Page 37 of Lady of Darkness
Harlow
I wakeup to someone carrying me across a tarmac, and panic starts to flood my veins. Everything comes crashing back–the kidnapping, Savo, Luka, the guys recusing me, Luka falling to his death, Alaric looking like he walked straight out of a war zone…
Panicked, I begin to flail.
“Shh,” a familiar voice says.Sterling.“I’ve got you, baby. You’re safe now. I’m never going to let someone hurt you again.”
My wildly beating heart calms a bit as he walks up the steps of a private jet, carrying me effortlessly. Once inside, he sets me down on a large, luxurious white leather window seat near the front of the plane, scowling down at me.
“Better?” he asks.
I nod. “Yeah. I just fell asleep, and I thought…” I look up at him, my eyes stinging with emotion.
Two weeks ago,theywere monsters. Now, they’re my saviors. I want them, I like being around them, and most importantly, I trust them. With everything I have.
And I can’t tell if that’s my body’s way of coping with all I’ve been through, or if they truly deserve it. All I know is, seeing Sterling, seeing Alaric, and knowing they took down this organizationfor me…it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, even though I know it’s fucked up. This whole situation is fucked up, but I need to learn to adapt, because it’s my life now.
Whether I like it or not, these men are my life now.
“You’re having a hard time deciphering between good and evil,” he answers, spreading his legs and crossing his arms. “It’s understandable.”
With a rough swallow, I shrug. “I guess. I’m going to regret saying this but… Acadia was worse.”
Sterling’s resounding smile is pure wickedness. “Don’t be so sure, little monster.”
He turns and sits down next to Gideon, across the aisle from me.
Theo is on his computer on the couch. Gideon is playing with his butterfly knife, flicking it open and closed as he and Sterling exchange low murmurs. I glance over at Alaric, who is speaking to the pilot. He turns his head, and his brown eyes find mine. They narrow slightly, one corner of his lips tilting up as they rake over my body.
His promise from earlier sends shivers through me, and I feel hot and cold at the same time. As the plane begins to back up, he saunters over to where I’m seated, his arms above his head as he uses the overhead cabin space for leverage.
“You okay?” he asks, staring down at me with an expression I can’t place.
I nod. “Yeah. Why do you ask?”
He smirks, which only enhances his sharp cheekbones. He’d managed to wash his skin, but his suit is still caked in blood.
He might prefer to be clean, but… I liked him dirty.
He must notice my appraisal because he sits down in the seat next to me. “Buckle up. We’re about to take off.”
I hear Sterling and Gideon buckle themselves in, and Theo closes his computer, walking over to a spare seat in the back.
Probably to do some more reconnaissance.
The pilot dims the lights, and we’re plunged into a startling darkness. I close my eyes and grip the edges of the seat dividers. I’ve always hated flying–getting to England took a lot of convincing on my part. I should’ve been fine with it, considering I’d been flying since I was five. There was no reason to hate it as much as I did. Still, as the engine fires up and the telltale vibrations begin, I squeeze my eyes shut and take a few steadying breaths. Once we lift off, the force flattens me against the seat, and I break out into a cold sweat.
Ireallywish I had my medication with me.
“Breathe, Harlow,” Alaric murmurs, his hand coming to rest on top of mine.
“I hate flying,” I tell him shakily, trying to distract myself.
“I can see that.”
I hear clinking glass, and before I open my eyes, something cold rests on my thigh.
“Drink.”
