The Deadly Match

by Kishan Paul

  Eddie remained glued to his seat, regarding them. Her dark hair tied back in a tight ponytail, the bottom half of the locks were colored a deep blue. He couldn’t think of a time he’d ever seen her without makeup, and yet there she stood, without a drop of anything on her attractive face.

  “Hi, Leanna,” he announced from his spot.

  She kept the kid in a hug and grinned at him. “I hoped you’d show.” She swatted the back of the poor guy’s head and pulled away. “And you. Why didn’t you tell us you were coming?”

  Reds and blues flashed from behind their vehicle. A mix of coffee and bile rose up Eddie’s throat while the police cruiser pulled up and parked behind them. “Is there anyone in town who doesn’t have access to the property?”

  She released the kid and leaned her arms on the open window of the SUV. “That’s Justin. He’s fine.”

  “Fine,” he mouthed. The response did nothing to ease his building edginess. Through his rearview mirror, he observed fine Sheriff Justin climb out of his patrol car and head over to them.

  A dog barked from across the orchard and ran toward them. All thoughts about ineffective security gates, the cop, even the four-legged creature making a beeline for them faded as soon as he laid eyes on the woman following behind the animal. She stopped a few yards away and crossed her arms. While Eddie watched her, she watched Raz.

  The long black curls he remembered were gone. In their place hung straight dark brown locks mixed with streaks of light brown and gold. The ends were cut to her shoulders and curled in toward her jaw. A jaw more rounded, somehow even more feminine than he remembered. Skin once golden brown had deepened several shades to a sexy umber. The flawless smile, the one with the perfect corners that made him forget how to speak much less think, stretched across her face as she watched her son.

  He swallowed and gripped the wheel, trying to ease the tightness in his throat. After all this time, the effect she had on him had only amplified. An ache he didn’t like filled him the second she wrapped her arms around Raz and held him close.

  “Hey, Justin.” Leanna’s greeting to the officer pulled Eddie out of his trance. She stood leaning against his still-open passenger door, smiling at the approaching officer. A cop whose fingers casually rested on the holster of his weapon.

  “Hey, Lee. Everything okay?” he asked as he neared.

  “Don’t I look okay?” She winked.

  He planted a hand on her shoulder. “Beautiful as ever.”

  Her smile widened at his compliment. “Zayne decided to pay us a surprise visit so we’re doing really well.” She pointed in the direction of the reunion. “Although he might need your help, seeing as how he’s currently being crushed to death by his momma.”

  She pulled away from the vehicle and waved her hand at Eddie. “And he brought an old friend with him.”

  “Nice.” The officer lowered his six-foot frame and stared in the cabin, locking eyes with Eddie suspiciously. He waved at the cop but said nothing. The man broke his focus and glanced out the vehicle’s window at mother and son.

  Eddie didn’t like the way the fine sheriff looked at her, nor did he like how fast he carried his uniformed ass over to her side.

  Ally held Razaa tight. Her son was safe and home. Sending him away had been one of the hardest decisions of her life. Jayden’s condition had gotten worse, and watching the toll it took on both her sons killed her. To ensure at least one survived, she did the only thing she could—pushed Razaa away. She stepped back, scanning him for signs of injuries. No apparent missing limbs or lost appendages. His dark hair had been left longer on top and brushed back while the sides were buzzed short. Tanned arms visible from under his short-sleeve gray tee appeared more muscular. The scrawny boy who’d left her had returned a man. “You’re okay,” she whispered her relief.

  “I promised you I would be.” Even his voice sounded deeper, more adult.

  She nodded but said nothing. Instead, she hugged him, memorizing the smell of his soap and the feel of his heart thudding against her cheek. When he loosened his grip and cleared his throat, she hugged tighter. “Not yet. I need to hold you for a little bit longer.”

  He chuckled and stopped fighting.

  “The nightmares I had…”

  “Were your fears,” he whispered in her hair. “I’m good, Mom.”

  Mom.

  Once upon a time, the word sounded odd falling from his lips—to both of them. But now, hearing it brought tears to her eyes. She blinked them away and placed her palm on his cheek. “Yes, you are.”

