Chapter 3
“See you on Tuesday,”I told my staff and headed out.
I didn’t work full-time at the office. Dr. Jillian Jones was the general dentist, and Dr. Nancy Goodwin covered for me a few days a week for pediatric needs. I spent the extra time searching for Aimee and teaching at the Martial Arts Studio. I enjoyed the exercise and teaching other women how to defend themselves. Knowing self-defense would have helped me when I was younger.
I slid into my car and saw the Kuromi—a stuffed toy—in the back seat. It was a bunny wearing a black jester’s hat and a devil’s tail that belonged to Kaylee, a brilliant thirteen-year-old girl. Two years ago, I became her guardian when her mom passed. Kaylee’s mom had been good friends with my mom, so I took her in because she didn’t have any other family.
I sent her a text.
Vivian:Hey. I’ll be home late tonight. Eat the leftovers or frozen pizza in the freezer.
Kaylee:We’re getting McD’s.
Vivian: Not healthy.
Kaylee: Neither is pizza or leftover lo mein.
What every parent said about teenagers was correct: they were little devils.
Kaylee: Help me test out my new app, and I’ll eat all the salads you want.
I rolled my eyes.
How dare she give me an ultimatum?
Kaylee was an extremely intelligent girl, and I was happy she found her calling creating apps with her nerdy friends at an afterschool program at Whiz Kidz. But I didn’t have time to be her guinea pig. I wasn’t much help with her previous app, which was a game like Tetris. I didn’t have the patience for that. But she had since moved on to something more fun.
You’re her guardian. Support her dreams.
I blew out a breath. She didn’t have anyone but me.
Vivian: Okay, but only because you aced your last math test.
Kaylee: Promise not to go back on your word?
I glanced at the clock.
Vivian: Yup. Gotta go. Chat later.
Kaylee: Thanks! I’ll create an alias for you. Just play along. Better not go back on your word. (smile emoji) (heart emoji)
Was that a threat?
This girl, I swear.
Shaking my head, I shoved the phone into my purse and headed to La Luna Hotel. I parked in the garage, entered the elevator, and headed toward the event. I was probably underdressed in my tapered dark pants and pale yellow silk shirt. Whatever. I wasn’t here to impress anyone, negotiate a business deal, or buy a boatload of wine. I was here for information.
I entered the foyer with a giant chandelier and exotic flower displays. A fountain sprayed water from a water lily pond near the front desk. I walked up to the counter and retrieved a flyer for the International Wine Expo.
“Prepare to spend a lot of money, dear,” said the woman with the chic French twist in a black top and matching skirt. “I spent way too much.”
“Everyone deserves a treat now and then.” I smiled.
She placed a hand on her heart. “Wine and desirable men? There’s just something about that blend, you know.” She shivered to emphasize. “If only I were in my thirties again.”
I laughed. “You’re beautiful. Enjoy the wine.”
Dating wasn’t on my mind these days. I had no time or energy. It didn’t help that the last guy I dated was such an asshole. I kicked him to the curb after only one month. That was before I moved to Providence. My mind had been on Aimee.
I had no interest in connecting with The Triad, but I made an exception today for Aimee.
The signs for the wine expo took medown a hallway into an extravagant ballroom with a magnificent display of wine from all over the world. I browsed the rows, searching for the Tai Lok wine with the snake logo. The wine belonged to The Taipan Triad. The inland taipan was the most venomous snake known today. That serpent insignia represented how ruthless and deadly The Triad could be.
I was acquainted with the Tai Lok wine representative in attendance today. But I didn’t know if Calvin Wong would help me. Despite that, I had to try for Aimee’s sake.
A section of the event was roped off from the public crowd. The VIP area displayed more glamorous centerpieces and appetizer tables. Men in tailored suits and women dressed in designer gowns chatted around tall tables. The lifestyle of the rich and powerful differed from mine. I was underdressed compared to them.
As a pediatric dentist, I could demand a lot more money than a general dentist. I wasn’t in need of money. I was content with my life.
Stop lying.
Fine. My life was missing something . . . A spark? A dream? I didn’t know. I had a thriving career, but that didn’t fill the emptiness in me. The violence I’d witnessed and experienced as a child took something from me, and I never got it back.
That part of me died along with my mom, and it was also something I’d never let anyone know. Tears welled in my eyes, but I blinked them away. It would be embarrassing to cry in public for no reason.
