by N. A. Cash
I left my room and walked down a long art-filled corridor to one of the staircases that led downstairs. Dean waiting for me in the middle of the entryway as I descended the staircase. At the bottom, I rushed over and, without thinking, hugged him tightly. He stayed stiff for a minute and then melted a little. “Thank you,” I whispered and then let go.
His face had turned beet red, the sides of his lips turned up slightly. He cleared his throat before he spoke. “This way, madam. Your father awaits.”
I followed him through a set of white double doors. I saw a long mahogany table that could seat at least twelve people comfortably. Pap sat at the head of the table. At his right, with back turned, sat a man I’d never seen before. Pap spoke in hushed tones with the man. I stood hesitantly by the door, my senses heightened, as I wondered who the man was.
Dean cleared his throat, and Pap looked up. Instantly, a smile crossed his face. “Karma!”
He stood and approached me, embracing me in a hug. He then hung back and gave me the once-over. “You look stunning,” he sighed.
My eyes darting between him and our guest looming behind him. He took in my expression and followed my gaze over his shoulder. Ah, he mouthed.
He took my hand and we walked across the short distance to the table “Sweetheart, I have someone I’d like for you to meet,” Pap announced.
The man stood, seemingly in slow motion and turned around. My heart instantly skipped a beat. I immediately noticed the intense violet eyes—deep-set under thick black eyebrows in a masculine bronze face, like he spent considerable time out in the sun. His thick, wavy black hair curled around his striking face and brushed his shoulders. I glanced down to see a stiff white button-down shirt, opened at the neck. His sleeves appeared to burst at the seams in a futile effort to constrain a muscular set of arms. A pair of relaxed fit tan slacks perfectly matched his plain brown casual loafers.
“Karma, this is Valdez,” Pap said. “Valdez, meet my daughter, Karma.”
Valdez reached out a sturdy, honey-colored hand in my direction. I looked at it for a beat and took his hand mine in a solid but gentle handshake. His hand was warm and slightly calloused. I avoided his eyes, which mesmerized me. Instead, I stared at his feet.
“Nice to meet you.” His voice was heavily accented, with a Latin flair.
“Same to you.” I spoke tersely; after all, my dinner with my father was being intruded on by this stranger.
Despite his physical appeal, I didn’t know this man and as far as I was concerned, my father hadn’t proved to me yet—with the exception of Dean so far—that he was discerning where his taste in company was concerned. I pulled my hand away and looked at my father. He saw the troubled expression on my face, took my hand, and walked me around to the other side of the table to sit directly across from Valdez. I glanced up and saw him briefly looking at me. As soon as he saw me, however, he averted his eyes to my father.
“So,” Pap began. “We have an issue that needs to be dealt with. But first, Karma, I should tell you a bit about Valdez.”
I nodded in agreement. I wanted to gaze over at the stranger, but I kept my eyes directly to Pap. “Valdez is the son of an old acquaintance of mine, from my days of working with Sultren.”
My eyes lit up at this, and reflexively, I gripped the table tightly. Pap saw it. “It’s okay. He’s safe,” he rushed to say. “Valdez’s father was one of the few people that I could trust within our circle. He’s saved my life more times than I could count, and I repaid the favor when, before he died, he asked me to take in his son and keep him safe.” Pap gave Valdez a wry smile. “Your father was a great man. I valued his company and his life, as I told you several times already.”
Valdez gave a curt nod. Pap turned to me. “I took Valdez in and made sure he was trained to fight. Valdez, here, is one of the safest persons to be around. He’s an accomplished martial artist, and he’s worked protection detail. That’s where he’s just coming from actually—a mission in North Korea.”
I glanced back at Valdez only to see his back stiffen, his glance still focused on my father. “I don’t understand,” I interrupted. “What does this have to do with me? I could pretty much protect myself.”
Pap smiled. “I know honey. You are more than capable of protecting yourself, but I would feel safer having Valdez look after you.” He glanced to Valdez and back at me. “You see, although, from what you told me, Sultren might no longer be alive, but he still has wide ranging influence. In other words, he has been recruiting people for years to look for and destroy your family; even though he may not live, others will continue his mission.” He reached over and took my hand. “I just want you to be safe, Karma. We don’t always know who the enemy is, as you have seen already.”
