Nonstop (Open Skies Book 3) Read online

  She reached for the phone to make the call while Bracken moved the dead pilot off the controls and eased him down behind the seat. She lifted her gaze to see that many people were on their feet now.

  Everyone was talking at once, shouting over each other.

  “Are they dead?”

  “Are the pilots okay?”

  “Are we going to die?”

  “What’s going on?”

  She cleared her throat as she glanced at Raeann who was pulling herself to standing but looked like she was about to go into shock. Shayla rushed over to Raeann and took her by the shoulders to help her back to the seat Bex had vacated.

  Bex held the handset to her mouth. “Everyone, please calm down. I need to know if there’s a pilot on board.”

  The noise level went up as people’s panic increased. No one acknowledged her while everyone twisted their heads around to see if she would get a taker. Nothing.

  The plane had leveled out at least and Bex dropped the handset to enter the cockpit. “No pilots.” She went straight for the captain who was gripping his arm and assessed the damage. “What can I do?”

  He winced. “I’m okay. I can at least direct.”

  Her gaze jerked to Bracken who was flipping several controls. He had the co-pilot’s headset on, and he was speaking to someone on the ground. “Got it. No. There doesn’t seem to be another pilot on board. You’re stuck with me.”

  The captain winced again.

  Bex grabbed the first aid kit and found a roll of gauze. “Can you move your hand? I’ll try to wrap your arm.”

  The captain shook his head. “Bleeding too badly.”

  “Then let me apply pressure, sir.” She yanked open the gauze and unrolled a long strip of it, folding it several times before returning to his side. “Move your hand. I’ll hold it. I won’t let go. I promise.”

  The captain looked up at her, his brows drawn together. Finally, he nodded and pulled his hand away.

  She quickly covered the wound with the gauze and held it tight. He was right. An artery had been hit. “We need a tourniquet.”

  She jerked her gaze back to find Raeann leaning into the cockpit. “I’ll see what I can find.”

  “A belt would be great,” Bex suggested.

  Raeann disappeared.

  Bex turned her attention back to Bracken. “Can you land this?” she murmured.

  He glanced at her. “Yep. Won’t be as pretty as someone else, but I can do it.”

  She exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, probably for half an hour.

  Bracken resumed talking to someone on the ground.

  “How does he know what he’s doing?” the Captain murmured, not necessarily to Bex.

  She responded anyway. “He’s retired Army special forces. He knows a lot of things.”

  “Thank God.” The captain twisted his head to look up at Bex, wincing. “You know him?”

  “Yes.”

  The captain nodded and sighed in relief as Raeann returned with a belt.

  Bex kept her hands on the captain’s wound while Raeann wrapped the belt around his upper arm and secured it as tight as possible.

  Bex didn’t let go of her grip though. She continued to hold the gauze in place while the captain used his free hand to assist any way he could. He began instructing Bracken on what to do, and Bex breathed easier.

  Bracken exuded full confidence. He never hesitated for an instant. And Bex was so proud of him at this moment that she had to hold back her tears. She had a good man. An amazing man. She hoped she could somehow be deserving of him.

  Bex turned her head to find that Shayla and Raeann were walking up and down the aisles, calming the passengers, reassuring them that everything was going to be okay.

  Bracken glanced at Bex. “Make sure everyone is seated and buckled in, okay? You too.”

  She nodded.

  The captain reached to replace her hand and hold the gauze himself.

  Bex left the cockpit to grab the handset and make the announcement. Luckily, everyone onboard complied without causing further disturbance. There was always the chance that someone panicked in these situations and made everything worse.

  Bex made sure Raeann and Shayla were buckled in and then took her seat on the front row. She could see into the cockpit from here. Bracken’s arm was moving around, and he was speaking into the headset, occasionally glancing at the captain and nodding too.

  Shayla was in the seat next to the intercom, so she held the handset and waited for instructions from Bracken. After a few minutes, during which most of the passengers seemed to hold a collective breath, she made the announcement. “Brace yourselves please.”

  Bex grabbed the armrest and closed her eyes for a moment. She wasn’t worried though. She knew Bracken could land this.

  And he did. It was a little bumpy, but honestly, she’d had worse landings.

  She continued to sit there, breathing deeply while everyone onboard shouted with joy. It was over. She’d maintained her composure under pressure.

  This was obviously a bad omen though. Surely she was the only flight attendant in the history of flying who’d been involved in two hostage situations. Six weeks apart no less.

  It would seem her counseling would have to start over now. It didn’t matter though. She was beyond certain she would never go back to work as a flight attendant, and she wondered how Bracken was going to take the news when she told him she wasn’t flying back to Dallas either.

  Bus. Car. Bike. Even walking would be preferable. She wanted less than two feet between her and the pavement.

  Chapter 21

  When Bracken stepped out of the bathroom in their hotel room ten hours later, he found Bex curled up on her side under the covers. She wasn’t asleep because her eyes were open and fixed on a random spot on the floor. She didn’t shift her gaze to his.

  He could see the strap of a tank top on her shoulder, so he knew she’d put at least some clothing on after her shower.

