by Dakota Rebel
“Cyrus, leave her alone,” Ash’s tone was warning, and Cyrus obeyed.
If I hadn’t been so terrified, I would have asked what the deal was between them. Cyrus always seemed to defer to the darker man, but I was pretty sure they were the same rank, relatively close in age and hopefully not related. Maybe, it was just something about Ash. He seemed more of a leader. Not that Cyrus came across as a follower, but I could see handing Ash the reins before giving them Cyrus.
After a few minutes, the plane leveled out and I opened my eyes. We were in a small military plane that was taking us to Cairo International Airport, where we would land, switch planes and take off again. Then we’d have a layover in New York before getting on yet another plane that would also take off and land. I was not thrilled, but at least, for this leg of the journey, I’d been allowed to keep my gun. I’m always one for small victories.
“I think you just need a distraction,” Cyrus said without even a hint of teasing in his voice.
“What would you suggest?” I asked through gritted teeth. I was slightly more relaxed now that we were at our cruising altitude, but it was still fucking horrifying.
“Just talking,” he replied. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”
“You’re funny.” I rolled my eyes. “As if sex up here would ever cross my mind.”
Now that he’d led my thoughts there, it did seem a little intriguing. I physically shook my head, not wanting to allow that to play out in my head. There was no way in hell I would entertain that idea any further.
“What do you want to talk about?” Cyrus asked, his hand closing over mine and squeezing gently. “Anything you want.”
“Okay.” I tried like hell to focus on something other than the clouds to the left of my head. People did not belong on the air. That’s all there is to it. If God had wanted us to fly, we’d all have feathers. “Does the Army know you’re a werewolf?”
“They do.”
“And they allowed you to stay?” I looked at him quizzically. “It’s been my experience that the military isn’t very accepting.”
“We were recruited because of what we are,” Ash said. “The Army is looking to create teams of people with supernatural powers. They think we can be an asset to them.”
I gave a derisive snort of laughter. Cyrus raised an eyebrow, and I realized my reaction had probably sounded rude.
“I didn’t mean you wouldn’t be helpful,” I said quickly. “I meant that it’s not like the government at all. My brother was declared dead after he chose to become a vampire. It just surprises me that now the brass wants to work with…special people.” I’d almost said with monsters but had thought that might have been too cold in present company.
“I’m sorry about Mitch,” Cyrus said. “That sucks.”
“That’s my father for you. Hell, the military might not know Mitch is still alive. Dad could have said Mitch had been killed carrying out the contract on Skip and they would be none the wiser.”
“That’s possible. I have to admit, we were a little surprised when you didn’t come to the funeral,” Ash said softly. “At the time, we thought it was just too hard for you. But then there were rumors that you’d shacked up with—”
He stopped talking at the sight of the glare I leveled at him. “There was a funeral? My father held a fucking military funeral for my brother?”
“Um, yeah. Wow, Reagan, your dad’s kind of a dick.” Cyrus shook his head. “That’s cold-blooded right there.”
“No shit.” I crossed my arms. “I don’t want to be indelicate or anything, but we’re going to be landing in Detroit pretty close to the full moon. Do you have somewhere to shift? My mom’s house isn’t exactly Were-friendly.”
“Yeah, the Detroit base is expecting us. They’ll have accommodations for me.” If Cyrus was offended, he didn’t sound it.
“So you’ll be staying with your mom?” Ash asked.
“Probably for the first night.” I shrugged. “But after that, I’ll see if I can crash at Mitch’s. I love my mother to pieces, but she can be a little smothering.” And it wasn’t likely she’d let me have two gentleman callers at the same time. Though, now that I thought about it, Mitch may not be too thrilled either. Especially considering one of them was a werewolf. After everything that had happened with Skip, he was pretty wary of my choices in men. A shifter would never be at the top of his list for me.
Cyrus started to say something, but the words were lost in the scream that escaped my lips as the plane started to drop.
The captain came over the little radio and announced we were starting our descent and there was nothing to worry about. Apparently, he’d heard me from the cockpit.
