The valet starts to protest when a man walks quickly up to him. “Let them park their own car. Americans have different needs than we do.”
He turns to me. “Welcome to the Serena. I’m the hotel manager. The Ministry Secretary has told me privately you are part of Mr. Laskin’s delegation,” he says quietly. “I have arranged for you to stay in an adjoining room to their suite. Of course, the door can be locked from either side . . . if the newlyweds require privacy.”
“Good to know,” I say, grabbing my key cards out of his hand.
“Room 402,” he says, looking down. “And I’m assuming you have adhered to the government’s rules on weaponry.”
“You’re welcome to check our bags if you like.” I motion toward where Butch and Bryce are standing. Bryce waves his arm over our luggage as he peers at the manager over the top of his sunglasses.
“That won’t be necessary,” the manager says as he walks away as quickly as he came.
When we get in the room, I try to open the adjoining door. It’s still locked on their side. I knock. Millie opens it almost immediately. She’s holding a change of clothes including undergarments. I hope she knows she’s not changing in front of him.
“Master Chief,” Alex says as he walks swiftly over to me. “As I’ve already told you, we have eyes watching us at all times. We’re supposed to be strangers. We can’t have you coming into our room.”
I ignore him and look back at Millie. “You okay?”
She smiles and nods. “I’m good. We’re getting ready to have dinner on the patio off the lobby. And hopefully start making contacts with some of Azayiz’s old friends.”
“You want to change in our room? I’ll make the guys leave.”
“It’s not like I haven’t seen her naked before,” Alex says, laughing.
“Alex!” Millie jumps between us. “Completely inappropriate.”
“Oh, I’m inappropriate, but he’s not?” He gestures toward me. Millie has her back pressed firmly against me—trying to hold me back. I’m not moving. He’s still trying to provoke me. It’s not going to work.
“That statement was inappropriate, Alex. Get yourself under control.” Millie looks up at me. “I’m changing in the bathroom. He will, too. No one is seeing anyone else naked.”
She disappears into the bathroom. I hear the door lock.
“We’re getting ready to leave for dinner,” Alex says, motioning me to the door.
“Great. I could use a bite to eat.” I hold up my hand to stop him from replying. “We’re not going to eat with you, but we are going to be there—within ten to twenty feet of you.”
“I don’t think that’s the best idea,” he says.
“Thanks for your input,” I say, turning around to go back in my room. “Bryce, you want to have dinner? Alex is buying.”
“Hell yes. I’m starving.”
I turn around as I start to close the adjoining door. “This door stays unlocked. If I try it and it’s locked, I will break it down. You understand?”
He glares at me. I close the door behind me and stand there, waiting to hear the sound of the door locking. He’s stupid enough to try it. I don’t hear it. He must be learning. I look at Ty and Butch. “After we leave, sweep both rooms for bugs and cameras. Look into Agent Laskin’s gear. Let me know what weapons he’s carrying. And jam some wire into that dead bolt to make sure he can’t lock it.”
“Roger that,” Butch says.
Millie is sitting alone at the table when we walk into the courtyard. She’s wearing a dark blue dress with what looks like glittery diamonds all over it. Her hair is flowing down her back and shining even brighter than the dress. If she wants people to notice her, mission accomplished. Every eye in the room is on her.
Alex is nowhere to be seen. I’m instantly pissed off. So much for him having her back. I ask the host to seat us at a table separated from her table only by a row of thick palm plants. Millie sees us walk to our table.
As we sit down, the waiter approaches her table and bows slightly. “Mrs. Laskin, welcome to the Serena. Is this your first time in Pakistan?”
“It is,” Millie says. “I hope to get out and explore. I’ve heard Islamabad is a beautiful city. My great-aunt was born in Pakistan.”
“Really? You have Pakistani blood?”
“No. She married my great-uncle—a Bosnian. One side of my family is Bosnian. The other is American.”
“Interesting. Does your aunt live in Pakistan now?”
“I really don’t know. I’ve lost touch with that side of my family. Her name is Azayiz Custovic. I’m not sure of her given last name—her Pakistani name. Custovic is her married name.”
Even with my obstructed view through the palms, I can clearly see the waiter should never play poker. Millie has to be catching the shock on his face. Alex walks up from behind the waiter and sits down. The waiter jumps slightly.
“I think my wife has enough water,” Alex says, gesturing to the water pitcher in the waiter’s hand.
“Yes, sir. Of course,” he says quickly. “Enjoy your meal.”
“What was that about?” Alex says as he watches the waiter walk away.
“Oh, just small talk about the city. I dropped Azayiz’s name. He didn’t bite,” she says.
Although her tone is smooth, I know she’s lying to him. I’ve seen her pick up almost undetectable facial tics when she’s interrogating someone. There’s no way she missed the waiter’s face when she said Azayiz’s name.
“Surely we’ll find someone at the hotel who knows her. Give it time. Let’s just enjoy our dinner. Have some wine. Talk about old times,” he says, reaching across the table to stroke her arm. “And maybe some new times . . .”
She pulls her arm back. “Alex. This is just an assignment. Purely professional. I know we both have roles to play, but let’s not get them confused with reality.”
