Page 29 of Havenfall Harbor
“Wow,” I breathe. It looks like it could hold several small planes. As we drive around the side, I see rows of runway lights, bright enough that they can been seen during the day. The small plane parked near the entrance of the runway steals my focus. The door is already open, revealing the stairs.
Griffin is the first to get out. He opens my door and reaches his hand in, placing it over mine. “You don’t have to come, Quinn.” My eyes leave the plane and land on Griffin’s.
“I wish I would have brought a Xanax,” I mutter.
The car shuts off and Evan twists in his seat, drawing my attention. His eyes are trained on my leg where Griffin’s hand is still lying over mine. I tug my fingers free and tuck my hair behind my ear.
“Griff and I can go, you can return to the school,” Evan offers.
I indulge in the thought of going back, of not getting on the plane, but I dismiss it quickly. “No. This is part of my job. It probably won’t be so bad. It’s only a couple of hours.” My sentences are short, but so is my breathing. Griffin steps back and I slide my legs out of the SUV. Sweat is dappling my upper lip and lower back, making my shirt cling to me.
A tall, lanky man comes out from behind the plane. “Flight plan is logged, we’re good to go,” he announces.
“Are you sure?” Griffin bends down, bringing his eyes close to mine, and examines me.
I swallow and nod. If I wasn’t so worried, I’d probably thank him for his concern, but I’m too wrapped up in my own fears. “It’s just a few hours. I’m sure the kid we’re going after has had much worse to endure. I can do this.”
Griffin
Shit,she’s really scared. Her heart is pumping so fast it’s making my head feel tight. I can’t imagine how she must feel.
Quinn’s knuckles go white as she grips the handrail of the stairs, and her palm actually makes a squeaking sound when she slides it up as she takes the next step. As she crests the entrance, her steps falter enough that I reach out and grab her elbow, steadying her. Quinn turns her head, wearing a faint smile on her lips almost as if by habit, and breathes out, “Thank you.”
Reluctantly, I release her. I know it would take only one little nip, and I could make her forget about being on this plane. The fear she’s experiencing would sour her blood, but only for a second. My mouth waters, even though thinking about taking that from her, especially when she’s frightened, makes me hate myself a little more than I already do.
Evan stayed behind to talk to Max. I can hear his lowered voice as he explains who Quinn is, and to make the flight as easy on her as possible. The slight threat is unmistakable in his tone. How the hell this one woman has captured both of our attention is a fucking mystery.
“This isn’t what I was expecting.” Quinn draws my focus back to her as she stands at the front of the jet, looking over the leather seats and little dinette set.
I crowd close to her, unable to stop myself. A small amount of appreciation seeps into her tone, masking the cold fear. “Havenfall doesn’t seem to do anything by halves.”
I dip my chin and Quinn’s hair stirs as I exhale. “Where would you like to sit?” I lick my lips, thinking she would fit just perfectly on my lap—or face. Christ, I need to get a handle on myself, but the image of her over me while I’m flat on my back, her creamy thighs pink with the stubble from my jaw, has me about to lose my shit.
“Here, if that’s okay?” Quinn turns her head, not realizing I’m so close. Her eyes dart down to my mouth.
“Anywhere you’d like.” My voice comes out thick and rough.
Quinn doesn’t run, but she darts forward quickly, taking the first aisle seat. Her heartbeat rises a few more beats, but fear isn’t pushing it so hard now. I take a step, ready to move past her and take the available seat beside her, but I’m not sure I could fight the temptation not to touch her in some way.
I hear Evan coming before I feel his heavy gait landing on the stairs. Seconds later, he’s ducking into the entrance. “Max is doing a final check, should be ready to go in a few minutes.” Evan’s eyes go right to Quinn. My attention doesn’t stray from her long either.
Her head is tilted down as she draws the lap belt over her waist tight enough to restrict her breathing. The plane shifts as Evan makes his way over to us.
Max boards a few moments after him, placing his hand on the button to retract the stairs. “You sure you don’t want me to grab Penny? She’s already in the hangar.”
“No.” My reply is gruffer than I intended, but Max is used to me. There’s no point trying to pretend I’m not an asshole.
“All right, sir. Won’t be long before takeoff.”
Quinn
Evan and Griffinare both standing in the aisle. Neither of them are small men, so they end up doing this sort of dance around each other until they both stop and look at each other. “Where are you sitting?” Griffin questions with a huff.
“Where are you sitting?” Evan counters. Both of their heads turn to the one empty seat next to me. I drop my gaze and fiddle with my seatbelt, having already placed my bag on the floor under my seat. A little heat invades my cheeks. Do they think I’m going to freak out or something? It’s not like I need them to hold my hand.
I instinctively tuck my knees in as Griffin moves in front of me to take the seat on my right. “Here,” he states, as he lowers himself into the wide seat.
Evan takes the seat across the aisle and the engine of the plane whirs to life. I blow out a deep breath and look around. It doesn’t look anything like the little puddle jumper plane I flew in before. It’s more like something you’d see a celebrity using as they drink a glass of champagne while giving an interview discussing poverty levels in the inner city. The seats are a supple cream leather with embroidered headrests and wood veneer accents.