“Nothing to worry about my ass,” I hissed through clenched teeth. “The plane is falling out of the fucking sky.”
“It’s not falling,” Ash assured me in what he seemed to think was a comforting tone. “We’re landing. Just like we’re supposed to.”
Cyrus’ shoulders shook in silent laughter, and without even thinking about it, my fist shot out and clocked him in the jaw.
“Fuck!” He grabbed my wrist in his fist instinctively and shoved back, and I heard a loud pop before searing pain shot straight to my shoulder. Yanking my arm back, I twisted it to elbow him in the face, but he dodged me effortlessly as he saw it coming.
“Hey!” Ash yelled. He jumped to his feet, wobbling as he tried to fight the turbulence of the plane and make his way between us.
“Shit, Reagan, I’m so sorry,” Cyrus said.
“You dislocated my fucking wrist.” I stared at him in shock. Not that I hadn’t earned it, but I still couldn’t believe it.
“You punched him in the face,” Ash said simply.
“I know that!” I gripped my wrist between two fingers of my left hand and twisted hard and fast until my bone snapped back into the joint.
“You’re such a badass.” Cyrus’ tone held a slight tone of awe.
“Shut up.” I rolled my eyes.
There was a soft thump under me, and I realized the plane had just landed and was taxiing down the runway. The fight had distracted me to the point I’d forgotten we were even on an airplane.
“You’re kind of scary, too,” Ash said with a chuckle. “I really don’t think it’s a good idea for us to pick a fight with you on the next plane though. Even if it does help your nerves.”
I smiled despite myself. He was right. It had definitely worked, though I would like to think they hadn’t planned it that way.
Looking out the window, I wondered what we were doing so far from the airport. I knew planes usually landed quite a ways out, but it seemed as if we were taxiing in the wrong direction.
“Where are we going?” I asked as the aircraft made another turn and the terminal was completely lost from view.
“I’m not sure,” Ash said as he leaned over me to look out at the runway.
After another minute, the plane cruised to a stop and the pilot came out to open the door.
“What are we doing way out here?” Cyrus asked him as he got to his feet.
I wasn’t sure if he’d done it on purpose, but he’d positioned himself between me and the pilot as if he were shielding me.
“Your jet is taking off from runway four. This is as close as I could get you, but it’s not a far walk,” the man said with a smile. “I hope the flight wasn’t too traumatizing, Ms. Baine. Your father told me how much you hate to fly, and I tried to keep it as smooth as possible.”
“What do you mean our jet?” Ash asked suspiciously. “We’re supposed to be taking a commercial flight to the US.”
“Captain Baine commissioned a private Army transport for you all. He said he couldn’t bear the thought of his daughter having a panic attack amongst all of those innocent bystanders on a regular flight.”
Cyrus turned to look at me. “Would he do that?”
“Yeah.” I blew out a sigh. “Though I’m sure it was more to avoid embarrassment on his behalf than to hel
p me at all. I’ll call him to confirm this isn’t some kind of trap.”
The guys nodded in unison then Cyrus held out a hand to help me out of my seat. I let him lead me down the steps of the plane then released him once we reached the tarmac.
As we walked over to the gleaming private jet on the next runway, I pulled out my cell and dialed my father.
“Reagan?”
“Did you really arrange for a private flight?” I asked him curtly.
“Yes. I thought you’d be more comfortable that way, staying armed and everything. This way, I’ll know when you get home safely, too.”
“Well, thanks.” I felt awkward talking to him now after blowing up at him in his office.
“Despite what you probably think of me, I do love you, Reagan.”
“So you keep saying,” I mumbled. “And despite what a bull-headed asshole you are, I love you, too.”
“Well, thanks. I think.” I heard the laughter in his voice and fought the huff of frustration that crawled up my throat. When he wanted to be, my father really was an okay guy. To me. But watching the way he treated Mitch, I always knew in the back of my mind that I was one bad decision away from being declared dead to my father, too. It was a piss poor way to spend your life, and it made me resent him to no end sometimes.
