"Cheng did this to you?" Bellisia asked, her small hands closing into tight fists.
"It was his partner, Bolan Zhu," Zara corrected. "He's a very scary man."
"Cheng doesn't have a partner," Bellisia said. "I read all the data on him. Zhu works for him as a kind of enforcer."
Zara shook her head. "Zhu is definitely more than an employee. If anything, he's the senior partner. Not in terms of age, but certainly in every other way. Cheng pays him deference." She frowned, unsure whether she should share the speculations she'd been turning over and over in her mind with them. On the surface, they seemed far-fetched, given the amount of information on Cheng and the little they had on Zhu. In the end, she decided it would be good to at least give that much to Gino. "I think there's a possibility that they're related."
Gino and Bellisia shared a look, but Zara told herself she didn't care whether or not they believed her, but she really did. Bellisia knew her. She would know she picked up details no one else did. She noticed things. More, she had a feeling about the two men. Her feelings were nearly almost always right.
A small tremor ran through her body at the thought of Zhu. She wished she could forget the look on his face when he promised her that if she didn't do exactly what he said, when he returned, her punishment would be so much worse and she'd suffer for a long time. She was certain running away with the GhostWalker team qualified as not obeying him. He was so handsome and so deadly. For some reason, his good looks made it so much worse that his actions were so horrifying. He terrified her, and she knew it would be years before she dared fall asleep without taking safety precautions.
"Related how?" Pepper asked. "I read the file on Cheng. He seems very alpha, and he definitely is older than Zhu by several years."
"I think they're brothers. Maybe half brothers," Zara qualified. She might as well say what she thought. What did it matter if they all thought she was crazy? Maybe she was. "I know they don't look that much alike. At first, I thought cousins, but they share some of the same movements, but more specifically, identical markers. Their hands, for instance. Their fingers on their hands are too exact. The way they're formed, the length and even width. Both have a flattening on the upper joint of the thumb that's very distinctive and unusual. Cheng isn't particularly beautiful, but he is attractive and the things that make him attractive, his bone structure, he obviously inherited from his mother. Zhu has that same bone structure. He's quite beautiful in a deadly sort of away."
"The only reason I'm not taking offense is you tacked on the 'deadly sort of way,," Gino said, a trace of amusement in his voice. "You've never described me as beautiful."
Pepper and Cayenne laughed softly. Nonny's lips twitched. Zara pulled forward so she could look at Gino over her shoulder. "I think you're beautiful even if I don't say it out loud." She didn't care if everyone heard. She didn't want his feelings hurt. Her gaze moved over him.
He didn't have an ounce of fat on his body and he had more muscles than anyone she'd ever met, although they were subtler than some of the other GhostWalkers'. His shoulders were wide, his hair shaggy and his black eyes were cool and calm. He had scars and a permanent five-o'clock shadow. He might not be traditionally handsome, but she thought he was far more beautiful than Zhu--or any other man she'd ever laid eyes on.
"Princess."
He didn't believe her. "No, I do. I think I did tell you in the car earlier, when the drugs were kicking in."
"I think they've really kicked in now, but thank you. I appreciate your assessment, skewed though it might be. And if any of you gossipy women tell your man what my woman just said, I'm going to have to plan revenge." Gino pulled Zara closer to him, wrapping her up tightly in his arms. His chin nuzzled the top of her head.
"This is too good to worry about your revenge," Cayenne said. "Trap is so going to love me when I tell him this."
"What's wrong with saying you're beautiful, Gino?" Zara asked. The drugs really were slowing things a little bit for her. She felt dreamy. "Is there something wrong with it, Cayenne?"
"Not at all, Zara," Bellisia assured.
"Then why are they laughing?" Zara demanded. She noticed Bellisia wasn't laughing. She had gone silent and looked at her strangely, as if she was suddenly worried. Her gaze moved speculatively between Zara and Gino and clearly, she didn't like what she was thinking.
"Tea's ready," Pepper announced, trying to change the subject. "Is it for a poultice or for drinking, Nonny?"
"Both. She should drink a cup, and we'll cool the rest. Once it's cold enough, we'll soak her feet and put some on rags for her face."
"What's in it?" Zara asked, suspicion in her voice. She couldn't help it. The tea didn't look like any tea she'd ever had before. More, there were flowers at the bottom of the cup.
"Good things. Pharmaceuticals that will help heal you faster," Nonny assured. "It's sweet and actually tastes good. One of the few I've found that is drinkable without doctoring it too much."
Gino took the cup of tea and sipped at it. "Doesn't taste bad at all, princess. Go ahead and try it." He gave her the cup but kept his hand around hers for support. "Perhaps we might try a little food. She's been on nonstop painkillers for obvious reasons. I think a little food might help."
Zara took a cautious sip. The liquid tasted strange to her, but not bad. She could drink it. She waved her free hand in the air. "I like feeling this way. I don't need help, Gino. In fact, I might be able to walk if I just get the courage to try." She wrinkled her nose. "I'm not very courageous. I could never be a spy. Or do the kinds of things Bellisia does."
