Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

Butcher

A s promised, Cypher called Lock the next morning to let him know his jet was waiting for us. Lock had brought the four of us to the airport and we were waiting to be brought back to the tarmac. It was early. Too damn early but Cypher did shit in his own time. Some bullshit about using the jet for an actual paying customer. I wasn't paying much attention while Lock had talked to him over the SUV's speakers as he drove.

Isla yawned, then swallowed it because her jaw dropped open as we walked up to the jet. She shot Lockout a contemplative look. "How much money does this Cypher have?"

"Enough that he's buying lunch the next time we meet," Lock muttered.

The black jet was the epitome of luxury. Not that I cared about that crap, but Isla was grinning as her eyes lingered on the jet.

"She's comfortable, too," Warrant said with a wink. "There's even a bed in the back cabin. "

My eyes narrowed on him and I stepped in front of Isla so when his eyes went to land on her he found me there waiting instead.

He cleared his throat and shrugged. "In case anyone gets tired."

"Yeah right," Isla replied. "Sleeping on those sheets you'd be sure to catch something."

Scythe chuckled at that while Warrant leaned around me to give her a pained look. "We're clean."

She patted his chest as she walked past to go up the stairs that were now down and waiting for us.

I patted his chest next, but less of a pat and more of a thump. A warning. It gave me a small sense of satisfaction to see him knocked back a step.

"Quit fucking with him," Scythe told his friend.

"But it's so fun," Warrant complained as I walked up the steps.

"Hello," Toxic told the flight attendant as he got on the plane. She was a pretty blonde. Toxic didn't exactly have a type. As long as she was female and human, he'd hit on her. I was shocked he even had those requirements.

"No touching the staff," Warrant warned. "Cypher made that clear when all of us started working for him." He sounded aggrieved at that statement.

" I don't work for him," Toxic answered, giving the attendant a large grin.

"Anymore," Scythe muttered.

"Nope, but you're using his shit," Lock replied from the front of the plane. "Follow his rules. Direct order," he added when Toxic opened his mouth to argue.

"Fine," Toxic grumbled and sat down in the seats across from where Isla and I had taken a seat.

Lock came over and sighed. "You have two days. Then we come after you," he warned.

"Shit, that's almost taken up by flight time," I pointed out.

"A direct flight is about six hours," Lock told me. "Get in, find Randal, get the fuck back home. Got it? "

We nodded.

"Two days," he warned.

"Doesn't like to give a lot of wiggle room does he?" Isla asked. "I sorta wanted to check out the blue hole while we're there."

Toxic perked up. "Kill Randal quickly, the blue hole, maybe sample some local…"

"No vacations," Lock snapped.

She bit her lips to keep her laughter contained.

Lock's grim expression darkened. "Great. Now there's three of them." He shook his head and walked off the plane.

"What does that mean?" Isla asked.

The captain came out and introduced himself, interrupting our explanation, but it was better that way. I wasn't sure what the fuck was wrong with me, but I was all twisted up inside over her. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do about it. I was grateful there was still Randal to deal with, because it kept my mind occupied and ensured Isla stuck close by. If nothing else, I could fuck with my wound. Physical pain had a way of keeping a man from thinking deep thoughts.

"Well," Toxic said once the captain went back into the cockpit, "guess we'd better sleep on the flight if he expects us to get shit done in such a short amount of time." He went to kick back the chair then sighed when it only reclined slightly. "Maybe I'll try the bed." He looked over his shoulder and smiled at the woman checking on everything before take-off. She giggled when he waved at her.

"Knock it off," I grunted, closing my eyes.

"Just passing the time," Toxic complained.

Scythe shook his head from the next row. "You're as bad as Warrant."

"Who do you think he learned his charm from?" Toxic shot back.

"I was born with this," Warrant announced.

They argued back and forth as the plane took off, and once it leveled out they finally fell silent. Isla shifted in her seat, trying to find a comfortable position. Reaching over, I undid her buckle, and flipped up the armrests between our seats. These weren't the uncomfortable tiny things on commercial airlines, but still, it wasn't easy to sleep elevated. "Stretch out," I told her.

"Thanks," she replied and laid her head in my lap.

I grabbed one of the little blankets the attendant had dropped off and settled it over her. It was only about four in the morning, which would help us hopefully get some more sleep during the flight. Closing my eyes, I tried to go back to sleep, but my fucking brain wouldn't shut off. I looked down at the woman sleeping in my lap and wondered again what the hell I was supposed to do with her. My dick twitched, volunteering its suggestion, but I ignored my body. This was so much more than physical at this point.

