Page 69 of Thorns of Love
So I rushed back to the only functioning SUV left and got behind the wheel.
Marchetti, here we come.
* * *
We drove away from the castle in silence.
My eyes flickered to the rearview mirror, the castle getting smaller and smaller. Images of burning flames played in my mind. I might not have set fire to Konstantin’s castle but I might have burned a bridge.
The tension in my shoulders amplified. The little whisper in my mind told me I was going about it the wrong way. It didn’t stop me. My plan was in motion. I’d get the answers or I’d never find peace.
I was doing this for me.
The first flicker of dawn came over the horizon. I had been driving for hours and no car, helicopter, or plane roamed around. Speaking of planes… I looked over to find Isla’d fallen asleep, her soft snores filling the enclosed space. She was beautiful and so damn trusting.
My chest tightened at the thought of anything happening to her. But even worse was this feeling that I’d betrayed her trust. I hoped she’d forgive me.
I reached for her phone, held it in front of her for face recognition.
“And we’re in,” I murmured, returning my attention to the road. My eyes flickered to her phone book and looked for the pilot listing. She told me she kept Konstantin pilot in her phone book as ‘Pilot’ since she never knew who was answering that line. Illias apparently had three on standby.
I scrolled to the letter ‘P’ and found it. “Voilà.”
Pressing the call button, I waited. Riiiing. Riiing. He answered on the third ring. “Hello?”
“Hello,” I greeted him, keeping my voice soft to mirror Isla’s. “It’s Isla. Can you pick me up in South Africa? I’m in Johannesburg.”
“I thought I dropped you off in Russia.”
I groaned silently. It was his job to say ‘yes, ma’am’ and get the plane going. Not to fucking question me. Or her. Whatever.
“It got boring and cold, so my friends and I went to Johannesburg.”
“Does your brother know?”
“Hmm.” I expected a simple acceptance of the assignment, not all these questions. “Yes, but he wants me to come home. You know, with Christmas approaching and all that.”
I looked over to Isla and she seemed to still be asleep. Her head was resting on the window, her breaths slow and even, her wild, ginger red hair covering half of her face.
“You’re lucky, since I was just about to fly back to the States.”
“Thank you.”
I ended the call, then let out a breath.
“What are you doing, Tatiana?” I startled at hearing her voice, my hand jerking on the wheel. The car swayed into the opposite lane and I quickly took control, returning to my lane. Thank God there were no other crazy Russians on the road. Or we would have been toast.
“Jesus, you scared me,” I breathed, my heart pounding against my chest.
She didn’t seem fazed. “And you kidnapped me.” Shit, she was smarter than I even gave her credit for. “Didn’t you?”
My grip tightened on the steering wheel. I didn’t want to upset her. I didn’t want to lose the relationship we built over the last week. We just got to know each other.
Keeping my eyes on the road, I answered. “Kind of. I actually need your help.”
She let out a sarcastic breath. “You could have asked, you know.”
“I could have,” I confirmed. “But I couldn’t risk you saying no. Or your brother getting wind of my plan.”