  He was still wrapped in a towel, but he came to her side, sat on the edge of the bed, and set his hand on her hip. “You okay?” She wasn’t. He knew that, but he needed to keep asking anyway.

  “Nope. Yep. Sure.”

  He chuckled. Her mixed answers were also becoming commonplace. He rose, but only because he needed to find some shorts and climb in behind her. He needed to hold her.

  The only reason he’d packed shorts or let her pack tank tops was because she’d been insistent that they couldn’t sleep naked at his parents’. By now they’d intended to have spent the entire day with his folks and be settled in for the evening.

  That hadn’t happened. For one thing, it had taken them the entire day to work through the questioning and red tape. Bracken had killed two men. He’d been questioned for hours. Bex had also been intimately involved in the entire skirmish and had been questioned separately for just as long.

  Neither of them had any desire to drive to his parents’ house, and Bex needed far more downtime to process everything before heading to a stranger’s home and making nice with new people. So, they’d gotten a hotel in Portland.

  Bracken rummaged through his bag, found his shorts, and dropped his towel to shrug into them. Seconds later, he was behind her under the covers, his arms wrapped around her body.

  She was shivering, so he tried to cover as much of her as possible with his arms. He kissed her shoulder. It was hard to think of what to say. There were no words for what she’d been through. Twice. Three times if he counted the trauma she’d suffered at sixteen.

  “Next time I suggest a vacation, you’re going to shoot daggers at me with your eyes, aren’t you?” he teased.

  She sighed. “If you want to take a vacation, you should probably go alone to avoid the bad omen. I’m like a black cat.”

  “Maybe it’s me?” he suggested.

  “I can’t decide if the universe is trying to tell me that you and I should definitely go our separate ways or if it’s saying tha
t I should hold on to you and never let you go. After all, you saved three hundred lives today. Mine was one of them.”

  He gave her arm a squeeze. “You don’t know that for sure. Maybe some other passenger would have stepped up and taken over. Anyone could have done it. All I really did was wait for the right moment to grab the gun, aim, and fire.”

  “You don’t really believe that, do you? I mean besides the fact that no one who wasn’t used to terrorists and trained on how to manage them could have had steady enough hands, the wherewithal to know the precisely perfect moment to snag the weapon, and then the skill to shoot to kill. If there had been a stray bullet from either of those men or from you, a blown-out window would have caused the air pressure to drop, and we would have had an entirely new problem on our hands, not to mention passengers losing their minds over it. Plus, there wasn’t another pilot on that plane.”

  He shrugged. Maybe she was right, but he’d like to think someone else could have landed that plane too. After all, the captain was still awake and able to give instructions. Besides, he’d had ground control.

  She turned her head to face him. “Thank you.”

  He set his forehead against hers. “You’re welcome, baby. Any time.”

  “You sure?”

  “Am I sure about what?”

  “You sure you want to continue hanging out with me? If I were you, I’d think hard about finding someone who didn’t attract so much drama. You’re liable to get hit by a truck standing near me.”

  He reached for her face and cupped her cheek. “I’ll take my chances.”

  She drew in a breath. “Seems risky. Besides the fact that I’m a magnet for terrorist plots, I’m also a hot mess inside my head. I need a lot of counseling. The rampant thoughts I’m experiencing are disturbing, far worse than they have been for the last six weeks.”

  “You aren’t a magnet for terrorist plots, baby. And yes, you’re gonna need counseling, probably for years. But I’ll be right by your side.”

  “For years?”

  He narrowed his gaze. “Which one has your breath hitching? The idea of having counseling for years or the idea of me being by your side for years?”

  “Yeah. I don’t even know for sure.” She shuddered.

  “One day at a time.”

  “What did your parents say when you told them we weren’t coming tonight?”

  “They were very concerned of course, but they understood why we needed an extra day before we drive out there. And, baby, if you aren’t up to it, we won’t go.”

  “You realize we have another problem now, right?” Her eyes were wide. “I have another problem.”

  He smiled and kissed her nose. “Yeah, you’re not getting back on a plane again in this decade, are you?”

  “Decade? Bracken, I can’t imagine ever flying again, passenger or flight attendant. I’d probably have a panic attack and need to be comatose.”

  “I know. I get it. So, we won’t be vacationing in Italy this summer.” He shrugged. “We’ll drive to Iowa. I hear it’s lovely in the fall.”

  She giggled. Thank God. “First we have to drive back to Dallas. From Maine.”

  He nodded. “No problem. Think of all the sights we can see along the way.”

  She stared at him. “You think you have it all figured out, don’t you?”

  He shrugged. “Not everything. There are plenty of issues that worry me. But for the short run, yes. I’d like to spend a few days relaxing at my parents’ house and then slowly drive across the country, making our way back to Dallas. I’d like you to trust me to take care of the details so you can relax.” His voice dipped lower. “I’d like you to consider the fact that you’re it for me. I’m not going anywhere. I intend to hold your hand while you work through all this shit, every step of the way. I’d like you to let me hold you at night and wipe your tears when you can’t take it anymore.”

  Her breath hitched.

