Page 42 of Deadly Ruck
"I'm not sure I shouldn't kill her," I said dryly.
"I think we can work with her," Chelsea said. "If we can't, then we'll have to deal with her." She spoke like a true mafia princess, like she'd finally stepped into that role.
What did I think about that? I wasn't sure. To me, she'd always be hot as hell, no matter who or what she was, but I didn't want her to lose her soul in the process.
"First, we need to get you out of here," I said. "Then we deal with King and Skinner."
"We're in," Hunter said. He and Parker stood at the bottom of the steps, on the runway. "Reuben will want us to take care of them anyway. We might as well be proactive and volunteer."
Parker sighed. "Maybe then he'll give us a break to spend with the girls."
"He better," Hunter said. "Otherwise, I quit."
"I vote you tell him that," Parker said. "I'm not going to."
"I'll make sure he gives you a break," Mina told them both. As the mother of a five-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl, she'd know what it was like to be a new parent. Daze too, although her daughter was closer to ten years old now.
"We're not dealing with anyone until everyone gets a good night's rest," Ice said firmly. He quickly recovered from the disappointment of missing out on torturing Jones, and wasinstead hovering near Chelsea, looking a combination of relieved and worried.
I'd never seen siblings, apart from the Brantley twins, as close as Chelsea and Ice. When he suggested we actually stand in front of the plane I thought he'd lost his mind completely. But he was serious and we'd all followed him. Not one of us would have been able to live with ourselves if that plane took off, taking her with it. It was the most intense game of chicken I'd ever played in my life, and I never wanted to do it again.
In a fight between an aircraft and humans, the chances were we would have lost.
Yet, none of us flinched. We'd just stood there, side by side, ready to see if that windscreen was bullet-proof or not. Or one of the side windows. There was never really a plan. In the end, we didn't need one. Chelsea saved herself.
"I could do with some sleep," Chelsea said. "After a long soak. And some chocolate. Maybe some pizza."
"Whatever you want." I kissed her mouth, savouring the feel of her lips on mine. So warm, plump and soft. "We'll organise it."
I took her hand and walked with her down the steps onto the runway. All the rest of her guys arrayed themselves around us. Nothing and no one was getting past us again. We'd deal with King and Skinner, and finally we'd be free to get on with our lives together.
In twenty-four hours, it would be over.
I hoped.
I managed to score a seat beside Chelsea in the back of one of the SUVs. Dallas and Frost tried to get around each other to sit on her other side, but it was Jay who got there first. Mumbling, they sat behind us, squashed in with Storm. Atlas sat beside Gianni, who volunteered to drive us home.
I clicked in my seatbelt and sat staring at her until she turned to me and blinked a couple of times.
"What?" she asked.
"I'm trying to get my head around the fact you're here," I said. I brushed hair off her face with the back of my knuckles.
"That might be the longest sentence I ever heard you say," she teased lightly.
"You have that effect on me." I cupped her cheek and ran my thumb over her smooth skin and down to her jaw line. "I might become a chatterbox."
She laughed softly. "I can't see that happening. But you can tell me how you all got to the airfield. Seeing you drive up like that, it was like something out of a movie. Except without a rocket launcher."
"I'll remember to bring one next time," I said. I told her everything that happened since she left the cottage, using as few words as I could.
"I've never seen your brother look so angry. Jones is lucky he's dead. He would have lived a long time down in Ice's workroom. A long, painful time." I stopped for a beat before asking, "How long does it take before he gets bored with someone?"
"I think we would have found out," she said.
I had no regrets about Carlos Jones' death, even if it denied her brother some fun. I was happy that part of all of this was over. Thanks to Nyla Fox. If it wasn't for her, things would have turned out differently.
I shifted in my seat, restless after so long with little activity. "Being chained up in one place would be my worst nightmare. Even if your brother didn't lay a hand on me."
