Distraction (Underground Kings 3)

“We’re at diving altitude,” the pilot announces over the loud speakers that run the length of the interior of the plane. Opening my eyes, I watch one of the instructors unlatch the door and pull it open, causing the interior to fill with cool air.

“We’ll jump last,” Sven yells.

I nod then call back, “If I die, I’m going to come back and haunt you.” It only serves to make him laugh so hard that my body, which is strapped to his, shakes with it.

“See you below!” Ace hollers as he heads past us with one of the blondes strapped to his front.

“Good riddance,” I grumble then feel Sven’s body shake under mine once more. Watching Ace jump from the plane, followed by his other two girlfriends who are strapped to instructors, I feel a surge of adrenalin rush through my system.

“Let’s go, babe,” Sven says standing up, leaving me no choice but to go with him toward the open door. Looking down, my eyes fill with tears. I have taken plane trips a lot over the years, and I have always loved when I’m able to get the window seat so I can look out over the world as we fly above it. But knowing I’m going to be falling toward the quilted-looking ground below is a different feeling altogether.

“Cross your arms over your chest, baby,” Sven instructs, lightly taking my wrists in his hands and placing them across my front.

“I hate you.”

“On three. One, two…”

And then we’re falling.

“You motherfucking asshole, son of a bitch!” I gulp as air rushes toward me so fast that my mouth opens and fills, causing my cheeks to expand. Forcing my mouth closed, I grab onto the straps near my shoulders and hold on for dear life, even though I know they can do nothing to save me. Squeezing my eyes closed, we twist and turn as my stomach dips and drops.

“I’m gonna open the ‘chute.”

“Good idea,” I yell, and our bodies are jerked backward and my eyes spring open.

“See? Not so bad, is it?” Sven laughs, and I look over my shoulder and notice he looks happy, really happy right now. The stress he normally carries around his eyes is gone and is replaced by laugh lines that make him even more beautiful.

“We still have to land,” I tell him, and his smile broadens.

“But until then, just feel and watch.”

Pulling my eyes reluctantly from his happy ones, I look around and then below. I hate to admit it, but this is one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. Floating through the air, the view of the land below and the sky above, leave me in awe. The feeling of freedom as we fall. Sven against my back, his arm around my waist, making me feel safe in a way I’ve never felt safe before. As we get closer to the ground, I tuck my knees up toward my chest and close my eyes, not wanting to see the ground coming swiftly at me. As quickly as it began, it’s over and I feel the ground under my bottom and my eyes open slowly.

“That was awesome!” I laugh, looking over my shoulder at Sven as two men come running up to us and help us get out of our gear.

“I knew you would love it.” Sven smiles as we stand.

“I didn’t love it,” I lie, and he smiles, muttering, “Liar.” While wrapping his arm around my shoulder and leading me toward the truck that will take us back to the hanger.

As soon as we arrive back to the hanger, Sven leaves to talk with Ace who got back before us, so I head inside to get a bottle of water then notice they have pictures available from our jump.

“I would like two of this one,” I tell the girl working behind the desk inside Kip’s as I point at a picture of the two of us smiling at each other after Sven opened the parachute.

“Would you like to add the commemorative frame for twenty dollars more?” she asks, pointing at a glass picture frame with the Kip’s Skydiving logo and a small plane painted on it that is sitting on a shelf behind her.

“Can I get two of them?”

“Sure.” She smiles before disappearing through a door behind her. Turning around to make sure Sven is still distracted, I spot him and Ace standing next to the town car, while all three of Ace’s girlfriends lounge in the sun on a picnic table a few feet away. All three of them have taken the opportunity to take their shirts off leaving them in different color bikini tops.

“That will be sixty-two dollars,” the girl says, pulling my attention from the window, as she places a bag on the countertop.

Pulling a hundred dollar bill out of my bra, I hand it to the girl, take the bag and pictures from her along with my change, and then make my way out toward Sven, planning to wait in the car until he’s ready to go. But the minute he spots me, he gives me a smile that has my steps faltering.

“I hope you didn’t pay for those things,” he says as soon as I’m standing next to him.

“Why wouldn’t I pay?”

“Me and Ace gave Kip the money to start up this place a few years ago. In return, we don’t pay when we want to jump, and you don’t have to pay if you want a souvenir.”

“Well, I’m happy to pay,” I mutter, and he swings his arm over my shoulders, shaking his head, then looks at Ace, who is looking at us with a knowing smile on his face. What he thinks he knows I have no idea.

“We’ll talk in a few days,” Sven tells him as he opens the door for me to get into the idling car.

“Thanks, man.” He shakes Sven’s hand then drops his eyes to me. “You still have my number. Call me.”

Snorting at that, I mutter, “Goodbye,” and get into the car, hearing both guys laugh behind me.

“Did you have fun, dear?” Ken asks as his eyes connect with mine in the rearview mirror and I slide across the back seat.

“Don’t tell anyone, but it was amazing.” I grin, and he chuckles then mutters, “Your secret is safe with me.”

“What secret?” Sven asks, getting into the car and shutting the door behind him.

“Nothing,” Ken and I say in unison.

“Did you have fun?” Sven inquires, and I look at Ken in the mirror briefly before looking at Sven.

“If you consider being afraid that you’re going to pee yourself while watching your life passing before your eyes fun, then sure, I had fun,” I state with a straight face, hearing Ken in the front seat laugh out.

“You loved it,” Sven mutters before pulling his phone out of his pocket. Looking out the window, I smile to myself then glance at Ken, whose eyes are on me, and I wink.

“You cursed.”

Pulling my eyes from the view going by quickly as we drive back toward Vegas, I look at Sven and frown, asking, “Pardon?”

“When we jumped, you cursed like a sailor.” He grins.

“I thought I was going to die,” I explain, not denying it. I don’t even know what came over me, but every bad word I have ever thought of came tumbling out.

“It was cute,” he mutters quietly before going back to work on his phone. Pulling my old cell phone out of the front pocket of my jeans, I flip it open and frown. The screen has turned completely black. Closing it again, I flip it open once more then tap the numbers and they light up. “What’s wrong?” Sven asks, and I turn to look at him and hold my phone up.

“It’s not working.”

“Let me see.” Taking the phone from my hand, he pulls the battery off the back then puts it back in place and presses the on button. “I think it’s time for you to get a phone that’s not from 1999.”

“I’ve had that phone since I was twenty,” I mumble, taking the phone from him and pressing the buttons once more. “It’s always been trusty.”

“Well, it seems to me that it’s finally kicked the bucket.”

“I wonder if I can have it fixed,” I grumble, tapping the screen again.

“We can stop and pick you up a new phone.”

“But this has all my numbers in it,” I complain, pressing buttons, hoping something will happen and the screen with magically light up, but all that happens is one of the numbers presses in and sticks.

“Sorry, babe.”

Narr

owing my eyes, I look at him. “You don’t sound sorry.”

“That phone is old, and I can’t imagine it was reliable. You need something that will work when you need it to work, and I need you to have a phone so I can reach you.” He shrugs then tells Ken to stop at one of the local cell service stores.

By the time we are done picking me up a new phone and having dinner at a small diner, we make it back to the club a little after eleven, and the line outside is already stretched around the building. Walking down the street and past the waiting line, Sven stops when a group of women, who obviously know him, call him over. Waiting a few feet away, I pull out my new phone and power up the screen. I have no idea what the heck I’m going to do with a phone that seems smarter than me and that didn’t even come with an instruction manual.

“Ready?” Sven asks, making me jump. Looking over my shoulder as he leads me down the sidewalk, I see the group of women all watching us with sneers on their faces.