Chapter 43
I woketo a delicious aroma filling the room, making me hungry. Sprawled across his massive bed, I ran my hands over the smooth sheets. The sheets on his side looked crumpled. I smiled at the thought of him sleeping beside me.
I took a moment to let yesterday’s events sink in. I’d come to his house, dueled with him, fucked him, shared my past with him, cried like a fool to him, and slept in his bed. That was a lot of major changes in one day.
Feeling refreshed and energized, I walked into the bathroom, washed up with the new electronic toothbrush he’d left out for me, and took a quick hot shower. The hot steam relaxed me even more. After that, I used the unopened facial cleanser he had on the counter to remove my makeup as best I could. I got dressed in the same pants he’d given me, but no underwear.
I walked into the kitchen to find him standing at the stove wearing an apron that looked brand new.
“Good morning.” I stood beside him as he used the tongs to transfer pieces of burned bacon onto the white plate.
“Morning, beautiful. How did you sleep?”
“Great, thanks. You?”
“Best sleep I’ve ever had.” He smiled.
“What are you doing?” I gestured to his apron, the tongs, and the skillet.
“Making you breakfast.” He looked so serious, it was cute.
I crossed my arms, staring at him. “I thought you didn’t cook.”
“I don’t. But I’m making an exception for you.” He bent down and stole a kiss. “Watch this carefully.”
I studied how he used the tongs to take a breakfast sausage from the pack and place it on the skillet. He continued the process until all the sausages were in the pan. They sizzled, and he turned to me with a goofy grin.
“Okay.” I laughed, not understanding his silly request. “You wanted me to watch how you put sausages in a skillet?”
“Yes. Pay attention to the sound the sausage makes when it touches the skillet. I want you to remember this wonderful sizzling sound. Listen to it.”
He turned the sausage carefully, as though they were precious, and looked at me to ensure I was watching him. His expression was unforgettable. This was a billionaire who ran a successful wine empire, and here he was, all serious about the sizzling sound of a breakfast sausage. I couldn’t help it anymore and burst out laughing.
“What are you trying to do?” I placed a hand on his back.
He sighed. “I want you to replace the awful sizzling sound embedded in your mind with this new association—me making breakfast for you. I’ve never done this for anyone, so consider it a miracle.”
Time stopped for a moment. My heart quivered and swelled at the realization of what he was doing. I stared at him while he fidgeted withthe sausages, almost dropping them on the floor. The horror on his face amused and touched me.
No man had been this thoughtful or taken this much effort to ensure I was healing properly.
I wrapped my arms around him. “Thank you.” I squeezed him tighter. “Thank you for thinking of me. And for listening and remembering our conversation last night.”
Everything had poured out of me until I was left drained and fell into a deep sleep. I told him about my discomfort with the sizzling sound because it reminded me of the iron burning my skin.
“I think about you all the time.”
I smiled into his back and took his hand in mine. “You’re my charger too.” I swung our joined hands back and forth.
Something serious emerged in his eyes. “Have you ever wanted to remove those scars on your back? There’s advanced technology that can repair damaged skin.”
I didn’t know why, but insecurity bloomed within me, reminding me of my ex. “Does it bother you?”
“No, Tulip.” He sighed. “That’s not what I meant. You’re perfect for me. But I just wonder if you’ve considered repairing them for yourself. Not anyone else.”
There he was again. The man who could see beyond the norm. The man who was always prepared. I should be used to him by now.
I hadn’t attended many social events because I didn’t want to wear any dresses that would reveal my back. There weren’t a lot of pretty dresses with a well-covered back.
“I didn’t see the need to back then. But maybe someday I’d like to wear a low-cut dress at the back or a bikini for you.”
His eyes warmed. “Whenever you’re ready, let me know. I know of someone who’s excellent at skin reconstruction.”
I nodded, appreciating his thoughtfulness. “I’ve never wanted to remove them because they remind me of the pain. Sometimes, I look at people and wonder what kind of pain they’ve endured and where it’s hidden. Everyone has pain somewhere.”