  “Zayne, is that you?”

  Ally released her hold on her son’s face and turned to greet Justin.

  “It’s good to see you.” Justin beamed at her son. At six feet, in his pale beige police uniform and black weapon belt, the town’s sheriff looked a lot more intimidating than he actually was. He had been one of the many gems they’d discovered on the island. A loyal friend who understood their situation and, when Razaa was at his lowest, stepped in and rescued him.

  “Thank you, sir. For everything.” Razaa shook his hand. “It’s good to be home.”

  Still gripping her son’s palm, Justin placed his other arm around her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “You scared the hell out of your poor mom though. How about next time, you give her a heads up you’re coming, and instead of blocking the camera when you pull up, let her know it’s you?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He gave her another squeeze before letting go. “I’m sure you have a lot to talk about, so I’ll let you all have your reunion.”

  Razaa stared past her at the house in the distance. “I wanted to come sooner…”

  The contrition in his words had her reaching for his chin. “He’s fine, and you had more important things to do.”

  He nodded.

  “How long are you staying?”

  “That’s up to him.” He tipped his head toward the still-idling SUV.

  She peered over his shoulder at the lowered window and the man seated inside. Eddie waved when her eyes locked with his. “How did you two wind up together?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  She crossed her arms. “One of the things you will discuss with me later?”

  “Yes.” He rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous gesture he’d picked up in the past few years, and waved at the driver in the SUV. A driver who’d done his best to avoid her.

  She had reached out to Eddie several times. Her efforts always ended the same. With silence. Ally wasn’t sure what bothered her more, the fact Eddie showed up now, or the realization he’d been a part of Razaa’s life the past year and no one mentioned it to her.

  The door to the vehicle opened, and Eddie climbed out. She stayed rooted to her spot, watching a piece of her past return. Memories she’d locked away bubbled to the surface. He was the link to the life she once led, could no longer have, and yet still hungered for. Dark glasses covered his hazel eyes. A dark blue pair of jeans fit snug around his hips, and an untucked striped dress shirt stretched across his chest with its sleeves rolled above his elbows. He gave her a nod and walked toward her.

  Apollo let out a soft whine from beside her, reminding her he knew Eddie as well. Ally scratched the top of his head. “Go.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  LEANNA

  (A FEW MINUTES EARLIER)

  Eddie watched the mother and son hug fest from the safety of his vehicle, leaning over the open door. The passenger seat beside him shifted, and the other car door slammed shut. He didn’t bother looking over and continued his focus on the embracing pair. “Couldn’t they have come up with a different name for the business? One that didn’t resemble her old name?”

  “It’s great to see you too, Lee. You look as sexy as always,” came her peppy response.

  “Lee?” He checked her out. “The nickname and the country girl look suit you.”

  Her grin widened. “Ooh, did you just compliment me?” She smoothed down her hair and grinned. “And than
k you. I think so too.”

  He returned his focus to the little family outside and Officer Justin who joined them. “Your security system sucks. And it took lover boy way too long to get here.”

  She swatted his arm. “And just like that, he’s gone.” She reached over and gave him a side hug. “First of all, I’m not sure how you accessed the gates, but you’ll tell us, and we’ll fix it. Second, by lover boy, if you mean the sheriff, well, Justin showed up ten minutes after we called. Outside of teleportation, I think he was pretty damn fast. Third, she had nothing to do with the Marquis Orchards name. Not that Marquis and Dimarchi are all that similar. Any other burning issues we need to address immediately?”

  Alisha had an arm around Raz while the fine sheriff kept one on her. The perfect image of a family: smiling, at ease with each other, even the dog circled them, wagging its tail.

  Leanna reached over and traced a finger between Eddie’s brows. “Your forehead’s doing that wrinkling thing it does when you’re not happy. You should try yoga or meditation. Trust me, it’ll extend your life by twenty years and keep you from getting any more of these lines up here.”

  He shook her hand off but kept his focus fixed on the trio.

  “They’re just friends.”

