The Scotch Series: The Complete Series (Scotch #1-3) - Penelope Sky Page 0,76

fight with Josephine, I didn’t think it was possible.

Crewe was cut off from the world for a reason. He didn’t trust anyone for a reason. He had to exert his control and power over everything—for a reason. He’d lost more than he could afford, and the woman he obviously cared for had betrayed him in some way.

How could I get someone so scarred to let me in? Especially when it was just a ploy.

Crewe sat on the bed beside me and looked at me. “You know you can talk to me, right?”

“Yes. You can talk to me too.”

“It just seems like something is bothering you.” He never asked about my feelings before. Maybe we were making more progress than I realized.

“I guess I miss home… I miss my brother.”

His expression didn’t change, showing no sympathy.

“I miss the humidity of New York. I miss the greasy Chinese food.”

“Tuscany is very humid. But you won’t find any Chinese food there.” He gave me a smile, trying to cheer me up.

“I’m sure the Italian food will be great, so it’ll be alright.” I looked at the royal chambers one last time, feeling a little sad to leave it behind. It really was a beautiful place. It contained more history than a text book.

He patted my thigh before he rose to his feet. “I’ll be downstairs when you’re ready.” He grabbed my bags and walked out, meeting Dunbar in the hallway.

I stayed behind and enjoyed the solitude, thinking of the path laid out before me. I needed to crack down on my mission, to learn as much as I could about the man who kept me as a prisoner. I needed to learn his strengths as well as his weaknesses.

And I needed to learn how to make him fall in love with me.

The Scotch Queen

London’s story continues in The Scotch Queen.

21

London

Crewe had his own jet.

I was surprised even though I shouldn’t have been.

Crewe and his men packed everything under the plane then they filed inside and took their seats. The men sat in the back of the plane, guns concealed under their jackets even though we were at an international airport.

Ariel was the only member of the group who sat in the front with Crewe—besides me.

She was in a leather armchair next to the window and opened up her tablet. She pulled out her stencil and got to work, obviously knowing all the Wi-Fi information already. Crewe sat on the other side of the aisle and directed me to the chair beside the window.

I sat down and locked my safety belt.

The flight attendant came around and handed out the drinks just as the engines roared to life. The jet wasn’t as big as a commercial airliner, but it was definitely bigger than those small planes that dusted crops. It was on the medium side—and clearly very expensive.

Crewe ordered scotch, Ariel ordered wine, and I ordered a water. I couldn’t keep up with them in the alcohol department. After a few glasses of wine, my skin flushed, and my inhibitions were lowered.

Crewe peered at me from his seat, watching me without making it obvious. “Doing okay?”

The plane slowly began to move and head for the runway. We were on a different strip from the commercial airliners since that schedule was heavily regulated. The stress weighed heavily on my stomach like a brick. “I’m fine.”

Crewe kept watching me like he didn’t believe me. “What is it?”

I didn’t want to admit this out loud because it made me weak, but Crewe was always adamant until he got what he wanted. “I’m a little nervous about flying…”

Instead of making fun of me, he tried to console me. “The pilot is excellent, as well as the rest of the crew. This jet is only a few years old. Everything is in perfect condition. Have a glass of wine and relax.”

“Okay.” I opened the shade and looked out the window, feeling my stomach do somersaults. We hadn’t even taken off yet, and I felt woozy.

The plane lined up on the runway then took off. The powerful jets sent us high into the sky at a drastic angle. Higher and higher we climbed until we broke the cloud bank and reached an immense altitude.

Crewe read emails on his phone like nothing was happening. Ariel did the same.

I forced myself to remain calm and lean back against the seat. I hated showing weakness to anyone, even people I considered close friends. It was one of my stipulations.

We finally leveled out, and the