Page 27 of Need for Speed (The Elite 2)

I nodded, not wanting to ask the question that was hanging over us—how the hell did I get over the fear?

“You know, on that final hop, I saw some pretty incredible flying from you, Panther. As a matter of fact, you could’ve locked on to me—twice. Had you been able to continue, I have no doubt you would’ve won that hop.” He shifted forward, pinning me with an intense stare. “I would’ve lost. Do you know how many times that’s happened in the past?”

“I’m not sure, sir.”

“Once. In all my years at NAFTA, only once has a pilot in our program ever defeated me, and it was your father. So you know what that tells me?”

I shook my head.

“It tells me you’re too good to let the fear win. You owe it to yourself, hell, to the Navy, to get your confidence back and get up in the air.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but found I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to get over it. Of course I fucking wanted to. But—

“How to make that happen, hmm?” Commander Levy rubbed his chin, and I could practically see the wheels turning. “I think we need to get you back up there as soon as possible. But not alone this time.”

My forehead scrunched up as I wondered where he was going with this. Somehow, I had a feeling I wasn’t going to agree with his decision.

“We need someone more than fearless. Someone you can fly with that can help you snap out of any anxiety you’re feeling. Someone like…”

Oh God. He’s gonna say it.

“…Solo.”

20 Solo

“I THINK THIS is a bad idea.”

I looked over to Panther standing against the wall in the bay, watching me gear up.

“What? Flying with me? Rude.”

“I don’t mean you. Well, not just you—”

“Are you trying to be insulting? Because if so, you’re doing a bang-up job.”

Panther sighed. “What if it happens again?”

“Here we go with the what-ifs.”

“Doesn’t that make you nervous? What if I fuck it up? It’s not just me in the cockpit.”

I clipped the harness across my chest and then walked over to him—still refusing to put on his gear. “Do you trust me?”

A frown wrinkled his brow. “Is this a trick question?”

“Forget it.” I went to walk away, but Panther grabbed my arm.

“Okay, fine. Yes, I trust you.”

“So you trust me, but you don’t trust yourself?”

Panther’s mouth opened and shut a few times before he finally shook his head. “Not right now.”

With the bay cleared out, I took the opportunity to lift his chin, forcing him to look me in the eye. “There’s a reason Levy chose me. It’s because I trust you. You won’t let anything happen to me, and I won’t let anything happen to you.” I dropped my hand. “We’re gonna get through this. So gear up and let’s do it together.”

Panther bit down on his lip, his blue eyes glistening, and then he nodded. “Thank you.”

“Thank me when we land and you realize you’ve got this.”

When Panther nodded again, I reached for him and gave him a soft kiss. He melted into it for a moment before wrapping his hands around my wrists and pulling away.

“We can’t. Not here.”

I grinned. “Trust me.” I kissed him again and then pushed him toward his gear, swatting his ass as he went.

Panther chuckled as he headed off to his bay, and I leaned up against the wall to watch him go. I knew he was nervous about heading up again today, but after talking with Commander Levy, I agreed that this just might be the way to get him comfortable in the air again. Now, if this had been a few weeks ago, I would’ve said hell no, let his pal Houdini take his ass back up there. But with everything that had happened between that first day and now, I wasn’t letting him get in a jet again with anyone but me.

With the bays empty, except the two of us, I took a moment to watch Panther as he geared up, and thanked whoever had been watching over him that day of his accident that he was still here. That I was still able to stand here and look at him, as he clipped the legs of his survival suit up the inside of his thighs, and then zipped them into place.

I took in a deep breath and let it out, as the weight of the responsibility I’d been given here today sank in. I’d been serious when I asked Panther if he trusted me minutes ago, but it wasn’t only him who would be watching. Commander Levy’s eyes would be on us like a fucking missile up there, not to mention Captain Hughes—inadvertently—so basically the whole fucking Navy was counting on me, Solo, the reckless motherfucker to take their golden boy up in the air, fly him around at thirty thousand feet, and remind him why he loved to risk his life every day when he woke up in the morning.

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