Page 4 of Don’t Break My Heart (Secrets of Ravens Hollow #3)

I offer a forced smile back, trying for him.

My beautiful, sweet Reef who’s just lost it all because of me.

His life will never be the same again. All the years of hard work, for nothing.

He should hate me, but for some reason, he doesn’t.

He still smiles and tries to do what he can to get me to do the same.

Orlando guides me down the surprisingly spacious aisle to my seat beside Romeo on the plush cream leather sofa by the window and takes the seat beside me.

Across from us, Reef and Onyx make themselves comfortable on another sofa.

This jet isn’t like anything I have seen in the movies; it’s insane, all leather and mahogany and wouldn’t sit any more than twelve people, all comfortable in the lap of luxury.

I hate to think of how much it costs to run.

Down at the back of the plane, Emilio and his two guards sit, quietly sipping amber liquid from cut crystal.

He holds up his glass to me as if to toast. I fake a smile and quickly look away from him.

The man makes my skin crawl, and if I look at him too long, I won’t be able to go along with the boys’ request that I behave.

I will have to slap that look right off his face .

“Can I have a drink to take off the edge?” I ask, my voice low, despising that I now have to ask for permission.

Romeo motions to the flight attendant to bring us some drinks, and she makes her way right over.

“What will it be, boys, whiskey like your papa?” She grins at the boys with an over-the-top kind of smile that makes me glare at her.

Her uniform is a little too tight over her curves, and her crisp white shirt has one button too many undone.

She’s the kind of girl who likes the attention from men like this, you can just tell.

“Thanks,” Orlando mutters, not giving her a second of attention.

Romeo gives her a little nod, but Onyx and Reef both politely decline.

The twins must need something to take the edge off just as much as I do. Or maybe something to ease the pain they’re in. “Champagne for the lady?” she asks a little too sweetly when she’s clearly flirting with my men.

I raise a brow. “No, thank you, I’ll have the whiskey.”

She gives me a funny unimpressed look, so I smile extra sweetly toward her. Have I said something wrong already? She pours my drink and hands it to me.

“Anything else, just sing out. I’m here to make your flight as comfortable as possible.” She winks at Romeo as she says it, and my whole body stiffens.

“That will be all,” he says bluntly.

She gives me another glance before she walks away, wheeling her little trolley with her back up to the front.

“Try and be nice, doll face.” Romeo chuckles under his breath.

I roll my eyes. “Nice! She was openly flirty. What do you normally get on these types of flights, blowjobs or some shit?” I hold my hand up.

“Don’t answer me,” I say quickly before I hear something I don’t want to.

I know Romeo had a whole other life before he met me, and I know the kind of man he is, sex-obsessed.

I’m sure that’s exactly what he would have gotten on a flight like this.

It’s not long before the captain announces he’s preparing the plane for takeoff, and we need to be belted into our seats.

My hands and feet tingle, and I feel sweat trickling down the back of my neck.

Fuck, I don’t want to do this. I throw my drink back, praying to whoever will listen that it knocks me the fuck out so I can just pretend this isn’t happening.

That I’m not going further away from my life, my family, my club, and my friends.

Orlando’s fingers tangle with mine. “You’re okay,” he assures me, like he can sense I’m on the verge of freaking the fuck out.

But he’s wrong, I’m not okay. My breathing becomes harsher, and my scared eyes meet with Onyx’s. Oh, dear God. I can’t do this.

Onyx unbuckles his belt, closing the gap between us in an instant, dropping to his knees in front of me.

My eyes go all blurry, I can hardly make him out.

“Trouble,” he murmurs, but his voice sounds so far away. “Fuck, she’s having a panic attack,” he growls out next.

I hear them, all my boys telling me I’m okay, trying to bring me out of the fog, but it’s no use. I’m too far gone.

“Hey, trouble, breathe with me. In for four… out for four.” I feel Onyx’s hands on me and try to focus on his words.

Orlando squeezes my hand tighter. “Treasure, you’re okay.”

Romeo calls to the flight attendant for water, and I feel Reef in front of me as well. They’re all here, but it’s no use. What can any of them do to help me?

Onyx clicks his fingers in front of my face, then his hands drop to my knees, bringing all my attention to him and him only. “Breathe. In for four… out for four,” he repeats himself .

I follow Onyx’s instructions, breathing when he tells me to. I have no idea how much time passes, but after a while, his rugged face comes back into view. The fog begins to clear, and my breathing returns to a slow steady rhythm.

“Sorry,” I whisper when I see all four of them slowly materialize in front of my eyes, their faces etched with concern. I didn’t mean to cause such a fuss. “I’m fine, you can go back to your seats.” I shoo them away, my cheeks heating. I’m embarrassed and pissed with myself.

Onyx doesn’t look convinced, staring back at me like he can’t pull away, not even if it’s to move to the seat just across.

