Page 182 of The Redheads

I was messy inside, and at least I had the sense to keep it to myself.

I managed to pee and splash water on my face before the plane started to shake. I gripped the sink and stared at myself in the mirror as the color leached away from my face. I’d looked much better than I currently did, and I felt some small relief because no one would want to take my photo. Not unless they wanted to title the pictureGirl Next Door becomes a Monsteror something. Even the Russian mobsters would run away screaming.

The shakes didn’t stop, and I opened the door to the lavatory. Water bottles waited on a countertop next to sodas. Also, vodka and whisky. Probably I could find a beer in the small fridge, butI grabbed a water and headed back to my seat to strap in and pretend I was fine. I was good at pretending, after all, as Michael had pointed out.

I turned toward him, considering his rugged features at rest. In his sleep, he grimaced. What time was it? According to a clock on the wall, it should be past time for him to have more medicine. Bending over, I grabbed his bag and pulled the bottle out from where I’d seen him stow it in the outside sleeve earlier.

Taking one pill out, I put the bottle back. The water I grabbed would work to help him take the pill. “Hey,” I grabbed his knee and gently shook it to rouse him. “Time for some pain meds.”

He lifted his lids. “Shit. Sorry. Yes, thanks.” I handed him the pill and then opened the bottle for him to take a drink to wash it down. “You don’t have to take care of me, Bridget.”

“I know, so just assume that when I can and do, I want to. Okay?” I closed the water and stuck it in the sleeve on the seat in front of him, so he could reach it if he wanted it. “Go back to sleep.”

He stared at me in his quiet way. “You were sleeping before. What woke you?”

“Who knows?” I wasn’t going to share with him that a perfectly good memory had woken me from sleep as though it chased me.

“The plane is shaking.” He sat up and groaned. “Go strap in.”

“I will.” When I would’ve turned, he grabbed my arm.

“It’s perfectly safe. That’s not something you have to worry about. Trust me. And I’m sorry I said those things in front of the others. Pain is messing with my head. I’m used to being able to say things to you because mostly we’re alone when we’re together. It’s no excuse, though. Those are your secrets…our secrets. You can trust me with them. I promise.”

Him telling them I was scared of turbulence didn’t bother me much. Not really. “I think it bothers me more that you talked toHope about me, if you want the truth.” I strapped back into my seat. He stared at me before he undid his own seatbelt and got up to come over to me. “Michael, what the fuck? You’re injured. Do you want to make it worse?”

“I think that you have misunderstood what I said to Hope exactly. I only told her anything because I wanted her to know I empathized with her.” He shook his head. “Why does it bother you so much for her to know you said no when I shared my feelings with you? What part of that makes you upset?”

“The part where it was none of her business,” I hissed back at him. “I love my sisters. I’d die for them and their families. Gladly. Still, there are parts of my life I don’t tell them about, because it belongs to me and only me.”

He nodded. “Fine. But that was part of my life, and that’s what I shared with her.”

“Fair enough.” I put my head in my hands. “There are things about me that you’ll never understand. I don’t expect you to feel any sympathy for me. I rejected you, after all, so let’s leave it alone. I never should have said anything to you about it. I’m sorry.”

Michael knelt, which had to be hard. “What don’t I know, Bridget?”

“Hey, boss.” Tito got up and patted him on the shoulder. “Go strap in. You don’t need a concussion to go with your gunshot wound.” Tito eyed me. “Want anything, gorgeous?”

I shook my head. “I’m fine.”

“Later.” Michael spoke to me. “Someday you’re going to tell me the truth.”

I doubted it. I never lied, but I concealed with the best of them.

With that thought in mind, I closed my eyes. I’d pretend to sleep for however long we had left.

Michael’s house was stunning.We’d left Roy, Stephen, and Tito at the airport where they’d gotten into other cars. Michael put me in one with him and a driver named Henry, although Roy assured me I would see him the next day, for that night we had different security helping us, including Henry, who winked at me.

“Are you taken? Because if you’re not, after Michael’s saved your life or whatever, I’d love to take you out to dinner.”

His boss shot him a look. “Not going to happen.”

“Aww. All the pretty girls…” He paused. “Hold on a second. You’re one of the Redheads. You’re…” He pointed at me. “Not Layla.”

I laughed. “That’s right. I’m not Layla.”

I got in the car, and Michael followed me, shutting the door behind us. He also closed the divider. “He’s new. Maybe not permanent.”

“It’s fine.”