Episode 56
Episode 56
Madness
MADAM ALANA
It took me a solid ten minutes before I tapped my fingernail on the door of the guest room where Rhodes and Maia should have been sleeping. I was about to head up to bed earlier when I heard a muffled scream. Could it have been the two of them having sexual relations? Absolutely. Rhodes did not seem to be a man to flaunt his intimate activities, especially in light of his daughter being present. I believed he’d have more restraint. I wavered on whether or not I should check on them. Eventually, my concern outweighed the possibility of embarrassment, and now here I was.
Behind the door I could hear shuffling and murmuring, then the door opened with a flourish. I stepped back, clenching my robe as Rhodes stood there, his eyes tired, but his expression alert. He wore a white T-shirt and his boxer briefs.
“Hey, everything okay?” he asked me, pushing through the door and into the hallway.
I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest, rubbing the chill out of them.
“ Oui , though I was going to ask you the same thing. I heard a scream come from your room earlier, and with everything that has happened, I wanted to ensure yours and Maia’s safety.”
Rhodes rubbed a hand over his face and then through his hair. “Sorry we disturbed you. She had a nightmare. A…uh…nasty flashback from her life before now.”
I gasped and covered my mouth. “Oh, no!”
Maia and I had shared bits and pieces of our past but not enough to paint a full picture. I told her how I’d been in the auction, that Christophe had purchased me thirty years ago, and how I had been homeless until the auction. Over the years, Maia had only shared with me that her family had kicked her out of her home in Colorado when she was a teenager, and she’d made her way by bus to Las Vegas. I knew she’d pick-pocketed and used the casino’s buffets as her primary means of securing food when she was much younger. Many times, I tried to take her under my wing, but Maia was a skittish little thing and didn’t trust most adults. It took an ungodly amount of time just to get her to have lunch with me or allow me to provide her with a phone and pay for the minutes back when we met. I may have been one of Maia’s allies, but we weren’t close friends. I hoped to change that with her marrying Rhodes.
He shook his head. “It was bad, Alana. And worse, she has family that needs my help to escape a terrible situation.”
Immediately, I thought of my best friend Celine and her experience. “Is there anything we can do to help?”
Rhodes leaned against the wall, his shoulders slumped, and his head fell forward in a position of defeat. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’m going to make some calls in the morning. What time is it?”
“Ten in the evening. You both missed dinner, but we figured you needed the rest more.”
“I feel like I’ve only slept a minute, yet it’s been most of the day. Damn. The jetlag and worry over you, Emily, and Maia…it has taken its toll.” He groaned, seeming entirely drained of energy.
“Of course, it has. As it would anyone. My Christophe is beside himself. He’s checked in with the authorities and the staff in Las Vegas only to be told there’s been no new information. Have you heard anything from that motorcycle crew or the detectives on Maia’s case?”
“Not since I went to bed this morning. I’m going to get in touch with Joel Castellanos. He had that situation with his wife, Faith, last year. Claimed his cousin Bruno was an expert at investigating these things. I think we need reinforcements, not only to figure out who’s threatening you and Maia but also to look into her family in Colorado.”
“Is the situation that dire in Colorado?” I asked gently.
He stared into my eyes, his expression tortured. I shivered as our gazes held.
“It is, Alana. Worse than you could probably imagine.”
I closed my eyes and sent up a silent prayer to Celine that she’d keep an eye on Maia’s family. “I’ll discuss this with Christophe, and we will be of assistance in any way possible.”
“To be entirely honest, I’m going to need help with Em. I don’t want her knowing about any of this. She’s thirteen. This is her summer break. She has enough stress dealing with Portia’s endless crap, and now me bringing a new woman around. I don’t want any of this to touch her. She should be living her best teenage life in France with her aunt and uncle, me, and Maia.”
“As I said, whatever I can do to help. Emily is no bother, and neither are you and Maia. We are family, non ?”
He chuckled softly, lightless entering his expression, the wrinkles around his tired eyes lessening. “We are. And I’m so grateful, Alana. You could never know…”
I reached out and pulled him into my arms, hugging him. “And Christophe and I are just as thankful to have you and Emily in our lives,” I said while running one of my hands up and down his back. “We’re going to work through all of these issues and eventually it will seem like old news.”
He sighed deeply against my neck, his grip tightening around my back. “Thanks, Alana.”
