Page 8 of Suddenly Tempted
“Fifteen million,” he corrected, gripping the cyclic hard as he steered slightly south into the wind. “This cost fifteen million.”
He heard her swallow through his headphones.
“That’s just ridiculous,” she said. “Think of all the good you could do with that money, all the — Hey, why are you going south-east? The airport is that way.”
Devlin raised an eyebrow. The girl was smarter than he’d given her credit for.
“There’s something I need to do first,” he announced.
“Uh-uh,” she replied, shaking her head. “That wasn’t the deal. It’s too dangerous.”
“If you don’t like it, you’re welcome to get out,” he said, increasing their speed and pushing the helicopter closer to the giant mountain. “It won’t take long. Just think about how far that fifty grand will take you.”
“A hundred,” she replied, quickly.
“What?”
“You upped my fee to one hundred thousand, remember?”
Devlin grunted, he had a vague recollection of a double or nothing bribe.
“Whatever. Fifty, a hundred, either would get you all the way to Wisconsin, although who knows why you’d want to go back there.”
“You just can’t help it, can you?” she said. “You must be a sad man, Mr. Storm, if it takes so much effort to be nice.”
That actually stung him. He clamped his mouth shut before he could reply, adjusting their bearing slightly. The mountain took up almost the whole of the windshield now, and the snow was so thick he could barely see. But he thought he could make out a glow right ahead, the bright bulbs of another landing pad.
“Hold on,” he said. “This could get bumpy.”
The girl was already holding on, her knuckles white. Devlin craned forward in his seat and saw the ground rising beneath them. They were close enough now that he could make out the individual trees. That was definitely a landing pad ahead, and he nudged the helicopter towards it. Another squall rocked them hard, and the girl shrieked.
“You’re too close!” she yelled.
“It’s fine,” he replied, but that was a lie, because just at that moment the engine gave a mighty lurch, and the helicopter’s alarm started blaring.
Chapter 4
DARCY
It was like something from a nightmare.
In fact, the entire lasthalf hourhad been like something from a nightmare. First Devlin’s unbearable arrogance, then her outburst in reception, which still might cost her the job she’d only just managed to get.
She didn’t think things could have got worse, but then she’d practically talked Devlin’s ear off while he was trying to fly the chopper. She couldn’t help it, she always talked when she was nervous. On the flight over to Europe four years ago she’d spoken nonstop to the little old lady sitting next to her, until the little old lady had pretended to fall asleep — for six hours.
But the embarrassment was disappearing fast, to be replaced with dread. The helicopter ride, which was scary enough to begin with, had become utterly terrifying. Darcy had no idea what was going on because the snow was too thick, and the skies too dark, but it looked like Devlin was flying them right into a mountain. The helicopter was rocking from side to side, and a siren was blasting into the cabin.
Thatdefinitelywasn’t good.
“You’re too close!” she said again. Through the door she thought she could see the treetops just yards beneath them. What on earth was he thinking? He’d gone completely the wrong way for the airport, flying them south-east into the biggest of the mountains in the region. There was nothing out here but sheer slopes and thick forests and freezing temperatures . . . and a wind that rocked them wildly from side to side.
“Trust me,” he replied, something shedefinitelywasn’t going to do.
Devlin fought with the controls, the helicopter bucking like a rodeo bull. The alarm rang and rang and rang in her ears. There was a sudden crunching noise as the chopper made contact with the branches of a tall spruce, then they were spinning fast.
Please don’t let us crash!she pleaded.I’m so scared!
She didn’t want this to be her last day on earth, and she certainly didn’t want Devlin Storm to be the last man she ever saw. She turned to him as they spiralled earthward, seeing an expression of fear cross his own perfect features.
