Page 181 of Enemy of My Enemy

Slowly, Sergey lifted one hand in a sharp salute.

Sasha saluted in return, staring at Sergey until he nearly passed him.

At the last moment, he dropped the salute, pressing his gloved hand to the canopy and reaching for Sergey as grief tore through Sergey’s expression.

His engines rumbled, vibrating beneath him. He faced forward, white knuckling the stick as he stared down the short runway and the nose of his fighter.Full burn. Short lift. Soar high.

The engines roared, throwing him back against the seat.

Do svidaniya.

* * *

After Sasha’sjet hurtled into the sky, Sergey stormed down the tarmac, his furious gaze fixed on Jack. “You,” he bellowed. “This is allyourfault!”

Ethan limped in front of Jack, and Scott stepped in front of both, blocking Jack from Sergey. Jack pushed them both aside gently. “What are you talking about?”

“They say it is not contagious! But who knows?” Sergey shouted. Spit flew from his lips. “Everything wasfineuntil you!”

Ethan was slowly turning purple, his hands clenching into fists, and Scott watched Sergey like he was a rabid tiger. Jack frowned. “What the hell is wrong with you? What’s not contagious? What did I do?”

“You changed theworld, Jack! You changed the whole world, andmyworld, and now—” He stopped talking, abruptly swallowing his words. Shuddering, he tried again. “Sasha—”

Jack’s eyes found Ethan’s. So he finally knew.

“He loves you.”

Sergey shuddered again, curling in on himself and then flying apart, his hands raking through his thin blond hair. “Why?” he hissed. “I’ve never been with a man! Only women!” His gaze narrowed, and he turned on Jack. “Do you remember women, Jack? Big, beautiful breasts bouncing in your face? Soft curves? Their heat,God, swallowing you?”

“That’senough.” Scott shouldered Sergey, bumping him off his laser-focused course toward Jack.

Ethan hovered at Jack’s shoulder.

“Yes, I do remember. But I’m not in love with a woman, Sergey. I’m in love with Ethan. And it’shisbody that I desire.Hisshoulders.Hislegs. I can’t get enough of his thighs. His rock solid chest. And yes, his chest hair. And his big, fat cock,” Jack finished, staring Sergey down. “He’sthe one I love, and he’s who I want.”

Sergey’s face twisted, and for a moment, Jack was certain he was going to puke. “Why did he notsayanything? He saidnothing! This whole time!”

Silence.

Until Scott’s radio crackled, and broken English and a whole lot of Russian came through.

“Contact,” Scott said. “Someone’s coming to check out the launch.”

“We have to leave. Now.” Sergey scrubbed his hands over his face.

“Sasha’s return flight—”

“Sasha is not coming back,” Sergey snapped, whirling on Jack. “He is not coming back,” he repeated, softer, his voice trembling.

“Sergey—”

“We move out. Now.” Sergey headed for the hangar, sweeping their maps and charts, everything they’d put together for Sasha’s flight, to the ground. He kicked it all into a pile and pulled out a lighter. In moments, the heap was burning to black ash, destroying all traces of what they’d done.

Jack, Ethan, and Scott followed Sergey to the jeep. No one said a word.

* * *

Sasha zoomedover the foothills of the Urals before snaking into the high elevations, keeping close to the mountains to hide his signature from any prying radar. As long as he stayed under the radar deck, he’d be in the clear. Snow-covered craggy peaks and carpets of evergreen blanketed the ground zipping by underneath him, Russia’s spine guiding his way north.