by Sienna Snow
“What the fuck are you talking about? I earned my place there, just like you did. I was fucking valedictorian.”
“Answer me something, Commander Zain. Did you sleep with your mystery man as payment that first night in Boston or did you wait a whole week out of respect for our relationship?”
Okay, this had gone on long enough. Whatever happened in their past, I couldn’t let Ashur treat Tara like this. She was one of the best people I had ever known.
“I don’t have to defend myself to you. You think everyone is like you. The majority of the world wasn’t blessed to have parents who could buy their way into things. You should talk to your father about what actually happened instead of making accusations without facts.” She took a deep breath and turned, ready to storm out of the room. But she came to an abrupt stop when she saw me.
Her face changed from sadness to emotionless calm. She had it down better than I did. Locking up our feelings was the best way to survive the careers we’d both chosen.
“Ash, leave her alone,” I said. “I could hear you up the stairs.”
“Stay out of this, Jacinta.” He stared at Tara, who held his gaze. “I’m going to get my answers one way or the other. I have too much riding on this.”
“You have no idea what I’ve had to go through or the sacrifices I’ve had to make to reach the position I have. You can pretend to be the victim of my manipulative plans all you want, but you know the truth, and you refuse to admit you got it wrong.
“What could I have expected? You’re just like the man you try so hard not to be like, wanting to use me as a way to achieve your goals. Well, I won’t have it. I’ll never let another Kumar destroy me again. And believe me, if I agreed to your proposal, you would destroy the little part of me that survived your father.”
“So, the answer is no?” Ashur’s voice was cold.
“My answer is hell no. You’re a bastard, Ashur Kumar. I can’t believe I ever thought I loved you.” Tara turned and walked out the door with her head held high.
I waited for the sound of footsteps to quiet and I was sure Tara was at a distance away before turning to Ashur.
“I never thought you’d be the asshole you like the world to believe you are. Tara didn’t deserve what you just said.”
“What do you know about it, Jacinta? I’m not the one juggling two men who love you. When you get your relationships in order, I’ll listen to you. God, I hope you aren’t sleeping with both of them.”
I narrowed my eyes but kept my cool.
“I love you as my own brother, Ashur. And I get you are hurting, but don’t ever take your anger out on me. Whatever happened between the two of you is history, you need to leave it there. Tara is a good person who does the right thing even when it costs her dearly. She isn’t the whore you accused her of being.”
“I don’t know what to believe. Why would my father do this?”
“That man wants to control every aspect of his children’s lives. He lost his hold on Samina when she chose Devin over her inheritance. You were the only one he could still manipulate.”
“No, he is a lot of things but he wouldn’t do that to me. He would never ruin a woman’s reputation like that.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I cocked a hand on my hip. “You know it as well as I do that Minesh Kumar would lie and alter facts to make a situation look the way he wanted. If you hadn’t intervened last year, don’t you think he would have used his connections to make Samina lose the election? Your father is the type of man who would help Decker in his campaign against Samina if it meant he would win his battle against his own children.”
Ashur remained quiet for a few minutes, digesting my words. He closed his eyes and lifted his face to the sky.
My heart ached for him. With the exception of Tara, Ash was the type of man who always wanted to give people the benefit of the doubt, even when all evidence said he shouldn’t. For years, Samina had been the same way. It had taken her father kicking her out of the house to make her see what a bastard the man who had raised her was. Now, Ashur was faced with accepting the truth of his father’s nature and the mistakes he’d made with Tara.
“God, I hate that man. All his money and polish, and he destroyed my one chance at happiness.” He sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Jacinta. I didn’t think seeing her would bring back so many painful feelings. She’s more beautiful now than she ever was.”
I opened my liquor cabinet, poured two fingers of scotch and handed the glass to Ashur. Yes, it was the ass crack of dawn, but this was a heated situation.
“You’re still in love with her.”
He threw back the alcohol and set the tumbler on the island. “I don’t know.”
“Liar.”
He snorted. “Maybe.”
“I say more than maybe.”
He remained quiet for a few seconds, staring at the open door, and then said, “Do me a favor.”
“What?” I folded my arms and stared at him. “I’m not kicking Tara out of my house.”
“Go check on her.” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “I…she was right. I’m a bastard. She didn’t…” He paused and blew out a deep breath. “Go make sure she’s okay.”
“Ash, you’re a good guy, no matter what you want people to believe.”
“Keep that information between us. I have a reputation to uphold.”
I nodded and left the room to find Tara.
As I passed the library, I heard the distinct sound of sniffles. I paused and quietly opened the door. Tara stared toward the river through the open balcony doors. Tears gleamed in her eyes, but there was also a hard edge to her face.
It was unusual to see the woman known as the Commander in her international work as anything but poised and always in control of her emotions. Ashur shouldn’t have made it sound like she used him to land a bigger fish. He was hurting, and Tara was the collateral damage.
“Tara. Are you okay?” I walked up and took a seat beside her.
