Owen slowly turns, but my words only seem to spark more of his anger. “So this is about you?” His question comes out as a low growl.
Shit. I deserved that.
I let my head drop, wiping away the tears on my cheeks with the back of my hand. “No. This is about saving your company and your charities. About saving your brother. About savingyou.You may not believe that, and that’s fine. But I’ll ask you one more time. Will you help me?”
A silence stretches between us. I find the courage to raise my eyes to Owen. He’s studying me intently. The anger is still there, but there’s something else that has my heart thumping wildly in my chest—determination.
“What do you need?” he says at last.
“Any chance you have backups of your emails and files pertaining to the acquisitions? Someone wiped what I found.” I cringe at admitting I hacked his computer.
If that fact is a surprise to him, he doesn’t show it. “Who wiped it?”
“We don’t know. That’s what I’m trying to figure out. How all this fits together.”
Owen cocks his head to the side and runs a hand over the stubble along his cheek. I track the movement unintentionally.
The corner of Owen’s mouth kicks up slightly, or perhaps it was my imagination.
“You have a pen and paper?” he asks.
I nod, pulling them out of my purse and sliding them over to him.
“I made hard copies of all the correspondence with all the companies I acquired. They’re at my house. I didn’t trust them to stay on my computer. There might be something in there.” He writes down everything I need.
My eyes widen. Something resembling hope stirs in my chest.
He pushes the paper to me, and I study it for a moment. “Have you told your lawyer about this folder?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “It only implicates me further, I’m afraid. But there’s a chance there’s something I missed the first time.”
My heart sinks, and the hope deflates as fast as it rose. “So you truly believe there’s nothing that can get you out of here?”
“No, Nova. I don’t. I’m guilty. We both know that. I can’t run from this. I knew I’d have to face it eventually. I just…” He trails off, running a hand through his hair and diverting his eyes. The chain between his cuffs sounds ominous. “I didn’t expect….” I can tell he doesn’t want to say his next words. “You.”
My hands shake, holding the piece of paper with the information that I’d hoped might help him. He doesn’t have to say it, but the implication is there in the words and the way his green eyes now pierce my very soul. He meant he didn’t expect to fall for me.
“Nova?” he says hesitantly, his eyes never leaving mine. “I knew.”
My eyes widen, but I’m not sure I’m surprised.
“I knew who you were. No person would have known how to deal with a gunman in the woods or be so calm about it. But I ignored it, because…because…”
He flinches and changes the subject. “You aren’t in danger, are you?”
It’s not his almost-admission or the question that throws me. He’s angry with me, that’s clear, but the fear he has about my safety almost brings me to my knees.
I respond as I always do when people ask me that question. “I’m always in danger. It’s part of my job.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
I know what he’s really asking. He wants to know if he’s the one responsible for my life being threatened.
I shake my head. “Owen, you are not responsible for my safety. Believe me, if you knew some of the assignments I’ve had, this one would look like a cake walk. I can’t promise you I’ll make it out of this alive. I can’t ever promise that, but I have a really good team. A team that is risking their lives and careers to help me. To helpyou.”
Owen leans back in his chair and rubs his tired, beautiful green eyes. “Why?” I almost don’t hear the question as his voice is so quiet.
Suddenly, I’m angry for reasons I can’t understand. I slam my fist on the table, making Owen jump, and I stand, leaning over the table. “You’re seriously asking me why? Do you not see?”
