One Man (Naked Trilogy 1)

“Savage is bringing them. He’s coming with us. A team of his men are following for the weekend event.”

She doesn’t ask how any of that came together. She just nods and I grab her hand, leading her to the steps of the plane. Once we’re inside we head to the back and settle in two leather seats. “I need to talk to the pilot,” I say. “I’ll be back in about ten minutes.” I pull her close and kiss her. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me, too,” she whispers.

I leave her there as she settles into her seat, and spend exactly what I’d said, ten minutes, coordinating the flight and Savage’s arrival. I return to Emma to find her looking inside a folder that looks like the one from the hotel, but it can’t be. Savage has that folder with her luggage. No, this is whatever she ran with, what I want to ask about but my gut said to wait.

I sit down next to her and she shoves everything back inside and hands it to me. “What is this?”

“Surveillance of me, you, your brothers, and Marion. My brother said it was my father’s file, but a few of those shots of me are recent. I’d say that’s proof that something bad went down, Jax. I’m not sure why I’m included.” She looks at me. “I don’t know why. I swear. I’m not involved.”

Why the hell were any of us under surveillance? “I believe you. We’ll figure it out.”

“I know we will. I’m just afraid of what that means right now.”

Savage walks in and gives us a salute from the front of the plane. Emma grabs my arm. “Get the journal and that folder. We need to know what this is, Jax. If you can figure it out from what I have, figure it out. Make this end.”

I look down at the folder in my hand and thumb through the shots of me that date back to before my brother died. “I’ll grab them from your suitcase,” I say looking at her. “We’ll talk it out in the air.” I hand her back the folder and stand up, walking toward Savage, tension radiating through me. What the hell are we in the middle of and where does Emma fit? Besides with me, because she does. Emma belongs with me.

“Where’s Emma’s bag?” I ask, joining Savage.

He motions to the overhead. “I need it,” I say, grabbing it from above myself.

I open the case, and pull out the journal and the file, Emma’s silk gown right on top of the case, and the idea of Savage seeing that doesn’t sit well. The idea of York’s hands on her body, slices like a blade. He will not get close to her again and the many ways I’m going to ensure that will be fast and furious.

I zip the case up and leave Savage behind, rejoining Emma and placing the items in my hand in the seat pocket beside me. I sit down next to her. “We’re taking off in a few minutes. They’re bringing us lunch. Sandwiches for now.”

“Just read it all, Jax. Do it now.”

“In the air,” I say. “I need to focus.”

A statement that makes more sense as the in flight food arrives and random crew activity takes place. We’re in the air another thirty minutes later, and I pull out our food from the delivery bags. “You don’t want to read what’s in that file or journal?” she asks, accepting her sandwich when I hand it to her.

My jaw clenches. “I do, but am I hesitating? Yes. The last place I want to be when I find out something brutal about my brother is in a box of metal in the sky. I’ll lose my fucking mind.” It’s out before I can stop it, raw and honest, and yes, brutal. It’s also not the entire truth. It’s true, I don’t want to be a prisoner while coming out of my own skin over my brother. But I’m also not sure I want Emma to see how I react to anything her family might have done to my brother.

Her eyes soften. “I understand. Let’s read it together at the castle then.”

“I think that might be a good idea.” I motion to her sandwich. “Let’s eat.”

And so we do, and we talk. We talk about everything but our families and York. She tells me about her favorite hotels she’s scouted and opened. I tell her about our whiskey, about boxing. About my love for UFC that spiraled from my love of boxing.

“I like UFC,” she says. “And Pac-Man.”

“You like boxing?”

“Just Pac-Man. Something about him just makes a fight exciting.”

It’s a good two hours before we lower our seats for the remainder of the long flight, and we lay there side by side staring at each other. “Have you ever been to Germany?”