Page 68 of Mile High Ruin

She looks at him, and to my annoyance, she smiles. Then she sees me, and something softer passes through her expression.

Not embarrassment this time. Something I cannot identify.

“Thank you,” she says.

“For what?”

“The room.”

I nod.

She hesitates as if there’s something else she intends to say, then apparently decides against it and returns to the galley.

I watch her go.

Marek makes a sound.

I turn my head, and he immediately looks away.

The landing itself is uneventful. The copilot handles the descent smoothly, Hale remains restrained until the aircraft is parked, and security on the ground is informed discreetly that the captain is not to be allowed near another Chernovar aircraft.

What happens to him afterward will be decided later.

Preferably by me.

The door opens. Cold evening air moves through the cabin. Our ground vehicles are already waiting beyond the aircraft, black SUVs arranged near the edge of the private tarmac.

Anton and Marek disembark first.

Iosef follows.

I remain behind longer than necessary.

Sloane is standing near the door beside Camille, thanking the ground staff as they begin unloading supplies. When she notices me, she straightens. “Mr. Chernovar.”

“Sloane.”

Her mouth twitches.

“I suppose this is goodbye.”

She sucks in a small breath. “This assignment is finished.”

“I noticed.”

“I meant—” She stops and adjusts the strap of her bag. “I don’t know if the company will send me again after everything that happened.”

“They will.”

Her eyebrows lift. “You sound very certain.”

“I own the company.”

She exhales a soft laugh. “Right. I keep forgetting that whenever it becomes inconvenient.”

“You will be assigned to this aircraft again.”

It is not a request.