Night Watch (Kendra Michaels #4)(121)

“Right.” Jessie looked over her shoulder as she entered the plane. “Waldridge, I want to go over your complete daily routine as soon as we get in the air. I’ll need it to set up a schedule…” She was gone.

“Trust her.” Kendra took a step closer to him. “I’m not very good on trust myself, but you can trust her, Charles. She won’t let you down.”

“How can I not if you vouch for her? Because there’s no one I trust more than you.” He cradled her cheeks in his hands and kissed her forehead. “You’ve done everything anyone could ever hope to do, Kendra.” He looked down into her eyes and said gently, “Now, let me go, my friend.”

“Of course, I will. But I’ll be in touch and there’s email—”

“No, I won’t answer. When the project’s over and safe, I’ll call you, and we’ll meet for a drink to celebrate. Until then, I don’t exist for you. Do you understand?”

She understood, but she could still feel her eyes sting with tears. “Now who is protecting whom?”

“That’s what friends do. In life, it’s always a trade-off.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “And don’t try to interrogate Jessie or Lynch.” He chuckled. “Of course you will. But they’ll be sworn to silence on penalty of not being invited to our party when my prison gates are thrown wide.” He released her and started up the steps. He looked over his shoulder and smiled. “And you’d better have something interesting to tell me that will be worth my catching up on. It’s going to be a boring couple of years for me.”

He disappeared into the plane.

She drew a deep, shaky breath and stood there looking after him.

“Get going,” Lynch said roughly. “Get the hell out of here, Kendra. And call your mother on the way home as I told you to do.”

She turned to face him. His expression was stone hard. Angry. He looked angry. “I’ll remember.” She tried to pull herself together. “I know this is going to be a massive inconvenience for you, and I don’t blame you for being upset.”

“You’re right, it’s going to be a major pain in the ass, and it will last longer than I care to think about.”

“If there’s any way I can share the load, you only have to tell me. After all, it’s my responsibility.”

“Not any longer. You heard him, you’re out of it.” He added through set teeth, “I certainly heard the bastard. How could anyone possibly follow a parting speech like that? He went straight to option ten.”

She frowned. “Option ten?”

“Never mind. You would have had to be here.”

“I am here. And I don’t know what you’re talking about. All I know is that I’m being closed out. The least you could do is tell me where you’re taking him.”

He shook his head. “No way. I’ll let you know when I get those incubators to him. That’s as far as I’ll go.” He was standing on the steps, his legs slightly parted, and his blue eyes glittering recklessly. “You want me to fix this? Consider it fixed. But it’s my way, Kendra. I’m having enough interference.”

“I’m not going to argue with you. I know how much I owe you for this.”

“Yes, you do.” He took a step closer and kissed her. Hard. Hot. Searing. He lifted his head and pushed her away. “And there’s one thing I’m going to collect on right now.”

She couldn’t breathe. Her body felt as if it was on fire. She could feel her pulse leaping in the hollow of her throat. “What?”

“You’re going to make me a promise.”

She instinctively tensed. “I am?”

“You’re damn right you are.”

“What am I supposed to promise?”

He whirled to go up the steps. “When you start handing out all those heart-wrenching good-byes to all and sundry, I’m going to be on the list.” He looked back over his shoulder, his eyes blazing, and his expression hard and stormy. “No, I’m going to be first on the list. Understand?”

Her mouth fell open in surprise. “I understand.”

“I want to hear it.”

“I promise. First on the list.”

“Good. More later.”

The door slammed shut behind him.

She stood there, watching dazedly as the plane began to taxi down the runway. Nothing had turned out exactly as she had intended. Somewhere along the way, she had lost control.

She shook her head as she turned away and headed for the car. By the time she had reached it, she was already recovering. It was not as if everything wasn’t working out well. She would find a way to regain control of the situation. She would just have to think about it and come up with a way to do it.

Detach. Concentrate.

She looked back at the Cessna, which was now in the air. Jessie, Charles, and Lynch were on that plane. She had thought she was ready, eager, to go back to the normal tempo of her life with family, friends, and work. But she wanted suddenly to be there in that plane with them, planning, helping, on the front lines, instead of being sent home to safety.

Lynch.

She could almost see him standing there on the steps, his eyes glittering down at her. Powerful, dominant, and issuing challenges as he always did.