Page 24 of Blackwood

Eric pushes off the rail and strolls toward. “You want smooth, fast, and invisible? I’m your guy.”

Bella eyes him up and down. “You sure?”

He grins like the devil just gave him a five-star rating. “Honey, I’ve flown through sandstorms, cartel airspace, and one hell of an ex-wife’s divorce party. This? This is a damn coffee run.”

I nod. “He’s chaos. But he’s efficient chaos.”

“Air Chaos, Trademark pending,” Eric laughs as he pulls something small and sleek from his jacket. “Gotta deal with your loose end. Give me a sec.”

Bella frowns. “Loose end?”

Nate tilts his head. “Say goodbye to Mariela’s car.”

“Wait, he’s gonna—” Bella starts.

A dull thud shakes the ground. Heat flashes across the tarmac.

I shrug. “It was either that or leave behind aplease arrest usstarter kit.”

“Plus the two of you have to die,” Nate adds.

Eric strolls back over, casually brushing ash from his jacket like he just flicked a cigarette and didn’t set a whole damn car on fire.

“Handled,” he says. “Two dead teenagers. Let’s fly.”

Bella looks at me like I’ve officially lost my mind.

I grin. “It’ll be fine. I promise.”

Chapter 11

BELLA- Age 14

Fort Myers, Florida

The plane’s got buttery leather seats, a few recliners, a sleek little bar in the corner, and enough room to seat maybe twelve. There is a flat screen on the wall, drinks tucked into crystal-clear holders, and a low table set with snacks like someone thought this was some sort of party.

I slide into a seat across from Zeke and shoot a look at the suit guy.

“Alright,” I say, folding my arms. “Let’s play a game. It’s calledWho the Hell Are You People?You first, Men’s Warehouse. FBI? CIA? PTA?”

“Whatever acronym you need me to be,” the guy Zeke called,Nate, answers back.

I narrow my eyes. “So that’s a yes.”

He shrugs, annoyingly calm. “You asked who I am. Not what I file under.”

I turn to Zeke, deadpan. “Is he always like this?”

“Yup,” Zeke says. “All mystery and murder.”

The quiet sniper dude finally lifts a finger like he’s in class. “Not CIA.”

“Awesome,” I say, leaning back with a scoff. “So we’ve got a maybe-fed, a sniper statue that hasn’t blinked since we got onthe plane, a Batman-wannabe for a brother, and a pilot who for sure has bodies hidden in the trunk of his car. Totally normal.”

“Told you I had a plan,” Zeke smirks like I didn’t just name-drop every reason I’ll need meds by the time I’m twenty.

I kick my feet up on the seat across from me, not giving a single damn about manners. “Yeah? Now would be a great time to share it, mastermind.”