Page 45 of Abra's Acquisition
I open my mouth to argue, but can’t. Abra’s right. I was working for Erickson before I realized the fucker was a bastard. So, instead of arguing. I growl at him. Abra chuckles as he bops my nose with his finger. “I’m sure it will be fine. I don’t think Ryan has any allegiance to Erickson.”
“You’re probably right,” I agree as I climb on the back of Abra’s bike.
When we arrive at the restaurant, the proprietor hugs Cleo as if she were his long-lost daughter before leading us to the same area of the patio where Abra and I had eaten just a few days ago. With bushes covering every side, it is the perfect place to discuss private business.
Ryan arrives fifteen minutes after we’re seated. With him is a gorgeous woman, with high cheekbones, long, golden-brown hair, and soft blue eyes. “This is my wife, Naomi,” Ryan introduces his wife. After we’ve all greeted her and they’ve taken their seats, we place our orders with Francois.
“It’s nice to meet all of you,” Naomi says, smiling at us. “But I don’t understand what’s going on. Ryan said we were havinglunch with the Demon Dawgs and that you had news about his inheritance. How are you involved with the De Villiers’ family?”
“We aren’t, but circumstances have collided,” Abra says.
“I don’t understand,” Naomi says.
“It started with me,” Abra says. “Well, technically, it started with a good friend of mine, Cicero. One of my closest friends is a historian specializing in the French Revolution and its impact on New Orleans, particularly in the French Quarter. He learned about the deep friendship between the De Villiers and the French Royal Family.”
“He learned about the treasure?” Ryan asks, knowingly.
“He isn’t interested in claiming the treasure,” Abra assures him. “He simply wants to know if it exists and what form it takes. My friend, Cicero, believes the Harlequin figurine plays a key part in locating the treasure. He learned that Erickson had the figurine and asked me to acquire it. I’m not going into details about how I acquired it.”
Ryan smirks, but nods in agreement. “I don’t need to know the details. However, I would like to know how Erickson obtained it. My stepfather kept that piece close and was distraught when it went missing. I never suspected Erickson of taking it.”
“Did Erickson have access to it?” I ask.
"Erickson visited my stepfather a few times after he hired me. He told me that he loved the architecture in the French Quarter and always admired the house. When the figurine went missing, I never considered Erickson to be the thief. I assumed my stepfather misplaced it. That figurine is of great importance. Not only is it a valuable piece of De Villiers’ history, but it’s the only way I can prove that I should have inherited Maison des Cinq Chênes. My stepfather promised to leave it to me in his will, but first, I had to prove myself after I made a decision that resulted in him not speaking to me for over a year.”
“What do you mean?” Cleo asks. “What happened?”
Ryan reaches over and grasps his wife’s hand. “My stepfather accused me of bringing shame to his family. It wasn’t until he was close to dying that he forgave me, but like I said, he wanted me to prove myself worthy of the De Villiers heritage. But I couldn’t do it without the Harlequin figurine. My stepfather didn’t know it was missing, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him. By not telling him, I lost my inheritance.”
“How?” I ask Ryan. “Why would he make it so difficult for you to claim your inheritance?”
“Because I made a bad decision even though it was for the right reason. It was the only decision I could make at the time,” Ryan explains. As he talks, Naomi places her hand on his. He flips his hand over so they can entwine their fingers. “When Naomi and I got married, my parents gave us a priceless gift. It was a collection of jewelry that the De Villiers brought with them from France. It had been in the family for several generations. My stepdad wanted me to have it to prove that he considered me his son and heir. Then I let him down.”
“Oh, Ryan, I’m so sorry. This was all my fault…” Naomi says, but Ryan places his free hand against her cheek to stop her.
“No, it wasn’t your fault. I made the decision.”
“What decision?” I ask, although I’m reasonably sure I know the answer.
“Naomi got sick. I’m not going into details about what she went through, but she needed expensive medical care, or I would have lost her. I had just started working for Erickson when she received the diagnosis. I wasn’t on a medical plan. Naomi had something through her work, but it wasn’t enough. We needed money. I considered asking my parents for help, but my mother was going through her own medical nightmare, and my stepfather was suffering. I didn’t feel like I could add to their distress, so I pawned the jewelry. I planned to take themoney and pay for Naomi’s treatment and then go back to the pawnshop and claim the jewelry at a later date.”
“Did you go back?” Rey asks.
Ryan nods. “I did. Several months later. However, the pawnshop owner refused to give me the jewelry. He claimed that he didn’t know what I was talking about. When I told my stepfather about what I’d done, he lost it. My mother never recovered and died, so we were both suffering. Naomi was healthy again, which was the only thing that kept me sane. My stepfather kicked me out of his life and refused to have anything to do with me for over a year.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: ABRA
“What made him change his mind?” Cleo asks.
“He discovered he was dying. He’d had cancer before, but was in remission. When he received his diagnosis, he reached out to me. That’s when I told him about Naomi’s health scare and the actions of the pawnbroker. He felt bad for turning his back on us. We reconnected and were able to spend time with him before he passed away.”
“How does the will come into play?” I press.
“Oh, right. I forgot that was why I was telling this story. When my stepdad explained the historical importance of the jewelry, he admitted that the jewelry was only a part of the treasure his ancestors brought with them. He explained that he gave me the jewelry to prove that he considered me part of his family, even though we didn’t share blood. He disapproved of my decision, but he understood why I made it and appreciated my efforts to reclaim the jewelry. He told me that I would inherit the house and everything in it. It was later that he told me I would have to earn my inheritance by proving that I listened to his stories.”
“What stories?” I ask.
“He used to tell me stories about how his family fled France at the beginning of the Revolution. He said that his family was great friends with the King and Queen of France before theywere caught and killed. In fact, both the De Villiers and the Royal Family fled on the same night, but each went a different way. The De Villiers were the last to speak to the Royal Family before they fled from the palace.”
