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“Crap!” He’s coming up.
I risk my ass, sending one last text to Carter, telling him it’s all good and I’ll explain when I get back. Wrapping the phone up, I shove the hoodie back in the bag, hopping up without taking the time to zip it closed.
I shut the closet doors, my hands gripping the knobs, and try to slow my heart rate as I stare at the white paint.
Can’t breathe.
Attempting to look casual, I turn from the closet, pasting a bright smile on to greet him. He appears in the doorway. Looking too good. Too muscular. And too interested in what I’m doing.
Attempting to distract him with a little flirting, I bat my eyelashes. “Hey, you.”
“Ophelia?” He eyes me, a brow furrowed. “You good?”
I drop the act. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just took a little longer than I thought. Sorry.”
He holds his hand out to me with that sexy devil’s grin of his. “Ready?”
Then, I do something I probably shouldn’t.
“Ready.”
And I take his hand and follow him into the night.
CHAPTER 19
Haze
We’re backin the black Alfa, and I drive this time. I love the control of being behind the wheel, though I miss being in the back seat with her.
I drive down the gravel road, winding deep into the dark forest. The road widens. The wheels are no longer crunching on gravel, and we’re riding on smooth pavement.
A clearing surrounded by woods has a helipad, with a shiny black helicopter parked on its paved center. The black paint contains the gold emblem of the Bachman Brotherhood: a large gold B in a thick font and a slighter B in a more delicate one. The letters are encapsulated in the same gilded circle as the Villa’s emblem.
She scoots forward in her seat, looking out the windshield. “You guys have a helicopter hidden in the woods?”
“We do.” I pull the car to the side, putting it in Park. “I thought you might like to see where I work.”
She eyes me. “You work at the Villa with Liam.”
“I do,” I say. “We all do. But we have our own responsibilities as well.”
“I thought you walked to work this morning.” She shakes her head. “Was that only this morning?”
“Feels like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it?” We share a look. Heat passes between us. She’s the first to break our gaze. “Have you ever ridden in a helicopter?”
Tossing a look at me, she says teasingly, “What do you think.”
“No?” I laugh. She constantly makes my world feel upended. It’s only fair to pay it forward with a helicopter ride. “I thought you might like to see what I do for the family. And this is the best way to travel.”
She’s quiet as we climb in the chopper. I outfit her with her safety gear first, showing her how the microphone in the headphones works so we can talk over the engines, and then I settle myself. She’s not said a word. This is one of her quiet, nervous times. I almost miss her chatter. Almost.
“Ready?” I ask.
Finally, she admits, “I’m a little scared.”
I flash her a grin. “You trust me?” My breath catches as I wait.
Finally, she says, “Yes.”