“You’re not mad?”
“Why would I be? You know my secrets—and god knows I have them. Now I know yours.” She narrowed her eyes. “Unless this is some sort of long con? Am I going to wake up tomorrow and find out that I’ve deeded this condo to you?”
I laughed. “I wish.”
“Well, there you go. We’re even. We’re good. I love you. And,” she added, reaching across the table to give my hand a squeeze, “we’ll figure out what to do about Cole.”
And that, I thought, was why she was my best friend.
seventeen
I stood just outside the hangar and stared at the sleek silver jet owned by one of the knights’ various corporate entities. I knew Cole was inside, and in a moment, I would be, too. He hadn’t invited me—didn’t even know that I was standing outside—and I could only hope that the emotion I’d see on his face when I stepped onto that plane would be pleasure. And not anger or fear.
Or, worst of all, regret.
“He’s going to Los Angeles,” Evan had said.
“Los Angeles? Why?”
“For you.”
“What? How?”
“You’ll have to ask him.”
“I damn sure will. If he’s going, I’m going.”
“Good,” he’d said. “I wouldn’t have told you if I didn’t think you should.” He’d taken my arm. “You’re good for him, Kat. He knows it. Don’t let him forget it.”
“He’s good for me,” I’d countered, and Evan’s mouth had curved into a slow, sad smile.
“I believe you,” he’d said. “But Cole’s going to be harder to convince. I love him like a brother, but of the three of us, he’s the most fucked up. Honestly, he has the most reason to be.”
“I don’t care about the reasons. And I’m not giving up on him.”
“Good,” he said, then kissed my forehead.
Now I drew in a breath for courage, then walked inside the hangar, knowing that the crew was holding the plane for me, making excuses about mechanical issues per Evan’s instructions so Cole wouldn’t wonder why they weren’t already underway.
“Welcome aboard, Ms. Laron,” a petite flight attendant said as I began to climb the stairs leading into the main cabin. “Mr. Black requested that you stay in the crew section until we’re underway, and then you can move to the main cabin.”
She said all that as if it wasn’t the world’s strangest request, and I had to admire her professionalism. The plan had been Evan’s, but I’d easily agreed. Because there was no way that Cole could kick me off this plane once we were cruising at thirty thousand feet.
The attendant, who introduced herself as Jana, offered me a glass of wine before takeoff, which I gratefully took. Then, once we were airborne, she offered me another, and I downed that as well. By the time the plane had reached cruising altitude and I was allowed to stand up and move through the door that separated the two sections, I’d bolstered my courage enough to think that I just might survive the wrath of Cole.
I drew in a breath, then another, then slid the door open, stepped inside, and closed it behind me. I saw him immediately, of course, as he was the only person in the cabin. He was seated in one of the chairs that surrounded a small table. He was leaning back, a White Sox baseball cap pulled low over his eyes.
He hadn’t noticed me, and I took a moment to look around. I’d never been in a private jet before, and this small room seemed more like a hotel lobby than the interior of a plane.
There were three other chairs around the table at which Cole sat, making a small conversation area. On the opposite side of the cabin, a sofa sat beneath a row of cloud-filled windows. A small coffee table filled the space in front of it. Finally, two plush recliners filled the area in the rear.
The entire cabin positively gleamed with polished wood and bright metal trim. The upholstery managed to look both comfortable and expensive. Honestly, I could get used to this.
And, of course, I was stalling.
I took one step toward him, then another, then another after that until I was standing just a few feet away, my hand on the table for balance.
I started to say his name, but then he lifted his head. I couldn’t see his face because of the cap, but after a moment, it was clear that he was slowly letting his gaze travel up the length of my body, and when he reached my face, he pulled the cap off and tossed it onto the chair beside him.