Shadows In Durango

"It's a couple of hours, there's a bed in the back if you want a nap once we are in the air." Vincent offers, as |

push a strand of hair behind my ear and nod slowly.

Hearing my phone vibrate, | pick it up to find Emma's nflashing up on the screen.

Crap! We are just about to take off, I'll have to call her back when we land!

Typing out a text message quickly, | send:

'About to fly, I'll call you in a couple of hours when we land!x'

To which it appears as 'read' the second it goes through which suggests that Emma was already on our text chat

after | had hung up.

"Everything ok?" Vincent asks, his brows furrowed with worry as | nod and smile up at him before my eyes dart

back down to find her response cthrough.

‘Daryl said that Vincent kneed you in the stomach last night, what the hell happened????!!!! ARE YOU SURE YOU

ARE GOOD? Please do callASAP - | love you!x"

Reading Emma's text makes my heart sink in sheer disappointment.

Of course Daryl left out the major parts of the story, why would he admit to punchingon the back of the

head during a fight that HE had caused?! Now he has Emma worried and thinking God only knows what...

"What an idiot!" | groan, before feeling the pilot begin to speed down the runway, as | lock my phone and close

my eyes over tightly - clutching at each arm rest for support.

"It's ok, we will be soaring seamlessly in five!" Vincent soothes my racing heart, as | nod stiffly and keep my eyes

squeezed shut.

Rightly so, | felt the wheels disconnect from the ground below, as we began to tilt upwards into the clouds -

feeling as light as a feather.

Finally bucking up the courage to peer outside, | lean towards the window slowly, gasping at the tiny buildings

below.

"| find flying to be relaxing, it gets you away from everyone for a while." Vincent smiles, as | think hard on his

words.

I guess he's right, who could harmfrom way up here? Certainly not my father!

With that thought, I sigh in relief, sinking back into the chair before the seatbelt sign is switched off meaning that

we can move around. "Who's an idiot then?" Vincent stands, reaching his hand out towhich | reluctantly

take, allowing for him to helpup to my feet.

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We move down the jet, as Vincent opens a small door bringing us into a tight double bedroom.

Woah... who knew this was what flying private felt like!

"Take your shoes off and climb in - or if you'd prefer, you can just strip down fully." Vincent smirks, as my eyes

widen and | playfully push at his shoulder.

"I'm not joining the mile high club just yet! Don't get too excited!" | mumble, causing for him to laugh as he kicks

off his own sneakers.

"Just a cuddle then." He shrugs, as my cheeks heat and | nod to agree with the thought.

That would actually be nice...

We both climb in under the fluffy sheet, the bed helpingto forget that | was currently somewhere in the

clouds.

"So then tell me, who did you call an idiot and why?" Vincent asks again, his strong arms wrapping around me

gently, avoiding my bruised area as best he could.

"Daryl." | deadpan, thinking back to the text Emma had leftright before we took off.

| still couldn't believe the audacity of him!

"What's he done now? He's got a serious fucking problem lately... and it's usuallythat everyone hates!"

Vincent scoffs out in a dry laugh as | can't help but feel comfortable wrapped up in his arms as we chatted.

"Emma tried to calland | sent her a text to say we were just about to fly and that | would call her back, and

she textsback saying that Daryl told her you kneedin the stomach!" | inform him, feeling his arms tense

aroundas he evidently shares my annoyance on the situation.

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"Let him." He grumbles, as my brows pull together as | peer up at him.

"What?!" | ask in disbelief, knowing that we couldn't just allow for him to spread a false story on what happened -

especially since he caused the entire in the first place.

"Let him run to Emma with his shit story, you'll tell her the truth soon enough and I'll just kick his ass again when

I'm back. He's jealous because this the can't win." He sighs, as | continue to stare at him in wonder.

"What do you mean by 'he can't win'? | don't want to just be sbet between you both Vincent. Are you only

trying to prove a point here?" | whisper, growing increasingly insecure by his choice of words.

"No, no! Not at all! That's not what | meant doll! | just mean that he's used to getting all the girls because he's

always been the good guy and he can't stand that you want to spend stwith me. It's eating him alive

knowing that for once in his life, he isn't the first choice." Vincent explains, his gentle eyes locked on to mine as

he reassuresthat his intentions were pure.

| guess you could say that | was more insecure around Vincent because | had already shared a part of myself

with him the other night, | hadn't done anything like it with anybody else.

But weirdly, | trusted him...

"Let's just enjoy this break and we can deal with him when we get back." Vincent suggests as | chew my lip and

shuffle a little closer to him.

"What actually is the plan for when we are away by the way?" | realise that | don't know the half of what his

business involves and what I'll be doing in the meantime.

He's the only person | know too...

I'm trusting him...

"I have to go out for the first meet tonight, and then I'll be back. You can stay at the hotel, maybe even use the

spa? Then tomorrow, we can go out during the day before | finalise the deal tomorrow night. If everything goes

well, I'll be free the last two days to enjoy stin the city with you." Vincent outlines the plan as | feel

thankful to at least now be in the loop of what was going to happen.

At this rate, Vincent Walker hascaptivated under his spell... a place | never ever envisioned myself to be.