Read Online Under His Guard by Rie Warren - Free Book Online

expense.
    â€œAirsick.” Nathaniel punched my thigh, a move that would’ve meant a broken wrist if I hadn’t been ready to hurl.
    Assholes.
    Each of their ha-ha comments made me more ornery. “See how much y’all are laughing when I vomit all over the place.”
    My strained grip threatened to break my seat right off the floor. Leon placed a hand over mine. He slid it up my arm to my neck. “Relax, beb . It’s an adventure.”
    Okay, yeah. Death sentence, adventure, same thing.
    Darwin had watched the whole debacle with no amusement on her face. “Forgot to mention,” she said. “I’m down one copilot.”
    Death trap it is.
    Then she proceeded to walk down the aisle, stopping in front of each of us. She sized up Linc. “Too stern.”
    â€œWay too many weapons to be allowed near my control panels,” Darwin said as she passed by Liz.
    In front of Cannon, she wrinkled her nose. “Too bulky.”
    â€œSmiley,” was her comment about Nathaniel.
    Darwin leaned over to peer at me. “Oh dear. Do you need a sick bag?”
    Before I could answer in the affirmative, she moved on to Farrow with one shake of her head.
    Sebastian raised his hand.
    She gave him a cursory glance. “Too young. And cute. I bet you’re gay, too. The good ones always are.”
    He blushed.
    â€œAnd bashful. I don’t do bashful.”
    He stood from his seat, now towering over her. “I assure you, I can handle this machine and probably two more at the same time if you give me ten minutes alone with the manual.”
    Darwin blinked in surprise; then she grinned. “So you’re brash as well. I do brash. Come with me.”
    They strode to the front of the Predator, leaving me sweating bullets and the others watching with their mouths agape. All but Farrow.
    â€œWhat just happened here?” Linc asked.
    â€œWe got told,” Cannon grumbled.
    â€œSebastian can fly?” I asked Farrow.
    She rolled her eyes. “The brat can commandeer anything mechanical.”
    â€œLet me rephrase: Does Sebastian know how to fly a Predator airplane?”
    â€œAh guess we’ll find out.”
    Thanks for the reassurance.
    Darwin’s voice came over the headsets:
    â€œBuckle up, y’all! We’ll be traveling at, oh, supersonic speed. Wouldn’t want you to get thrown around back there.”
    I groaned. The others laughed. Good fucking thing Tommy the town crier wasn’t here to record my humiliating moment. The great warrior Darke turned into a pussy. Afraid of falling in love, not to mention a fear of flying.
    The rockets roared. My knees locked, and my feet braced on the floor. The thrusters engaged. Suddenly we were airborne, but before I could quail, Leon slid his lips across mine, easing his tongue inside. Every ounce of my focus aimed on him, I grabbed his head, massaging his lips with mine.
    His cheeks pink and eyes soft, Leon drew back.
    â€œFeel better?” he asked.
    Hell yeah.

CHAPTER SIX
    T welve hours later, the Predator took a downward dive that had my gullet defying gravity. I gripped the armrests in terror.
    Leon stared at me. “Is dis another ploy to get me to kiss you, big guy?”
    The harness was too tight around my chest. I forced shallow breaths in and out. “Just tell me we’re landing soon.”
    â€œSee for yourself.” He pointed to the small window across from us.
    Through the square of glass, I watched a speck of land approach at Mach speed. Darwin leveled out before we nosedived into the ground, circling several times around an airfield. Flight towers and hangars lined the runway, all bearing the CO symbol.
    Fucking hell. Darwin’s landing us in a Corps-sanctioned airbase.
    Our boosters powered down as we went vertical and then softly plopped horizontal on the ground.
    Over the comms, Sebastian drawled, “This is your flight crew speakin’. Please wait until the passenger in