Page 84 of Beautifully Broken Control

“Cain, that’s amazing! You must be so proud,” Rachel whispered, likely trying to avoid any listening ears.

“Thanks. I want to get you a copy to upload to your company laptop for safekeeping.”

She cleared her throat. “Why don’t I take the jet and we can do the transfer in person? You know how I feel about you sending that stuff. I don’t want to be blamed for something getting out.” I was silent for a minute, trying to read her reaction. She pushed on. “I have a bunch of documents for you to sign, as well.”

Whether we did this in person or not, the test was the same. “All right. Have Vince accompany you. There are loaner cars at the airport he can use.”

“Okay. I’ll be there tomorrow.” She paused for a moment. “It’ll be good to see you, Cain. Things haven’t been the same around here without you.”

A trickle of guilt slid through me. I was a bastard for putting them all through this, but there was no other option. If I wanted to build a headquarters here, it had to be with people I trusted. I cleared my throat. “It’ll be good to see you too, Rach. Fly safe.”

“Will do.”

I hit end and stared at my phone. This time next week, I’d have my top two team members cleared, and I could start convincing Kennedy that I was here to stay.

35

Kennedy

Cain was trying.I knew he was. That knowledge ignited something in me. Excitement. Hope. Maybe I could have a family again, one of my own choosing. But there was also a healthy dose of fear coursing through me. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. I hated it, but the fact that Cain wouldn’t tell me about his past, said that he didn’t completely trust me yet.

But I had to hold on to that sliver of hope that, over time, he would. That he would fully let me in. It seemed like this was new for him. As if sharing even the mundane things about his days was a habit that had grown rusty over time. I wanted him to feel safe, accepted, loved. Even if I wasn’t ready to say the words yet. And that meant no more pushing.

It went against my nature. If I saw something was wrong, I wanted to fix it. If someone was hurting, I needed to help heal them or at least bring comfort. It took everything in me not to dig, but I was holding strong.

I keyed the code into the gate and waited while it swung open. I’d convinced Cain to let me borrow his car. I wanted to do something special for him, a real celebration of him completing the program he’d worked on for months. Something from the heart, something that would mean more to him because he knew me.

A smile curved my lips. That was the ultimate gift, to have someone know you, all of you, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful, and love you because of the unique mix it all made. I just wished Cain could see that I wanted to give him the same.

I pulled the Range Rover to a stop in front of the house and hopped out. Popping the trunk, I moved around to grab my two bags of groceries. The sound of tires on gravel had me turning around. An unfamiliar SUV with tinted windows appeared at the bend in the drive. It had to be Cain’s assistant. He hadn’t shared much of his plan to trap whoever was selling his company’s secrets, just assured me that, within a few weeks, he’d be able to start putting the pieces in place for an office here.

The thought had more warmth spreading through me than I wanted to admit. This was just our beginning. A door slammed, shaking me out of my daydreams.

“Hello,” I called as Rachel crossed to me, her mouth pressed into a tight line.

“Hello, Callie.” Rachel’s gaze traveled the length of me, seeming to assess and find me lacking.

“It’s Kennedy.” It was awkward, but if I didn’t correct her, I would come across as a timid mouse she could scare off. This was a different woman than the one I’d met briefly on the ride to the gala. That woman was professional and polite. This one was…not.

She scoffed. “I can’t be bothered to learn all the names. You’ll be gone before I can blink, and I have more important things to focus on. More important thingsCainwants me to focus on.”

So, that’s how it was. I bit back the smile that wanted to surface. I didn’t blame her. Working around Cain twenty-four-seven for years, I’d want him, too. I knew Cain didn’t see her that way. The way he talked about her was the same as you’d discuss any colleague.

I shrugged. “Sounds good. I’m just going to unload these groceries because I’ve got a celebration planned.”

Her eyes narrowed on me. “And what exactly are you celebrating?”

“Cain finishing the program.”

Rachel’s jaw fell open. “He told you that?”

“Yup. It’s amazing news, right?”

Her cheeks began to redden. “I can’t believe he trusted a…a gold-digger like you with that information.”

“Rachel…” The low warning came from Vince.

I grinned at him, ignoring the heat coursing through me at her accusation. “It’s okay, Vince. I don’t blame her. Cain’s hot and kind and a million other things she doesn’t know about. That’d make me cranky, too.”

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