I ran my hand over her hair. It was so damn soft.

Would she even want to stay with me? Was it selfish of me to ask her to? Knowing how hard it was for me to connect with people made me hesitate to let anyone in. Would she leave at some point because I wasn't able to give her what she needed? I let out a heavy sigh. A muffled sound had my eyes raising and I met Toxic's amused gaze. "What?" I asked in a low voice.

"Aw, Big Guy, did you have a feeling?" he teased.

"Fuck off," I growled at him.

He shook his head, the smile on his face spreading. "You did. We're allowed to have those now you know. Let it out."

I flipped him off.

"Seriously, though," he said, his face settling into a serious expression. "Have you told her?"

"Told her what?" I snapped, though I was careful not to be too loud. The last thing I needed was her overhearing this conversation. Her breathing remained deep and even. I glared at Toxic.

"That you're in love with her," he replied, voice calm and even.

That made me freeze. How did he know that? Especially when I wasn't sure if I knew it?

He must have read the panic on my face because he gave me a reassuring smile. "There's always a chance that something could happen during this fight," he said. "You should tell her before we go into it. "

"Nothing's going to happen. To any of us," I insisted.

He shrugged and closed his eyes again.

"Toxic?"

"Yeah," he replied without opening his eyes.

"What would you do?"

Now he opened them and stared at me. "If I was you?" I nodded. "In love with her?" Hesitating, I thought about it, then nodded again. "I'd wife her up so fucking fast her head would spin. Then I'd spend the rest of my life not letting go."

My eyes narrowed and I opened my mouth to say something, but he cut me off.

"Don't worry, Butcher. I don't have feelings for your old lady. But if you're able to find something like that? Someone as twisted as you, but in a good way? You'd be fucking stupid to throw it away."

"What if it's not what's best for her?"

He grinned. "Thinking about her over your own feelings. Damn, Bro. You've got it bad." He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. You don't know what's best for her. And even if you did, isn't spending your life with someone you love worth anything you might lose in the process?"

"What if I lose her?"

He considered that, then shrugged. "Then count yourself lucky you had her while you did. You think Pops would go back and make it so he never met Mom?"

No. He wouldn't. He'd fight like hell to keep her even knowing in the end he'd lose her.

"Thanks," I muttered.

We both let it drop then, and kicked back to catch some sleep.

The captain's announcement woke me up and I waited impatiently for the jet to land. I'd dozed, but Toxic's words kept ringing in my head. I stayed quiet while we grabbed our shit and got off the plane. As soon we were on the tarmac, I waved Toxic and the other two ahead, and pulled Isla aside.

She looked up at me curiously as I struggled to find the right words. Rubbing the back of my neck, I decided I was a failure with pretty words and just blurted out, "I feel things when you're nearby."

Shit.

Her jaw dropped open, then a calculating look entered those gorgeous gray eyes. "Things? Like…indigestion? ‘Cause your expression right now is saying constipated."

No wonder Lock figured he was now going to be saddled with another smart ass. She was almost as bad as Toxic. "No," I told her, trying to hold onto my patience. "I mean like... You know what?" I said when I saw the slow smile spreading over her face. "Never mind." I stalked past her, internally promising to beat the hell out of Toxic for making me do this stupid shit in the first place.

When something landed on my back, I put my hands back and froze when something soft and silky brushed over them. It was Isla's hair. Her arms went around my throat and I suddenly realized how she'd gotten the drop on Warrant so easily. The woman had me in a chokehold.

"Tell me. Go on. Say it out loud," she demanded.

When I stubbornly stayed quiet, she started to squeeze. The last damn thing I wanted was to take a nap on this runway, so I growled, "Knock it the fuck off."

"Give me what I want, Butcher," she purred into my ear.

My dick went hard and I had to bite back the grin. She sure knew how to pressure a guy into spilling his guts. I loved that about her. "Fine. I love you," I admitted.

She jumped off my back and into my arms. "Really?" she asked, her eyes shining.

"Yes," I told her, chuckling, squeezing her close.

"I love you, too." She kissed me.

A loud whistle split the air and we both glanced over. Scythe held his hands up in the air in a ‘what the fuck' kind of motion. Warrant and Toxic were watching and grinning .

"Let's go," I told her. It was enough for now that I'd admitted how I felt, and that she loved me, too. We'd figure out the rest later, after we took care of Randal. Once we ended the threat to our lives, we'd have time to decide what to do with each other.