Page 23 of Ex-Military Biker’s Bride

I come around into the wind as my brother’s parachute disappears into the tall grass behind the diner. Five minutes later, we catch sight of a huge explosion outside the diner. People run out shouting.

I put the plane down on the dirt road a quarter mile away, praying that the distraction my brother’s created will stop anyone noticing. I keep her straight with my feet and get her stopped with plenty in hand, swing her around at the shoulder, and leave the engine running.

“Let’s go!” Wrench shouts, unbuckling and pulling a mask over his face.

Wrench and Savage run for the diner. The door slams and the two of them are gone up the shoulder toward the fuel island. Watching them through binoculars I track Savage, in a skull mask, moving faster than I’ve ever seen him, low to the ground like an animal.

Then there's shouting somewhere behind the diner. A gunshot.

Savage comes around the corner of the building first, Olivia limping beside him. He throws her over his shoulder once they’re clear. Wrench is behind him, carrying her laptop bag in one hand and a gun in the other.

I get the door open and reach down for her.

I have the plane off the road and climbing before Savage has the door properly shut. I hold the climb until we're up over the rim with nothing behind us but empty sky.

Then I work my jacket off one arm at a time and get it around her shoulders.

“Olivia. You're not doing that to me again.”

She makes a sound that's half a laugh and half a sob, and leans back against the seat.

Wrench, from the back, dry as a bone: “She's not plugged in, brother. We can't hear a word.”

He passes a headset forward and she puts it on with hands that aren't working right. Then her voice is in my ears, warm and close.

“Lucky, I killed the story. I went out there to tell my editor, but Rotmere got a hold of her first.”

“I know. Bethany found out earlier.”

“They've got everything.” Her breath catches. “My texts… my aunt's house. They've had my editor for days. Every message I've answered for the last week, I don't know who was writing it.”

“And your source?”

“Safe. They don't know who she is.” She wipes her face with the back of her wrist. “That's the thing. Peters thinks she's a pilot. He's got four of you on rotation and he's certain the leak is one of the four. He wanted me to tell him who it was. So I gave him the wrong name.”

The airplane flies itself for a second as I process this.

“Who'd you give him?”

“Ray Budkin.”

I have to laugh. It comes out of me wrong, sounding more like a cough.

“Budkin's been siphoning their avgas, booze and tobacco since spring. Half the field knows it.”

Her chin comes up. “I think he'll run if we let him know before they get to him. He'll disappear and they’ll think it was him.”

“Sweetheart.” I can't get the rest out for a second. “You’re the bravest, smartest woman I’ve ever met in my life.”

“Awwww.” Savage’s voice comes over the headset, sounding genuinely moved. “This is real romantic.”

“You think they’ll employ you again?”

My hands stay steady on the yoke. “Maybe. I’ll need to think of a convincing excuse why I landed on their strip. They don’t know we’re together.”

She reaches across and her hand tightens on my arm.

“Luke.”