She shook her head. “I’ve faced the worst of humanity and negotiated against the most hardened of criminals without flinching or letting their opinions or actions wound me. And here I am, letting a few choice words from someone who I left years ago make me feel like I’m a selfish, self-centered whore.”
“Ashur is a hard man. He had to be, with a father like his. But he’s a good guy.”
“It doesn’t excuse his behavior.”
“You’re right. But there is a lot of history you have no clue about.”
“Believe me, I know. I’m part of it.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. The wounds both Tara and Ashur nursed still festered, and I was the last person to give advice. My love life was a mess of its own.
“Maybe coming down this weekend was a bad idea. I should have expected Ashur to make an appearance. Especially after I stood him up in New York. I didn’t have the stamina to handle any meetings after the fallout from the No Bride project.”
Well hell, I was a dumbass. I should have suspected that Tara was the one who missed the meeting with Ashur. The tension between them was wrapped in way more than past hurts.
“I’d hoped that after all these years if we ever met again…” she paused, “…we could move past what happened when we were kids. I guess I was completely wrong. Seeing him hurts so much, Jaci. I’m thirty years old and haven’t gotten over the pain of something that happened when I was eighteen.”
“I’m glad you’re here. Sam and I missed you. Plus, you needed the break before you collapsed from saving the world.”
“What good are all my efforts if people constantly remind me of how I fucked up?”
“If it makes you feel better, you’re the only person I’ve ever seen who ruffles Ashur’s feathers, and I’ve known him for almost fifteen years.”
Ashur was hard and ruthless when it came to his business dealings. He kept his emotions under a close-fitting grip, which made him seem like a cold, calculating bastard. He used
this persona to his advantage, letting others make their opinions of him.
She gave a tight smile and continued to gaze at the river.
“He never came after me, Jaci. He believed the crap his father told him. He should have known I was lying when I said that I’d never loved him. He never questioned why one minute I was head over heels for him and the next I was walking out the door. What was I supposed to do? I either left Ashur or let Minesh Kumar destroy my family. He’s a billionaire. My parents are simple middle-class people who couldn’t afford to lose their careers.”
“I don’t have any words of wisdom. My life is pretty fucked up too.”
I heard Kevin and Veer’s laughter come up the back stairs, and I sighed. It looked like the household was up and had probably heard the argument between Ashur and Tara.
“How do you do it? How do you pretend to be with one man when you’re obviously in love with another?”
I glanced to the side and studied her. “We don’t have a choice. There is too much at stake for all three of us.”
“That’s bullshit. We all have choices.” Tara turned sad eyes on me. “We all make decisions, good or bad. I have to live with the ones I’ve made. You better get ready to live with yours.”
“Don’t you think I know this?” I heard the defensiveness in my tone as a lump formed in the pit of my stomach. My voice quivered as I asked, “Why can’t I have him and my ambition?”
“Don’t make the same mistake I did, Jacinta. I hurt the only man I ever loved to protect my family and my future. I wish every day that I’d stood up to Minesh Kumar and told him to fuck himself. You’re going to break Veer’s heart. Once you take that path, you can’t go back.”
My own heart clenched. Tara was right. I wouldn’t expect Veer to stay single once we separated. I shook my head, pushing the painful thoughts away.
“Jaci, I’m not trying to make it harder, but you have to know he will move on. He won’t have a choice. Especially if Ashur breaks me down and gets what he wants me to…” She trailed off. “Never mind. It isn’t my place to say this.”
“Tara, what am I missing? What is Ashur asking you to do?”
“This is something I can’t talk about. It is better that you find out from Veer or Ashur.”
“Oh, believe me, I will.” I frowned. Whatever this big secret was, I had a feeling it was going to be epic. Especially if Ashur went to all the trouble of crashing a party he wasn’t invited to so he could meet with Tara.
“Would you be okay with me leaving?” Tara turned to me. “Ashur is part of your family, and I don’t want to cause any more tension.”
“You’re part of the family too. If anyone is going to leave, it’s Ashur. He showed up uninvited. Sisters before misters.”
A slight grin touched Tara’s lips. “Jacinta Camden, in all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never changed.”
“Of course not. What would be the fun in that?” I offered Tara my hand. “Come on. I know the perfect solution to stupid boy issues.”
Tara lifted a brow. “And what’s that?”
“Retail therapy. Let’s grab Samina and leave the boys to do dumb boy stuff, like fishing. And if they’re hungry, they can make their own breakfast. We can grab some brunch before we shop.”
Chapter Eight
“I can’t believe you convinced Shawna to make you a custom dress,” I said to Tara as we left Prima.
It was the design studio of Shawna Martinez. She had been my first ever client out of law school. A designer from a larger fashion house had stolen a collection when Shawna had applied for a job and shown her sketches for a new line of clothing. Shawna had sued for infringement of intellectual property and shed light on the practices of companies who poached on young designers. It had taken eighteen months of high media coverage and scrutiny, but in the end, we’d won her case with a hefty settlement.
Today she was one of the most sought-after designers who produced affordable, ready-to-wear clothing.