“I’ll call you when we hit Detroit,” I said finally, lost for anything else to say to him.
“All right. Have a safe trip.”
I hung up and stared at the plane in front of me. It was nice looking enough, but I still fucking hated to fly.
* * * *
“You’re ruining the leather,” Cyrus whispered to me. “You can probably let go and open your eyes now, we’ve been at cruising altitude for over an hour.”
The takeoff in this plane had been way smoother than the first one, but my stomach was still clenched in a knot. I’d reached over and shut the blinds on the windows so I didn’t have to see out of them then dug my nails into the soft hide of the chairs armrests.
The seats in this jet were all leather captain’s chairs. Very comfortable, though I might have enjoyed them more if we’d been on the ground rather than thirty-thousand feet in the air. The oxygen in the cabin wasn’t stale like normal planes either, which did a lot to ease the terror I usually felt on an aircraft.
The jet even had an honest to goodness bathroom with a shower, and the pilot had been kind enough to delay takeoff so I could rinse the blood that had dried and caked to my back. But no matter how much it felt like a mini-hotel room, it was still a fucking airplane and I couldn’t manage to completely relax.
“Can I ask you something?” Ash asked. He was sitting across from me, and when I opened my eyes to look at him, I saw he was smiling.
“What?”
“You’ve travelled all over the world. You’ve fought monsters I’d never even heard of until I read your file. How can you still be afraid of flying?”
“I’m not really afraid of flying,” I said defensively. “I’m afraid of crashing.”
“When we met you, you were face down on a kitchen table with large pieces of metal jutting from your back. You don’t seem like you scare easily. Did something happen to make you afraid?”
“No. Just one of my many irrational fears.” I shrugged.
“Come off it,” Cyrus said with a laugh. “I can’t imagine you having any irrational fears. Next, you’re going to tell me you’re afraid of spiders.”
I shot him a look that plainly told him to watch his mouth but he grinned broadly.
“Oh my God! You’re afraid of spiders?” He let out a bark of laughter that made me smile despite myself.
“I’m glad you find it so amusing,” I said, fighting my grin and failing. “They’re gross. Too many legs.” I shuddered violently.
“You know, I’ll probably get smacked for saying this,” Ash said tentatively. “But you’re kind of adorable.”
I considered him for a minute then shrugged. “Thanks.”
“Hey, I got punched,” Cyrus whined.
“You got hit for laughing at me. So watch it.” I winked at him, and he smiled again.
“Maybe, you should think about chartering jets more often,” Ash said. “You seem more relaxed now.”
“Perhaps, I should always travel with good company,” I replied.
Chapter Six
The mood in the cabin shifted at my words. It was slight, but it went from light-hearted, distracting banter to something heavier. My breath caught in my throat at the look of desire on Ash’s face.
I jumped in surprise at the feel of Cyrus’ lips against my neck. He started to pull away, but I wrapped my hand behind his neck and pulled him back toward me. Turning to face him, I saw the same heat in his gaze as I’d seen in Ash’s, and the muscles in my pussy contracted with need.
Ash slid out of his chair and crawled toward me, his hands gliding up my legs and over my thighs as he made his way to unhook my seatbelt. I whimpered a protest, but the sound was lost into Cyrus’ mouth as his lips crashed into me.
The blond’s tongue slid against mine, the taste of peanuts fresh and salty on it. I was so focused on him that I startled at the feel of Ash’s hands firmly parting my thighs.
“You’re jumpy,” he said, his voice husky and sexy.
“You’re both kind of unnerving,” I admitted, my own tone breathier than I would have liked.
Cyrus tugged at the hem of my T-shirt, trying to pull it up. I fumbled with the buckle on my holster, finally shrugging free of it. After laying my gun gently on the empty seat next to me, I raised my arms, allowing Cyrus to discard the shirt before Ash grabbed my hands wrenching me quickly to my feet. I had to grip his shoulders to keep from falling over as he pulled me against him, kissing me hard and fast before shoving his arm between our bodies to unbutton my pants.
