Talon (Uncompromising #1)(106)
“Dios mios.” He ran a hand through his black hair. “I thought your death wish days would be behind you now. I should’ve known.”
“What the fuck are you talkin’ ’bout?” I didn’t have a death wish. The days after Leigh died had been grief.
He closed his laptop and turned to me. “Look.” He glanced back at Siren. “You want to keep them?”
I stared him down, not answering.
“Then let me give you a little advice. Quit trying to take everything head-on.”
Was he fucking serious? “You think I’m gonna lie down and take it? I’m not gonna let Stone rule my fuckin’ life. You wanna come back to Daytona with us, fine. I could use the extra muscle. But if you think I’m gonna sit back and wait for somethin’ to happen, you’re dead wrong.” I pushed out of the seat and went to the cockpit. André’s eyes on my back, Neil tracking my movements the whole fucking way, I cursed the small-ass plane.
I slid into the copilot’s seat and put the headphones on. “How long till wheels down?”
“Forty-five.”
“Walk me through what you’re doin’.”
Roark spent ten minutes teaching me about the instrumentation and the difference of this plane versus his, then he simply stopped talking.
I knew him the least out of all of the guys but I knew something was on his mind. “What’s up?”
“Something she said while we were waiting.”
When he didn’t elaborate, I asked. “Which was?”
“She said she couldn’t breathe.”
I turned in my seat, alarmed. “She was havin’ a panic attack? Why the fuck didn’t you call me?”
“It wasn’t an attack.”
Goddamn it. “If she was panickin’ and sayin’ she couldn’t breathe, it was a fuckin’ panic attack.”
“It wasn’t an attack. It’s a state of being for her.” Roark leveled me with an accusing look. “You know what that’s like? To live with something like that?”
I glanced at the leg he favored and sat back in my seat. “I think we both know,” I murmured.
“Just because she has the kid back, it doesn’t mean it’s going to disappear.”
“Copy that.” Humbled, I rubbed a hand over my face. If anyone knew about PTSD, it was him. “I’ll keep an eye out.”
He nodded. “You wanna land her?”
As tempting as it was, I wanted to make sure Maddie was drinking something as we started our descent. “Thanks. Maybe next time. I’m gonna check on them.” I got up and made my way back to Siren and Maddie.
Siren curled in her seat was a sight but Siren holding Maddie, both of them asleep, was a hit to my heart like none other.
I sat down and Siren opened her eyes. “Hi,” she whispered.
“We’re startin’ our descent. Maddie will need to drink something.”
“I’ll give her something if she wakes up.”
I liked how she spoke with the confidence of a mother who knew best. It was a good look on her. “Need me to get somethin’ so you have it ready?”
“We’re good.” She studied me.
Christ, she was beautiful. “What?”
“You ran away again.”
I frowned. “I didn’t ru—”
“Before I could tell you what I was thinking, you ran. You asked then you left.”
I smiled lazily, pretending I wasn’t holding my fucking breath. “Nothin’ doin’, darlin’. I was just checkin’ in with Patrol.”
“You get everything all squared away?”
I watched the slight tip up of her lips, the direct eye contact, and I heard the tone of her voice. Her expression was clear as day. I let my accent out, thick and unforgiving. “Why, Miss Archer, I do believe you’re makin’ fun of me.”
“Why, Mr. Talerco, I do believe you’re right,” she mimicked me perfectly.
“Ohh, darlin’.” I grinned, grabbing her chin. “You’re playin’ with fire.”
Her eyes sparkled and her smile went wide to match mine then she turned serious. “Thank you,” she breathed.
I sobered. “You’re welcome.”
“I’m glad I came to you.”
I released her chin and ran the back of my fingers along her face. “Me too, darlin’, me too.”
“But not because I thought you were medically trained.”
“No?” I brushed her hair off her shoulder and let the strands run through my fingers.
She shook her head. “No. And not because I knew you were stronger than him.”
Noticing she didn’t use his name made my pulse leap with hope but I carefully kept my face neutral and didn’t say anything.