I pulled back and patted his cheek. “Get some more sleep. We’ll work on all of these concerns in the morning.”
Rhodes pressed his lips together and nodded. “I love you, Alana. You know that, right? You’re the big sister I’ve never had.”
I smiled as my heart expanded to almost bursting. “I love you, too, Rhodes.”
“If the two of you are done professing your undying love for one another, can I have my wife back?” My husband’s playful teasing voice came from the banister above where we were standing.
Rhodes and I looked up. I smiled at his sleep-mussed hair and disheveled robe. My husband loved to sleep in the nude, but when Emily, or any guest for that matter, was around he pulled out the loungewear.
I waved my husband off. “ Une minute, mon coeur .”
Christophe yawned, stretched his arms above his head then yawned a second time. “ ’Night Rhodes.”
“Hey, Christo. You know I love you, too, man!” Rhodes called out.
Christophe stopped before disappearing down the hall that led to our room and turned around. “ Je t’aime aussi, Rhodes, ” he replied on a tired groan, then waved before leaving us.
“You know you have the best man on the planet, right? Only Christophe would see his wife in the arms of another man, one who’s half dressed, and be entirely confident and calm about it.”
“He knows our love is folie à deux.”
He frowned and rubbed at his temples as if trying and failing to remember what the expression meant.
“Madness shared by two.” I smirked. “Our love is unmatched by anything or anyone in this world.”
“I want that one day. To love a woman so much it hurts. I mean, as a father, I have that for Emily, but it’s different than what you and Christophe have.”
“ Oui , it is.” I reached out and cupped his shoulder, giving it a supportive squeeze. “I have an inkling that the broken little dove in your bed may be the very madness you have been seeking all these years.”
He bit down on his bottom lip and looked me straight in the eyes for quite a while before he eventually said, “I think you may be right.”
* * * *
The morning brought with it a boisterous Emily who was chatting a mile a minute while stuffing her mouth with breakfast.
“So, are we going to Galeries Layfette today with Maia?” Emily asked with her mouth full.
“Darling do not speak with your mouth full. If I wanted seafood, I would have asked Aurelie to cook it for us.” I half-smiled as Emily burst into laughter. I loved hearing that sound. Children laughing, even teenagers—actually, especially teenagers— since they were always so filled with warring emotions about this or that.
Emily’s cheeks turned red as she swallowed and then wiped her mouth. Her eyes widened as she asked more politely. “Do you think we can go shopping today?”
Her excitement was contagious, filling the room with undeniable joy. “I do believe you and I can go shopping. I’m not sure about Rhodes and Maia though.” I hoped to quell any sadness she might have if the two of them were not up to going after the night they’d had.
She frowned deeply. “But Dad said they would go tomorrow. And today is tomorrow…”
I moved to redirect her when Maia quietly entered. “Go where?” Maia tucked her hands into the pockets of the hooded sweatshirt she wore, which was at least two sizes too large. The woman desperately needed a new wardrobe.
“Shopping at Galeries Layfette!” Emily squeaked, her excitement coming back to the surface at full speed.
“What’s Galeries Layfette?” Maia wrapped her hands around a cup as Aurelie poured coffee. “ Merci ,” Maia responded.
“It’s only the coolest, most awesome, swanky store in Paris!” Emily gushed.
Maia inhaled and held her breath as her gaze went to mine. “Um, I don’t usually shop at swanky places.”
Emily snorted and prodded a sausage link with her fork. “Well, you do now. Dad is loaded, remember.”
“I…uh…Emily, I don’t expect your father to buy me a bunch of fancy things. I don’t need much.”
Emily looked at Maia as though she was a ghost, then turned to me and pouted.
“Maia, darling, if Rhodes wants to splurge on his daughter and girlfriend while in Paris, I believe it’s perfectly normal to accept such kindness. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Sure, but, um…” Maia started as Rhodes entered.
He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Who wants to go shopping today?”
Emily jumped out of her chair and bounced over and into his embrace. “Yay! Thank you, Daddy. I’m going to go get ready!” She stood on tiptoe and kissed her father’s cheek, then ran up the backstairs to where the master suite and Emily’s guest room were.