  He smiled at her. “I can sense your hesitation. I hate that you’re letting your doubts get between us. If you have actual doubts about me or us, that’s one thing, but I think you’re creating problems that don’t exist because you’re worried I won’t be able to take the heat. I can handle this, baby. I promise. Let me show you.”

  A tear slid down her cheek, and he wiped it away.

  Yes, he was definitely right. She was pulling into herself. It was perfectly normal. He couldn’t blame her, but he prayed to God she wouldn’t cut him off. “I’m sure we could arrange a phone call with Dr. Rawlins if you want.”

  She shook her head. “I just need some time and some sleep.”

  He decided to take another angle and face what had happened head-on. “I was incredibly proud of you today. You were under a lot of stress and even more pressure, but when the going got tough, you shoved your own problems to the side and took care of business.”

  She nodded, offering him a wan smile. “At least there’s that.”

  He stroked her cheek. “Why did you trade places with Shayla?” He knew the answer, but he wanted to see if she knew.

  She licked her lips. “I just couldn’t… I mean, I couldn’t watch yet another friend of mine be held hostage while I stood by helplessly.”

  He cupped her cheek and held her tight, kissing her forehead. She was fully aware of everything, even her own decisions.

  “How was Shayla when you last spoke to her before we left?”

  Bex sighed. “She seemed good. Stronger than I expected. Stronger than I felt. She was heading back to Dallas on the next flight. She didn’t want to stay in Portland overnight.”

  “I can understand that.” It might have been different if Shayla had been with Bex, but Bex was with Bracken. He felt a little guilty for not doing more to make sure Shayla and the other flight attendant, Raeann, were taken care of. He’d been singularly focused on Bex and making sure she wasn’t going into shock.

  Bex reached up to set her palm on top of the back of his hand over her jaw. “I can see your mind working. Don’t worry about Shayla. She was with Raeann. They’re friends. They work together often. They were flying back to Dallas together, and I told Raeann to stay at our condo with Shayla.”

  He blew out a breath. “Good.”

  “Christa and Libby will pick them up at the airport. They’ll be fine.”

  Bex obviously had a great deal of confidence in her friends, but she looked incredibly less certain about herself. She looked tired. Defeated.

  Bracken rolled her onto her back so that he could easily look down at her, facing her directly. He hovered over her. “Tell me what you’re thinking, baby. I can see your mind running too fast.”

  She sighed. “I’m thinking that my life is a hot mess. I’m wondering what the hell I’m going to do for work. I’m wondering how long I can hide in your arms and pretend the world isn’t continuing to revolve while neither of us works.”

  He stroked her cheek again. “I told Tank earlier today that I need some time off. He fully understands. My job will still be there when I’m ready to return. As for you, I hate that you’re concerned about working. I know you think our relationship is too new for any kind of commitment, and maybe under ordinary circumstances you would be right, but we’re not living in ordinary times.

  “For one thing, we’ve spent more time together since we started dating than many married couples do in months. For another thing, we’ve lived through some intense situations and come out on the other side together every time. I’m not going to freak you out with words you’re not ready to hear or say, but know that in my mind, we’re a unit. I waited a lot of years to find someone I meshed with as well as you, and I’m not giving you up, so you need to get used to having me around.”

  She never took her gaze off him, so he continued. “I don’t give a fuck about you having a job. We’ll sort that out when you’re ready. In the meantime, I have your back. One hundred percent. All I want you to worry about is healing your mind so that you can live a long and healthy life filled with l
aughter and goodness.”

  She chewed on her bottom lip, a tear sliding down her cheek. “Okay.”

  He closed his eyes, set his forehead against hers, and drew in a long deep breath. This was his idea of winning. One step at a time.

  Chapter 22

  Bex was stressed when they arrived at his parents’ house. Meeting new people was difficult one day after dealing with terrorists. Plus, she was worried about them liking her, approving of her.

  She needn’t have worried for a moment. Bracken’s mother, Joan, met her with a huge hug the moment she stepped out of the rental car. She then took Bex’s cheeks in her hands and met her gaze. Her expression was warm and so caring. “You poor dear. I’m so glad you’re here. You can rest now. Relax and take the time to recover. What an ordeal.”

  Bracken’s father wasn’t as talkative as his wife, but he was equally kind. He clapped Bracken on the back and immediately put Bex at ease. “Come on inside. You two must be exhausted.”

  It wasn’t even noon yet. Bex and Bracken had taken their time that morning, not getting out of bed too early nor rushing. The drive to his parents’ home had only been an hour.

  Bracken unloaded their bags from the trunk, handing one to his father’s outstretched arm. He took Bex’s hand in his and led her into the house.

  It was a sprawling ranch. They stepped into an enormous living room but then passed through to an even larger great room that stretched along the back of the house. One end was the family room. In the center was a long butcherblock kitchen table. And to the right was the kitchen.

  It was warm and inviting, but what took Bex’s breath away was the view. It was exactly as Bracken had described. The entire back of the house was windows that led to the sloping, lush green backyard. Large trees were scattered around the property. All of this led down to the water. “Wow. Gorgeous,” Bex murmured as she wandered closer to the windows.

  Bracken set his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to her ear. “It’s so peaceful, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.”