Read Out of the Dark for Free Online Page B

she said through tight lips. “We could have been killed.” She released him only to squeeze the bridge of her nose. A very perfect nose.
    He leaned down and looked out the window. “We’re not out of the woods yet. The only reason another missile isn’t heading our way is the guy’s probably out of ammo.”
    “Still, you don’t know how to fly a plane, Mac.”
    “I don’t know how to do a lot of things, but that doesn’t keep me from doing what I have to do to stay alive until help arrives.”
    Arms crossed beneath her breasts, Emily turned and stomped to her seat. “You’re insane.”
    Mac scrubbed his face and rubbed his eyes. Maybe she’s right, but when I find out who’s behind this mess, somebody’s going to die.
    Damn, his heart hadn’t settled down yet. Out of adrenaline, the nice leather recliner looked tempting as hell. On his way out he closed to door between the cockpit and the cabin. “I’m tired.”
    “I’m sure you are after that harrying ride you just gave us.”
    Smiling, he looked over at her. “Least I sobered up your sweet ass.”
    Opening her mouth to obviously correct him, she stopped, closed her lips tight and shook her head instead. Nostrils flaring, she savagely yanked on the hem of her soiled, silk blouse, pressed her hands down the front of her linen skirt then turned away like she’d smelled something foul.
    “I had two drinks. ” The glare she threw at him over her shoulder double dared him to challenge her.
    The only noticed how the light reflected off the softer shades of red in her hair, how her gorgeous eyes sparkled and the glow of her fresh complexion. No, he changed his mind. Gorgeous didn’t come close to describing those eyes. He couldn’t think of a word that would. Up went the tempo of his heart rate again.
    His laughter echoed through the cabin. Em w as one smart lady. And he kind of liked that she didn’t take his shit. Damn, he wanted her. Worse...he almost liked her.
    After he quit laughing, Mac dropped to the comfortable recliner beside Emily and laid his head back and took a deep breath. If she ever suspected how damn scared he’d been, she’d faint. Nothing in his arsenal of good ideas had assured him he’d get the plane off the ground. He hated to think what would have happened if he’d failed, worse...if the other guys had succeeded.
    After being up for three days his head banged hard as a rapper’s boom box. Stomach wasn’t much better. It turned somersaults like a gymnast at the Olympics. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth and energy seeped from his body as the events of the last three days finally caught up with him.
    “I can’t believe you tried to fly a plane with two innocent lives aboard.”
    He opened his eyes. “I could have let the RPG take us out.”
    “You could have stayed out of my hotel room.”
    “Then I’d be dead.”
    Her cheeks reddened from his insult. She didn’t reply and he knew why. Unintentionally, he’d pushed a button. Obviously, Emily didn’t like being responsible for harming anyone. A do-gooder, and those people usually got people like him killed.
    However...
    Leaning closer and propping up on his elbow, he looked at her. Her shoulders sagged and the sadness in her eyes pulled Mac in a way he didn’t like.
    As a man who’d fought most of his adult life, Mac recognized innocence no matter how it came packaged, and that’s what Emily’s whole demeanor reeked of. No doubt she lived a completely blameless life. He felt that in his chest and knew it in his heart.
    You could preach till you ran out of breath, but Mac knew there was no God in what he did. He killed bad guys and had learned to live with that choice years ago. If he hadn’t , he’d either be an alcoholic or a manic depressant. Everyone knew people like that couldn’t help anyone. No, killing never came easy, but it was a necessary evil, and oftentimes he played the boogieman.
    There was nothing he’d like more than to take Em into his