Page 9 of Montana Manhunt

Once she sat, he returned to the galley and made her a cup of chamomile and mint tea and added a teaspoon of sugar. As he returned to their seats with the drink, Rayne and Grant boarded the jet and stored their gear. They chose seats near the front of the cabin to give Noah and Violet some privacy.

He sat beside Violet and handed her the mug. “A wise medic I know recommended chamomile and mint tea with sugar for shock.”

Her lips curved slightly at having her own words tossed back at her. “Thanks.”

“Wish there was more I could do. For what it’s worth, I am sorry about your sister.”

“So am I.” Her voice broke. “I don’t know if I can do this, Noah. It’s been Camilla and me against the world since we were eight. How do I carry on without my other half?”

He stared at her, pondering her word choice. The truth donned on him. “You’re twins?”

She nodded, then sipped her tea.

Noah draped his arm around Violet’s shoulders but remained silent until she finished the drink, then carried themug to the galley to be dealt with later. He rejoined Violet and threaded his fingers with hers. “We’ll find out what happened to Camilla and who’s responsible. You have my word.”

Violet turned toward him. “Don’t promise something you can’t deliver.”

“I was a homicide detective, Violet. So was Grant. We’ll get answers.”

“We’ll all get them. Cami is my sister. I’ll help you find answers and together we’ll make the killer pay.”

Although Noah wanted to surround Violet with bubble wrap and protect her from the world, he gave a slight nod. If his brothers had been murdered, he’d be tracking down their killers no matter who protested or advised him against it. “All right. We’ll do this together. Promise me you won’t do anything without telling me first.”

She scowled. “I can take care of myself. I’m just as trained as you are.”

“More,” he admitted. “Doesn’t mean I want you going up against a murderer.”

Noah held up a hand when Violet protested. “We’re in the states. We can’t break laws and expect to get away with it. Brent’s reach only goes so far. Although I sympathize with your need to avenge Camilla’s death, you can’t go beyond the boundaries of the law. Camilla wouldn’t want you to spend the rest of your life behind bars. Neither do I.”

Her gaze locked with his. “I’ll do whatever is necessary to see justice is served.”

“Not your job, Violet. If law enforcement can’t identify the perpetrator, we’ll find him and turn him in.”

She said nothing as she turned to stare out the small window.

Even though Noah would like her verbal agreement to his plan, getting it would be next to impossible with Violet stillprocessing the loss of her sister. She’d have a hard time believing it until she saw the evidence with her own eyes.

Jordan, the pilot, stepped out of the cockpit and spoke briefly to Grant before pulling up the stairs and securing the door. He returned to the cockpit, and moments later, the jet taxied down the runway, lifting into the air and banking to the right for the journey to Montana.

Noah glanced at Violet. Her eyes were closed, but tears trickled down her cheeks. Seeing her tears killed him.

Not knowing what else to do to help, he retrieved a blanket from an overhead compartment. He spread the blanket over Violet, wrapped his arm around her shoulders again, and eased her against his body.

She held herself stiff for a few minutes until the warmth from his body and the blanket seeped into her. Her body slumped against his and her breathing slowed into a steady, deep rhythm.

Excellent. An opportunity to rest was exactly what Violet needed to face what lay ahead of her.

Once Noah was positive she’d succumbed to sleep, he lowered the backs of their seats and slowly shifted Violet so that her upper body rested against his chest. When she sighed and snuggled closer, he relaxed. Hopefully, Violet would sleep until they landed in Morrison. Besides the shock of losing her twin, the medic had stayed awake over 24 hours to rescue and provide care for Taylor on the return trip to the states.

Noah closed his eyes and let himself fall into a light sleep. When the jet began its descent six hours later, Noah roused and glanced down at the woman in his arms. Violet was still sound asleep.

Although reluctant to wake her, he rubbed her back. She moaned. “Violet, we’ll be wheels down soon.”

She sighed and snuggled closer. “Five more minutes,” she murmured.

Noah kissed her forehead. “Five minutes,” he agreed. By that time, Jordan should have the jet on the ground.

When they taxied to a stop and Violet still didn’t move, Noah cupped her cheek with his palm. “The jet’s on the ground, and we need to go.”

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