouth water.
The plane dipped down in a controlled descent.
“Prepare for landing.” The pilot’s speaker crackled, his words muffled as though he shoved the microphone into his mouth and chewed gum at the same time.
The flight attendant stepped out of the makeshift kitchen atthe front of the rented plane and smiled. “It’s time to buckle.”
I lifted a brow, tapped the belt that had remained buckled the entire flight, then raised my empty glass and handed it to her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sir.”
The seatbelt sign above the flight attendant flashed when she walked into the kitchen, deposited the glass, and then took her seat facing me—her belt strapped over her shoulders.
Why does she have a harness, and the rest are lap belts?
The plane dipped. My stomach leaped. The wheels bounced and then skidded along the runway until it slowed and pivoted towards the hangar.
Here we go.
A smile spread across my face as the plane came to a stop. The attendant lowered the steps as I pulled the tab on my buckle and stood.
My heart rate spiked as I took in the flight attendant’s micro-twitches, the slight rosacea on her cheeks, and the bloodshot whites of her eyes.
Late-night drinking?
Taking sips of the bourbon before handing it to clients?
She has a problem, and her body is crying out.
The pilot exited the cockpit and tilted his head as I grabbed the small duffle bag stuffed with enough clothes to last two days and approached him.
“Sir.”
“Thanks for the flight, Captain. It wassmooth as butter.”
“Glad to be of service. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
I slung the bag over my shoulder and stepped down from the plane with a respectful nod, the fresh air mingling with a dash of pine.