Christophe smiled at her as he came down the stairs, his phone pressed to his ear. “ Merci beaucoup. ” He finished his call. “That was the Las Vegas authorities. They interviewed the courier who brought the note to the hotel. He claimed he was paid in cash by a large man with dark hair, dark eyes, and an accent. But he didn’t know what the accent was. He needed the money, so he delivered the letter. The guy gave him a hundred-dollar bill and disappeared. There was nothing more to share.”
“What about having him sit with a sketch artist?” Rhodes suggested.
Christophe frowned deeply. “Unfortunately, since there hasn’t been an attempt on Alana’s life—just a threat via the letter— the authorities believe it isn’t serious. They’ve done their due diligence, and the case is closed.”
“Basically, they are going to wait until someone actually hurts Alana,” Rhodes hissed.
Christophe nodded, came to my side, bent, and kissed the crown of my head. “No one will get near my wife or your fiancée and child. Security guards are arriving shortly for all three of them.”
“Wait, what? You’re going to assign a guard to me?” Maia scoffed. “That’s a bit overbearing, don’t you think?”
“Are you serious, Maia? Your house was trashed, and threatening messages were written on your walls. No, I do not think it’s going overboard at all,” Rhodes responded, a hint of possessiveness in his tone. I chose to ignore that alpha side to my friend because I actually agreed that we’d be safer with protection.
“Maia it’s just until we get more information about the threat.”
“It still feels like a lot.” She sipped her coffee.
Rhodes’ phone rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket. “It’s Sam.”
Maia coughed. “My best friend is calling you now instead of me. Great. Just great. I’ve lost all control of my life,” she said dryly with a cute little snarl.
Rhodes wove his fingers through her hair as he answered. “Talk to me, Sam. Give me some good news, buddy.”
“ Buddy ,” Maia mouthed, clearly disgruntled about her fiancé and best friend becoming close.
“Okay, let me put you on speaker,” Rhodes said, then tapped a button on his phone. “Go ahead.”
“My club hunted down the individuals that broke into your studio.” Sam’s voice was a low, dark rumble.
“Did you deliver them to the authorities?” Rhodes asked.
Maia snort-laughed and spilled some of her coffee. “Honey, that’s not how a motorcycle club works.”
“My sister’s correct,” Sam stated flatly. His confirmation carried a hint about what he and his motorcycle club were willing to do, and calling Maia his sister showed how much our Maia meant to the man. This could be good or bad, depending on how Rhodes responded.
“Whatever man, I don’t care. Who did this shit?”
“A team of three low-level street rats. They take on gigs from bigger fish and get paid when the job is done. Only this time, they said it was a woman who’d made the deal. One of the big wigs got a call for a job, accepted payment, then sent out three members of his crew. The only reason they even knew it was a woman is because one of them happened to be there when their boss received the request.”
“Well, can we talk to their boss?” Rhodes asked.
Sam chuckled. “You want to call the Latin Mafia? Do you have a death wish, Davenport?”
“Wait, the Latin Mafia…” Christophe snapped his fingers a few times. “Diego Salazar?” he asked out loud to the room.
“You people know the head of the West Coast Latin Mafia?” Sam asked, very clearly shocked.
“Actually, Mr. Salazar is a lovely man when you get to know him,” I added, reaching for my phone and scrolling to my contacts. “We’ll handle it from here, Sam.”
“Wait, what happened to the three little shits that messed up Maia’s place?” Rhodes growled, still fired up from the news.
“The club handles people who mess with our own. You no longer have to worry about them,” Sam stated.
“But…” Maia reached out and took Rhodes’ hand. She shook her head, sending the message not to dig further into it.
“Thank you, Sam. Tell everyone I’m grateful for the help,” Maia shared.
“You okay, Maia, all the way out there in France? Because if you need me, I’ll store the bike and hitch a ride on a plane, yeah?”
Maia smiled so wide it lit up her entire face. “I’m great. We’re going shopping today, with three shiny new security guards.”
“Excellent. Like hearing you got more protection than you need. Keep me posted.”
“Will do, Sam. And thank you.” Rhodes said.
“I’ll call in a few days,” Maia promised, and they ended the call.
I pressed the button on my phone to make a call of my own to someone I hadn’t anticipated every needing to contact.
He answered on the first ring. “? Hola! Mrs. Toussiant, to what do I owe the pleasure of your call?” Diego Salazar asked, with a smooth Spanish accent. The man was terrifying in person but also quite the charmer.
“ Bonjour , Se?or Salazar. I do believe I need your help.”