“Pain is pain. We can’t measure it. Pain eats at our soul. But you gave me a piece of my soul back by sharing your story with me.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. He always seemed to say all the right things.
“You’re the first person to understand me so well.”
“Let’s keep it that way. I want you all to myself.”
After breakfast, I helped him clean the dishes.It was too early to check up on Kaylee, who was probably still sleeping. Snow had covered the backyard like a large, soft blanket. There was something beautiful and peaceful about watching the snow fall. I imagined some goddess in the sky, sprinkling snowflakes everywhere as she flew around.
What if each snowflake was a blessing in disguise? Life was too hectic for people to consider that concept. Everyone was so busy trying to get things done that they missed the beauty around them.
If I hadn’t been stuck here with Arrow, I wouldn’t have been staring at the snow and wondering about this. I would have been checking my dental calendar, continuing my research about Aimee, trying to get dinner ready for Kaylee, and so forth.
“I want to show you something.” Arrow led me into his office, slid into his leather office chair, and pulled me onto his lap. “Let me know if you recognize this person.”
He opened a file and clicked on an image of an Asian man. The man appeared to be in his early fifties. I didn’t recognize him, though his eyes seemed familiar, but I wasn’t sure.
“Who is he?”
“His name is James Chin. He worked at my warehouse in Texas and stole a large supply of my Bambooze. He also destroyed a portion of the warehouse. A third-shift worker had gone to the bathroom, stayed past his shift, and noticed. The entire warehouse would have been destroyed if he hadn’t been there.”
“Did anyone get hurt?”
“No. But we discovered a dead body hidden underneath the floor of his office.”
“Do you know who it is?”
“Forensics showed it was a male, and he had died about three years ago. They’re trying to get a DNA match, but I haven’t heard any updates yet.”
“You think James is part of The Triad?”
Arrow’s eye twitched. “I think he’s Ghost.”
My entire body tensed. “What? That’s impossible.” I inhaled a deep breath. “He’s dead.”
“How do you know for sure? James Chin also had a clown tattoo on his middle finger before he covered it with a new skull tattoo.”
“Calvin said the body was tossed into the sea.” I glanced at James’s face again. “He doesn’t look like Ghost.”
“Advancement in plastic surgery can do wonders to a person’s features.”
The acid had gotten onto his face the day he’d attacked me and my mom.
Fear twisted in my stomach at the possibility that he was still alive. Had Calvin seen Ghost’s dead body? Or had someone also lied to him?
“We have to ask Calvin.”
“There’s a lot to do when this storm settles.” He took my hand in his.
I could tell he wanted to comfort me because of this sudden news. It had rocked me like an earthquake. All the emotions I’d tucked away on my emotional shelf collapsed. If Ghost were still alive, there was no doubt he’d be after me.
“I debated telling you this later, but I think it’s better for you to know now.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“You mentioned that Ghost believed your mom had a key to something? Did you ever find out what that was?”
“No. Grandpa thinks his enemy gave Ghost false information, trying to stir up trouble within The Taipans. Mom left The Triad when she married, so she wasn’t involved with their business.”
“Does your father know anything?”
“I asked him once. He said Mom never mentioned anything to him.” I blew out a breath. “I searched through her things, but came up with nothing. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to search once more.”
“It’s a good idea.”
“Do you want to come with me? A pair of fresh eyes might help me see something I missed. I have my mom’s stuff at my place in California.”
“I’d love to join you.”
A memory surfaced, and I gasped. “I saw a man with a clown mask on the day of the grand reopening of Ormon’s Restaurant. You were there with Sylvia.”
“The fucker has been watching you.” A muscle twitched in his jaw, and his eyes flashed with a deadly calm. His grim expression made me wonder what he would do to Ghost once he found him. “I want you and Kaylee to move in with me.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s safer here.” A crease formed between his brows. “I have three security systems. One of them isn’t sold to the public. I got it from a friend in the military.”
“Is that why your house is so isolated compared to the others?” I rubbed the crease gently with my fingers.