My eyes scanned the VIP area and connected with a man I didn’t want to see today. Arrow Holt had a face that looked like the God of Fury and the God of High Sexuality combined into one irresistible being. The power he exuded forced me to take a step back.
I inhaled a breath to gather myself from the imbalance he had caused in me. Arrow was like an unexpected storm that came and disturbed my inner peace. Every time I was near him, I got flustered, and being flustered wasn’t something I needed or wanted.
By now, he probably detested me for rejecting him not once, but twice.
Three women stoodbeside Arrow. One of them was his ex, Sylvia. They seemed like more than friends. Were they back together? The other two women, a blonde and another curly-haired brunette, ogled at him as he made eye contact with me. The women followed his gaze in my direction. I looked away and walked off to browse the wine aisle.
Talk about magnetism. I couldn’t free myself from his eyes fast enough. His stare was like some invisible power pinning me in place.No wonder those women were stuck to him. This was another reason I didn’t want to go to dinner or duel with him. A man surrounded by pretty women was often tempted to stray. Of course, I was assuming based on experiences and what I saw in celebrity gossip.
He’d be a major disturbance in my life, and I wasn’t ready for another storm, even if it was the most gorgeous disruption I’d ever seen.
I shook off the unease and focused on finding the Tai Lok wine.
Where was Calvin Wong? On the surface, no one knew the Tai Lok brand was associated with The Triad, but I knew. Nerves churned as I walked further down the aisle. Would Calvin help me? Would he still remember me? It had been so long ago.
Aimee was just another missing child among a long list of missing children. Her case was no longer a priority for the police or the private eye they’d hired, so I had to take matters into my own hands.
I stopped by a magnificent wine display with two fancy pots of live bamboo. One was filled with black bamboo, and the other green. I glanced at the Bambooze Series of the CheckMate Black and CheckMate Red labels. The tagline read: Make all the right moves.
“If you drink enough, I’m sure you’ve got all kinds of moves,” I muttered with a laugh.
Intrigued, I picked up a bottle to examine it. I’d heard about bamboo wine but had never tried it.
“Would you like a taste?” His deep voice vibrated on my skin, making me shiver.
I turned and looked up at a set of magnetic gray eyes that belonged to an untamed wolf.Arrow Holt was a gorgeous man with hidden fine prints. If I weren’t careful, I could sign my life away without knowing it. I’d been around dangerous men before. Most of them wore masks.
What mask are you wearing, Arrow?
“Is this your brand?” I asked.
He nodded, and the intensity of his eyes sent a series of tingles rushing up and down my body.
What the heck was wrong with me?
It had been a month since he asked me out to dinner. I was surprised he was still friendly instead of keeping his distance. Maybe I was just one of many women he’d wanted to date. So my rejection meant nothing.
I shouldn’t wonder what would have happened if I had said yes. It didn’t hurt to wonder, right? According to the relationship column in one of the magazines in my office, imagination was a healthy way to overcome difficulty or any sort of inner barrier.
Arrow got brownie points for respecting my wishes. But right now, it was awkward standing next to him, knowing what had transpired between us.
Arrow grabbed the bottles of CheckMate Red and CheckMate Black, placed them into a bag, and handed it to me. “Try them. Let me know what you think. They’re new to the market.”
“Oh. Let me pay you.” I took the bag from him, and our fingers touched.
A zap of energy sparked, and my body heat increased a few notches. I wasn’t sure if he noticed it because he grabbed a postcard and wrote his number and email for me. “It’s a gift. In return, I’d love your honest opinion. Share it with the girls. I’d like to know what they think too.”
It would be a great reason to meet up with Audri, Michelle, Kiera, and Natalie. I’d canceled on them twice this month.
“Thanks. I’ll share these with them.”
Something told me not to accept the wine, but I blamed it on my overcautious mind. How could I not suspect people? A smart girl stayed away from trouble, right? And Arrow Holt had trouble written all over him. So why wasn’t I returning the bag to him?
“What brings you here tonight?” he asked.
It was a simple question, but the words caressed my face and neck. A seductive shiver slithered up my spine, but I willed myself to appear unaffected by his presence. His voice. His eyes. This man was like a King Cobra—a threat to my sanity.
“Saw it advertised and thought I’d swing by to check it out.” I smiled.
His gray eyes considered me, probably weighing how much truth was in my statement.
Ten percent truth.
“If I had asked you to join me at this wine convention back then, I would’ve gotten my yes, correct?”
Oh, God.