He says something quietly to her that I can’t hear. She smiles at him, but I can tell she’s uncomfortable. I want to pull her away from him so badly.
“You want to switch seats so you don’t have such a good view?” Bryce says.
“I’m good,” I say, not taking my eyes off Alex. I tune back into their conversation.
“Hey,” Alex says as he pours Millie a glass of wine. “I haven’t seen Mason down here. Maybe he’s finally starting to realize you can take care of yourself.”
“Yeah, maybe. He’s really not that persistent,” she says. “Or protective, for that matter.”
I smile. The sarcasm is definitely meant for me. She knows it’s one of my favorite things about her.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Virginia Beach, Virginia
August 6, 2011
Chase knocked on Millie’s door gently. She had been staying in their guest room since Mack died. Mack asked him to get Millie away from his mom if anything happened to him. That’s what Chase did. He delivered the news about Mack’s death to Camille and Millie, and told Camille he was taking Millie. Camille put up a fight, but Chase ignored her. He helped Millie pack a bag and just left with her. She was living with his family now, and that’s how Chase intended to keep it.
There was no answer, so he knocked again. “Millie. Hey. Today’s your dad’s funeral, honey. I really think you should come,” he said gently as he opened the door a crack.
“I don’t want to see anyone.” He could barely hear her, but at least she was talking. She hadn’t said two words in the week she’d been with them.
He opened the door a little farther. “There’s not going to be a lot of people there. Just me and Mar. And a few guys who worked with your dad. Less than ten. I really think you should be there to put his ashes in the ocean. He would have wanted that.”
Chase turned on the light. He couldn’t see her under the mound of blankets. He walked over and sat on the edge of
the bed. He slowly pulled the blankets back. Her face was covered by a mess of blonde hair. He brushed some of it away, so he could see her eyes. They were red and swollen.
“Sweetie, will you please do this for me?” he said gently. He knew she would regret not saying goodbye to Mack.
She nodded slightly. “Okay.”
“Do you want Mar to help you get dressed?”
She nodded again.
Chase pulled the blankets back under her chin. “She’ll be up in a second.”
Millie sat up after he left. She barely had the energy to do that, much less actually leave the house. She hadn’t left the bed except to go to the bathroom for almost a week. Mariel came in every once in a while to deliver food that Millie barely ate. And Chase came to sit with her after she had nightmares every night. She hadn’t had any human contact besides that. And now they were expecting her to talk to people at her dad’s funeral. She had almost decided to change her mind about going when Mariel bounded into the room.
“Good morning, sweetie!” Mariel smiled at her enthusiastically. “I’m so glad you’re going to come with us today. It’s going to be a beautiful day on the water. Some sunshine will do you good.”
Mille felt exhausted just listening to her, but she tried to smile. Mariel had been so nice to her since she arrived.
“It’s really hot today,” Mariel said as she sorted through Millie’s clothes. She had gone down to the Outer Banks yesterday and gotten more of Millie’s things. Millie could imagine that Camille and Mariel had fought, but she didn’t have the energy to ask about it. Mariel held up a pair of khaki shorts. “Maybe you can just wear shorts.”
“No, I want to wear a dress,” Millie said, pointing at the closet. “Dad really liked that pink one. He always said I looked pretty when I wore it.”
Millie’s eyes started to fill with tears as she slumped back down in the bed.
Mariel took the dress out of the closet and laid it on the bed. “It’s beautiful, honey. That’s perfect. Do you want me to help you get dressed?”
Millie looked up at her as the tears started to fall. “I don’t think I can do it myself.”
Mariel smoothed Millie’s hair out and kissed her forehead. “Then we’ll do it together. All day. It’s me and you. We’ll do everything together. Okay?”
Millie nodded as she wiped her tears away. “Okay.”
Millie sat silently in the back seat of the car as Chase drove toward the marina. Chase told her that Mack wanted his ashes dumped at sea. She had to take his word for it. She had never talked to her dad about anything like that. When they pulled up to the marina, Chase opened her door and put his arm firmly around her shoulders as they walked to the boat slip. When they got there, she saw a handful of guys that looked like Chase and her dad. She figured they were all SEALs.
As they helped her onto the boat, they all introduced themselves and told her how they knew her dad. She tried to smile and nod, but she wasn’t hearing anything they said. She finally made it to the bow of the boat and sat down. She felt Mariel sit down behind her and put her arms around her. They sat silently until the boat anchored a few miles off shore.
“Millie, sweetie, it’s time to put your dad’s ashes to rest now,” Chase whispered softly into her ear. “Do you want me to do it?”
She shook her head and stood up slowly. She took the urn Chase was holding. He took the top off. She kneeled on the bench and turned the urn upside down. The ashes fell quickly into the water—some of them blowing away in the gentle wind. She watched them. All she wanted to do is dive in with them. Chase grabbed the urn out of her hand and caught her as she started to fall forward. He hugged her tightly to his chest as she sobbed. Everything was silent around them. No one was making a sound. Millie looked up as she noticed some movement at the rear of the boat. All the guys were throwing something into the ocean.