“I know—I can’t believe it myself. I love Shawna’s clothes, and it’s almost impossible to get any pieces of her new collection,” Tara said. “I’m so excited to have a closet full of her creations. Who knew she was such a fan of mine?”
My security guard, Oscar, opened the door to the limo for us, and we slid in.
“You seriously don’t give yourself enough credit.” Sam pulled out bottled waters, one for each of us. “You’re a hero to so many people across the world. You’re the badass who will look a human trafficker in the face without flinching.”
“Well, the president made it seem as if I went behind his back and engaged in illegal negotiations.”
“He’s pissed that he looks like an ass for sitting back and letting you rescue seventy American teen girls from being sold as brides to men who wanted an easy way into the US.”
There was a silent epidemic of poor immigrant families from the Middle East and Asia, where parents sold their daughters to wealthy men who were looking for a legal way into the United States. The girls had no choice in what happened to them, and if they refused, they were either thrown out of their homes or physically harmed. These parents viewed the dowry earned more than worth giving up a child to a man who could be three times their age.
It made my stomach turn to think of a thirteen-year-old girl having to marry a man in his fifties.
“I agree with Sam,” I interjected. “You put a spotlight on something that was being ignored by the majority of the world. If I didn’t have this senator gig, I would join you on your crusade.”
Ever since what happened to me after Grey Decker Junior attacked me, I’d wanted to find a way to help those who were abused by the powerful. I’d thought running against these assholes was the way, but lately I was seeing the merits of using Tara’s tactic of taking action and dealing with the consequences later. She had accomplished more in the past few years than I could have ever imagined.
“Jaci, the very man who ripped me a new one to the media is a member of your party. I never thought you’d go against the president.” Tara furrowed her brow and gave me a look of disbelief.
“There are a lot of things I don’t agree with him on.” Among them the fact that he treated women as if their sole duty was to cater to men. “He may be the main party representative, but that doesn’t mean he leads me around by the nose.”
“Does he know this?” Sam asked while sipping her water. “He acts as if you’re the daughter he’s grooming to take his place.”
“It’s a game, Sam. You of all people should know how this works. Whatever I feel comes second to the end goal: me in the White House.” I leaned back against the leather seat and kicked off my heels. “He, in all honesty, can’t stand me. He’s a childhood friend of Grey Decker and thinks I orchestrated the fall of both Decker Senior’s and Junior’s careers.”
“Well, it takes one dipshit to defend another.” Sam frowned. “To unseat men like them was the reason we went into politics, and now you’re catering to one of them.”
“That’s not fair, and you know it. I don’t have the freedom you do to oppose Edgar outright. My job is to play the chess game and let him think I’m a pawn. And then unseat him and let him realize I was the queen the whole time.”
“Sorry, Jaci, but I’m not sure I can handle another four years of Edgar’s shit.”
I wanted to growl. If Edgar lost the election, then I’d have to go up against an incumbent when my time came, and that was always twice as hard to win, even more so if my challenger was a popular president.
“Don’t scowl at me.” Sam folded her arms across her chest. “I’m only stating what I feel. I don’t have to be PC when it’s just us.”
Before I could respond, Tara spoke. “So, in other words, you and Edgar are using each other for political gain. He needs to improve his image with the nation and the more moderate Republicans after his antics this year, and having you as a member of his inner circle gives him an image of being more progressive. For you,
it is all about getting him to position you as his successor since you need the support of the old-school party voters.”
I sighed and set my water bottle in the holder. “Yep, that about sums it up.”
“This is why I’d rather negotiate with terror groups. At least I know going in that they’re the scum of the earth and I don’t have to pretend to like them when we speak.”
“Tara, some of the stuff you do scares the shit out of me.” I studied the exhaustion still lingering on her face. “Please, for the sanity of everyone that loves you, no more secret meetings with known terrorists. Those men could have killed you. I’m afraid to ask what you did to get them to listen to a word you had to say.”
“Things aren’t cut and dry. Besides, I had help.” Her eyes shifted to the window, and she stared out at the cars zooming past us. “I was never in the type of danger the president made it out to be. And I’d be damned if I was going to let another little girl marry some old man because of tradition.”
“I’m sorry, Tara. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I promised a relaxing weekend, and I’m failing miserably.”
“It’s okay.” She turned back to me. “Today has been just what I needed.”
Tara’s phone chimed as did Sam’s and mine.
“Okay, what’s going on?” Sam pulled her mobile out of her purse.
I read through the messages my assistant Trisha was sending me and my heart sank, while a headache flared to life.
Images of Tara, Sam, and me were all over the Internet, and Decker had decided it was the perfect opportunity to hold a press conference discussing my questionable interaction with a liberal senator and an international activist with “possible” ties to terrorist organizations. He’d labeled me morally corrupt, and then there were posts about the president using his social media platform to support an investigation into our “secret” meeting. The fucking president was siding with Decker.
“Shit, fuck, shit.” Sam ran a hand down her face. “Since when are lunch and shopping considered a secret meeting? I love you, Jaci, but this president has got to go.”