Page 48 of Beautifully Broken Control

“Let’s go.”

Cain offered his arm as we headed down the stairs, and I was glad for it. I hadn’t worn a shoe with a heel in over two years, and I was still getting my sea legs back. “I’ll never know how you ladies can wear those things without breaking an ankle.”

I laughed. “Well, it’s been a minute since I’ve worn ones this high. I might break an ankle before the night is over, or trip and end up on my ass.”

Cain paused at the foot of the stairs, his eyes boring into mine. “I won’t let you fall.”

That handful of words held so much more than their surface meaning as his eyes burned with an unnamed emotion. “Thank you.” The gratitude came out as a whisper, but I couldn’t help the hope it contained.

He squeezed my hand. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

We headed for the airport in silence. It was only a five-minute drive, but each second seemed to ratchet up my anxiety another level. I could do this. Cain needed a friend, someone he could trust, to face a sea of people who could house the traitor trying to hurt his company.

When Cain talked about Halo, I could tell it was about more than money for him. He’d created something that he was proud of. And he didn’t want to lose it. Someone from the inside selling him out had cut at his heart. He hadn’t used those words, but the expression on his face as he’d talked said as much.

Cain pulled right onto the airstrip, parking mere feet away from the jet awaiting us. “Stay put. I’ll come and get your door.”

I nodded, my palms turning clammy. I watched as he rounded the SUV. So confident, so self-assured, as if he could bend the world to his will with only the crook of a finger. There was none of the vulnerability I’d seen a few nights ago. He seemed ready to face what lay ahead while I was a quaking mess.

He opened my door and held out a hand. I slipped my fingertips into his roughened palm. The texture was comforting, a reminder that he wasn’t the typical wealthy elite, someone who would never deign to partake in an activity that might damage his hands. He was different. He was Cain.

He led me up to the plane and ushered me aboard. We took seats opposite each other, and I immediately gazed out the window as I gripped the armrests of the seat.

“Nervous flyer?”

“No.” It wasn’t the flight that had me terrified. It was leaving behind my safe and secure existence here in Sutter Lake to reenter the den of wolves.

18

Cain

Something was off.I watched Kennedy closely as we took off. She simply stared blankly out the window. No comments about the sleek jet or making fun of me for using it. Just a quiet numbness. I hated everything about it.

“We don’t have to go. I can tell the pilot to turn around. We’ll go back to Sutter Lake, and I’ll take you for ice cream instead.” I would’ve done just about anything to get that look off her face.

Kennedy turned back to face me and gave her head a little shake. “No. I want to go.” I arched a brow at her, and she let out a tiny laugh. That was better. “Okaywantmight be too strong a word. But I think we should go.”

“Okay. But just say the word if you want to leave. Or maybe we should come up with some sort of secret signal.” I reached up and gave the lobe of my ear two quick tugs. “Something like that?”

Her laughter deepened, filling the cabin of the plane. It was fast becoming my favorite sound. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

A stewardess entered the cabin. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

Kennedy shook her head. “No, thank you. I don’t trust myself not to spill on my dress.”

The stewardess gave her a kind smile. “Just let me know if you change your mind. And for you, sir?”

I liked this flight attendant, no eye-batting or come-ons, just thorough and impeccable service. I was going to offer her a full-time job. “I’m fine, thank you.”

She nodded and headed back to the front of the plane.

Kennedy folded her hands in her lap. “So, who am I going to be meeting tonight?”

“I’m not entirely sure. My driver and assistant will pick us up at the airport. The vice president of my company will be at the event. A number of people we do business with or who use our tech in their day-to-day operations.”

“What made you want to start Halo?”

It had been some time since anyone had asked me that question. I always gave a canned response that was mostly a lie, but there was something that made me want to give Kennedy more. “After I went through that loss I mentioned, I became pretty obsessed with security. I’d always thought to go into law enforcement, maybe try for the FBI because I’ve always been good with computers. Something about the way they work just always clicked in my mind. But after everything that happened, I wanted a more hands-on impact. Something that was truly preventative. I knew I could make equipment and software that was top-of-the-line, but I also knew I could make the everyday stuff significantly more affordable.”

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