“They’re throwing their tridents in after him,” Chase whispered to her. “It’s what we get when we become SEALs. When one of us dies, we give them our tridents as a sign of respect. Your dad was the best guy—really the absolute best among us. Always remember that.”
Millie put her head back on Chase’s chest as he squeezed her tighter. They sat that way all the way back to the marina.
Chapter Thirty
Millie
Islamabad, Pakistan
2020
Alex reaches across the table to hold my hand again. I know by the way he’s looking at me the wine has taken control of his body. I unfortunately remember from when we were together that wine makes him really horny.
“Millie,” he says, stroking my hand with his thumb, “I’ve really enjoyed our dinner. Maybe we can continue this conversation with a nightcap upstairs.”
I try to control the disgust that’s surging through my body. We’re in public, and I know I have to stay in my devoted-wife character, but he’s starting to get a little too into this whole thing. It’s getting creepy.
“Why don’t you go up without me? I’m really full. I think I need to take a walk in the gardens to settle my stomach.” I smile as I discreetly slip my hand out of his.
“I don’t know if you should stay down here by yourself,” he says, sitting back in his chair as the waiter hands him the dinner bill to sign. “A stroll in the gardens could be romantic.”
“Actually, I could use some alone time to get my thoughts together,” I say quickly. “And I’ll be fine by myself. The hotel is safe.” And I know Mason will stay behind to watch me. Alex still hasn’t seen him. He’s not nearly as sharp as he used to be, or he’s just off his game because of the wine.
Alex stands up and walks around to pull out my chair. He gives me his hand to help me stand. As I get up, he puts his other arm around my waist and pulls me to him. He kisses my lips softly. It takes every ounce of self-control I have to not punch him. I shove him away. He looks at me—his eyes stern like he’s about to discipline me.
“PDA of any kind is inappropriate in this country. You know that,” I say quietly. “And if you kiss me like that again, I will cut off your balls.”
He takes a quick step back. “I’m just playing the role of your husband, Millie,” he whispers thickly. He smiles and brushes my cheek with his hand. “I’ll see you back up in our room.”
My body shudders from revulsion as I watch him walk away. I walk quickly in the other direction. As I round the corner into the gardens, I close my eyes and inhale the sweet smell of jasmine. The fragrance is intoxicating and relaxing. Exactly what I need right now. I’m just starting to relax when I hear a man clearing his throat behind me. I turn around quickly to find a stranger standing about twenty feet from me.
“Did you know jasmine is the national flower of Pakistan?” he says, smiling.
“I didn’t know that.” I take a step back. “They’re lovely.”
“Some people say jasmine symbolizes purity and modesty, while others say it symbolizes desire and sensuality. It’s mysterious—like a person with two different identities. Don’t you think?”
“Maybe,” I say slowly. “I guess it depends on the person.”
“I find it reminds me of a young woman—possibly born into one life, but living another—searching for her true identity.”
He’s testing me. He definitely wants to tell me something. “Do you know anyone like that?” I take a few steps toward him.
He smiles. “There are many young girls named after the jasmine flower. Yasmine is a very popular name in this region.”
I’m within five feet of him now. The gardens are dimly lit, but I can still see his left eye twitching. “That’s a beautiful name. Any girl would be lucky to have it.”
“Indeed.” I hear a slight quiver in his voice. “Even if she only had it for a few months after she was born.”
The door to his right suddenly opens. A young couple walks out and glances at us
briefly. I look back at the man. He’s taken a few steps toward the door.
“Do you work at the hotel?” I say, trying to keep him engaged, but I can see by the worried look in his eyes that the moment has passed.
He smiles and formally bows. “Mrs. Laskin, I forget myself. My apologies. My name is Mr. Bukhari. I am the manager of the hotel spa. If you are free tomorrow, I want to offer you a day at the spa as our welcome gift.”
“That’s so nice of you to offer. I’m not sure I have the entire day free, but I would love to come down for a treatment or two.”
“As you wish,” he says. “We are here to serve you. Shall we say ten in the morning to begin?”
“That sounds perfect. Thank you.”
He bows quickly and disappears under the arches. I have no doubt he knows my mother named me Yasmine. Azayiz worked in the spa. Mr. Bukhari would have been her boss. He knows her. And, more importantly, he knows I’m her niece. I’m considering what to do with this information when I’m suddenly grabbed from behind. A man wraps his arm around my chest—pinning my arms to my sides. He puts his other hand over my mouth as he pulls me out of sight under a waterfall of jasmine vines. I try to step on his foot, but he sidesteps it. I bite down hard on his finger.
“Ow.” Mason’s voice whispers in my ear. He lets go of me slowly.
“Mason,” I whisper as I whip around to face him. “Someone’s going to see us.”
“No one is going to see us. I’ve done this before.”
“What? Accosted a woman in a garden?”
“I didn’t accost you,” he says, smiling. “Settle down.”
“Did you hear what the spa manager said to me?”
“Yeah, that’s why I grabbed you. Seems like the fish are biting. He definitely was trying to send you a message.”
“He one hundred percent knows who I am.”
“You think your aunt is going to be at your spa day tomorrow?”
The Only Reason: A Novel (Trident Trilogy: Book Two) Page 14