Page 55 of Unchained

He leans in, his warm breath gliding over my cheek. “I can think of a few ways to distract you, viper.”

“Keep dreaming, cowboy.” I tell him as I slowly open my eyes, staring right into his. “Tell me what scares you, Colten.”

He pulls back, studying me intently. “Losing my family,” he says.

I nod. I know how it feels. Losing Max was the equivalent of losing an arm or a leg. It hurts every damn day. My brother was shot down in the middle of the street on his way to propose to his girlfriend. He had everything to live for, and it was gone before he even had time to register what had happened.

And now, I’m on my way to finally end the men who called that order. But revenge will never bring him back. Will never close this gaping hole in my chest. I’m not even convinced it will make me feel better.

But it does mean they can never come after Dom. No one is ever going to hurt my baby brother as long as I’m alive and fighting.

“What about you?” Colt asks, shaking me from my thoughts.

“Planes and bugs,” I respond before my brain catches up. I gave him one more thing to hold against me.

We taxi towards the runway and everything around us hums. I chew on my lip, keeping my eyes closed.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take me up on the distraction techniques, Gianna?”

I shake my head. “What, so you can take another jab about how inexperienced I am? Or psychoanalyze the why?”

I need to work on this damn trigger point. It should mean nothing to me, in the scheme of the shit life has handed to me. And it’s gone. I lost my virginity. Done. Dusted. Just like I was supposed to.

“Do you honestly believe I’m turned off by the fact that I’m the first man to fuck you?”

“Sure as hell sounded like it,” I say through gritted teeth.

The jet hurtles off down the runway, and I hold my breath. His muscular arm snakes around my neck and he drags my head against his chest, holding me tight. I don’t move an inch. His steady heart should comfort me, but I’m actually thinking about how psychotic he is being—this calm when we’re in a tin can in the sky.

A few minutes pass, and the plane seems to settle into a smooth glide through the clouds, and I finally breathe again.

“I’m kind of glad you have a fear,” he whispers against my hair.

Why aren’t I moving out of his hold?

“What, so every time I piss you off, you’ll drug me and shove me on here?”

He chuckles, and it vibrates through his chest against my ear. “I like the idea. But no. It’s just nice to know something real about you, is all.”

I pull back and brush my fingers through my curls. “I’m not a robot, Colten. I do have some emotions.”

I have lots of emotions; I just know how to compartmentalize them well. But I’m realizing pretty fast that I’m lacking a lot in the way I live my life. I never made friends before Harper. I never had spa breaks or girly drinks. I never had anyone to confide in that isn’t a brother.

He bites back a grin. “Sure. It’s just, I’ve never seen a woman drive a knife through her brother's chest and not even flinch. And I’m pretty damn sure I heard you call him a little bitch as he died.”

My cheeks heat. He was watching me murder my brother and doesn’t sound horrified by it. “He betrayed me. He killed Max, Colten. And I’ve vowed to haunt him through every lifetime. I take revenge serious. That’s what happens when you do that to me.”

“And that is fair enough, viper.” His eyes dip to my lips, and then back to my eyes. “So tell me, best case scenario, what kind of kill do you want to do on Nikos? Just so I can make sure we have everything we need.”

A grin twitches on my lips. Now we’re talking. “We need a notepad and pen. Let's figure out the most painful way to kill a man.”

He blinks at me. “Do I look like I carry them? I’ve got a gun and cigarettes.”

I purse my lips. “Phone notes it is. Where all good plans are made.”

I snatch my phone from my purse and open the app, titling the note ‘honeymoon activities’ with a smile. I can sense Colten watching my every reaction.

“Sex,” he blurts out. “First on the list.”