“I’m okay,” I say again so he knows he can go. The last thing I want to do is cause a scene in front of their papa that has me looking weak in his eyes. It was just a momentary lapse.

Onyx backs away and takes his seat beside Reef, his eyes still glued to me.

Romeo hands me a bottle of water with the cap off, and I take it, sipping slowly. His head drops so his lips brush my earlobe. “How many pills have you taken today, doll face? My bet is the ones you took in the bathroom were not your first.”

I glance at him; he was watching me, fucker. “None of your business, Romeo,” I snip, bitchier than I probably should with the concern in his voice.

His lips form a thin line, and he and Orlando share a look, one I don’t fucking like. Like they have been talking about me behind my back and they know what’s best for me.

Without warning, the jet starts to move along the tarmac. I inhale a deep breath. You can do this, Sloane, it’s just a fucking airplane, people fly every day. Pull up your big girl panties and be the badass I know you are.

Orlando moves his arm so it’s wrapped protectively around my shoulder, then with his other hand, he takes mine in his, cocooning me in his protective arms. I should push him away, but I can’t.

It feels too comfortable. “You’re safe with me, treasure.

” He holds me so damn close I want to believe him.

But this is the same man who nearly killed me with his bare hands because his papa was watching him. I’m not safe with him. I don’t even know who he really is.

His lips brush my earlobe. “Close your eyes, let me take you someplace else.”

“Where?” I whisper, playing along.

“Wherever you want.”

I shut my eyes, putting my trust in him even though I know I shouldn’t; if I don’t, I’m going back into panic mode, and we all know that will cause more problems we can’t afford. “My club,” I whisper, knowing that’s the only place I want to be right now. My happy place, where I’m in control.

The hand around my shoulder plays with my hair, softly running his fingers through it.

“You’re in your office, getting ready for the day,” he starts.

“Right before you leave, you turn to the wall of women you’ve lost and give them a little nod, just so they know why you work so damn hard.

Then you stride out of your office, with Onyx closely behind you, of course. ”

I glance at him, grateful for the distraction but surprised he has flipped back to my Orlando.

The sweet man who would do anything for me.

The last part of his story makes me smile just a little.

“Then what?” I ask, curious to see where this story goes.

My stomach dips as the plane takes off, and I shut my eyes even tighter. Fuck.

“Then you walk onto the floor of the main bar and Myriah is by your side, talking your ear off about some stupid situation she got herself into the night before. You humor her because she drives you nuts, but you love her anyway, and her stories give you a glimpse into a life you wish you had the guts to explore.”

This time I open my eyes and look back at him. I feel like this story comes right from a day in my past, a time before these four boys had taken over my life.

He raises a brow. “Sally will join you,” he goes on, “and go over the agenda for the day, mentioning anything you need to be made aware of as she ticks each item off her today list. Then Asher will stride in like he owns the place. Myriah will swoon, and you will roll your eyes.”

Yep, this shit really did happen. “How often did you watch me in the club?” I ask, already knowing it had to be way too much, just by how detailed his little story is.

“Every day.” His eyes lock with mine, an intensity in them that scares me.

He doesn’t even care if I know how bad his stalking ways are.

I don’t think he even sees a problem with them.

To him it’s normal that he watched me every day for nine years.

Acceptable even. “Do you want to know what happens next?”

I nod, already knowing, but I’m ready for him to go on. His distraction is working. I’m already less stressed about this flying thing and more concerned with how much he was actually watching me. It’s like Sloane Stryker TV around the clock for him.

“Romeo would be there next, doing whatever he could to get your attention. Even if it was baiting you until you snapped at him and stormed off back to your office.”

“That doesn’t sound accurate,” Romeo complains, and I realize he’s listening in as well.

I look his way and raise a brow. “Really? Sounds about right to me.”

His lips twist up at the sides cheekily. “Maybe sometimes. You’re pretty easy to bait, and when you snap, you’re sexy as hell. ”

Romeo goes to run his hand up my thigh, but I see the subtle way he glances at his papa first, then he places his hand back on his own lap.

I look his papa’s way to find him watching us with hawk eyes.

How the hell does he have so much power over these boys, and what the hell is really going on?

Even Orlando admitted that Romeo had spent years doing what he could to take what he wanted from the family.

Even him sleeping with me was a major fuck-you to his papa.

Why is he now cowering from him? It doesn’t make any sense.

Orlando’s hand skates deliberately up my thigh, bringing my attention back to him. “Do you want more story time?”

“Yes.” I offer a half smile. Anything to help me escape this situation and the ten hours I will be stuck on this jet. “Can you make it less PG?”

Romeo chuckles, and I know he agrees with me.

Orlando grins back at me, and I can see all sorts of ideas formulating in his fucked-up brain.

“Close your eyes, let me take you back to your club.” He kisses my forehead, and I settle into his hold on me, relaxing back.

Is this how I’m going to survive this hell?

Pretending to be someone else, while I dream of who I really am and my old life.