Page 78 of How to Entice a Fiend

Katherine follows us to the terminal even though I really wish she wouldn’t, and when we sit down, she chooses the seat next to Mads. I try to choose a seat with a different family, but Mads pulls me down next to him.

“How long are you staying in the States?” Katherine asks Mads.

“I don’t know. As long as I need to, I suppose. What do you think?” he asks as he leans into me. “How long do you want me to stay?”

He sets his hand on my thigh, and I glance down at it. I’m not sure if this is more flirtation or if this is him trying to get her off the idea that he’s up for grabs.

“For the rest of my life,” I say, quite dryly.

Mads laughs and grabs my head before kissing the side of my forehead.

And when they begin loading the plane, he thanks Katherine and hurries me onto the plane with a hand on my back.

“She can’t see us anymore, you can stop being so touchy-feely,” I tell him.

“Well, that’s no fun,” he says, but I notice his hand doesn’t stray and I find myself leaving it there.

We get on the plane, and he waves me toward the window seat. I’m definitely not going to complain because I’d prefer not to be stuffed next to a stranger. Mads sits down and hands me a book he insists I’ll love before he opens the book he’d bought for himself. He gets one page down before he slowly leans toward me. I glance at him as he tries to pretend he’s asleep when he sets his head on my shoulder.

I stare at him for a moment as I debate what to do with this. But apparently, I take too long to decide because he’s already fast asleep.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

ENDER

“We’re landing,” I say as I nudge the man who is still dead asleep. How the hell could he sleep so soundly surrounded by people he doesn’t know or trust?

“Already?” Mads asks as he sits up and stretches. “When did any of that happen? I slept so well. You’re a pretty fine pillow, if I might say so.”

I just grunt and look down at the phone the old guy had chucked at us. “Finn has asked us to stay on the plane until everyone is off, then they’re going to get us from the runway in case things are being watched.”

“Ooh, sneaky. I like it.”

“You haven’t told anyone we’re here, right?” I ask. “Not even your boss?”

“Nope. Not a soul. I’ve been quiet and well behaved. I should get a gold star and very much would like you to be the one to give it to me.”

I raise an eyebrow, not quite sure what all of that means.

We watch the people head out, and I really wish they’d hurry up. I’ve never seen such slow people in my life. Do they just want to live here? But once they’re finally out, I rush after them, thrilled to be free of this small plane that made me feel uneasy. Once outside of the plane, the attendant waves us over to the door which they open to reveal Marcus, Finn, Claude, and Alexei at the bottom.

“Welcome home,” Finn says.

Alexei tsks, seeming disappointed I’ve returned.

“We have a vehicle over here, and we’re going to take you directly to Orin’s where you’re going to tell us everything. And then we’ll go from there, understood?”

“Very much,” I say.

I start down the steps a second before I see someone else walking toward us. It’s the lady from the picture that Finn sent me. I don’t recognize her and had told him as much, but he never told me she was coming.

Marcus whips around. “Did we invite the council? How did you even know we were here?”

“One of the people who was taken is my own, is he not? He’s under my care. Mads, come along.”

That voice… that fucking voice. I recognize it. I didn’t recognize her face, but I know that voice.

I put an arm up, shoving Mads behind me. “You’re not taking him anywhere,” I say as I slowly walk down the steps toward her. “I know that you work for Abel. I recognize your voice.”

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