  The just friend finally took his hands off her. He stepped back and walked toward his cruiser, giving Eddie a nod as he strolled past.

  “Not sure why he’s not more though,” Leanna continued. “He is the closest thing to perfect I’ve ever seen. And damn if he doesn’t look sexy in his uniform.” She let out a soft whistle.

  Raz waved in Eddie’s direction.

  “You’ve got to see his backside. It’s a work of…”

  Eddie climbed out of his vehicle, slamming the door before Leanna could finish detailing her appreciation for Sheriff Justin’s ass.

  A second later, the Lab shoved its snout into Eddie’s leg. He rubbed behind its ears. “Puppy? Is that you?” While the old friend licked his hand, another old friend approached.

  “Hi, Eddie. It’s been a long time.” Hypnotic brandy browns that once left him speechless appeared to have the same power over him. She did that thing again, the one that made it hard for him to think—she smiled.

  His lips curved up on their own accord. “It has.”

  She offered her hand to him. “Thank you.”

  He rubbed the scar on his neck and eyed her palm suspiciously. “For?”

  “Taking care of my son.”

  His smirk stretched wider. “Your son took care of himself.” He gave her palm a firm squeeze as he took in the house behind her. “Nice property you have here, Nadiya Lane.”

  He pronounced the name slowly, each letter and syllable emphasized in the process, and he noticed the way she shifted her weight uncomfortably.

  She cleared her throat and slipped her hand out of his grip.

  Unable to help himself, he moved in closer. “So, Nadiya, do I get a hug too?”

  Asking for hugs wasn’t exactly his thing. Then again, neither was flying across the globe to lay eyes on the woman he’d unsuccessfully tried to forget. And yet there he stood with his arms wide open, aching for her to enter them. He’d had drawn out debates with himself about staying away from her because nothing good would come from injecting himself in her life. Even then, the thoughts of her nagged at him until he couldn’t ignore the voices any longer. He’d reasoned that maybe seeing her would break the hold she had over him.

  When she stepped into his arms, a swell of heat burned through him. The instant their bodies connected, he knew he’d lied to himself.

  Sweet but not floral, her perfume reminded him of fresh cotton mixed with a hint of vanilla. He filled his chest with her scent. Her five-foot-eight frame was more muscular, less soft than he’d imagined. He closed his eyes and savored the feel and the smells of Alisha AKA Sara AKA Nadiya. Instead of it satisfying his need, he found himself fighting his urge to hold her tighter. To press his face in her hair and never let go.

  He rested his palm against the hard metal of the weapon lodged against the arch of her back. “I see you’ve started carrying.”

  Her back stiffened, and he reluctantly released his hold when she moved out of his grasp.

  She crossed her arms and surveyed him. “Only when uninvited guests show up and break on to my property.”

  Eddie leaned toward her and whispered in her ear, “You called me, remember?”

  She flinched and gave her head a slow shake. “I’ve emailed and called dozens of times in the past couple years, and you’ve never responded. So, forgive me if you showing up now surprises me.”

  If her words were intended to shame him, they worked. He grimaced. “I’m sorry. I can be an insensitive prick sometimes.”

  “Sometimes?” Her cheeks flexed as if trying to fight a smile. “Come on. My youngest will be happy to see you again.”

  Ally led Eddie toward her home, leaving Razaa, Apollo, and Lee beside the barn. She moved with a bounce to her step. A bounce she hadn’t had in a while. Razaa came home, and the added anticipation of Jayden’s happiness when he discovered his brother’s return had her walking faster. Mixed in with the joy of having both her boys under one roof was the arrival of the man behind her. A man who could help her get everything she wanted. She hesitated at the entrance to the doorway and glanced in his direction. “My son is immunocompromised, so I have to ask—”

  He interrupted her before she finished. “I’m not sick, and we stopped on the way, washed up, and changed everything including our shoes before we arrived.”

  “Thank you.”

  He flashed her a lopsided grin. “I’m pretty sure Raz would have kicked my ass if I didn’t comply.”