I saw sadness pass over his eyes. I guessed he was thinking of Owen and his betrayal.
Pap paused for a long moment, looking into my eyes before he spoke again. “This leads me to my next point. We need Valdez here for our subsequent mission.”
Curiously, I looked at him. He glanced over at Valdez, who gave him a clipped nod. My father stared at me, his gaze unwavering. “We’re going to find your mother,” he announced.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
My blood chilled. “What?” I whispered.
“It’s a part of the mission that Valdez was a part of,” Pap explained. He sighed. “There’s so much you don’t know, Karma. Sultren was only the first layer of this fight. It goes so much deeper than him.”
He held my cold hands, which I realized had begun to tremble. I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing. When I felt a bit stronger, I looked to my father. “Pap, you have to tell me everything.” I squeezed his hands tighter. “I can handle it, I promise. I’m getting better at controlling my emotions. Besides,” I looked around, “I don’t want to destroy your beautiful home.”
“I know dear, and in due time, I promise, we will share all that we know. But first, I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
Pap called for Dean, who appeared in the dining room with a silver tray in his hand. Three uniformed maids of all ages, dressed in black and white, brought out various dishes on silver trays. As they approached the table and placed the food in the front of us on the table, I noticed how each of the younger women paused for a long time next to Valdez and stared at him, before moving on. Their eyes grew wide at the sight of him and one, so focused on his physique, almost tripped when bumping into a chair, barely averting catastrophe. This elicited a stern gaze from Dean. She blushed bright red, quickly served her dish, and rushed out of the room.
Valdez, on the other hand, didn’t notice the high drama. His gaze was steadily fixed on me. I felt the heat of his stare and deliberately watched the activity in the room…the ladies, and Dean running back and forth from the kitchen, putting serving platters on the table. A heavenly aroma of food wafted in with each dish that graced the dinner table.
When all was set, Dean uncovered the dishes and a variety of gourmet food lay before us. Dean stood next to me and asked which dish I would have liked. I chose a pale fish smothered in a creamy white sauce with green capers, a small spoonful of white rice, and green salad with balsamic dressing.
An older lady served Pap, and one of the younger maids served Valdez. Her nervous hands trembled so much that she nearly spilled salad dressing on Valdez, who scooted his chair back just in time to avoid it from falling on his trousers. Her face flushed red as her free hand flew to her mouth. She was about to try to pour the dressing again when Dean cleared his throat. She glanced at him, put the dressing on the table, and headed back into the kitchen.
Dean approached Valdez, who had already grabbed a napkin and began sopping up the mess on the table. “Excuse me sir, if you don’t mind switching places, I will get this cleaned up for you.”
Valdez looked around the table and then at Pap, who at first, seemed oblivious that anyone else sat at the table as he dug into his medium rare steak and mashed potatoes. He then saw the resulting havoc. “Why don’t you sit next
to Karma?” Pap suggested. “It would be good for you two to get to know each other since you’ll be working closely together.” He then returned to his food as if that was the final word.
I watched Valdez’s jaw tighten as he stood, without question, and took the seat next to me. He sat ramrod straight, his back stiff. I focused my stare on my food. Dean brought over Valdez’s meal—leg of lamb, mashed potatoes, and a side salad. He picked up his fork and was about to dig in when he paused and looked in my direction. Once again, I sensed his stare, but avoided his eyes.
He then cleared his throat. “May I have the dressing, please?”
