Page 43 of Breaking the Sinner

“’Sup, Red?” He jerked his chin to the empty spot on the bench next to him, his dark gaze drinking her in. She plopped down, tucking her purse between them.

“So this is Clutter’s Park, huh?” She looked around, still trying to figure out what the main attraction was. “There isn’t even grass here.”

Cobra nodded, his gaze back on something far away. “I know. Look.” He pointed across the highway below. In the distance, airplanes were taxiing. Enormous, bloated jets rumbling down the strips of concrete. A moment later, one lifted into the air. She gasped.

“Where is it going?”

A grin glimmered on Cobra’s lips then disappeared. “Who knows? Probably to China. That’s LAX. The airport. Clutter’s Park is the best place to watch all the planes taking off and landing.”

Gen sat in rapt silence for a few moments, watching as other jets screeched to a landing or revved up to make their transition into the sky. It was dizzying. Fascinating. Awe-inspiring. She tipped her head back. Searching the clouds as she sent up her prayer.Bethany, do you see this? There’s a whole world out there that I’m going to explore. In your honor.

Because, with any luck, she’d be on one of those planes in a few months’ time. Just as she thought to mention her travel idea to Cobra, he asked, “Have you ever been on a plane?”

“No.” Her voice came out weak, barely there. “My family doesn’t believe in air travel. Or much of any travel. We only went around the county to spread the good word. Have you?”

Cobra shook his head. “Never.”

“Your parents wouldn’t let you either?”

His face tightened. “Nowhere to go. Nobody to go with. No money to take me there.”

His words fell heavily between them. The same throbbing energy from that afternoon in the lounge returned—she could feel something painful struggling to unearth itself. She grabbed for Cobra’s hand, cupped it with both of hers as if studying it.

“Why did you leave work today?”

Cobra stiffened, but he didn’t move his hand. She looked up at him. Something unknown swirled in his eyes, but it wasn’t all pain. Something desperate to connect shone through, too.

“I got a call,” Cobra said, slowly moving his gaze back out to the planes. “From someone who shouldn’t be calling me.”

Questions popped up inside her like weeds in spring. She nibbled at her lower lip. “Who was it?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

His words were final. The slamming shut of a door to that area she could only glimpse for the briefest of seconds. “Okay. So why did you choose to come here, of all places?”

Cobra took his hand from hers, smoothing his palm over his chest. Then his hand dove beneath the collar of his shirt, fishing out a chain with a simple ring dangling from it.

“This.” He showed her the silver ring. She leaned close to inspect it. There was nothing spectacular about it. “This was my stepdad’s ring. Not his wedding ring. Just one of the rings he used to wear. We would always come here and watch the planes.” Cobra sniffed, stuffing the ring back inside his shirt.

Silence sizzled between them as her gaze darted from his T-shirt back to the planes. It was getting hard to contain her curiosity. “What happened to your stepdad?”

Cobra leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees like how she’d found him. “Nothing good, that’s for sure.”

She blinked. “What does that mean?”

He shook his head. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

She crossed her legs under her on the bench, watching as an Air Canada jet began its climb toward the clouds. “Well, you kinda brought it up. Did he pass away?”

“Genevieve.” The acid note in his tone surprised her almost as much as the fact that he’d used her full name. Like getting scolded by a parent. He sent her a hard glare. “What part didn’t you understand? It’s not like you’re sharing everything about your own damn family. I don’t wanna fucking talk about it.”

“Well, Iwillshare,” she said, “if you want to hear it.”

Cobra’s jaw flexed but he didn’t say anything.

“I really want to know more about you, Cobra.” She swallowed. “I want to knoweverythingabout you. You’re really interesting. Like, honestly, the most interesting person I’ve ever met.”

He scoffed. “You haven’t met many people. At all.”

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