Hearts On Fire by Catherine Wiltcher

Author:Catherine Wiltcher [Wiltcher, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-27T18:30:00+00:00

22

Eve

I slide to the ground and we approach the jet, arm in arm. He’s more injured than he’s letting on. There’s a sinister red stain spreading out from underneath a rip in his shirt near his rib cage and he’s hissing under his breath with every movement.

“Leave us for a minute, mi alma,” he murmurs as Joseph approaches. The mask of indifference is back on the Texan’s face but his blue-grays are the iciest I’ve ever seen. The moment I step away from Dante’s side, he’s smashing his fist into the side of his jaw.

“What the hell are you doing?” I cry out as Dante rocks backward but his hand flashes up to stop me. I then watch in horror as he takes another brutal punch, this time to his cheek, without any hint of retaliation, slapping his hand against the side of the aircraft steps to steady himself

“Eighteen years,” grunts Joseph, standing over him. “Go ahead, knife me in the fucking guts all you want, but if you ever make me say shit like that to Eve again, you and me are done. Circumstances be damned, if you go rogue one more time I’ll kill you myself. We’re fucking soldiers you and I, brother. We live and die by the rules.”

Dante’s hand flashes out again, this time to catch his arm as he raises his fist for Round Three. I hold my breath, more for Joseph’s sake than anyone. Is this the part where my husband reveals his true nature? Any other man would be dead by now.

“I don’t live by the rules,” says Dante calmly, crimson streaming out of his mouth. “You knew that the minute you came on-board with me.”

“Maybe you should start instigating some for all our fucking sakes.” Joseph shakes him off and we watch him stalk back to the SUV to help Anna.

“Get on the plane, Eve,” he says, spitting blood at the ground. “You and I have our own shit to deal with. I’d prefer to do that thirty thousand feet above sea level and without Amsterdam’s finest taking pot shots at us.”

He knows about the baby.

I nod and turn to follow Anna up the steps. Once inside, she curls up into a fetal position in one of the plush cream leather chairs and starts crying again. Hurrying into the bedroom at the back of the plane, I return with a blanket, tucking it around her bare legs as Dante pushes past me. I watch him catch Anna’s eye but neither of them say a word to each other. Moments later, I hear the same bedroom door slam and I know that my judgement awaits for me in there.

“Can I get you anything?” I say to her, “Water, tea…?”

She shakes her head and doesn’t look up.

“I’ll look after her,” drawls a voice from behind me. “Like Dante said, you have your own shit to sort.”

“Looking after my friend who’s been kidnapped and assaulted for three days is included in that category,” I fire back, bristling with resentment.

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