Page 43 of Dangerous Silence
This time, when I shook his hand, I gripped it firmly, hitting him on the shoulder, glad to see him. He had been a decent contact when I needed help down here, and it was hard to find good work. Zaid nodded to Heather, exchanging a silent communication.
“Come with me,” Heather said to Demi, pulling on her arm. “I’ll show you our garden out back.”
Demi looked at me, and I gave a subtle nod. The two of them disappeared, and I turned back to Zaid.
“What brings you to this side of the country?” Zaid asked. We took seats in the middle of the room, along two chaise lounges facing each other. The room was large, with bookshelves along the walls and a fireplace roasting to the side. It wasn’t surprising that Zaid had a modern, well-decorated home. He had always liked his spaces neat.
“Know anything about the Midnight Miles Corporation?” I asked.
Zaid closed his eyes, then opened them, spliced with a look of death.
“I am acquainted with Muro.” His eyes trailed to the giant window at the back of the room, giving a full view of the shrubbery beneath the mountain. “He was one of Eric’s friends.”
I didn’t know Eric personally, but I remembered the name from when Zaid and I worked together. Zaid had a grudge against Eric, and though that had long since settled, it was clear that the relationship was still not a happy one.
“Muro attacked my family,” I explained. “Sent in soldiers to kill us. Disrespected us. Killed our men.” I straightened my shoulders, staring at him. “And it won’t stop until his corporation, or my family, is gone.”
And I wasn’t going to let Muro kill us.
From the window view, the two women walked out into the yard, carrying mugs of steaming liquid. Slivers of shadows illuminated them in the morning light.
“I know you sold Veil Security Services,” I said. “But I wouldn’t have come here unless it was important.”
His glazed eyes lingered on the window. Demi and Heather were sitting on the edge of a planter box, talking to one another.
“I have some old contacts that would be happy to help,” Zaid said. “And I’ll be there myself. I know you’ll return the favor,” Zaid said. There was no doubt in my mind about that. “You have a plan?” Zaid asked.
Not yet, but with Zaid’s help, I felt stronger about the outcome.
“I’ll contact you with the details once it’s finalized,” I said.
In silence, we watched the two women. Heather was talking, while Demi’s mouth was hanging open, as if stunned by every word that came out of her mouth. And yet she leaned forward, as if she needed more details, anything she could get her hands on. I loved that innocence about her. She never seemed to let anything discourage her curiosity.
“Who is she?” Zaid asked.
I paused, trying to find the words. Though I trusted Zaid, I wanted to keep Demi safe, to let her hold onto that innocence. Talking about her and claiming her as mine, even privately to Zaid, would put me in the position to claim her again, and potentially put her in future jeopardy.
I could have said she was my captive, but those words seemed off. You didn’t take your hostage on a trip without bringing the cage with you, though I had honestly considered that idea for other purposes.
“She’s my mentor’s daughter,” I said. Zaid nodded. But a knack grew inside of me, burning the longer I thought about it. She was more than that. How had I let that happen?
We said our goodbyes and left the house. In the car, I could smell Demi next to me, that soft scent, like cherries picked from the vine, rubbed with sweet sweat.
The plan was to go straight back to Sage City, but an hour and a half through the desert, Demi turned to me.
“What’s the plan?” she asked. “You need me to drive?”
“Do you need a break?”
“My legs are killing me.”
The next off-ramp led us to a dusty town with a motel and a burger joint. I don’t know what possessed me, but the thought of staying with her in a nothing-town seemed almost nice. A break from reality.
“You want to stay here?” I asked. “Overnight?”
She smirked at me. “What? You don’t like the indent of the window on my face?”
The sides of my lips twitched, and she grinned, knocking her shoulder into my side. I paid for the room in cash, then we took some fast food from next door back to the motel. Onion rings, fries, burgers, and milkshakes.
