Page 115 of Secret Mission

I silence her with a kiss.

“Don’t go there.”

We’re an inch apart when she smiles, soft lights in the plane’s cabin playing over the mossy green color of her irises.

“What? I was going to say, for a guy who ate tamales last night until he put himself in a food coma.”

“Food coma, right…” I squeeze her neck just a little. “You should see me when I’m really awake.”

“Oh…heavens.” The cherry color on her cheeks rises to her hairline swift as the cork popping from a champagne bottle.

It’s hard to hold back my laugh even though this situation is jacked all to hell. “Right, now that we’ve got that settled, let’s go back to this discussion.”

She clears her throat and when we turn back to Justice, he’s grinning from ear to ear.

“Fuck off,” I mutter with a smirk.

Trying not to smile, he asks, “So, Allison, did you live in this house we’re about to break into?”

“Unfortunately, yes, and I’d never call it a house. It’s a castle and not the fairytale kind. More like a big, brick monstrosity with these turrets. And a lighthouse. If you can believe that.”

The twitch that hits my entire body makes her gaze jump to mine, but I look away.

Gut icing over, heart thudding, I stand up, excusing myself.

The dream. A vision of tall brick walls comes into clarity as I push down the aisle, bumping into seats as I go.

Allison calls out to me. “Truck, are you okay?”

“Fine,” I choke out. “Just hitting the head.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Biting my lip, I press my hands flat on the table to keep from tearing at my fingernails. “He’s a little worried.”

“Of course. He wants to take care of you.”

“Do you think he’s okay? He’s… different today.”

Justice contemplates that, then rises from his seat. “I’ll go check on him.”

“I’d appreciate that so much.”

He squeezes out from behind the table—because private jet designers must not make planes for men like Justice and Truck—and strides down the aisle to the back of the plane.

I blow out a breath, leaning back in the seat.

The leather is butter-soft and shaped like a cozy hug. It's really nice.

If I wasn’t wrapped up in my father’s drama.

Glancing around, I take in the luxurious space.

Agile Security & Rescue puzzles me. They must be loaded.

This thought is a rabbit hole that leads me to dark places.

I never asked how much my father paid to find me.

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