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Especially after everything that happened with Eileen.
Alina squirms in her seat. “So…what happens if we fail this interrogation?”
“Interview,” I correct.
“You know what I mean.”
“If you fail, you’ll be deported and likely returned to Violetta.”
Alina visibly shudders, hugging herself tighter. What’s with this reaction? All I did was say her mother’s name, and now she looks like she’s about to be sick all over the cabin floor.
What did that woman do to her?
Something… protective sparks deep within my core. I tell myself it’s nothing. Just a fleeting sensation. I swallow the feeling and bury it deep. It’s pretty obvious Alina has enough fire of her own to protect herself. Besides, I’m already taking her thousands of miles away. Whatever horrible treatment she endured under her mother’s roof won’t happen on my watch.
“I’ll have my personal assistant put together some study material,” I say after a moment too long sitting in silence.
“You have a personal assistant? What do you do?”
“Business.”
“Could you be any more vague? Just tell me and save your personal assistant the time.”
I sigh. “I’m the CEO of CyberFort.”
Alina’s pretty green eyes widen. She’s no doubt heard of the company my brothers and I built from scratch. Practically every computer in the world comes with our antivirus program pre-installed. Our product is kind of synonymous with internet security, the same way Elvis is synonymous with rock and roll.
“Seriously? Is that why Mother forced me to marry you? She wanted your money?”
I arch a brow. She thinks we were arranged for financial reasons? Violettareallykept this poor girl in the dark. “No, that’s—”
“I can’t believe her!” she grumbles, standing up from her seat. “I should have known. She did the exact same thing to my sisters.”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“To the bathroom. Is that okay with you?” Alina grumbles bitterly.
She’s just about to brush past me when the plane suddenly shakes. It’s a nasty bout of turbulence that takes us both by surprise. Alina is thrown off balance, flailing with a squeaky yelp as she falls backward. My body reacts purely on instinct, my hand flying out to grab her and pull her toward me. The momentum causes her to stumble, falling directly onto my lap.
Alina clings to me, squeezing her eyes shut as the plane continues to shake. It feels like it lasts forever. It takes a lot to make me freak out, but I’ll admit this turbulence is violent enough to make my throat tighten in mild panic.
“Is s-something wrong with the plane?” Alina stutters. She’s starting to hyperventilate, on the verge of a full-on freak out.
“Keep your eyes on me.”
“B-but—”
“Eyes. On. Me.”
It takes her a moment, but Alina finally musters up the courage to open her eyes again. When she does, her gaze locks on to mine. I can see the fear, the trepidation, but she does as I ask and looks nowhere else.
“Just breathe,” I tell her as calmly as I can. “Keep your eyes on me and breathe. In and out, just like that. Repeat after me: everything’s fine.”
“E-everything’s f-fine…”
“You’re doing great. This will pass.”
Alina nods slowly, transfixed. We’re close. So dangerously close, but some small part of my brain likes the way she holds on to me for dear life. I could kiss her if I wanted to, those plush, tantalizing lips of hers well within range. I wonder if she’d let me.
