Page 44 of Pretty Savage: Defy

“Don’t you have to apologize to everyone you’ve wronged? Isn’t that one of the steps?” I ask. “Because, if so, Carrson should be first in line.”

Carr bristles. “You’re a very insolent girl. Do you know that?”

I start to argue, but we’ve just passed through the front doors of the building, and my mouth has gone dry.

Two men stand outside the facility with their hands clasped in front of them and their faces blank, like they’re some kind of secret security detail. Beyond them stretches a wide grassy lawn, and perched in the center of it, its propellers already whirling, is a sleek black helicopter.

It looks like a dragonfly cast in steel.

Carrson joins us as Carr walks toward it.

“Give Brickson your car keys,” Carr tells his son. “You fly us home. I’m tired.”

He tacks on that last part with a resentful glare directed my way, a reminder of how inconvenient my little rebellion has been to him.

So now Carrson speaks multiple languages and can fly a helicopter.

Cool. Cool.

Totally normal boyfriend behavior.

Carrson’s mouth thins into a hard line, but he doesn’t protest. He tosses the Lamborghini keys high into the air. Brickson catches them easily, then heads toward the parking lot with the other man in tow.

Carrson and Carr pull ahead of me, striding toward the helicopter with their identical long legs. Meanwhile, I come to a complete stop.

I stare at the spinning blades and imagine them as a guillotine, designed to chop off my head the minute I get too close.

Carrson has his hand on the door before he realizes I’m missing. He looks over his shoulder, searching until he finds me standing several feet behind them with my mouth hanging open.

Carr notices too. Both men come back to me.

“Laurel?” Carrson asks, his forehead lined with worry. “Are you okay?”

“I’ve never been in a helicopter before.” I swallow, my nervous gaze skittering over the helicopter. It’s basically all windows, which means I can watch in excruciating detail as I fall to my death.

Awesome.

“It’s easy,” Carr says. “Duck and walk on in.”

He reaches for my arm, but Carrson gets there first. “I think you’ve traumatized her enough for one day,” he snaps at his father.

“Fine.” Carr huffs and walks back to the monstrosity.

“What’s with your family and overpowered modes of transportation?” I ask Carrson, fear knotted in my throat.

“Overcompensating, probably.” He holds out a hand. “Come on. It’s actually pretty cool once we’re in the air. I’ll take us over the ocean so you can see it. I know you miss the beach.”

“An emergency water landing does sound safer than crashing into a mountain.” I nod sagely.

I take his hand and force my quaking legs to move.

Once I’m in my seat, Carrson gently places a padded headset over my ears, then adjusts the small microphone in front of my mouth. I barely use it on the trip home.

That’s because I’m speechless.

The grass falls away so quietly that I don’t realize we’re airborne until Shady Grove has shrunk into a pale building surrounded by green hills. Cars in the parking lot become toys a child might race. The front doors Dad disappeared behind are too small to see.

I grip the armrests. A glance over shows Carr has fallen asleep with his headphones on. Sleep doesn’t make him any less threatening. It only makes him look paused, like he could snap open his eyes at any second and already know exactly what everyone around him has done wrong.