“And say what?”
“That you’re being followed!” Bren raised his voice.
“And you think it’s connected to the theft at Kairos,” Cabe added.
“I’ll be fine,” she said again, wanting to believe it, even though she was debating whether it was safe to go back to her apartment.
Bren drummed his fingers on the table. She had never seen him so upset. The silence was downright painful.
Cabe decided to step in. “Why don’t you give me whatever you called me here for?” He checked his watch. “I need to get back to the office.”
Semele welcomed the veer in conversation. She pulled the wooden box from her purse, suddenly nervous to part with it. “My grandmother left this for me—my real grandmother. You could say it’s a family heirloom.” She didn’t tell him the cards inside were connected to the Bossard manuscript. That would take hours to explain. “Can you run the specs today?”
“Of course. Because I’m awesome.” Cabe put the box in his backpack without opening it and stood up to escape. He gave them both a salute. “Later.”
Semele jumped up too. “I’ll be right back,” she told Bren and followed Cabe outside. When they reached the sidewalk she said, “You really snowballed me in there.”
“Come on, Sem. The guy is tortured. You have to talk to him.”
“I will. I am.”
Cabe gave her a stern look.
“I will,” she said, and she meant it. She knew they couldn’t go on like this. She had to face what she was doing to Bren—to both of them. “Can I stay at your place for a couple of nights?”
He handed her his keys with a pointed look. “Tonight I want to know what’s going on. Including the story behind these.” He patted his backpack and got ready to hop on his bike.
“Deal.” Semele pocketed his keys and hesitated. “Listen, I need you to keep everything between us—including dating these cards—confidential. Especially from Raina.”
He looked annoyed. “Why?”
“I know this sounds crazy… but I saw her with that guy.”
“What guy?”
“From the library. The guy following me. They were in his car together right outside my apartment.”
Cabe looked at her like she’d sprouted a second head.
“Cabe, I’m not making this up. She was outside my apartment… with him.”
“Why?” he demanded, as if it were her fault. “That’s crazy!”
“I don’t know! But they were there!” Now she was yelling too. “All I’m asking is for you to not talk to her about any of this until I know more. What if she’s involved in the theft?”
“Or what if that guy is security for Kairos?” he shot back. “Ever thought of that?”
Semele hesitated. She hadn’t, but she quickly dismissed the possibility. That made absolutely no sense. Kairos wouldn’t have had someone following her from Switzerland. No, somehow Raina was involved, but Cabe obviously wasn’t ready to hear it, so she relented.
“Fine. Maybe he is. We just don’t know. But for now, please keep everything between you and me confidential. I really need you to have my back on this.”
They stared at each other, ten years of friendship and trust hanging in the balance.
Cabe expelled a long breath. “Okay, for now. But”—he pointed his finger at her—“you’re telling me everything tonight. Everything.”
Her eyes teared up and she nodded. “I will. I promise.” She gave him a tight hug. “Thank you.”
Cabe hugged her back and got on his bike. “Just go talk to Bren. You two can fix whatever is broken.”
