Page 14 of No More Spies

She quietly forced a deep breath down. She was by thewindow, though the blind was drawn. This wasn’t as nice as the private planeher dad sometimes used. It was more like a small commuter jet. So there wasonly one person beside her. From her vantage point she could see what appearedto be a man wearing jeans and sneakers. Not fatigues.

“I could have had much more fun if you give me more time,” afamiliar, hate-filled voice was saying. She could barely hear him over the humof the engines.

“She’ll kill you if she ever finds out,” another man said.“You need to stay away from her. You know she’s a kid.”

“She’s not,” Dimitry insisted. “She’s a whore like allDenisovitch women, and they’re only good for one thing.”

Was the ache in her body a consequence of her time withDimitry? How much had she lost? Tears pulsed behind her eyes, but she forcedthem back. It didn’t fucking matter. It didn’t happen. If she didn’t rememberit, then it didn’t happen. Besides, who cared? No one did. Surely not Cooper.

She couldn’t think of him right now. Couldn’t think aboutthe piece of herself she’d meant to give him, the one he’d rejected. The onesomeone had stolen from her.

She was going to kill that fucking Russian.

She was never going to tell anyone…anyone. Better theythought she got beaten up. She sniffled and tried to quietly move her limbs.Every movement felt slow and she ached. Everything hurt.

Kyle. She finally looked up and Kyle was in the seat besideher.

Well, of course he was.

Dimitry stood up, his big body unfurling from the aisle infront of her. He turned, and his eyes flared when he saw her. His disgustinglips turned up in a smirk. “Ty khorosho spala? Ya znayu, chto ya–da.”

Had she slept well? He insinuated he had. Like he’d enjoyedhis job and needed rest after a long night of…raping her?

She’d thought the word.

She’d been reckless and impetuous and all the things she’dbeen accused of being and everyone would nod and be sympathetic but deep downthey’d always known she would be here. They’d always known she would get introuble and lose pieces of herself because she wasn’t smart enough to keepthem.

“Dimitry, sit down and leave the girl alone. I’m not goingto tell you again.” One of the assholes was in charge. The big guy with brownhair and dark eyes. “We’re about to land. You okay, kid? We have a medic if youfeel sick.”

Sick. She wanted to die. She wanted the ground to open upand swallow her whole because this was all her fault. She’d been the weak link.All she had was her strength. Would anybody even put up with her if she wasweak?

“Fuck you,” she replied simply. She didn’t need to sayanything else to these assholes.

The guy sighed and sat back down, telling Dimitry to do thesame.

She sat there wondering if Kyle was dead. Probably not. Hischest moved. It was good to know her cousin could sleep in the middle of hisown kidnapping. Was it technically a kidnapping if he’d walked into the trap?She was the kidnappee, and he was the dude who’d been dumb enough to let ithappen.

When she thought about it, it was Kyle’s fault. Kyle hadshitty taste in women. Mostly. MaeBe was all kinds of awesome, but she had toquestion his every choice since this Julia person was obviously a monster.

She felt an ache go through her as the plane hit the landingstrip. She didn’t even know where she was. Where were her parents? She wantedher mom. She wanted her mom to wake her up and tell her she’s late and she hasto go to practice, and she would start the whole day over and this time shewould stay home with her sisters and brothers. She would stay in the house andnever let herself think about Cooper McKay again.

Kyle’s eyes came open, and there was a moment of startledrecognition in them, a panic as he looked around and finally settled on her.

Yep. He’d walked into the lion’s den for her. “I blame you.”

He should have saved himself. Everyone would hate her now.Her aunt and uncle would be so pissed she’d put Kyle in this position. Shedidn’t even want to think about how her parents would feel.

At least if she died, Cooper wouldn’t have to look at heragain.

Cooper would never touch her. She wasn’t sure she would letanyone touch her. Ever again.

“Me?” Her cousin’s brows had risen. “I’m not the one whosnuck out of my perfectly safe house to visit my boyfriend.”

The words made her stomach turn, but they were true. Atleast the sneaking out part. “He’s not my… Well, not anymore because he’s anasshole like all men. But this is about you, isn’t it? At first I thought itwas someone who was pissed at my dad, but then I woke up and you were here.Unless you’ve turned supervillain. Have you, Kyle?”

Her cousin snorted. “No.”

“Then that psycho ex of yours couldn’t get to Carys or Lucasor David, so she kidnapped me.” It was the only possible explanation. “Andyou’re the dummy who fell for it.”