word, Noah grabbed her by the waist and tugged her out of the SUV so fast she didn’t fight him.
He’d obviously taken her by surprise. Good.
He heaved her up over his shoulder and placed the keys on the driver-side front tire.
The calm lasted for a second or two. She twisted against him, squirming. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Saving your life,” Noah said with a grunt when she kneed him in the gut. “Stop it or I’ll drop you.”
She didn’t obey.
Fighting against the she-cat in his arms, pretty sure she’d bruised some ribs, he climbed up the plane’s steps. Zane’s mouth fell open but he moved aside.
“Let me down, Noah,” Lyssa bit out, “or I’ll call the cops.”
He dumped her into a seat and clicked the seat belt around her. She unlatched it and sprang to her feet. She shoved her hands at his chest, then heaved her body weight at him, shoulder first. He stumbled back and gripped her arms. “Lyssa, calm down. I’m not leaving you. You’re not in this fight alone, do you hear me? You. Are. Not. Alone.”
She shook her head back and forth. “Don’t you get it? You could die. You could all die! And it would be my fault. Again. I won’t let that happen. I can’t.
“I can’t,” she whispered over and over again.
Her fists gripped his shirt hard and he hugged her against him, tight. She tried to push him away, she fought against him, but he wouldn’t let her. Not now. He strengthened his hold, waiting for her struggling to stop. The torment in each movement and groan stripped his heart. He didn’t know how long it took, but finally, her body sagged in exhaustion, her breathing ragged.
With her energy gone, he cradled her in his arms and sat down in one of the leather seats. He ran his hand along her hair. He met Rafe’s gaze over her.
Take off? he mouthed, knowing his friend could do it, also knowing he hated to pilot the plane.
Rafe gave him a curt nod, then motioned to Zane.
They disappeared into the cockpit.
Noah shifted her off of him, and she let him rebuckle her seat belt.
“You shouldn’t do this,” she said to him, her voice flat, her face haunted. “You know how many lives he’s ruined. He’ll ruin yours. I know he will. It’ll be my fault.”
The plane lifted off. He’d never have known the runway was too short. Rafe had quite the touch. Noah took in Lyssa’s nearly ghostlike complexion. He tugged her hands between his. Her fingers were ice-cold and he rubbed them, warming the frigid skin. “It’s not your fault. It’s his. He made the choice.”
She wouldn’t look at him but stared down at her hands. “Did you see Al’s face? He loved Chastity. And because I chose to go into that diner one day, because I couldn’t resist a friendly smile some days...” A shiver ran through her, she ripped her hands away from him, clenching her fists, her knuckles white. “I hate him. I hate what he’s done.” She lifted her tortured gaze to his. “I hate that you’re next.”
“We’ll be ready for him,” Noah promised, praying he could keep his word. If he didn’t, Lyssa wouldn’t survive. And if she didn’t, neither would he.
The hum of the plane’s engine quieted as they reached a cruising altitude.
“You can’t guarantee...” She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes. “You don’t know...” Her eyes glazed over and she stared out the window into the darkness that cocooned the aircraft. “Life couldn’t have been better that day. The day that changed my world forever. I’d fallen in love with Jack. We’d moved in together. At work, I’d just been tapped to do a high-profile press conference translating for the Russian president. Everything was perfect...”
She crossed her hands over her stomach, the agony almost too difficult to watch. Jack had been a lucky man. To have a woman’s love like that, Noah could only imagine.
“Archimedes destroyed everything. When I walked in the house that night, he’d been aiming the gun
He’d obviously taken her by surprise. Good.
He heaved her up over his shoulder and placed the keys on the driver-side front tire.
The calm lasted for a second or two. She twisted against him, squirming. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Saving your life,” Noah said with a grunt when she kneed him in the gut. “Stop it or I’ll drop you.”
She didn’t obey.
Fighting against the she-cat in his arms, pretty sure she’d bruised some ribs, he climbed up the plane’s steps. Zane’s mouth fell open but he moved aside.
“Let me down, Noah,” Lyssa bit out, “or I’ll call the cops.”
He dumped her into a seat and clicked the seat belt around her. She unlatched it and sprang to her feet. She shoved her hands at his chest, then heaved her body weight at him, shoulder first. He stumbled back and gripped her arms. “Lyssa, calm down. I’m not leaving you. You’re not in this fight alone, do you hear me? You. Are. Not. Alone.”
She shook her head back and forth. “Don’t you get it? You could die. You could all die! And it would be my fault. Again. I won’t let that happen. I can’t.
“I can’t,” she whispered over and over again.
Her fists gripped his shirt hard and he hugged her against him, tight. She tried to push him away, she fought against him, but he wouldn’t let her. Not now. He strengthened his hold, waiting for her struggling to stop. The torment in each movement and groan stripped his heart. He didn’t know how long it took, but finally, her body sagged in exhaustion, her breathing ragged.
With her energy gone, he cradled her in his arms and sat down in one of the leather seats. He ran his hand along her hair. He met Rafe’s gaze over her.
Take off? he mouthed, knowing his friend could do it, also knowing he hated to pilot the plane.
Rafe gave him a curt nod, then motioned to Zane.
They disappeared into the cockpit.
Noah shifted her off of him, and she let him rebuckle her seat belt.
“You shouldn’t do this,” she said to him, her voice flat, her face haunted. “You know how many lives he’s ruined. He’ll ruin yours. I know he will. It’ll be my fault.”
The plane lifted off. He’d never have known the runway was too short. Rafe had quite the touch. Noah took in Lyssa’s nearly ghostlike complexion. He tugged her hands between his. Her fingers were ice-cold and he rubbed them, warming the frigid skin. “It’s not your fault. It’s his. He made the choice.”
She wouldn’t look at him but stared down at her hands. “Did you see Al’s face? He loved Chastity. And because I chose to go into that diner one day, because I couldn’t resist a friendly smile some days...” A shiver ran through her, she ripped her hands away from him, clenching her fists, her knuckles white. “I hate him. I hate what he’s done.” She lifted her tortured gaze to his. “I hate that you’re next.”
“We’ll be ready for him,” Noah promised, praying he could keep his word. If he didn’t, Lyssa wouldn’t survive. And if she didn’t, neither would he.
The hum of the plane’s engine quieted as they reached a cruising altitude.
“You can’t guarantee...” She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes. “You don’t know...” Her eyes glazed over and she stared out the window into the darkness that cocooned the aircraft. “Life couldn’t have been better that day. The day that changed my world forever. I’d fallen in love with Jack. We’d moved in together. At work, I’d just been tapped to do a high-profile press conference translating for the Russian president. Everything was perfect...”
She crossed her hands over her stomach, the agony almost too difficult to watch. Jack had been a lucky man. To have a woman’s love like that, Noah could only imagine.
“Archimedes destroyed everything. When I walked in the house that night, he’d been aiming the gun
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