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“Think about how they got you here.”
“But the one man is a helper on my field trip. After dinner, he told me he was going to take me to meet Pikachu. Why was he bad for saying we were going to meet Pikachu?”
“That’s not why he’s bad. He took you away from everyone you know without talking to your parents first.”
“Does that mean Pikachu isn’t coming?”
“I’m afraid he isn’t.” I pat him on his shoulder to take the sting out of my words.
Every so often, I glance in the rear-view mirror to check on my unwilling passengers. Based on the GPS, we have another ninety minutes before arriving at Antari’s house.
He falls asleep during the drive. Unlike Jinx, I can’t carry him in my arms. Instead, I pull his sleeping body on my back and ring the doorbell. Upstairs, lights come on and one by one the house brightens until the light by the door shines through the peephole.
I brace myself for the upcoming ordeal. Parents receiving their kids after an abduction they didn’t know about never goes the way I expect. Then again, this is the first time I’m dealing with two fathers who entrusted their son to his school.
As the door opens, I pray I won’t have to fight them and wake Antari in the process.
CHAPTER 11
Sansone
The words on Jamal’s report blur in front of my eyes. Using work as a distraction from the tempting woman upstairs isn’t as successful as I’d like, but I’m stubborn enough to push through until I’m too tired to sneak into Zakiya’s room and fulfill the promise I made earlier. It doesn’t help that the report I’m reading lists Jamal’s failed efforts at discovering her background.
Not even the tracker I have on her car led my men to anywhere meaningful. A psychiatrist’s home, an ice cream parlor, and a parking lot in downtown Douglas. Of course, she evaded my men downtown until she did whatever mysterious errand kept her out late.
She truly is a goddamn ghost, able to disappear at the drop of a hat and with no record of her history anywhere. The mystery adds to her allure, and the longer she lives under my roof, the less I care about the secrets she’s keeping and the more I want to possess her. She truly is like the goddess Umbria, ruler of shadows, secrets, and darkness.
I throw my pen on the desk and rest my head against the chair back.
She isn’t all darkness.
No, I suppose she isn’t. When I got so close I felt the heat of her touch my lips, an innocent light shined through her bravado. It’s the second time I glimpsed the hint of an ingenue below her violent reaction.
You should have kissed her.
Yes, I should have. Her lips were temptingly close. Tonight will be another night where I ease myself when all I want is for her to be the one wrapping her hand around my cock. Too frustrated to continue, I head upstairs. At the top, I catch Jinx leaving Zakiya’s room, dragging her stuffed bear. That toy freaks me out with all the wounds on it, but she doesn’t go anywhere without it.
I turn the light on so she doesn’t hurt herself in the dark. Silent tears pour from her eyes and for the first time I see an emotion, but it doesn’t warm my heart. Terror marks its presence all over her face and body, from her widened, unfocused eyes to her trembling limbs.
“Jinx…” I repeat her name until focus returns to her stare.
Jinx rushes toward me and grabs my hand to pull me toward her nanny’s room.
For a second, I’m rooted to the spot as I realize Jinx initiated contact with me. But then her agitated pulling brings me back to the situation at hand. “Did you have a nightmare?”
She nods frantically; the tears continuing to pour down her face.
“And you went to find Zakiya?”
She nods again, more animated than before. Now I’m concerned.
“She’s not in her room?”
This time, Jinx shakes her head in the negative.
I charge into Zakiya’s room. As the light exposes everything, one thing is glaringly missing. One person. Before I lose my temper, I try to reassure Jinx.
“Maybe she couldn’t sleep and she’s in another room. Want to help me find her?” I suppress the curses I want to spew already sensitive to having Jinx around although we haven’t spent much time together.
