Stolen to Keep - Alexa Riley Page 0,3

say something but he pulls me into his arms and wraps me in a hug instead. “Watch your ass. I’m not over there to look after you.”

“Keep her safe,” I say, and we both know who I’m talking about even though he doesn’t answer me.

I grab my bag and slip out the back door of my place on the beach before I make my way to the landing strip. I convinced one of the flight teams to ready a plane for Kade and Collins for a surprise destination honeymoon. I thought it would be the best way to do it discreetly.

“Mr. Vaughn, are you here to bring your brother’s bag?” Avery, the pilot, looks at the bag I’m holding, and then his skeptical eyes sweep over my shoulder before coming back to me.

“Change of plans. We’re going to London.” I pat him on the shoulder as I climb the steps up the plane and settle in.

When he comes in after me he checks his watch and then raises an eyebrow. “I’m guessing we’re on the tail of the plane that left out of here just a few hours ago?”

“You are correct.” I grab the bottle of water next to me and take a drink. “No time to waste.”

“Yes, sir,” he confirms, and the crew readies for takeoff.

Once we’re in the air I feel better than I have since Berkley left the island. I might not be closer to her yet, but I’m in motion. There’s a lot of things that are still uncertain, like what danger our family is in, and how I’m going to convince Berkley to come back to the island with me. But one thing I know for sure is that I can’t let her get away. She slipped through my fingers the second she took off to London and I’m not going to let it happen again.

This time, when I show up on her doorstep, I’m keeping her.

Chapter Two

Berkley

I toss and turn in bed, unable to find sleep again. Between the time change and poring over my books, my mind isn't going to let me fall back asleep. I should get up and get back to studying instead of lying here doing nothing.

“Not as comfortable as my Egyptian cotton sheets.”

I let out a scream and sit up, turning on the lamp. My small bedroom fills with light and my hand goes to my chest over my racing heart.

“Vaughn!” I snap at him. “You scared the shit out of me.”

He smirks. Typical. I want to smack the expression off those perfect lips of his but nothing gets to him. He’s always calm, cool, and collected. I saw him get in a straight-up fist fight with his brothers with blood dripping from his mouth and still he smirked.

“This place doesn't look like you,” he comments, glancing around my empty bedroom.

He’s parked himself in the chair in the corner of the room. It’s where I always throw my crap when I’m getting dressed and now I see all my stuff that was in the chair is folded nicely and sitting on the floor. He looks ridiculous in the tiny chair with his giant frame. If my heart wasn't still racing and irritation creeping up my spine I might laugh. But I can’t break because that’s not how Vaughn and I play. He annoys me just to get a rise out of me and I always give it to him for some reason. I don’t know why he can get to me so easily, even when I try to ignore him. It’s impossible to ignore him when he appears in my bedroom out of nowhere like a ninja. Someone so big cannot be that quiet.

“It’s just a place to crash.” It might be sad, but it isn’t my home. It’s where I stay and nothing more.

I didn't make it a home on purpose and I don't have plans to stay once I’m done. I’m going to finish school then go back to the States to my sister. At least, that was the plan before. Now I don't have one and I have no clue what I’m going to do after graduation.

“You hungry?” he asks, leaning forward in the chair. It groans under his weight and I snort a laugh.

“You and food.” I shake my head, reaching for my ponytail holder and pulling my hair up and out of the way. I’m sure I look like a mess but I don’t care. “Did you see my kitchen?”

It’s not really a question