Chapter 14
Hateful Lies
Rafael
The sun rose.
The Devil had kidnapped Eden. Someone had paid him. He had the backing to do someone’s bidding. That was the only way he would step in. On his own, we would’ve destroyed him. That was why he’d waited so long.
He probably didn’t even know Jean-Pierre was involved until later. Once he took out our security and realized that the tracker was on Jean-Pierre’s lover’s neck. . .he couldn’t resist taking her too.
I sped to Shalimar’s apartment.
What part did you play in this, Shalimar?
Police led the way. A few vans drove behind me, full of men. Jean-Pierre had taken a shower and come back out on high-alert.
Jean-Pierre had amped up security. By later this morning, everyone would have triple the men around them.
Shalimar, I won’t be able to save you now. If you’re involved, there’s not much I will do.
It broke my heart that I could easily think that way. This was her last chance. If she didn’t fess up to everything I would set Jean-Pierre on her.
The sad reality hit me. When it came to Shalimar and Jean-Pierre, it would always be my cousin.
Does that mean I love her less or not at all? Damn you, Shalimar! Why would you put me in this situation in the first place?
I shook my head.
No. Shalimar has nothing to do with Eden’s kidnapping. She can’t.
I had to believe that Shalimar didn’t know about the tracker in the necklace. She had to be innocent of this.
I thought back to when she’d given me the necklace.
“The meeting is off.” Shalimar had dug into her pocketbook and took out a box. “I was only supposed to give Eden this anyway. It’s from Celina.”
“What is it?” I grabbed the box and opened it.
A silver necklace lay inside. A violin dangled from the center, extending around three inches long. It was carved in silver, but the strings were gold, the pegs were diamonds.
I closed the box and put it in my pocket. “Why is Celina giving Eden this?”
“Because we assumed Jean-Pierre has told her everything.”
“He has.”
“Celina wants Eden to remember who she is, and where she came from.”
“And why is Celina hiding?”
“That’s her business. It has nothing to do with Eden, and she wants it to stay far away from her.”
But it all had to do with Eden in some way. It put her in direct danger.
You were okay with that, Shalimar? No. You didn’t know. I’m missing something.
My heart ached.
She was such a stubborn woman. If she thought she had it under control, she wouldn’t let go. And I was the last person she would give an inch too.
I’d drunk dialed her one night and whispered, “When I close my eyes, I dream of you, Shalimar.”
“We both have that problem.” She’d laughed.
I’d brightened. “You think of me too?”
“Yes. You’re always in my nightmares.” She’d hung up after that.
When I arrived at her place, I barely parked straight. The car sat sideways in the spot. The men that I’d already had on Shalimar, jumped up on high alert.
I stormed their way. “Is she in there?”
“Yeah.” One opened the door. “She wanted to leave and get something to eat, but I told her we were on lockdown.”
“Good.” I stepped inside.
The living room was dark and quiet.
The noise of a tv sounded from her bedroom.
Shalimar, please tell me you had nothing to do with this.
I stormed that way, made it to the door, and opened it.
She sat up in bed. Bright light bathed her almost naked body. She wore a sheer, all-white panty and bra set that stopped me right in my tracks.
You knew I was coming soon. That whoever was doing the tracking was coming, and soon I would want answers. And so today, I get. . . panties.
My gut said that to my head. My brain didn’t know what to do with the information. But my cock had a different angle about the situation. He believed she’d worn it simply for us. That Shalimar desired me like I dreamed. That all my gifts, attention, and obsession had not been for nothing these past years.
I cleared my throat.
It doesn’t matter why she wore that. I came here for answers.
And I was ready to ask, but the only words came out was. “You look beautiful this evening.”
She formed her mouth into a wicked smile. “Come on the bed and lay down with me.”
This was very different from the Shalimar of the past three years. In fact, this was the complete opposite of the Shalimar that had come to visit Paris.
She’d yelled at me, “Stay out of Celina’s and my way, and you won’t get hurt.”
I’d laughed. “You’re the one that’s going to get hurt if you think Celina has your back.”
Things had changed in those few days.
For survival reasons, Shalimar had shifted from hateful vixen to welcoming seductress. My heart still heated for her, but parts of it began to grow cold. These actions screamed guilty of something.