Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 95080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
“So, I’ve got my phone and I’ll call you.”
“You’ll call me every day,” he made me promise, holding me out at arm’s length. “Every goddamn day so I don’t worry and make myself sick.”
“I know, I know. You, Dad, Alex, Dimah, and Matt. I promise.”
“And if you wanna get out of there, just call and I’ll get you on a plane.”
I nodded with tears stinging my eyes, my throat dry and my stomach in knots.
“Don’t cry or you’ll dry out your contacts and have to take ’em back out.”
My father had made me pack my glasses just in case, but I had eye drops, so in theory I was back to living in my contacts.
“It’ll be okay,” he told me again, grabbing me hard and hugging me against him. “I love you more.”
I nodded. I couldn’t speak, just put my wire-rimmed Aviators on as soon as he walked away. He knew better than to look back; he just smiled his dazzler at me before he left.
“I love you more?” Celia asked gently as I sank back down into the chair across from her.
I looked up at her but said nothing.
“It’s nice,” she said, smiling almost sadly.
“It’s something my mom always said. She would look at us and say, ‘I love you more than my eyes.’ After she died, I finally understood what it meant. Evan knows too, and so he tells me.”
“You guys are all really close.”
“We are.”
“You’re very lucky.”
“Yes, I am,” I said softly, and knew that was true where my family was concerned. I was blessed in that regard. I was glad I had my sunglasses on, though, so she couldn’t see what a mess I was. I needed to get it together, and soon.
Cord and Breckin still weren’t there by the time we boarded, and my seat number put me in business class behind Celia, two and two, both of us next to the window. Finally, Breckin appeared and moved quickly to put his duffel in the overhead bin above me, but before he could sit down, Cord was there, directing him into the seat beside Celia.
“You guys need to get your stories straight before we land,” he advised Breckin. “Tracy’s out of this.”
Breckin looked annoyed but gave me an affectionate smile before dropping down beside Celia.
Cord shoved his much bigger duffel into the overhead bin, along with his overcoat, and then took his seat next to me.
“You all right?” he asked, checking on me.
“Yeah, fine.”
“You look like shit.”
Charming. “So what do Breckin and Celia need to coordinate?”
“I had Breckin tell his folks they were married, so I need them to be able to give his family a good cover story about when and how they met and all that.”
“That makes sense. They need a good, solid version of events.”
“Exactly.”
“I would make it very exciting, like they foiled an evil dictator when they were both in Guatemala working for Doctors Without Borders or something like that.”
He chuckled. “Small and boring is better.”
“Killjoy,” I muttered with a yawn, checking my phone. After a moment he cleared his throat, and I looked back at him. “What?”
“You’re not upset about me having him leave you out?”
“Leave me out of what?”
“Like, I dunno, having his folks know who you are?”
“No. Not at all. I’m not anything to them and never will be. That makes complete sense.”
“Does it?”
“Of course. What would be the point?”
“Okay,” he said with an exhale, like he was relieved. “Good.”
“I do have a question, though.”
“Yeah?”
“What’s my cover? What am I doing there? Who am I to Breckin and Celia?”
His smile was wide and made his eyes glint. “What’s your motivation, you mean?”
“Yes.” I chuckled, then added dramatically, “Line, please.”
He looked good grinning at me, enjoying the playfulness, sliding closer and lifting the armrest between us. “You’re Breckin’s best friend, who’s also been threatened.”
“Oh, okay, that’s good. I like it. And you?”
“Baby, why would I need a cover?” he said, like I was stupid.
Spell broken, I groaned and turned away from him.
“What are you doing?”
I ignored him.
“Turn around and look at me.”
Rolling my head back, I noticed how clear his eyes were.
“What happened?” Cord asked.
“Do you even realize what you did?”
“Obviously not,” he said, opening his legs wider so his knee and thigh wedged up against mine. “Tell me.”
“Why do you always treat me like I’m an idiot?”
“I don’t.”
“Yeah, you do, all the time. You always answer me like I’m so fuckin’ annoying.”
He was scowling.
“Why can’t you just speak to me nicely?”
“You could do the same.”
“See? That’s what I mean. You always justify how you treat me. How come you being nice to me is predicated on me being nice to you?”
“That question makes no sense.”
“Sure it does. You should be nice to me because it’s what you should do and not for any other reason.”
He thought about it a moment. “Be nice to you on general principle, you mean.”