Page 93 of Ruthless Commander

“Good.” I answered as I followed Xael up the stairs and into the plane.

She had the bags stowed away and was in her seat before I even got there. I scowled. This silence between us was turning awkward.

I sat near the window, sinking into the plush leather seat. “Are we going to talk about this?”

She lifted her gaze to the pilot as he disappeared into the cockpit. “Sure, talk.”

I clenched my jaw. “You’re being unreasonable.”

She swiveled in her seat instantly. “Am I?” That anger seethed in her stare. “It’s unreasonable that a wife wants to be there to protect her husband? It’sunreasonablethat you could letanyonefully into your life? Are you in this or are you just testing the waters, Mateo?”

“Testing the waters?” I repeated. “Where the hell did that come from?”

She turned back as the engine noise grew louder. “From the same place I’ve been this entire time. It’s you that takes one step forward and one step back. Make your mind up, Mateo. The whiplash is making me dizzy.”

She closed her eyes with that, shifting her ass to slide further down in the seat.

Make your mind up?

I lowered my gaze to the wedding ring on her finger. I thought Ihadmade up my goddamn mind?

Anger flared. I opened my mouth to say exactly that…

But the words didn’t come.

Instead, I looked at her closed lids, finding the dark circles under her eyes.

She needed sleep.

Webothneeded sleep.

The engine noise grew to a crescendo as we surged forward, rolling slowly at first until, with a roar, we picked up speed, tore down the runway, and finally lifted.

The weightlessness consumed me. I eased back into the seat and stared straight ahead, before I followed my wife’s example and closed my eyes. But sleep didn’t come. Instead, all I heard was Xael’s voice inside my head.It’s you that takes one step forward and one step back.

A twitch came at the corner of my eye. She was right. She was fucking right, and I knew it.

37

Xael

I jerked open my eyes as the jet jolted when the wheels touched down, the tires squealing as they connected with the runway. I lifted my head and found myself curled on one side, my head resting on Mateo’s shoulder. He met my stare as I swallowed a yawn and tried to remember what the hell was going on…

Then it all came rushing back to me. The call. The fight…the baby.

“Bab—” I started, then my eyes widened as I caught myself, aware he was watching me.

“Babe.” He murmured carefully. “Well, at least that’s a better greeting than I was expecting.”

Heart rushed to my cheeks, making that line between his brows deepen. He didn’t buy it, not when I pulled away from him and turned away to hide the truth in my stare. I gripped the armrest as we raced along the runway. But one look out of the window, and confusion set in. “This isn’t Colorado.”

“No.” Mateo answered as the jet braked hard and came to a stop at the front of the hanger. “It isn’t.”

I turned around. “Where are we?”

“Constance city.”

“Constance?” I pressed the seatbelt clasp and rose. “What are we doing here?”