Page 67 of Hunted

I hear the four of them talking quietly while I taxi us to the private terminal. I know this airport well, as it’s the one I always fly to when I return from a job.

But as I get closer, I’m surprised by the amount of people nearby. Since this is at the far north end of the airport, it’s easier for people to get close. The eight-foot-high chain-link fence that separates us from the parking lot is swarming with people. There are cameras and news crews, and everyone is pointing at our plane.

“Well, fuck.”

“What’s wrong?” Reece says, moving into the cockpit and sitting in the empty chair beside me. I narrow my eyes at him; he shouldn’t be walking around until we’ve stopped. But he’s as likely to listen to me as I am to him.

I point out my side window to the hoard of people as I continue forward.

“Dammit. News must have spread about us coming home somehow.”

“We better warn the others,” I say, pulling to a stop outside the large building. I make sure to engage the brakes and switch the controls off completely before I join the others in the back.

Bower is braiding Darla’s hair as she slips on a pair of flip-flops. They’re the only thing we’ve been able to get her to wear so far. I have a feeling she’s going to find shoes constraining for a while.

Kingsley pulls on a fresh green polo, and even Reece is changing into a new dress shirt. “You guys trying to look good for the press or something?” I ask with a smirk.

“Nobody wants to look like a mess on camera. And there’s a good chance that any photos they take of us today will be all over the news for a while.”

Realizing that I may be in some of those images too, I glance down at myself. My black t-shirt looks clean and my dark green cargo pants look good as well. I cut my hair back in Kenya so it’s short enough not to need any work done to it right now. I shrug, figuring this is as good as it gets.

I glance at Darla, who’s wearing high-waisted maroon leggings and a white crop top t-shirt. Bower finishes her braid, and she pulls it in front of her shoulder, fiddling with it nervously.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, coming to sit on a chair beside where she’s standing, putting myself at the same height as her.

“I’m just nervous. How am I supposed to act out there?”

“Baby.” I grab her hand and pull her to stand between my legs. “Just be yourself. They don’t even know who you are, not yet. And if you’re worried about our relationship, don’t be. I doubt Bower and King ever gave a single thought about hiding this. I know I haven’t. It might be unconventional, but so are we.”

“So it’s okay if I hold your hand and Kingsley’s? Or kiss Bower?”

“You wanna kiss me, Tink?”

Her cheeks tinge pink as she narrows her eyes on him. “It was just an example.”

“Uh-huh, sure it was.” He gives her a wink, and she turns back to me, rolling her eyes in amusement.

“It’s going to be okay, try not to worry. The news will do what they want with any photos or video they take today. We can’t control what they say.”

“If it becomes an issue, we can have our media relations team handle it,” King adds, grabbing his bag and throwing it over his shoulder.

She watches him, then bites her lip in thought before she asks, “Can I have McStabby?”

I press my lips together and glance at Reece. If they see her with a knife strapped to her side, they’ll go crazy with speculation.

“What if you keep it in your bag, with Steve?” King suggests. I nod, liking the idea. Nobody will know it’s there but us, and she’ll feel safe with both items close to her.

She nods her head and gives him a smile. “Yeah, thanks.”

I stand up and find it for her, and she loops the bag strap over her head, letting it settle at her side as I grab my own and move to the door.

“Everyone ready?” I ask, looking back to see them all standing in line behind me, nodding their heads, clearly eager to get home. I turn the lever and push the door open as a set of stairs is pushed up to the doorway for us.

I take a deep inhale of the San Franciscan air. “We made it.” I glance down at Darla as I add, “We’re home.”

Once the stairs are fully secured, I step back, allowing the others to go ahead. Reece goes first, and I see he tries to put on his usual stoic demeanor, but there is a lightness to his expression that I haven’t seen before. As if whatever was constantly making him angry in the past, isn’t plaguing him anymore.

My eyes flick to Darla and I realize that it’s true. He was angry because of what he had lost. And although they still haven’t fully reconnected, I’d be a fool to think it wasn’t going to happen soon. Especially now we’re home.