Page 22 of Love Without Control

Me: Why?

I stared at my phone, waiting for a response, but one never came. He must be with our father or one of his goons. Stuffing the phone into the front pocket of my suit pants, I fisted the bags and walked back to the hangar, my nerves on high alert.

Why the hell didn’t my brother want me on this chopper? With sharp eyes, I took in everything as I secured the bags, furtively darting my gaze from the back to the front of the interior.

Wait. Is that…

Moving forward and crouching beside Rodrigo, I hissed, “I need Guido to disappear for a few minutes.”

Without a single question, he flicked one more knob, unbuckled himself, and climbed out. “Guido, I need to hit the pisser before we lift off,” he called to the man standing in the hangar opening.

“Fuck’s sake. You’re throwing the schedule off, old man,” he groused, lifting a stubby finger to point. “It’s back there.”

Rod craned his neck and squinted. “Where?”

“That door back there,” Guido sighed, waggling his finger at the very clearly marked restroom door.

“Which one? There’re two doors.”

“Can you even see good enough to fly this damn thing?” The punk’s eyes rolled to the top of his head. “Fuck it. I’ll show you.”

As soon as they were walking away, I dropped to my back and slid my head beneath the pilot’s seat.Motherfucker.

Pieces started falling into place. Guido’s nervous demeanor. His insistence that we leave immediately. But who was behind it? I was pretty sure I knew, but I needed confirmation.

“What are you doing? You’re going to get your suit all dirty.” Evie’s quiet voice penetrated my thoughts, and my heart rate kicked into overdrive as the implications of what I’d just seen sank into my bones.

“Come here,” I told her. I hated to scare her after everything she’d been through, but I needed her to see this for herself. Because everything I had planned was about to change.

After a brief hesitation, she lowered herself to the floor beside me, and I pointed at the underside of the seat.

That little soft spot appeared between her eyes for a long moment before she angled her gaze toward me. “Is that…”

“An explosive device,” I confirmed, and her blue eyes rounded. “In exactly,” I checked the timer, “ninety-eight minutes, this helicopter will explode.”

“Oh my god. What… who… I-I don’t understand.” She scrambled to her feet, her hands flapping like wounded birds, and I followed her.

“Listen to me, Evie.” I gripped her pretty face with both hands, my voice hard and forceful. “I need you to run to the car before Guido gets back. Stay there, and do not get out, no matter what. Do you understand?”

“Flava fucking Flav was going to blow us up?” she screeched, and I shushed her.

“Keep your voice down and go. Now. Stay to the right, and the helicopter will block you from his view.”

Her eyes circuited back and forth between mine three times before she nodded. I helped her from the helicopter and watched as she darted to the car, my lungs finally deflating once she was safely inside.

Then I brushed off my rear and pulled the suppressed gun from the back of my pants before straightening my suit jacket. Keeping the weapon slightly behind me, I strolled to the back of the hangar.

“What’s the hold up?”

Guido’s ugly face scrunched in annoyance. “He said he ate something bad. Fucking ridiculous.”

I whipped the gun out and placed it against his forehead. “Who?”

“Wh-who wh-what?” he stammered, though he knew exactly what I was asking.

Keeping my eyes trained intently on him, I didn’t let on that Rodrigo was now standing directly behind him. “Who told you to put the explosive device on the chopper?”

“Me? I wouldn’t… I don’t know what you’re talking about.” A droplet of sweat dripped from his dark hair and slid down his temple.

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