"I'm learning to cook," Bellisia said. "That takes serious courage, and you're already good at it."
"I am." Zara was proud of her cooking abilities. "And don't listen to Bellisia. She's very brave all the time."
"That's it," Gino said decisively. "I'm taking you to the bedroom before you start telling people about how you attacked me."
"She attacked you?" Bellisia echoed.
"She did," Gino asserted, pushing the teacup closer to Zara's mouth. "First she took a swipe at me with the cane. Nearly took my head off."
Zara started laughing. "Not his head-head. A different kind of head."
Gino rolled his eyes and took the cup out of her hand and put it on the table. "You're done. Let's go." He stood up easily, cradling her close to his chest. "Nonny, when it's ready, will you bring the tea to put on her feet and face? I'd greatly appreciate it."
"I have smothered chicken and sausage hot on the stove right now," Nonny offered. "Give me time to make the rice and I'll bring both of you a meal."
"I would appreciate it."
Zara stroked Gino's bristles. "I love the way your face always has this perfect shadow," she whispered conspiratorially.
"Baby, did Zeke give you more meds after I brought you out here?"
She tried to remember. She petted his face again. "He might have. He gave me a glass of water. I really have to go to the bathroom."
Gino laughed softly. "Yeah, baby, he gave you more. I'm going to have to talk to him about this."
She clutched his shoulders. "You said you wouldn't leave, and you did." The hallway was really spinning, making her feel a little sick. If he left her, she wouldn't be able to crawl her way out of there. Her feet were beginning to throb again, pain pounding through her toes and the heel of her foot. It was a terrible sensation because, as if in counterpoint, the ball of her foot felt as if a thousand bees were stinging it. The floating feeling only served to make her dizzy. "I might need to get sick."
The amusement was gone in an instant and he took a detour, turning away from the direction they'd been going to open a door. She could have cried with relief when she realized they were in the bathroom. He carried her straight to the toilet, but shockingly, didn't put her down.
"Um, Gino. Put me on the floor and go." She wasn't in the habit of sitting on a bathroom floor, but her lurching stomach told her that her body was done with painkillers. He'd spent enough
time with her at the embassy and on the plane in the bathroom. Now that she was a little better, he didn't need to be with her. It was too embarrassing.
"That's not happening."
She pressed a hand to her stomach, desperate not to vomit in front of him. "Really, my body isn't used to so many painkillers. I've had more over the last six days than my entire life. Whitney didn't believe we should ever have to use them--me especially. He wanted me to build up my pain tolerance."
Her stomach lurched again and she leaned over and threw up what little contents were in her stomach. It could have been the most humiliating moment she'd had with Gino so far--and she'd had one terrible incident after another. Her hair hung in tangles around her face and fell like a rat's nest down her back. Her face was still swollen, which was bad enough, but when he'd first seen her, her eyes had been nearly closed. Her skin was still green and purple and black. Her feet were mangled, and her body a mess. Of course she had to look--and act--her absolute worst in front of the hottest man she'd ever met, especially when three of the most beautiful women she'd ever seen were just in the next room.
Her eyes burned and she squeezed her lids closed, terrified she'd cry again. All he'd seen her do from the first moment they'd met was cry. "I hate this so much," she whispered. She knew part of her emotions could really be the drugs, but it didn't matter what it was. She didn't want him seeing her like this.
"Are you finished?" Gino asked.
His voice was so gentle that she couldn't prevent a couple of tears from escaping, so she kept her head down and nodded. He carried her to the sink to allow her to rinse out her mouth. She did several times. The moment she was alone she was going to try to put her weight on her feet. She had to find a way to be more independent.
"While we're in here, you may as well use the toilet."
Her heart nearly stopped in her chest and then thudded like a drum. That was the last straw. "Not with you in here." She was firm about it. He'd already been with her in the morning, but that was before she'd met the women of the house. Now, she couldn't bear it if he had to help her.
"I'm not certain how you're going to cope without me. You can't stand on your feet yet. It isn't a big deal. Everyone uses a toilet."
"Not with you in the room."
"It isn't the first time," he reminded.
It was so humiliating. Before, she'd been out of it, terrified beyond belief, unable to do anything but writhe in pain. Now, there were three women right in the next room that he saw every day and could compare her to. She shook her head. "Absolutely not. I'll walk back into the bathroom if I have to, but you're not staying here with me." Crawl would be more like it.
He was silent for so long she had to work to keep from squirming. She really had to go now that they talked about it.
With a small sigh, Gino set her on the sink. "I'm stepping outside, Zara, but I swear, you've got three minutes and then I'm back. Get it done."
He was clipped. Abrupt. She realized he was upset. She didn't care. She'd just seen three petite women, all gorgeous and sexy, and realized just how bad she really looked--and probably smelled. She'd thrown up in front of him. She was not going to add taking care of her business in the bathroom in front of him to her list of indignities any longer. If a man wanted a mystery, Gino clearly wasn't going to get it with her.
