Page 44 of Even if You Fall

After the revelation that the remaining three wouldn’t be joining us and that Aruba had been a ruse, Lainey had silently seethed as Asher had tried getting her to understand the gravity of making her believe the lie, if even for a night. Because we were in danger.

Including me.

Safe to say, the dream of this vacation had finally, officially been destroyed with the news that there was an actual mafia family out there closely watching us and sending ominous threats.

But I didn’t ask questions, since the guys had really been talking more to Lainey than me. Then again, I wasn’t sure I could as I listened to them discuss things that all seemed so unreal. And once the four of them took off for their unknown destination, I’d found myself alone with Adam. Uncomfortable silence had pressed down around us as we waited nearly an hour before being led to our incredibly beautiful jet.

Considering there were only six seats and a couch, it made it all that much more uncomfortable when Adam chose the seat farthest from me, on the opposite side. It was like last weekend at Asher’s house all over again.

But I didn’t let it outwardly show. I just grabbed the hardcover out of my bag and settled in for the ride—however long it would be.

There was just one problem—one tattooed, terribly handsome problem.

I’d skimmed maybe three pages in the hour we’d been flying, and if my life depended on telling you anything about those three pages, all I’d be able to say wasSuperman.

Not that it was easy to focus on anything but Adam when he was near, but since he’d sat diagonal from me, he’d placed himself in the perfect position for me to study him. Which meant, I’d had nothing better to do than exactly that from over the top of my book. And since we’d taken off, he’d looked stressed in a way I’d never seen him.

I’d seen him angry. I’d seen him contemplative. I’d seen him relaxed and flirty. But I hadn’t seenthis.

With a determined breath, I set my book down as I stood. My heart racing as I made my way through the small space until I was on the couch directly across from him.

His gaze had shifted to follow my movement, and for some reason, that nearly made me chicken out of saying anything to him before the words, “Afraid of flying?” blurted out.

Shock stole across his face and was quickly replaced with irritated amusement. “Why would I be afraid of flying?” he asked, the first he’d spoken to me all morning.

“You’re just...” I gestured to him before clasping my hands together. “You’re just very tense and—not that I notice when you’re tense or anything, but you’re?—”

“Tense?” he offered, a hint of a smirk tugging at his mouth.

A soft laugh left me as I slanted my head. “Right. And you...well, you look really stressed.”

As if just the mention reminded him of whatever he’d been stressing over, his expression shifted back to the same strain I’d been studying for the past hour as his eyes seemed to glaze over.

“Is it about the, uh...family?” I asked, the last word falling to a whisper as I leaned closer, as if the pilots could hear us. Still, I was too afraid to saymafiaorWreckers, even though Cameron and Asher had tossed it around enough times at the airfield.

But when Adam’s eyes snapped to mine, seeming shocked that I knew, I unsteadily said, “I mean, of course, I would’ve rather not packed exclusively for Aruba since we could be going to Antarctica for all I know. Still, I’m trying to be understanding of why Asher wanted us to think we were going there.”

“Wait, what family are you—oh...” Adam’s throat bobbed with a forced swallow as he glanced away.

I shifted back a little, wondering what family he’d thought we were talking about. “What family did you?—”

“Mine,” he roughed out.

A slightly startled laugh left me at the unexpected answer. When he didn’t elaborate, I asked, “Why?”

“Because that’s where we’re going,” he answered after so long, I’d been sure he wasn’t going to. His stare drifted to mine, somehow seeming more stressed than before. “Colorado. That’s where we’re headed.”

“We’re going to...” For some reason, panic unfurled in my chest, and I felt unreasonably hot at the thought of meeting his family. Not that it mattered. It shouldn’t matter. Adam hated me half the time. So then, why would he be taking me to meet them? “Butwhy?”

“It’s a good cover,” he muttered as if repeating words he didn’t agree with.

“What’sa good cover?”

For some reason, Adam’s eyes seemed to clear as if he was really looking at me then—truly looking at me for the first time. A look of intrigue and bemusement slowly settled over his features as the beginning of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“So, this is the real you, Bubbles,” he muttered, making it sound like a statement rather than a question. Just as my stomach started sinking, he continued. “I don’t know how long it’s been down, but that mask you always wear isn’t there.”

I gave him a jerky shrug and a bright smile. “Once again, Superman, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

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