Lily's Outlaw (Once a Marine, Always a Marine Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

the clearing, making a safe landing zone for whoever was coming for them.
    “I’ve never been in a helicopter before,” Lily said.
    “You’re about to fly with one of the best.”
    “Is this the friend that was going to take the contract to kill me?”
    “He’s a great guy, you’ll like him.” Jesse laughed.
    Lily rolled her eyes. She didn’t think so. What kind of a man killed people for money? Even if he ended up being on Jesse’s side, it still made for a shady character. And she was very familiar with shady characters.
    She crossed her arms and waited.
    The helicopter was sleek and black and churned up so much dust that she couldn’t see anything when it started to land. Jesse guided her to the chopper, picked her up and set her inside, buckled her in and slid headphones over her head. She had her eyes closed the entire time.
    When she could tell the doors were closed and they were lifting off, she finally looked around. Jesse was up front with the pilot, but he had his body half turned to look at her. Pointing to the headset, he pulled up his cord and showed her the on/off switch so she could hear and talk.
    “Can you hear me?” Jesse asked.
    She nodded and gave him a thumbs-up.
    “This is Damon Dupree. He’s our ride to the next stop.”
    “Glorious.”
    A low chuckle floated through her headphones. It was dark in the cockpit, the only lights coming from the instrument panel, so she couldn’t get a sense of who Damon was or what he looked like. His laugh was deep and oddly sexy. If a chuckle could have an accent, his did.
    But Jesse’s face she could still see. And his evil grin.
    “My, my. What would your mama say about such a shocking lack of manners?” Jesse asked.  
    Lily crossed her arms and frowned. “She’d say I shouldn’t be taking rides from dangerous strangers in the first place. I don’t think she’d fault my manners in this instance.”
    “I like your friend, Jess,” the voice said. “She reminds me of your sister.”
    “Which one?”
    “All of them.”
    Jesse laughed and turned away. “They’re all married off now and immune to your charms.”
    “Good. I’m not good husband material.”
    They started talking in code and Lily tuned them out. Maybe she was wrong. Jesse would never, ever, take someone home to meet his family unless they were trustworthy. He just wasn’t that kind of guy. He was so insanely protective of his family that he’d scared away most of his sisters’ boyfriends all through high school, even though he was the baby. She knew they all got engaged while he was away so he couldn’t stop the process.
    So maybe Damon deserved more than her suspicion. If Jesse trusted him, then maybe she could too for the short time that she’d be in their company. Right now, she needed to get to safety. A hot shower, more food, and a good night’s sleep were on her short list. Then she’d find a way to ditch her escort.
    The ride was comfortable and Lily zoned out while staring at the passing landscape, what she could see of it. The chatter over the radio brought her back to reality. They were landing instructions for the airport in Phoenix. Damon was speaking quietly and Jesse was flipping switches.
    “Almost there, Lil.”
    They landed and she finally got a good look at Jesse’s friend. The lights were bright out on the runway and when he turned to face her she sucked in a little breath. His deeply tanned skin contrasted beautifully with his topaz eyes. Thick black hair hung in waves to brush his shoulders. He wasn’t as tall as Jesse or even as muscular, but the lithe way he moved made her think of a sleek panther.
    “It’s nice to meet you face to face,” Damon said. He didn’t extend his hand, probably thinking she wouldn’t take it. He might have been right.
    “Thank you for turning down the offer to kill me.”
    Jesse laughed out loud and even Damon smiled. Then he punched Jesse in the shoulder.
    “Stop scaring this girl with your lies.”
    Jesse