Page 44 of Twisted (Never After)
He nods, understanding pouring from his gaze. “I’m a man on the last leg of his life.”
“Don’t say that,” she whispers.
His brows draw in. “It’s the truth. Even if my footprints have been set in stone,Iwon’t be here forever. I have no time for anger. I’d rather spend it finding peace. He’s not who I would have chosen for you, sweetheart, but if you’re happy, I’m happy.”
Yasmin sucks in an audible breath, her entire body going rigid at his words.
I should feel vindicated, relieved even, that she didn’t figure out he would have accepted her lover until now when it’s too late and she’s already played into my hand, but instead of feeling relief, my stomach twists violently. After everything I’ve given him, after everything I’ve done, I’m still not enough. He should be honored that I’m choosing his worthless daughter, and yet he’s so blatant with his disregard.
It’s a slap across my face.
Worse, it’s a knife in my back. I swallow around the feeling of not being good enough, the same feeling that was responsible for many sleepless nights as a child, and push it so deep down that it’s smothered.
It doesn’t matter if I’m not his choice. I’m myownchoice, and I’m the only person who’s never let me down.
One day soon, I’ll have complete control of Sultans, and I’ll take joy in watching everyone who’s ever thought I wasn’t good enough choke on their words while I hold the universe in the palm of my hand.
“Now.” Ali claps his hands together, moving back and staring at the two of us. “How about a wedding?”
* * *
“Tinashe,friend, tell me what the problem is,” I ask, leaning back in my desk chair, peering out over the skyline of Badour from the wall of windows in my office. The sun is just setting, oranges clashing with pinks until the view creates a stunning glow across the tops of the shiny skyscrapers.
“Julian,” Tinashe breathes out, sounding relieved. “Darryn isnothappy that you’re coming into his territory and trying to steal the lost lamp out from under him.”
I grab a pen, tapping it on the desk, irritated that I have to deal with this situation at all. “Remind me again, old friend, why I pay you?”
There’s a long beat of silence before his deep voice comes over the line again. “I’m not a miracle worker, Julian. I can get you a lot of places and make friends with a lot of people, but I am no genie. I can’t wave my arms and suddenly make it okay for you to come in illegally and smuggle out relics from other countries.”
I scoff, tossing the pen in my hand down, watching as it rolls across my desk. “Darryn Anders couldn’t care less about smuggling relics. He practically coined the operation.”
Tinashe clicks his tongue. “But he does care about someone else trying to beat him to the lamp. He’s been there almost a decade looking for himself.”
Sighing, I pinch the bridge of my nose. “And that’s our problem how?”
“He wants you gone. Period. I’m just looking out for the people you have here on the ground. Darryn isn’t known to begentlewith his points.”
I shake my head, annoyance pouring over me like rubbing alcohol on wounds. The last thing I want to do is give in and reason with Darryn, but his resources there are much stronger and rooted in years of work, whereas ours is a newer venture. I need to be smart about this, treat it as a business deal instead of something I’m fighting against. Lull him into a false sense of comfort so that he doesn’t cause us more problems down the road. Once I have the lamp, it won’t matter. We’ll leave the area, and he can’t do anything else to get in my way.
“Does Jeannie know about this?”
Tinashe chuckles. “Jeannie knows about everything, Julian. That’s why she’s the lead.”
My fingers tighten around my phone, annoyed that she hasn’t said anything about Darryn Anders directly to me. Actually, I haven’t gotten a single email from her since she told me about the new spot she wanted to look the other day, and if she already knew about Darryn, it’s irritating she didn’t include that in her update.
“Let me see what I can manage,” I say.
Tinashe grunts and I hang up before he can say anything else. I bring up Ian’s number and send him a text.
Me: Do not do ANYTHING outside the compound until you hear from me. Take the boy there and stay put. I’ll be very annoyed if you get yourself killed. And talk to Jeannie, figure out where we stand with the search. Ask her about Darryn Anders and why she didn’t feel the need to tell us something so important.
Before I can even put my phone down, it vibrates again in my hand, and the bad mood that’s been coiling around my back cinches a little tighter.
Mammaflashes across the screen.
Indecision weighs down my shoulders. I run my tongue over the front of my teeth, my fingers tap, tap, tapping on my desk as I watch the call go to voicemail. Only then do I let out a breath, guilt swirling in my stomach at the fact that I didn’t pick up again.
I make a mental note to call her nurse, Jessica, and make sure she doesn’t need anything, which she shouldn’t. I put her up in a gorgeous four-thousand- square- foot home on the lake, giving her the best care money can buy.
