Page 195 of Before Dawn

I nodded, though the tightness in my chest begged me to do otherwise.

But I wasn’t. Not really.

I turned to the window, toying with my larimar necklace as I watched the endless sea of clouds below, with San Francisco waiting just beyond. I loved it there: the fog rolling over the Golden Gate, the hills alive with the rattle of cable cars, and my family. But love wasn’t the issue. My past was. It lingered, tangled in every street, every corner, every faded memory that refused tostay buried.

“I’m fine. Just thinking,” I replied, trying to sound nonchalant, though I wasn’t sure I succeeded.

“Okay,” he murmured, leaning in to place a tender kiss on my forehead before returning to his crossword puzzle.

The flight attendant’s voice crackled over the speakers, announcing that we’d be landing in ten minutes. The flight had felt much quicker than usual, but maybe it was just the nerves messing with my sense of time. Almost immediately, a familiar tightness settled in my chest, making me fidget in my seat.

“What’s wrong?” Mikkel asked, his concern deepening as he peered over at me.

“Nerves?” I said, though it came out as more of a question. He closed his book without hesitation, took my hands, and brushed his thumbs over my knuckles in a soothing rhythm.

I took a deep breath, my gaze dropping to our intertwined fingers. “Going back home can be tense. The last time I came back, it was a mess.”

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes searching mine, trying to understand. “The airport debacle?”

I swallowed hard, the words lodging in my throat like they didn’t want to be spoken. “Not just that,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “It’s everything. Being here… it’s overwhelming.”

Mikkel nodded, his expression turning serious, almost protective. “I’ll be right there with you,” he said, his voice steady with determination, his gaze unwavering. “Besides, he’d be a dead man if he eventhoughtabout messing with you.”

The promise in his tone should have been comforting, and it was to some extent, but it only added to the knot of anxiety in my chest. That was another reason why I was on edge. The truth was, I knew I’d see Joshua or, at the very least, some unavoidable reminder of him.

And when that happened, no amount of stress balls or coping methods would be enough to hold back Mikkel’s temper.

He was fierce, and while I loved that about him, it terrified me too. I didn’t want this to escalate into something that would haunt us both.

The jet landed, jolting me from my spiraling thoughts. I turned to the window, expecting to see Welcome to San Francisco.

But something was off.

The landscape outside felt wrong—the muted skyline, the unfamiliar road signs.

I turned to Mikkel. “We’re in Pennsylvania?” My brow furrowed as I searched his face for answers.

His response was maddeningly casual. “We rerouted for a bit.”

“Rerouted? Why?”

His gaze held mine, warm and unreadable. “There’s something we have to do first.”

That was all he gave me. No further explanation, no hint. Just enough mystery to send my pulse skittering.

When we stepped off the jet, his voice cut through the hum of activity. “We’ll be ready for takeoff in five hours,” he told his crew.

A sleek black car waited for us. Mikkel led me inside, his touch as effortless as always, like it never wasn’t second nature to have his hand on me.

Thirty minutes passed in silence, thick with my unanswered questions and his deliberate patience. I tried to map the roads; tried to predict where we were going. Nothing clicked.

Except for one thing—Mikkel Suarez loved keeping me on my toes. And I had never found anything sexier.

I pulled out my phone and texted Aurora.

Me:We’re landing later than expected.

Aurora:Mikkel already told us.

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