High Flyer - Michelle Diener Page 0,35

staring at a shadowy stack of crates, the light diffuse and coming from above. She turned slowly.

Iver shifted, his arm curling around her to bring her closer to him so her head rested on his bicep, and she spent a moment looking up at him.

A spike of hard, sweaty desire swept through her.

She'd been attracted to him since she'd met him, but now . . . The change in their relationship was enough to give a girl vertigo.

He smiled at her, and she did another free fall flip.

“How long have I been out?” Her voice was rough and cracked.

“Eight hours.” He lifted up, careful to ease her head down onto the blankets beneath them, and reached for a bottle of water.

She took it gratefully, gulping down at least half of it.

“Eight? But . . .”

She stared at him blankly. She had barely been scraped by the SAL.

“I think you needed the sleep. Probably most of it was exhaustion.”

She thought about it. Gave a nod. “We're in the lander?” she asked, handing the water back to him.

He set it beside him, and lay back down with her, giving a quick nod.

“And your arm?” She levered up on her elbow, lips tight, to check it.

He held it out, the movement much easier than before.

“There are about a hundred medkits in here. I found an advanced one and was able to repair the damage. Resting helped, too.”

She flopped back in relief. “Do you know where we're going?”

He shook his head, his expression more serious than she'd ever seen it. “No windows, only light vents at the top of the roof, so I haven't been able to look out, and as we've mainly been traveling in the dark, I haven't been able to see inside much, either. I've been second-guessing myself for getting us onboard almost since the doors closed.”

She shook her head, but he held up a hand.

“I know. You were unconscious, I was injured, and I could hear the shooter coming back with at least one other person. The doors were open, and I made a split-second decision. And still . . .”

“If you hadn't, we might already be back in that warehouse. Or at the bottom of the river.”

She didn't doubt that for a moment.

She knew the hard way there were seldom perfect choices. You did the best with what you had.

He gave a nod, but she wasn't sure he was completely convinced.

“Thank you.” She leaned in close, brushed her lips against his.

“Hold off on the thanks until we're sure we're going to get out of this.” His voice was a rumble against her throat as he nuzzled her just under her chin, and she didn't hide her shiver of delight. The last few days had been nothing but a fight for their lives. A relentless slog. And before that . . . she was very far from the pilot who'd signed up to help fight the Faldine War.

For the moment she was safe and warm, with dawn breaking through the thin light vents above. She clutched what she had now tight, a moment as bright as sunlight.

It was a rare feeling.

Within her, her upgrade stirred in worry, and she found herself sending soothing reassurance. They, in and of themselves, didn't make her life worse. Had saved her life many times.

It gave her pause that she could sense their disquiet, though. She hadn't felt them as such separate entities within her for at least eight months or more.

“What is it?” Iver was looking down at her, a crease between his eyebrows. He brushed her hair back with the tip of a finger.

She caught it, gave it a squeeze. “You found us a place to rest and recover, and you probably also helped us get a step closer to finding out what's going on. Thank you.”

She slid an arm around him, under his shirt, and slowly traced the muscles of his back. “Do you know why Banyon was so excited about what was in the lander? Why he was shouting at the driver?”

Iver lifted his head, and she swiped a nervous tongue over her bottom lip at what she saw in his eyes. Her fingertips pressed into the skin of his back and he closed his eyes and shook his head in a sharp movement, as if to clear it.

“I heard Banyon shouting about inventory. I'm guessing whatever's in the back here has been taken without being officially accounted for, and Banyon is afraid it's going to come back on him. The