Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 58342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
“You need tall, practical boots here. And a parka.”
I slide into my cream-colored quilted coat. “I didn’t ask you for fashion advice. And this was just a quick visit. I won’t be coming back to Alaska in January ever again.”
“You ready?”
I nod. “And congrats on the win, by the way.”
“Thanks, but it was an exhibition, so it doesn’t count.” He opens the hotel room door, using his arm to hold me back while he looks up and down the hallway.
“Checking for snipers?” I crack.
“Laugh it up,” he says with a glare. “I’m just trying to keep you from ending up stuffed in some psychopath’s trunk.”
My mom and brother can guilt me like no one else. “I know. I’m sorry.”
He leads the way to a rental SUV, locking me inside the vehicle before taking his eyes off me so he can load my suitcase into the back. When he unlocks his door and gets in beside me, I smile, not letting on how stressed I am.
My boss, Gloria, would understand why I’m going to Minneapolis if I explained it to her. Her first husband was abusive and Gloria now serves on the board for an organization that supports survivors of domestic abuse. She’d probably pull me off the launch campaign and tell me to work on something else until I feel safe returning to Chicago.
That’s the last thing I want. I’ve worked hard to get here. So many early mornings, late nights and quick lunches eaten at my desk. Everyone at the company knows the Allura launch is my baby. I even got to sit in on a meeting with Kate Ryker, our CEO. If I’m taken off the project now, others will get credit for my hard work, and there won’t be another opportunity like this for a long time.
All because a fucking man couldn’t take no for an answer. I’m completely over domineering alphas who expect every woman to fall to her knees over them.
I tell Dalton about the Allura launch on our drive to a small, private airport outside Fairbanks. He listens while checking the rearview mirror every minute or so to make sure nothing is amiss. If we encounter Ronan, I don’t even want to think about what my brother might do to him.
When Dalton parks, gets out and closes his door, I open a bottle in my bag, take out a pill and swallow it. Hydroxyzine should help tamp my anxiety over flying in a small plane.
As soon as I step out of the vehicle in the airport parking lot, a blast of icy air smacks me in the face and throws open my unbuttoned coat. There are no trees and very few buildings here to block the wind, and the painful cold of it is a shock to my system.
I pull up my hood and button my coat, keeping my head down as I follow Dalton. We walk into a building that’s more like a large shed, nothing but two men standing by a desk littered with Styrofoam cups and overflowing with paper.
“Hey,” one of the men says to Dalton as we approach. “This is our pilot, Chris Stanton.”
Dalton shakes Chris’s hand and glances over at me. “This is my sister Trinity. Trin, Lincoln and Chris.”
Lincoln shakes my hand first, his expression so serious it’s almost a frown. He’s tall, with broad shoulders, dark hair and coffee-colored eyes. In his parka and knee-high boots, he looks more like a rugged local hunting guide than a hockey player.
As soon as our handshake ends, he looks at the door to the building and scans the sparse interior, seeming to verify we’re still the only three people in here.
“Trinity, I’m Chris.” Our pilot is the opposite of Lincoln. He looks around fifty, his silver hair cropped short. Beneath his coat, he’s wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt and he’s grinning. “You ready to take a little ride in Gertie?” He leans in slightly. “That’s what I call my plane. She’s my pride and joy.”
“Sure.” I force a smile. “Thanks for taking us on such short notice.”
He shrugs and laughs. “Hey, you know what they say about money talking. She’s all fueled up and waiting.”
Dalton and Lincoln exchange a look and Dalton says, “The sooner you can get her out of here, the better.”
“I’ll take good care of her,” Lincoln promises.
I suppress an eye roll. They’re talking about me the same way Chris talks about his plane. Like I’m a thing instead of an adult who’s right here.
Dalton passes Lincoln my suitcase. “I know you will, brother. Text me as soon as you land.”
Lincoln nods and holds out a hand, indicating I should follow behind Chris. “I’ll be right behind you.”
I think these two are seriously overestimating Ronan, but I know Dalton is only trying to protect me, so I give my brother a quick hug and follow Chris.