Startled at the sound of his voice, I looked up at him. Hazel and green eyes met piercing violet. For a moment, I didn’t speak. After a moment, though, I broke out of my stupor and passed him the dressing. Our fingers briefly touched when he reached out to take the bowl, which sent a spark of electricity through my hands. I quickly pulled away. What is wrong with me? It’s not like I haven’t ever seen a man before. But those eyes…
I picked up my fork to eat as a welcomed distraction. I took a small bite of the fish and felt the velvety morsel melt in my mouth. It was delicious! Unconsciously, I moaned with delight as I sat back, closed my eyes, and enjoyed my fish. I hadn’t realized that the room had gotten quiet until I opened my eyes to find Pap, Valdez, and Dean staring at me. Pap and Dean both had smirks on their faces. A smile turned Valdez’s full lips up at the corners. I felt my face heat up.
“It’s good, right?” Pap laughed.
I nodded shyly.
“Dean here has also been the assistant to a great chef in France, where he learned some of the best cuisines you could imagine!” Pap reached over and gave Dean a pat on his arm. “Although, between us, I think he was actually the chef. He’s so modest, he gave that fat man all the credit!”
Pap let out a hearty laugh. Dean blushed a little. “No sir, just a humble assistant,” he murmured, but I could see in his eyes that he felt proud at the compliment.
I suddenly thought of another home, where I’d felt unconditional love. “You should meet my Aunt Shugs then,” I said. “She’s amazing in the kitchen. She makes the best desserts and breads…”
I stopped when I saw Pap beaming proudly at me. “You have a healthy appetite?”
I nodded, smiling. “Blame Aunt Shugs. During the time I spent with her, she taught me some of her best recipes. I also spent time learning how to cook with Mam and Aunt Vern.”
My smile turned wistful as the memories of spending time in the kitchen with them crossed my mind. I shook my head to clear it, turning to Dean. “I would love to learn from a master chef.”
The red staining Dean’s cheeks deepened. “It would be my honor to spend time with you, Miss Patel.”
He beamed at me and then promptly disappeared behind the door to the kitchen. Next to me, I heard Valdez murmur under his breath, “A woman that could cook. Impressive.” I rolled my eyes at the comment then returned to the food.
For dessert, Dean brought out slices of rich, moist chocolate cake with scoops of mint chocolate ice cream that he bragged was hand churned. Everything was so delicious that I couldn’t help rocking from side to side as my taste buds danced with each burst of flavor on my tongue. Pap sat smiling and silently watching me. We finished off dessert with cups of black coffee for Valdez and Pap; mine had flavored milk and a scoop of brown sugar. Pap then stood and invited us to sit in the living area with him.
I sat on the couch that I occupied the night before. Pap sat in the chair right across from me, and Valdez chose a chair a little ways away from us. Pap insisted he move closer. He demurred, sitting on the other end of the couch where I was. He looked uncomfortable at first, and then settled into the seat and relaxed.
Pap leaned in, his voice low. “The information I’m…we’re…” he glanced at Valdez “…about to share is confidential.”
I looked at him and then out into the entrance area. “What about the maids?” I asked innocently.
Pap waved a hand dismissively. “Dean will take care of them.”
My eyes opened in shock. Pap laughed. “No, no, no, not in that way. I mean, he has sent them home. We are the only ones here now. Except Dean. He’s trustworthy.”
We all sat in silence for a moment, then Pap turned to me. “Tell us everything again that you know about your mom and aunt, for the sake of Valdez.”
I looked from Pap to Valdez, then began, recounting everything I knew, from the moment that they got the letter, to all of my amateur sleuthing after finding the letters A.W.N. and the memory card. When I was finished, I noticed Valdez, intensely studying me. Suddenly finding it hard to focus, I felt heat rise from my stomach up to my face.
Pap sat, deep in thought, as he processed my information. I wanted to hear what he knew. “Now your turn,” I said.
Pap turned and looked at Valdez. “The last we heard, they never made it to Paris but stayed in the States. We’re not sure where, but I would assume the call made to you was from somewhere in this country.”
My eyes widened. “What? Where are they? How come they never made it to Paris?”
Valdez held up a hand. “I don’t know exactly; I only know they were last in Seattle.”
Our eyes connected for a brief moment. Neither of us spoke. Staring into his eyes, I felt as everything slowed around us.
Pap cleared his throat. Both Valdez and I turned our heads towards him. My face felt hot. Focus, Karma!