He yanked them down my legs, and Cyrus wrapped his arms around me from behind to hold me steady as I stepped out of them. I was suddenly naked between them. I opened my mouth to protest at their overly clothed state but was cut off by Cyrus pulling my head back and slipping his tongue between my lips.
My mind screamed that this whole situation was getting out of hand, but my body yelled back that it wanted these men. My pussy was soaked from the desire to feel one of them inside of me, and it was playing hell with my brain.
“So beautiful,” Ash murmured as he dropped back to his knees, his hands roaming up my thighs. His finger slid over my clit and only Cyrus’ strong arms kept me from falling when my knees buckled at the touch. “So wet.”
He slid his jaw up my thigh, the rough stubble shooting little sparks of desire straight to my core. A small mewing sound escaped my throat, and my face flamed in embarrassment.
“Adorable,” Cyrus said, leaning forward to kiss my burning cheek.
“It wasn’t a dignified sound,” I muttered, trying to regain some composure. It was a fight I knew I’d quickly lose.
“Let’s see what other kind of undignified noises we can get you to make, shall we?” Cyrus grinned wickedly at me.
I wanted to give in to them, to their hands and their mouths and their need that seemed as strong as my own. It had been so long since I’d just…let go. Not since I’d been with Skip had I felt safe with a man, and he’d turned out to be a serial killer.
“Relax,” Cyrus whispered against my ear. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
“That’s what they all say,” I said, my voice harsh and choked.
“Reagan.” I looked down at Ash who stared up at me. “We won’t do anything you don’t want us to do. If you want us to stop, now or any time, just tell us and we will. I promise.”
I nodded, avoiding the words that promises were only ever made to be broken. I wanted these men, more than I’d wanted anyone in a very long time. It was just sex, a way to relieve the tension. It didn’t have to mean anything more than that.
Ash smiled softly up at me before moving forward and swiping his tongue between my legs. Reaching behin
d me, I gripped the hem of Cyrus’ shirt and tugged it upward until he took the hint and took it off then threw it into a chair.
“Are you sure the pilot can’t hear us?” I asked, looking back to stare into Cyrus’ pale blue eyes.
“I’m sure. Besides, I don’t really care.” He kissed me sweetly, his lips so full and pliant against mine.
My nails dug into Cyrus’ hips as he kissed my mouth, and Ash rubbed hard circles over my clit with his tongue. The men were so different in their pacing, it threw my body into confusion. Ash was hard and fast between my legs while Cyrus was slow and soft at my lips.
My knees buckled as an unexpected orgasm tore through me. I’d been so focused on what they were doing to me I hadn’t realized how my body was reacting to it all. My muscles spasmed as Cyrus wrapped an arm around my waist to keep me on my feet. Ash continued licking, sucking and nibbling at my swollen clit until I practically cried into Cyrus’ mouth.
It was almost too much. My body had never felt pleasure like this before, and I didn’t know how to react to it. It felt as if my skin were on fire, but I couldn’t figure out how to put out the flames.
“Lay her down,” Ash commanded, pulling away from me to look up at us.
Cyrus bent, sliding his arm behind my knees and scooping me into his arms. He carried me to the aisle of the plane where we’d have room to lay together. I watched as the men quickly discarded their clothes. All I could do was stare up at their bodies in awe.
They were beautiful. Hard and tanned and sculpted. They looked so perfect it made me suddenly self-conscious again because of all of the scars and marks that littered my body. I started to cover myself with my arms, but Ash shook his head, lowering himself to the floor next to me.
Cyrus stepped over me to lie on the other side. Each man took one of my hands and pinned me gently to the ground. Without saying a word, they started kissing softly over the worst of the scars they could reach. I whimpered in protest, but they continued, undaunted. Tongues and lips played over the tough skin that covered more of my body than I liked.
There’d been a time when I hadn’t minded my scars. Some of them I’d even appreciated because they showed what a badass I am. But laying there naked between two gorgeous men, I felt almost ruined by the marks on my flesh. Even the guys attempts to show me they didn’t mind the wounds wasn’t working on my psyche.