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“You’re still here.”
Chisulo turned from his pensive study of the estate beyond the windows of his room. He found Kam in his doorway.
She leaned on the frame. “I thought you would have moved back into our suite by now, or are you too afraid to face your punishment?”
Chisulo appeared unbothered. “Are you talking about that tap I gave your friend? It’s not my fault the man’s got a weak jaw.”
Pursing her lips, Kam shook her head. “If it matters, he’s seeing someone. They were about to leave on a weekend getaway when he got Saiida’s call.”
Still unimpressed, Chisulo only rolled his eyes.
“Actually,” Kam sighed, “I was referring to the way you left me alone and naked in a barn loft this afternoon.”
“Now that I’ll apologize for,” he left his post by the windows to meet her at the door. His hands spanned her waist and he pulled her to him. “No man with half a brain would leave you naked and alone.”
“Is that all the apology I can expect?”
Chisulo grimaced. “Unfortunately, yes. For now. There’s something you need to know,” he pulled her into the room, closed the door and led her to the small living area.
Suspicion clouded Kam’s eyes now. “Has Max done something wrong again?”
“Well, he’s breathing, but that’s beside the point,” he added when she thumped his shoulder. “I’m afraid this is many shades worse than Max Davis.”
Kam curled up on a black loveseat. “What’s happened?”
“I know the man who’s been threatening your brother’s assistant. He gave her a fake name and not a very good one.”
“Who is he?”
“His name is Lesotho Raymu. He’s part of a cleaning squad we employ.”
Kam was rigid. “When you say...cleaning squad, you don’t mean mopping floors, do you?”
“There’s mopping involved,” Chisulo settled before her on the coffeetable. “A floor caked with kitchen grease really wouldn’t qualify for our service, though.”
“I see,” Kam inhaled deeply, “Is Kieli in danger? Is this guy coming after her?”
“He wouldn’t dare now that Ali and the rest of us know what he’s up to. Doesn’t mean he isn’t still a threat. Raymu is an opportunist of the highest order. Get rich quick schemes were his thing- he was always chatting up his coworkers about one scam or another.”
“And the serum was his latest scam,” Kam said.
“Latest. Not his last.” Chisulo added.
“What do you know, Chisulo?”
“Nothing concrete,” he leaned in to smooth his hands over her thighs. “I doubt Raymu would let anything of value go unused. Information is one of those things.”
“Information.”
“He was there that night, love. He was part of the team I sent to clean your place in Black River. I can’t be certain, but there’s a strong chance he’ll suspect you were the one who killed our intruders.”
“But do you think anyone would believe I did that when you were right there?”
“Probably not, but I also think there’s a strong chance he overheard the call I made to Bach about coming here and needing Saiida to join us. With what he heard and saw, he could piece together a valid and... quite valuable story.”
“Quite valuable,” Kam closed her eyes, “to your brother, you mean?”
“Haddad would’ve paid handsomely for that info,” a muscle danced vibrantly in Chisulo’s cheek as he studied his fists.
“Guess you’re not having second thoughts on how to deal with him.”
Pain lurked in Chisulo’s brooding gaze. “I don’t want to kill my brother. It’s one of the last things I want, but having him take you from me is the very last thing I want. Right now I can’t see another way to keep that from happening.”
“Chisulo,” she scooted closer, pressing her hand to his cheek, “I understand.”
He kissed her palm. “Am I off the hook for being punished?”
“Something tells me you’re not eager to be off the hook. I think you’re only still here in this suite because you don’t want to make room for Max in the house.”
The muscle in his cheek flexed anew. “You know me too well. So where is the cocksu- the guy staying?”
“Relax,” she smiled lazily. “He’s at the B&B in town.”
“Yikes. You didn’t have to stick him all the way out there.”
“I think he was happy to go- something about the hospitality here.”
Chisulo rolled his eyes. “I’m sure Saiida’s not that bad.”
Kam laughed, shoved at his shin with her foot. Chisulo grabbed on, held it as though it were a precious jewel.
“I’m sorry for the barn,” he said.
She shrugged. “I know you well enough to know you prefer me out of my clothes.”
“That’s not what I mean, Kam. What I said to you, throwing it back in your face about liking it when I took away your choice.”
“Oh Chisel, I know you didn’t mean-”
“I shouldn’t have said it. That’s not how I want to be with you,” apology outlined his striking features now. “I know that’s how I started out. I’ve been a real ass and I’d like to not be one as the future rolls on.”
Kam scooted closer until she was cupping his face in her hands. Her thumbs brushed the onyx whiskers, adoring their subtle sheen. “That sounds like a fine goal,” playfulness came to her eyes. “Does this new leaf you’re turning over mean you won’t be taking advantage of having me at your mercy in this suite?”
“Oh Miss Okonkwo,” a thoughtful look came to the sinfully alluring face then, “of course it doesn’t,” he stood with her in his arms.
Kam had time for a few seconds of husky laughter before her mouth was otherwise engaged.
––––––––
“The serum- it was a labor of love, wasn’t it?” Max asked Saiida.
They had settled in on opposite sides of the reading room, each engrossed with material they’d studied for well over an hour. Max had set aside the research he’d been reviewing. Saiida had opened her lab and studies to him and urged him to share his observations and criticisms.
Saiida turned her book face down on the thick burgundy afghan covering the long sofa she occupied. “Rashid always envied Kam for not being able to shift. He was the only one I knew who never considered it an honor. He couldn’t control it, you see? I think the rest of the family thought it was just a phase and that he’d learn how in time. He never did, though. He was terrified that by not being able to control it, he might seriously hurt someone one day.”
“He confided in you?” Max asked.
Saiida offered a half smile. “We were close to the same age. Rashid, Kam and I. Rashid didn’t want Ali and the others to think he was weak. When I discovered my love for chemistry- the way certain elements could work together and create something more wondrous...I wondered if I could create something to help him.
I was new to the field-rather naive, I suppose. I didn’t think of how interested others might be in this- in my formula...I shared my early theories with colleagues whom I hoped would share their wisdom.”
“And your trust was repaid with greed,” Max finished.
Saiida smiled to confirm. “Everything stalled after a while, anyway. I couldn’t stabilize the formula. Thinking Kam could be the answer, was just a shot in the dark.”
“Did you mention Kam to your colleagues while sharing your theories?”
Saiida shrugged. “I’m sure I did.”
“Something in my book got your attention and you’re waiting for me to zero in on it,” he guessed.
Her smiled turned grim. “If you discover what I have without being influenced, maybe what I’m thinking isn’t so far-feteched after all.”
“Part of me thinks you’ve already found confirmation that it’s not,” Max mused as his gaze came to rest on the copy of his book Nest Tactics. “That colorful assortment of sticky notes marking all those pages is a pretty good clue. Are Kam and Chisulo thinking of staying on in Jamaica?” he asked.
Saiida straightened on the sofa and frowned at the topic shift. “I think so,” she watched Max stroking his jaw as he stood to walk the room.
“And you say she’s not pregnant?”
Saiida confirmed with a quick head shake. “I’ve run the tests several times. There was no sign of the HCG hormone. Max? What is it?”
He had resumed his pacing and Saiida was nearly perched on the edge of the sofa. “Max?” Desperation hugged her voice and expression.
After several moments, Max’s steps slowed and he turned to face her. “I may have a far-fetched theory of my own.”