“Valdez, I need you to get as much information as you can from our sources,” Pap said. “Karma, is there anything left at the house that you think might help us?”
I frowned, thinking about the flames and what Owen had done to my home. Suddenly I remembered…the basement. I hoped against all hope that the fire didn’t destroy all of our books and Aunt Vern’s spices and recipes. “There might be,” I said.
Pap and Valdez locked eyes on me. I felt compelled to explain. “Well, we had two secret rooms that were in the basement. I think they might still be intact, if the fire didn’t get to them.”
Pap turned to look at Valdez. “It’s settled then. Valdez, you and Karma will go and examine the house first thing in the morning at dawn.”
Feelings of sadness and loss enveloped me just then. “Pap,” I sighed. “I’m not sure I can go back there just yet.”
I saw compassion in his eyes, like he understood. He reached over and took my hand. “I understand, love, but we’ve already lost so much time. We have to do what we can to see if we can still find them.”
“Well, why can’t you come with me?”
I felt childish in arguing, but I still felt unsure about Valdez.
“I’m going back to the hospital to visit Owen to find out what he knows. It’s about time my son and I had a good chat,” he announced. “I will head out after you two leave in the morning.”
Despite my wanting to protest, I figured it would be fruitless to do so.
With that, Pap got up and headed out of the room. In the doorway, he turned. “Valdez, can I have a word with you please?” he asked.
Immediately and without a word, Valdez followed Pap out of the room. Presuming that I was dismissed, I headed back up to my room.
I made a beeline for my bathroom. The thoughts of the burnt house sullied my brain. I turned the scalding hot shower on full blast and stayed under the spray for over twenty minutes. Slowly, the water relaxed me. I soaped up, rinsed myself, and got out of the tub, pulling my fluffy white robe over my moist skin.
In the closet, I found a set of pink cotton pajama set, imprinted with small yellow ducks. I stared at the outfit, smiling at the thought of Dean choosing these. “Someone has a sense of humor,” I chuckled.
The felt so soft and warm when I put them on…like I was wearing a cloud. I found a pair of fuzzy pink bunny bedroom slippers and slipped them on also. I took a brief look in the mirror, smiled at how silly my clothing was, and gathered my damp hair in a high ponytail.
I cr
awled into the plush softness of the huge, welcoming bed and was about to turn off a bedside lamp when I heard a slight knock on the door. “Who is it?” I called.
There was a pause…then the voice that I recognized immediately. “It’s Valdez.”
I blushed at the thought of him seeing me in my silly pajamas. But then my curiosity got the better of me, as I wondered what he wanted. As much as I didn’t want to leave the safety and comfort of the bed, I didn’t want him inside my room either. Reluctantly, I got up and slowly headed for the door. When I opened it, I instantly felt the intense violet stare on me—this time, though, tempered by astonishment…then a smirk. “What?” I snapped.
His smile widened. “Ducks?” he asked.
Mentally kicking myself, I looked down at my outfit and then back at him. The laugh lines in the corners of his eyes deepened as his lips turned up into a smile. “Yes,” I said defensively. “It’s very comfortable. Now what do you want?”
My obvious annoyance did nothing to wipe the smile from his face. Far from upset, he relaxed against the door jamb, his violet eyes lingering on those ducks. “Your father wanted to make sure that you were okay with me coming with you tomorrow.”
I frowned. “Why didn’t he come to ask himself?”
Arrogance morphed into irritation. “Look, Karma. I’m about as okay with this as you are,” he declared. “I don’t like babysitting emotionally charged women any more than you would like to have me babysit you.”
I cut him off. “Emotionally charged?!” I exclaimed, a part of me realizing that I was proving his point with my outburst.
“Yes,” he said, then moved his hand in my direction, sweeping it over me. “Like now.”
In a huff, I moved to slam the door in his face, but he placed a foot in the way and pressed his palm against the door. I was no match for his strength. “Look,” he said, resignation in his voice. “Like I said, I don’t like this anymore than you do. Your father just wanted to make sure that we were okay and that you won’t try to kill me.”