Page 89 of Trust No One

“God, Mel,” he said against her lips. “I thought I’d lost you. I was afraid that bastard was going to kill you on the concourse. Then I saw him inject you with that syringe. I had no idea what was in it. I was afraid you were dying on this plane.”

The vibrations of his mouth against hers sent tiny electrical shocks through her body. She burrowed closer into Dev, needing to be as close to him as possible. To know they were both alive. Both safe.

“He couldn’t leave me here once I saw him. He knew that I’d call the FBI right away. He’d be taken off the plane immediately,” she murmured into his neck.

“NYPD already has snipers in place at JFK,” he said. “He was never getting on that plane to the Maldives.”

Below them on the floor, Kingsley was inching forward like a snake, moving his upper body then his lower body. “Look at that, Mel. He’s a worm. His true nature is finally showing.”

Kingsley glared up at them. “You’re in deep shit now, Smith,” he said in a rough, raspy voice. “Bradford Allen’s going to throw you into the deepest, darkest hole there is for pulling a stunt like this.”

“You think so, Kingsley?” Dev stared down at the cuffed man on the floor. “Is Allen one of your buddies? You paying him off to protect you?” Dev shook his head. “Maybe he’ll be joining you in that deep, dark hole.”

“Allen?” Kingsley scoffed. “He’s a Boy Scout.”

“But his assistant John isn’t, is he, Cliff?” Dev said.

Kingsley’s eyes flickered, then he looked away.

Dev smiled. “Thanks for confirming that for me, asshole.”

Dev squatted next to the man. Murmured something into his ear. Kingsley paled, and Dev stood up. Kicked the bottom of Kingsley’s shoe. Then Mel heard footsteps running down the jetway.

Two men in FBI-stenciled Kevlar vests thumped into the aisle. They looked down at Kingsley on the floor. “Someone called for a garbage pickup?”

“Yep,” Dev said. “This guy,” Dev kicked the bottom of one of Kingsley’s shoes again, “planned to kill Mel Melbourne here.” He set his hand on Mel’s shoulder. Squeezed it. “She’s a former CIA colleague of his. God knows how many other people he’s killed. Lock him up tight until the CIA can deal with him.”

“Will do,” one of the FBI agents said. He grabbed one of Kingsley’s arms, and the other agent grabbed his other arm. They hauled him to his feet and dragged him out of the airplane.

Dev slung his arm around Mel’s shoulders and pulled her close. “You ready to get off this plane?”

“Oh, yeah.” She turned to face him. Touched his cheek. He’d saved her. “What did you say to him?”

“I told him he’d better hope he was never alone with me. ‘Cause if I was? I’d rip off his balls and dick and force feed ‘em to him.”

She curled up one side of her mouth. “No wonder he looked so terrified.”

“I hope he’s terrified for the rest of his miserable life.”

Mel jerked her head to the overhead bin. “Kingsley’s gun is up there, along with his briefcase. I’m sure the CIA will want to take a look at that. And I’m sure the gun will match at least one murder in DC – once they recover Larrimore’s body.”

“Come on, Mel. Let’s get out of here.” He jerked his head toward the back of the plane where another FBI agent was approaching them. “That guy will handle the briefcase, the gun and the stuff on the floor from Kingsley’s pockets. Gideon is in the terminal, waiting for us. The flight attendants probably want to get the plane loaded and in the air.”

Still unsteady, she leaned into Dev as they walked up the jetway, and he curled his arm around her waist. She moved closer, so that they were connected from shoulder to hips. Feeling Dev against her, his body warming hers, made her throat tighten. Tears threatened, now that everything was over, but she knew that would upset Dev.

He’d never liked to see women cry.

So she swallowed the ball of tears in her throat and leaned into him on the long, slow walk up the jetway.

When they reached the terminal, every passenger stood up and applauded. The woman whose son Kingsley had tried to take rushed up to her and grabbed her hand.

“Thank you,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “You protected my son. I’ll never forget that.”

Mel squeezed the woman’s hand. “I wouldn’t let Kingsley take him or any other child,” she said. She glanced at Dev. Smiled. “I knew my partner would take that…” she glanced at the boy. “That bad man down. I didn’t want to endanger your son in the process.”

She looked down at the child, who clung to his mother’s leg. “You’re a very brave young man,” she told him.

The kid smiled and shoved his green frog toward her. “He’s vomiting on you,” he said, giggling. Mel smiled at him, then turned and looked for Gideon. “I really want to get out of here,” she murmured. “Where’s Gideon?”

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