Page 118 of Reign of the Queen
The flight attendant arrives with our drinks after we’ve been in the air for about forty-five minutes. I decide to check on Carter and make sure he’s alright. I push open the door to the small cabin bedroom, which is in complete darkness with the window shades pulled down. Being careful not to wake him, I navigate using my phone light to move toward the queen size bed. When I finally approach the bed, I realize it’s empty.Huh, maybe he’s in the washroom right off the bedroom and isn’t feeling well?I knock on the door but get no response. Pulling open the door, I realize it’s not locked. I step inside the tiny space that holds a sink and toilet. There’s no Carter anywhere. What the fuck? Where is he?
My heart rate jumps up and feels like my heart is trying to escape my chest. I quickly make my way back to the main cabin and approach Tom. “Where’s Carter?” I demand, fear is running through my body and a cold sweat is breaking down my back.
Tom looks up from his phone at me with a quizzical expression. “What do you mean where’s Carter? He’s in the cabin bedroom.”
“No, he’s fucking not. I just came from there. He’s not in the bedroom or the bathroom. Where the hell could he have gone?”
Tom gets up quickly from his seat and makes his way to the cabin bedroom, quickly checking the room and bathroom. He signals to one of the other security team, and they both go back into the tiny room.
My heart is pounding in my chest, and my hands are starting to sweat. I have a really bad feeling that this is not just some stupid joke Carter’s decided to pull on us. I swear if he’s decided to just scare me for the hell of it, I am going to kick his gorgeous ass.
“Check the cargo hold now,” Tom orders another of the security team and then approaches Mary. “Mary, you’re sure he was in there when you stepped out? You gave him something to sleep? Did you watch him take it?” Tom questions with wariness.
Mary looks from Tom to me, and panic crosses her features. “Yes, he was in there. He was agitated, and I gave him a sleeping pill to take. I didn’t watch him take it, though. He said he needed to use the restroom, and then he’d take it.” Mary rushes into the room, now crowded with Mateo, Finn, and one of the security guards. “My word, where could that boy have gotten to?”
“Tom, the hidden hold door’s been opened and not sealed tight again. He’s made his way into the cargo hold of the plane.”
“Get down there and look for him.” Tom motions to the two team members on board. They both make their way into the small bedroom.
“He can access the cargo hold area through the bedroom?” I turn my attention solely to Tom.
“Unfortunately, yes. A fire exit is built into the bedroom’s closet area that leads to an evacuation exit through the cargo area. Why Carter would want to go down there during the flight is beyond me. It’s loud, and you can feel turbulence down there.” Tom rubs his mouth in agitation.
“I don’t understand what the fuck he’s doing right now.” Mateo paces back and forth outside of the bedroom cabin.
My stomach cramps hard, I feel it in my gut that he’s not down there. He didn’t go down there to hide from us or even hurt himself. Something else is going on here. My heart beats hard against my chest, and a chill goes down my spine.
“He’s not on the plane.” I don’t know how I know, but I can feel he’s not on the plane with us. I have to sit down; my legs feel like they want to buckle underneath me.
“What do you mean he’s not on the plane Mia...you saw him...you saw him get on the damn plane and go to the back with Mary.” Raegan moves toward me and grabs onto both my hands, holding them tight in hers.
“He’s gone. He went after Theo. I should have known he would. That there was no way he would leave him behind, despite agreeing to go with us.” I sit back hard in the chair, fear permeating all through my body.
“How did he get off this plane?” Finn yells. “He can’t fucking fly, and we would have had alarms going if he tried to open the doors as we were taking off.”
“He must have researched about the cargo hold emergency door and climbed out of the plane before takeoff, and before they closed the doors,” Tom responds.
“Naw, he wouldn’t have had to research. Theo’s dad owns the same damn plane. We’ve been in it since we were kids. He and Mateo used to hide in the cargo hold to scare Vincent’s staff all the time.” Finn sighs and sits beside me.
“Turn this fucking plane around, Tom. We have to go back.” Finn demands.
“I’m sorry, Finn, but my priority is getting Mia safely to her grandmother. We can’t turn back to get Carter now; it would put her in danger. I’ll message the two personnel I left on the ground to look for him.”
“It will be too late by then. Carter’s lost his mind if he thinks he can rescue Theo on his own, especially given his current state!” Mateo comes around, facing off with Tom and not backing down. Tom outweighs him by about seventy pounds of muscle and at least two inches of height, but Mateo looks like he’ll take his chances with a beatdown from Tom right now.
I know it’s not the time for my mind to meander, but he’s never looked sexier, the fierce fire in his eyes and how combative his stance is. Mateo angry is something to behold, and it speaks to the darkness inside of me that craves violence and sex.
Just as the second security officer comes out of the bedroom and goes to walk by me, I grab onto the gun in his leg holster and point it straight at his head. “Turn this fucking plane around, Tom.” I unclick the safety and stand up, pressing the gun into the back of the guy’s neck. “What’s your name?” I question the guy who has raised his hands in the air where I can see them.
“Drew.”
“Tom, if you don’t turn this plane around, I am going to put a bullet hole in the back of Drew’s neck.” I glance toward Tom, pressing the barrel of the gun harder into Drew’s neck. From the corner of my eye, I see Mary and Raegan move out of the way with fear.
“Mia...” Raegan calls out to me, disbelief and fear crossing her features. I completely ignore her, keeping my attention solely on Tom.
“You know I can’t, Mia. Your grandmother has entrusted your safety to me. Your safety is all that matters. I’m sorry, but I have to get you to the Stratford estate in one piece.” He strolls toward me like I’m not holding a gun to one of his personnel’s necks.
I can see he’s not going to relent, that even threatening poor Drew’s life here will make no difference. He knows I would never shoot an innocent man. My grandmother has instructed him to save the Stratford princess, and it doesn’t matter who becomes collateral damage. My grandmother gets what she wants at all costs.
