“Thanks, man.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” Blake was still laughing when he ended the call.
MacGyver glanced toward Kellie, hoping she didn’t already regret giving up her stepdad’s location. “We’re all set. He’ll be ready to go as soon as we’re on board.”
Worry again shadowed her beautiful eyes as she gave him a tight nod before she looked away.
The roar of the vehicle seemed loud in the ensuing silence. MacGyver kept an eye on the side mirror and used the quiet time to explore options as he tried to put himself in Palazzi’s position.
The man was all about power. It was there in the news articles MacGyver had read about him in the past few months. There in his strut and his blind rage. A person could never be too careful around a man like that. He was a wild card…and he wanted Kellie. What was more, he obviously believed she belonged to him—not as a soulmate, but as though she was a piece of furniture—a possession. That Palazzi wasn’t used to losing was evident in the fury that had radiated from him when MacGyver kept him from getting close to Kellie.
The possessiveness MacGyver felt for her had him worried, even as his inner caveman broke into a swagger. Damn. He had to get his head on straight. Yeah, he was attracted to her, but she wasn’t the one-night-stand type, andhewas strictly a love ’em and leave ’em guy. Meanwhile, the woman was clouding his judgment. The end result of that would be his inability to protect her effectively. He should back away—ask Travis to take the lead.
Yeah, that’s a good plan.
So, why did he reject the idea before it was fully formed?
Travis left the highway when a green sign said Perkins Field, two miles. A narrow, two-lane, chip-sealed road stretched as far as MacGyver could see, until the horizon met the partly cloudy sky. A smattering of homes dotted the landscape. He saw the small airfield long before they reached the cluster of buildings. A few Quonset huts, several small hangers and a tattered windsock marked the spot.
As soon as they parked next to two other vehicles in the gravel lot, he saw Blake waving from the cockpit of the small Piper Cub idling alongside the runway, aviator sunglasses shading his eyes. Travis turned the car off, left the keys in the ignition and hopped out. MacGyver did the same, flipping the seat forward for Kellie before meeting Travis at the trunk to grab their luggage.
“MacGyver?”
“Yeah?” He’d barely heard her quiet voice, but her calm stillness as she stood at the tail end of the Mustang, staring back the way they’d come, made him do a double-take before he turned around to follow her gaze.
Two vehicles hauled ass toward the airfield, spewing dust into the air. He nudged Travis as his friend closed the trunk. “What do you think? Coincidence?”
Travis glanced behind him. “You expecting anyone else?”
“Nope. The plane’s only a four-seater.”
Travis grinned. “Then I suggest we get our asses in them and get the hell out of here.”
MacGyver stepped toward Kellie, who hadn’t taken her eyes off the approaching cars. “Time to go.” He turned her gently toward the plane and placed his hand firmly at the small of her back, feeling her tense.
“It’s them, isn’t it? How did they find us?”
“Most likely they got lucky this time. Probably spread out after they lost the signal from your phone. Don’t worry. We’ll lose ’em for good once we’re in the air.” He jerked the aircraft door open and helped her into a seat in the back, claiming the one next to her for himself.
Travis hopped into the front seat, and Blake began moving the plane into position before the door was closed and latched. An instant later, bullets peppered the runway in front of them.
The pilot ducked as he pushed the throttle all the way forward. The plane quickly gained speed, bouncing and swaying as they rumbled down the neglected strip of pavement. “Jesus, MacGyver. You didn’t tell me you were hot cargo.”
“Hell, I didn’t think you’d know how to fly if we weren’t dodging enemy fire.”
Blake threw his head back and laughed. “That’s for damn sure, asshat.”
MacGyver gave him a thumbs-up as the plane became airborne and gained altitude under the pilot’s steady hand. He glanced toward Kellie to find her watching him, surprised by the amusement in her eyes.
“You’re all crazy.” Her smile eased the worry lines on her forehead and made him want to reach out and trace the curve of her lips.
He laughed instead. “I may have heard that a time or two before.”
She continually amazed him. When he expected her to be frightened, she’d inevitably fall back on some inner strength, enabling her to rise to the challenge. He didn’t understand it, but he admired the hell out of her. Especially since that little smile she wore right now was for him and so damn sexy he felt its pull in every cord and sinew.
Blake circled the small airfield, and MacGyver directed her attention to the two vehicles parked haphazardly on the runway, doors open. Three people stood grouped together, apparently watching the airplane as another appeared to hold a phone to his ear.
Kellie leaned over him to wave from the window, and her lighthearted reaction to escaping Tony’s thugs yet again prompted his grin and was at least partially responsible for him sliding his arm around her shoulders. He regretted taking the liberty immediately—since he’d already taken plenty—but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she rested her head against his shoulder for a brief moment.