  After entering and securing the front door behind them, she watched as he slipped off his shoes. He’d always had a muscular frame, but he seemed bulkier than she remembered, the curves and dips of his muscles more visible under his shirt and jeans. The usual buzz cut that crowned his head had grown in, revealing waves in his thick jet-black hair she never realized he had. A shadow of a beard hugged his strong jaw.

  She smirked at the way he planted his hands on his hips, disapproval narrowing his brows and creasing his forehead as he took in her home. “Not impressed?”

  “Not sure yet.”

  “While you figure out how unimpressive my home is, I’m going to go lock my gun away and get my son out of hiding.” She paused mid-step and gazed over her shoulder at the scowling critic. “When you meet him, don’t mention you brought his brother home with you. Razaa wants to surprise him.”

  Her excitement ebbed during the time it took to secure her gun. Eddie’s reasons for the visit were unclear, but she intended to use it to her advantage. She needed his help and would lock him in a room if need be to plead her case. He would shut her down, but she hoped with enough convincing she might be able to sway him. The convincing required him seeing her reality. To understand the human aspects of her situation and hopefully encourage him to think with his heart rather than his head.

  She descended the basement steps, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. Ally squatted on the floor beside the bottom step and ran her fingers beneath the lip of its tread. When she pressed against the slight knot on the surface of the wood, the last half of the basement steps popped up. Like a drawbridge, she lifted the hinged section above her head, revealing a passageway and locked metal door below. Ally descended the few steps lower and typed in the code to the blast proof door, waited for the click, and entered.

  The eight-foot by eight-foot reinforced bomb shelter could withstand an F5 tornado and the harshest of IED blasts. On the off chance those safeguards were not enough, an escape door at the far end of the room sat ready to lead occupants to a tunnel to the outskirts of the orchard. All those precautions to protect the valuable hidden inside—her son.

  Jayden sat on the floor in the far corner of the shelter with his legs crossed and a book in his lap. His dog, Zeus, laid behind him, curled around t
he back half of the child’s body. At some point while he read his book, he had leaned back against the black-and-white canine pillow and drifted off to sleep.

  The giant dog’s pale blue eyes tracked her. Its white snout rested on her son’s left thigh while its belly hugged his back and his long hind paws pressed atop his right leg. Her child’s loyal companion wagged his white-tipped black tail at her in acknowledgment.

  She bit the inside of her lip and surveyed him. The illness had taken a toll on him. The simple act of walking from one room to another tired him, indicating his blood count had dropped. What would happen to him if they weren’t able to get him the help he needed? Ally shoved away the voice of fear and plastered a smile before seating herself beside him.

  His lids flipped open as soon as she uttered his name. “Is Bhai here?” The excitement in his face eased a little of her worry.

  “Well, we do have a guest. An old friend. You met him a long time ago, but I’m not sure if you remember him.” A spasm of guilt shot through her when his face fell.

  He tilted his head as if considering her words. “What’s his name?”

  “Eddie Uncle.”

  Jayden’s face scrunched. “He sounds old.”

  She shrugged. “Yeah, it’s a weird name, but your bhai thinks he’s pretty cool.”

  As anticipated, the bhai endorsement intensified his curiosity. Dog and boy climbed to their feet, rushed out of the underground room, and ascended the stairs to investigate the cool visitor.

  Ally hung back to secure the area while he and Eddie had their reunion. The shy child she met in Karachi had transformed into a social and fearless young man. He loved people. Whenever he tagged along with her during her grocery runs, he’d start conversations with every stranger he ran met, and for the most part, they responded in kind. How could they not? His enthusiasm, his wonder for life, all of it brought a smile onto the surliest of faces.

  In the beginning, his extroversion terrified her, and she tried to keep him at home. One wrong word to the wrong person and everything they’d built could be destroyed. Until she realized silencing his voice would mean stifling his innocence. It meant explaining an unsafe world to a then four-year-old. That he was different and therefore must live a life of a recluse, looking over his shoulder for hidden dangers. The way Razaa had started to. She couldn’t destroy his innocence. Both needed a semblance of a normal life. A place they could call home. An identity far beyond a random name picked out by strangers in an agency who knew nothing about them.