Chapter 12
Nari.
The weekend had been perfect. Neither of us left the house and we barely left our room.
My body was sore but thoroughly pleased, so I had no complaints.
It was now late Sunday evening, and Kincaid had received a call he had to take, so my mother and I decided to start working through the gifts from our reception.
It hadn’t been requested or necessary, but no one showed up empty-handed.
Some boxes were filled with imported crystals, rare artwork I googled to find was worth seven figures, and envelopes that held island trips to exclusive tropical places I had never heard of.
“Who the hell are these people?” I mumbled, and my mother smiled, handing me yet another box. She and I were sitting on the floor after moving most of the gifts for easy access. They now surrounded us while we both opened them one at a time.
“Wealthy people who like to impress.” She grinned, untying the ribbon to a rectangular Tiffany box.
“Another vase. It’s different than the other two, but still a vase.” I flashed her an amused smile before lifting the lid to the box that sat in front of me.
My eyes widened in surprise and I quickly shoved it away, gasping at the contents. The silver box was lined with plastic, and inside were two severed hands. I threw mine over my mouth and kicked the box farther away with my foot before scooting back to get up.
“That’s . . .” I shook my head, not even able to finish the thought.
“I’m going to get Kincaid. Don’t touch it again,” my mother instructed, quickly leaving the room. She returned moments later, following Kincaid while pointing to the floor where the box was.
“Shit! Fuck!” He cursed before turning to me. “Are you okay?”
I was still staring at the severed hands, so he grabbed my face and forced me to look at him. “Nari, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Stop asking me if I’m okay.” I knocked his hands away and pointed at the box. “That I can handle. What I can’t handle is knowing the person who delivered it was in our house. How the fuck did that happen? What if it was one of your people? What if you can’t trust them? What if—”
He cuffed the sides of my face again, focusing my eyes on his in an attempt to force me to calm down. “Sweetheart, you’re okay. We’re okay. Let me figure this out. We had a lot of people in and out, and no matter how tight security was, this was always a possibility.”
I nodded slowly, and he pulled me into a hug, removing his phone at the same time.
“I need you at my house now. A box was delivered. It’s one of Medina’s men. He’s wearing the Gallardo crest on his pinky finger.” I listened as Kincaid spoke to someone I assumed was Cast or Darius. After the call ended, he was on me again.
“Let’s go.” His regard then moved to my mother, who shook her head, understanding the silent request to know if she was all right.
“I’ll be by the pool. I have a book I’d like to finish.” She looked at me before turning to leave.
I stepped away from him and pointed in the direction she’d gone. “I’m going to go with her. I’m sure you have to figure this out.”
“Stay with me for a little while.”
“No, I just need a minute, okay?”
He stared hard before nodding but watched me until I was no longer in sight. I stepped out into the back and took a cleansing breath before joining my mother. I sat next to her on the edge of the lounge and she lowered her book and turned to face me.
“This is his life, I get it. I’m sure much worse will happen, and truthfully, I’m not all that affected by what was in the box.
Maybe that means something’s wrong with me.
” I closed my eyes for a brief moment and shook my head.
“What bothers me the most is that I feel violated. They were here in our house. What else could have happened while they were here? Who was it? They managed to move around without anyone knowing. That bothers me.”
She nodded but remained silent for a minute longer before she sat up, placing her feet on the ground and the book she was reading beside her. After propping my elbows on my knees, I lowered my face into my palms.
“What do you need me to do?” My mother’s voice was soft. I laughed sarcastically, lifting my eyes to hers.
“Can you somehow transform the man I married into something basic like a lawyer or a doctor? Hell, he could be a gotdamn city worker collecting trash for all I care right now.”
She flashed me a smile, softly shaking her head. Soft, thick coils that matched mine bounced over her shoulders and around her face.
“No, baby, I can’t, but that’s not who you married, and I can’t imagine that it’s who he wants to be.”
“I just . . . shit. I don’t know. I don’t want to start feeling afraid in my own house.”
“And you won’t.” His voice was deep, vibrating with confidence.
Kincaid spoke from a few feet away, standing just outside the door.
His stare was confident, firm, and intense, communicating the promise he’d just delivered before he turned and walked back inside.
He seemed angry. Certainly not with me, but he was indeed angry.
How the hell had such a perfect weekend ended so terribly?
The rest of the day moved fast. Kincaid spent most of his time in his office.
Several people were in and out of our home, all professional looking one way or another.
Most were dressed in suits; some were in black-on-black cargo pants, long-sleeved shirts, and combat boots.
They all shared the same stature: tall, solid, ripped bodies.
A few carried the build of football players: massive, bulky, and wearing permanent scowls even when their features softened when I was around.
Yet, they still appeared unfriendly in a way that relayed their purpose for being there.
None of them spoke to me outside of Darius and Cast. They both carried on conversations, keeping things light, but I could see the tension behind their expressions and playfulness.
Kincaid was quiet when it came to me. He was watching me though, and his thoughts were heavy.
I could feel them. And the way his eyes followed me when I was near told of his mood.
He was worried, but I wasn’t sure about what exactly.
After hours of being barricaded in his office, I entered with food because he hadn’t eaten a bite all day.
There were two men in there with him. I didn’t bother to offer them anything because I learned from experience they would decline.
Obviously, they were working. Kincaid stood and rounded his desk when I entered his space.
He thanked me softly with a kiss on the cheek before he accepted the plate, placed it on his desk, and watched me as I left.
Again, that strange feeling took over, letting me know his mind was working and his thoughts were still weighted.
That was how the hours passed after I discovered the severed hands hiding amongst the wedding gifts that we received.
At some point, my mother and I found places for the opened gifts, and the rest were placed in the garage for Kincaid’s men to sort through.
I had no objections because I wasn’t interested in locating more body parts.
My mother retired to her room right after dinner.
At first, I assumed it was from the day’s stress, but after checking on her, I learned it was because she had a FaceTime date with Abisai.
She had been texting him throughout the day, and that put a smile on her face, which made me happy as well.
While I showered, Kincaid took a call on the terrace and joined me just as I finished.
He made sure to make me come several times before I stepped out and he finished showering then joined me in bed after making me a cup of lemon ginger tea while he enjoyed Cognac.
The bottle made it to the room with him and rested on the nightstand beside the bed.
After finishing the last of my tea, I muted the TV and crawled across the bed, straddling my husband’s waist. He took me in slowly, tossing back the last of his drink before placing the empty glass next to the bottle.
I stared down at his bare chest and arms, watching the muscles move like choreographed waves with the slightest motion.
His hands eventually made it to my hips and rested there.
“You’ve been quiet all day. Are you ready to tell me what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I’ve just been dealing with the shit that happened earlier.” It was a partial truth, but I felt him holding back, so I pushed harder.
“You have, but it’s not just that. The way you’ve been watching me today is like you’re worried, and that makes me anxious.”
“There’s nothing to be anxious or worried about. Watching you is simply my way of remembering everything about you. Your smile, the way your eyes lower when you need me, and how your hands cover our son protectively without you even thinking about it. I need those memories. They’re important.”
His words sounded cryptic before he settled into a silence. They lingered between us in a palpable way and combined with the heaviness of what I felt him holding onto. I closed my eyes, exhaling, wanting to get this over with, whatever the hell it was.
“Just say it, please. I can’t take these weird spaces we find ourselves in, one you’re in right now.”
“You can’t leave me, Nari.” My eyes shot open, narrowing to find his waiting. They were fearful and needy. Nothing like the man I knew Kincaid to be.
What the hell has him afraid?
Certainly not me leaving.
Why would he think that?