She had to crawl to the toilet because she couldn't take the excruciating pain when she experimentally put her foot on the tile. She managed to get everything done, flush and crawl her way back to the sink. She hadn't considered the problem of pulling herself back up, so she was sitting on the floor, suffering one more indignity when Gino returned. His face was a mask, all hard lines and planes, as he bent and took her off the floor.
"Gino." She knew she shouldn't comment. She should keep her mouth shut. She detested his silence. The look that said he was upset with her. She didn't want him ever angry with her. He'd done so much for her and she seemed to be repaying him with vomit and whatever else she did to make him look like this.
He kicked open the door so hard it swung viciously, hit a doorstop and came back at them. He kicked it again and strode into the bedroom. "Let it go."
"Did I do something to upset you?"
He stopped right in the middle of the room. She could feel anger pouring off him in waves. His eyes were so black they were scary. "I'm pissed, Zara, not upset. I'm fucking done with you sacrificing your comfort because you think you need to preserve your dignity."
She swallowed back a protest, put her arms around his neck and buried her face against his shoulder. Hiding. She'd wanted to hide nearly all her life, but she'd been thrust into the spotlight--Whitney's retaliation for her disappointing him.
All the girls were so envious. She could leave the compound and see the world. She could go to various cities, go to landmarks, see sites they would never witness in their lifetimes. They told her how lucky she was over and over. Bellisia and Shylah beamed when she came back, so proud of her. All the girls sat in a circle at night and she told them stories of the outside.
The universities had been particular favorites to talk about. She hadn't attended parties, obviously, and Whitney had his men watching her every move, but she'd had the freedom to attend classes, do her projects and mix with like-minded men and women. The other girls had all lived vicariously through her. Sometimes they would tuck a request in her pocket and she'd try to fulfill it, a lipstick from the outside, girly contraband none of them were supposed to have. She had been caught more than once and punished by Whitney. His punishments had been harsh, but they hadn't been anything like Zhu's.
"Nonny thinks your body would benefit from a soak in a tub," Gino said, putting his knee in the middle of the bed and gently depositing her on the sheet-covered mattress.
The anger had receded from his voice and she dared to look at him again. His face was close. His eyes dark. His jaw was tight. A muscle ticked there, telling her his voice might not give away what he was feeling, but the tension was there.
"She says the special herbs would help heal you faster. I know it sounds a little wacky, but I've seen amazing things from her. The old ways worked for centuries before modern medicine, and just like Eastern medicine, Nonny's pharmacy out here in the swamp serves a purpose."
She studied his face, trying to read his mind. What did he want her to do? "I'm really worried about my feet. I need them."
"They'll heal. While you eat, I'm going to ask the women to fill up the bathtub with Nonny's concoction. She swears you won't need pain pills."
"I'm not going to take them anymore. I made a total fool of myself. I can't believe I was blurting out all those crazy things." And vomiting in front of him.
"Do you really believe Bolan Zhu and Bernard Cheng are related?"
She nodded. "Brothers. I don't miss the kinds of things that would genetically link them. They both have the same unusual eyes, bone structure from their mother and those fingers are distinct. I think Bolan is a younger brother and he's very dangerous. Cheng knows it too." She took a deep breath. "I can't stay here long, Gino. You know that. Bellisia isn't going to understand, but there's Nonny and Pepper and Pepper and Wyatt's three children. Pepper's pregnant. Zhu's going to come after me, and so will Whitney."
"Why? Why won't Whitney let up? Every woman here is a GhostWalker and he let them go. Why won't he let you go?"
She shook her head. "I'll tell you, Gino, but later. After my bath." After her talk with Bellisia. She trusted Bellisia implicitly. She had to know if there was corruption here. What she carried in her head was extremely valuable and couldn't be put in the hands of just anyone. Governments could be toppled with the kinds of information Cheng bought and sold. She was certain he had intelligence on terrorist cells. On traitors and agents for various countries. He knew about weapons they had and those countries developing chemicals in spite of the bans.
"We're alone right now, Zara, and I'm giving you this opportunity."
She sighed and looked away
from those dark, compelling eyes. He could mesmerize her with them. "I can't right yet. I have to think about this. I can't just ..."
"What?" he snapped. "Trust me? I parachuted onto the roof of a building for you, carried your ass out of there and risked my life for you. We all did. What more do you need to trust me?"
She blinked her lashes and breathed deeply, turning her face away from him. She was not going to cry. Bellisia wouldn't cry. Neither would Shylah. They were stoic when they had to be. Not her. Not Zara. Whitney could get to her every time. Apparently, so could Gino.
He swore softly and went to the window to stare out into the night. There was only a shadowed light from a lamp in the far corner illuminating the room, but it would be enough for a sniper to take him out. She wanted him to move. She waited, her heart beating overtime, but he just stood there, his back to her, his anger and disappointment in her coming off him in waves.
"Gino? Could you just please not stand there," she finally burst out, unable to keep quiet even though she knew it was the absolute worst thing to say.
He half turned, his face in the shadows so she couldn't read his expression. "Why?"
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