“No! No one’s seeking revenge. Do
you understand me? I don’t want either of you or Kadyn going to Ukraine. I
can’t… I can’t lose anyone else.” I tried to slow my heart rate with deep
gulping breaths, but the tears came anyway.
Rafael
rose from the table and wrapped me in his arms. “You’re not going to lose me. I
promise, Roger, Kadyn, and I won’t go to Ukraine.”
I
buried my face in his shirt. “They killed Michael,” I cried. “He paid them, and
they still killed him. They kill for no reason at all.”
“I
know,” Rafael whispered soothingly.
Roger
joined us. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry. I was just trying to
get a little sex.” He sounded like a four year old boy who’d just been caught
shoplifting a much coveted toy.
I
lifted my head from Rafael’s chest and stared dumbfounded at Roger. Suddenly, I
was laughing. “You could always try to get her drunk,” I suggested when I
finally found my voice.
Rafael
kissed the top of my head before returning to his chair. He tugged me onto his
lap and handed me a glass of wine. “Maybe I should get you drunk,” he murmured
thoughtfully.
“I
do have a guest room,” Cenia noted, “and a few more bottles of wine…”
“I
can’t listen to them having sex and not get any,” Roger whined. He was already back
to his mischievous self.
Cenia
patted his hand. “Don’t worry, honey. I’ll steal his keys so we can fool around
in his car.”
Rafael
and I smiled at each other knowingly. “Having sex in that car is a bit more
difficult than you might think. The motorcycle was much easier,” I confessed.
Roger
groaned miserably. “This is not helping.”
Rafael,
Cenia, and I burst out laughing.
“Serves
you right,” Cenia said as we began to eat dinner. “You might want to think
twice before complaining about our sex life again.”
Chapter 4 – Heart headed home
“Do
you miss the jet?” Rafael asked. He leaned across the armrest dividing our
first class seats and peered down at the heavily treed mountains carving the
landscape below. The airplane was already beginning its descent into Great
Falls.
I
stared out the window and forced myself to see the river winding through the
trees. I didn’t want to see the blood soaked carpet or Michael dying in my
arms, but I did every time I thought about Michael’s airplane. “No. I don’t
miss the jet,” I assured him. I was relieved when Rafael sold it. The carpet
had been replaced and the superficial damage from the bullet holes repaired
while we were in Berlin, but neither of us felt comfortable using Michael’s
airplane after the incident in Ukraine.
He
pressed his lips to the back of my hand. “What are you looking at?”
I
smiled. Rafael always seemed to know when I shouldn’t be left alone with my
thoughts. “The Missouri River,” I replied. “Do you fish?” I turned away from
the window so I could study his face… his golden skin, the hint of whiskers
that darkened his masculine jawline, his strong nose, high cheekbones, and
deeply captivating eyes.
His
soft brown eyes sparked with amusement. “I’ve never tried fishing. Why? Do you
fish?”
I
laughed. “No. My grandpa tried to teach me, but I couldn’t bear to kill the
worm, let alone the fish. He gave up on me when he caught me sneaking his hard
earned fish back into the lake.”
Rafael’s
laughter warmed me as the wheels of the plane touched down. We were both thrown
forward when the pilot hit the brakes a little too hard. He was hinting at just
how short the runway was. “You okay?” Rafael asked when the plane finally
slowed.
I
nodded. “Yes. I’m anxious to see everybody. How are you holding up?”
“I’m
a little nervous,” he confessed. He glanced out at the tarmac before linking
our hands together again. “I’m looking forward to meeting your family.”
“I’ll
ask my dad to take you fly fishing when we visit them in Hamilton, if you’d
like.” I unbuckled my
you understand me? I don’t want either of you or Kadyn going to Ukraine. I
can’t… I can’t lose anyone else.” I tried to slow my heart rate with deep
gulping breaths, but the tears came anyway.
Rafael
rose from the table and wrapped me in his arms. “You’re not going to lose me. I
promise, Roger, Kadyn, and I won’t go to Ukraine.”
I
buried my face in his shirt. “They killed Michael,” I cried. “He paid them, and
they still killed him. They kill for no reason at all.”
“I
know,” Rafael whispered soothingly.
Roger
joined us. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry. I was just trying to
get a little sex.” He sounded like a four year old boy who’d just been caught
shoplifting a much coveted toy.
I
lifted my head from Rafael’s chest and stared dumbfounded at Roger. Suddenly, I
was laughing. “You could always try to get her drunk,” I suggested when I
finally found my voice.
Rafael
kissed the top of my head before returning to his chair. He tugged me onto his
lap and handed me a glass of wine. “Maybe I should get you drunk,” he murmured
thoughtfully.
“I
do have a guest room,” Cenia noted, “and a few more bottles of wine…”
“I
can’t listen to them having sex and not get any,” Roger whined. He was already back
to his mischievous self.
Cenia
patted his hand. “Don’t worry, honey. I’ll steal his keys so we can fool around
in his car.”
Rafael
and I smiled at each other knowingly. “Having sex in that car is a bit more
difficult than you might think. The motorcycle was much easier,” I confessed.
Roger
groaned miserably. “This is not helping.”
Rafael,
Cenia, and I burst out laughing.
“Serves
you right,” Cenia said as we began to eat dinner. “You might want to think
twice before complaining about our sex life again.”
Chapter 4 – Heart headed home
“Do
you miss the jet?” Rafael asked. He leaned across the armrest dividing our
first class seats and peered down at the heavily treed mountains carving the
landscape below. The airplane was already beginning its descent into Great
Falls.
I
stared out the window and forced myself to see the river winding through the
trees. I didn’t want to see the blood soaked carpet or Michael dying in my
arms, but I did every time I thought about Michael’s airplane. “No. I don’t
miss the jet,” I assured him. I was relieved when Rafael sold it. The carpet
had been replaced and the superficial damage from the bullet holes repaired
while we were in Berlin, but neither of us felt comfortable using Michael’s
airplane after the incident in Ukraine.
He
pressed his lips to the back of my hand. “What are you looking at?”
I
smiled. Rafael always seemed to know when I shouldn’t be left alone with my
thoughts. “The Missouri River,” I replied. “Do you fish?” I turned away from
the window so I could study his face… his golden skin, the hint of whiskers
that darkened his masculine jawline, his strong nose, high cheekbones, and
deeply captivating eyes.
His
soft brown eyes sparked with amusement. “I’ve never tried fishing. Why? Do you
fish?”
I
laughed. “No. My grandpa tried to teach me, but I couldn’t bear to kill the
worm, let alone the fish. He gave up on me when he caught me sneaking his hard
earned fish back into the lake.”
Rafael’s
laughter warmed me as the wheels of the plane touched down. We were both thrown
forward when the pilot hit the brakes a little too hard. He was hinting at just
how short the runway was. “You okay?” Rafael asked when the plane finally
slowed.
I
nodded. “Yes. I’m anxious to see everybody. How are you holding up?”
“I’m
a little nervous,” he confessed. He glanced out at the tarmac before linking
our hands together again. “I’m looking forward to meeting your family.”
“I’ll
ask my dad to take you fly fishing when we visit them in Hamilton, if you’d
like.” I unbuckled my
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