I closed my eyes briefly, unsure how to respond. As much as I wanted to forget, or rather go back and change, my choice to turn to him for comfort, it had happened. Lucas had, whether I wanted to admit it or not, given me the comfort and safety I’d needed. He deserved an answer, but I couldn’t begin to process the question, not now. Not here.
His eyes trailed over my shoulder, then in the blink of an eye the smiling mask was back. “So no, sandstorms aren’t normal for this time of the year, but isn’t it just a great coincidence that one happens just as... Well, speak of the devil.”
I blinked in confusion, then turned my head to see Jeremiah and Rashid duck into the small hall. Jeremiah gave his brother a frosty look then turned to me. His face softened but he didn’t try to touch me, just stood close enough that his arm brushed my shoulder.
“Rashid, my old friend.” Lucas’ words seemed deliberate, the smile on his face forced. “I came for answers to questions, not a tour of this lovely desert. I thought you would have something for us by now.”
“Alas my old friend, it is you who are mistaken.” Rashid pulled an envelope out from under his arm and handed it over to Lucas, who took it gingerly. “Your task was not an easy one, nor was it cheap.”
Lucas eyed the other man thoughtfully as he opened the yellow envelope and pulled out the contents. Frowning at the paper in his hands for a moment, he passed it over to Jeremiah. “Do you know him?”
I peered over Jeremiah’s arm as the billionaire studied the photo. The picture was grainy, like it had been taken from far away and blown up. The single man pictured was wearing sunglasses, and could have been any other dark-haired, sunglass-wearing men in the world. Jeremiah gave a growling sigh. “This was the best you could do?”
“Hardly.” Rashid favored the man beside me with a small smile. “I also got a name. Alexander Rush.”
Jeremiah shook his head. “Doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Well, it should. Apparently, he’s your brother.”
I was going to end this part here. Then I thought...
Nah. ;-)
CHAPTER 9
Neither Jeremiah or Lucas said anything for several long seconds, and then I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.
“Another one?”
Both men turned to look at me, and I squared my shoulders, staring back. Two Hamilton men in this world were enough for my taste.
Jeremiah looked between Rashid and the photograph for a moment, then shared a glance with Lucas. “There have been several people over the years who claimed Rufus was their father,” he said carefully, handing the photo back to Lucas. “How do we know he’s who he says, and how do we know you’re correct?”
Rashid shrugged. “Whether he is or is not related is of no concern to me. He believes he is, and that is enough.”
“How did you find out about this?” Jeremiah persisted.
“Don’t ask him that,” Lucas interrupted before Rashid could answer. The arms dealer was peering intently at the photograph, appearing to ignore everyone else. “He gets all cryptic and shit, saying he has his ways or something.”
Rashid flicked an annoyed glance at Lucas. “My cryptic bullshit may have uncovered the man out to murder you,” he snapped.
Lucas grinned widely. “Hey, I didn’t say you don’t produce good results.”
The exchanges made me wonder just how “friendly” the two men were. I remembered that, when we’d exited the helicopter at the hotel, neither man had shaken hands. Rashid might have owed Lucas a favor, but despite the assertions of friendship, neither man seemed to like the other much.
“I do not like to be mocked.” Only slightly mollified, Rashid turned back to Jeremiah. “I have an extensive network of informants, but I must tell you this information was difficult to attain. Whoever Mr. Rush may be, he is exceedingly difficult to track or learn about.”
“It’s a start, and more information than we had previously. I’ll get my people working on it as soon as we get back to the hotel.”
“You’re in contact with them?” I asked, surprised.
Jeremiah nodded, and pulled something from his pocket. “I picked it up from a retailer in the hotel the morning we left. Haven’t been able to call out yet as there isn’t much reception in the middle of the desert.”
I stared at the small phone in his hand, a sick churning starting in my gut. Something told me that my time in this life was coming to a close, and there was nothing I could do about it. The best thing would be to reveal everything and get it over with but... I looked up in Jeremiah’s beautiful face and felt the cracks in my heart grow wider.
“Lucy?”
I turned at my name to see Amyrah walking up behind her brother. She glanced around the throng of men, then back at me. “I was wondering if you’d like to ride back with me?”
Her offer was a godsend that I didn’t deserve. Swallowing back my rising anxiety, I gave her a genuine smile. “I’d love to, thanks.” Without looking at any of the men, I slid past them and followed the Arab girl out into the sun.
“What was that about?” she asked once we were out of earshot.
I shrugged. “Information exchange, testosterone fest, whatever you’d like to call it.”
“Ah.” She peered at me as we moved toward her vehicle. “Men being men, then?”
I laughed, cut short by a shaky breath. “I’m ready to go home.”
Amyrah nodded. “We’ll be back at the hotel in a couple hours.”
The hotel wasn’t the home I’d meant. I wanted, more than anything, to go back to who I was before, back to the life I’d lived before I even heard of Jeremiah Hamilton. My existence may not have been easy then, but the simplicity and straightforwardness of my situation had been easier to bear.
Now, I felt as trapped as I had when Jeremiah had offered me that contract.
“Is everything okay?”
Shaking my head, I gave Amyrah a small smile. “I’m just tired.” I followed her into the vehicle, wondering what adventures lay ahead of me now.
And finding that I couldn’t bring myself to care.
“I have something to show you.”
I sat on the bed while the other girl busied herself in the large bathroom. Amyrah’s suite was almost as large as mine and, as far as I could tell, seemed to be more like an apartment than a hotel room. Pictures of her brother and what I guessed were family lined the walls, and the closet that I had briefly seen was full of clothes. In a way it made sense; her brother owned a share of this hotel, perhaps they also lived here full time.