The tension in his face softened. “Yes.”
I swallowed, unsure of what to do. My relationship with him had just started, and I didn’t want to become a burden. It was too soon to move in, even though this was a rare situation.
“It is not an inconvenience for me.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking?”
“I’ve wanted you for a long time, Tulip. I know your expressions.” He tugged at my hair. “Besides, it’s a logical thought process of cause and effect—a natural response to my request.”
“Sounds more like a demand to me.”
“I just want you and Kaylee safe. She could also be a target because of you.”
Shit. Why didn’t I think of that?
Because your mind has been crammed with too many things lately.
Was there something else I wasn’t seeing?
“You’re making it hard for me to decline,” I said.
“If you decline, you’ll break my heart.” He pressed a hand to his chest, trying to look like he was in pain. “Please don’t break my heart.”
His serious expression transformed into one of amusement and warmth. I loved that I got to see so many sides of him. How many more were there?
“Will you make me and Kaylee breakfast every day?” I teased.
“Okay.”
“Really? Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“I can order a bunch of breakfast food and put it on nice plates for you and Kaylee. That can be defined as ‘making’ breakfast.” He smirked.
I rolled my eyes.
“Humor aside, you should also be careful at your office. We don’t know what he’s up to.”
My phone buzzed from inside the sweatshirt pocket.
“It’s Kaylee,” I told him.
“Tell her I said hello.”
I got off his lap and dropped into the big chair in the seating area.
Kaylee: Can we invite Arrow to join us for Christmas?
Vivian: Why the sudden invitation?
Kaylee: Violet is going away with her mom and her mom’s boyfriend for the holidays. Arrow spent it alone last year.
My heart sank. I’d spent Christmas with Dad and Kaylee.
Vivian: Sure.
Kaylee: Cool! Thanks. (smile emoji)
We texted for a few more minutes, catching up. She planned to watch TV, play board games, and work on arts and crafts. Grace was making spaghetti for lunch and pizza for dinner. Kaylee sounded like she was having a good time. Most likely school would be canceled on Monday. I’d keep an eye out for a call or a text from the school board on Sunday.
I emailed my team, informing them that the office would be closed on Monday because of inclement weather. Allison would call all the patients to reschedule. No one was going to trek out for a dentist appointment in this kind of weather. The city needed time to clear the streets and sidewalks. I didn’t mind the extra time to absorb everything I’d discovered.
I sat in the chair and watched Arrow work on his computer. His fingers flew across the keyboard. He paused a moment, and his lips formed a slight pout as he pondered something. My heart swelled as I remembered his attempt at breakfast. The burned bacon and sausages were the best breakfast I’d ever had.
When I’d seen him standing at the stove, my curiosity had been piqued. I hadn’t even registered the sizzling sound. The smell of bacon and the sight of him with the apron overwhelmed everything else. My body usually shivered whenever I heard a sizzling noise or a brief hiss. But it hadn’t today.
Fear usually made everything worse, and my active imagination didn’t help. For so many years, the sounds of sizzling bacon and sausages were like the quick jab of a branding iron. But that horrible association had been replaced by something sacred and beautiful today. He’d given me a priceless gift.
My chest tightened as I considered this powerful emotion stirring inside me.
I got up from the chair and walked over to him. He extended an arm, welcoming me back onto his lap.
“Would you like to spend Christmas with us?” I asked.
His face beamed. “I think the question should be: would you and Kaylee like to plan the Christmas party at my house?”
“Christmas is in two weeks. You want us to move in before that?”
“Your safety is paramount. We can’t postpone that.” He played with a strand of my hair. “As soon as the storm’s over, we’re packing. I’ll have a team of movers to assist you.”
I held up a hand. “Hold on a minute. This is temporary, Arrow. Kaylee and I only need our clothes and some essentials. We don’t need movers—we’re not moving furniture.”
What was he thinking?
He considered my comment for a moment. “Fine.”
“Let me remind you that you own my apartment building. So it should be safe.”
“It needs a security update. The current system can easily be hacked by those who know how.”