The Squad

In the end, I herded her to the back of the jet, leaving more than enough seats between her and the others and took the seat across from her so I could spread out in the aisle and stop anyone from getting by me to her. She gave me a quizzical look and snickered. I think it was the first almost laugh I’d heard from her, and it did something weird to my insides.

I’ve met a lot of victims of the same hell she’d been through. Most of them are traumatized, to say the least, and you get the idea that it’s going to take a hell of a long time if ever to get them back to anywhere resembling normal. With her, she gives off this kickass survival vibe, like she was over it already. I’m not buying it, though. My gut tells me that there’s still a lot of healing to be done, and it looks like I’ve decided that I’m the one who’s going to see to it.

I closed my eyes and relaxed as the night’s activities suddenly caught up with me. As the jet took off into the air, I let myself slip into slumber knowing that there was nowhere for her to run and that no one here would hurt her. Not that they could get to her, they’d have to get through me first.

Roxy

I closed my eyes as soon as the plane took off and pretended not to notice the way he’d positioned himself as if to stand between me and the others. The guy sure was trying hard, but I had more pressing things on my mind. Can it really be her? If so, what a monumental coincidence.

I reached over to the bag in the seat next to me and patted it down, making sure I could feel the little lump made by the sheets of paper I had hidden in the lining. They would be hard to find unless you knew they were there in the first place, but of everything I kept there, including my weapons, those documents were the most important.

I let my mind playback over the last few hours as the smoothness of the flight threatened to put me to sleep. Not that that was going to happen. It’s been years since I’ve been able to sleep with anyone else in the vicinity. The first few years after I’d been taken, I’d spent each night in terror; in fact, from the time the sun started making its descent in the sky some evenings, I’d have a massive panic attack which always went unchecked and was sometimes used to add more fear to the occasion.

I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt his hand on my forehead and opened my eyes and lips, ready to blast him. It was the look on his face that stopped me. “What?” I had to make my voice stern since it wanted to shake as that look had pretty much taken the steam out of my anger at his unsolicited touch. It’s been five years since anyone has dared.

“You were frowning as if having a bad memory. I don’t like it.” He sat back in his seat after making that asinine comment, and I just glared at him even though his eyes were now closed.

“Are you some special kinda stupid?” There was no heat in my words because he’d knocked the wind from my sails with that one, but I had to say something.

His lips twitched, but he didn’t say anything, just settled down in his seat, looking as relaxed as a man who had no cares in the world. I found myself taking him in, really looking at him for the first time since we met. There was something oddly enigmatic about him, but I’m not sure what it stems from.

Sure, he’s drop-dead gorgeous; it was hard to miss. But I’m not one to get all fluttery over a man’s looks and physique. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s the first person I’ve met in the last five years except for uncle Mike who can hold his own in a fight with me. Yeah, that’s it; maybe I’m attracted to his strength. I’ve not known many strong men in my life, not since my dad was taken from me.

Thinking about my dad brought my mind screeching to a halt, and the anger and desperation I always feel when thoughts of him bombard my mind came crashing in. I clenched my hands on the armrests and gritted my teeth, waiting for the feeling to pass. Jason’s eyes popped open, and his head turned swiftly in my direction, his eyes studying me as if looking for something.

“What is it, what’s wrong?” He asked gruffly.

What? No freaking way. “What do you mean what’s wrong, what’re you talking about?” He looked me over before looking in the direction of the others who seemed to be having some kind of secret powwow the way they were all leaning towards each other with their voices lowered.