Page 46 of Trick's Trap

Trick tightened his hold on her, pulling her waist until she was pressed against him in the bed. “When was this?”

Her head tilted back. “I think I was nine or ten. I just woke up one day and Ama wasn’t there.”

Seeing her now, with all her success in school, Trick could hardly believe her formal education began so late. From half-hearted homeschooling to a math degree from Harvard… Somehow, Tahlia more than made up for the time lost.

Of course, her housekeeper probably had a lot to do with that. Despite her position as a domestic, this Ama woman had given Tahlia the grounding she needed to overcome her sad and peculiar childhood. Some of the staff at the hotel did the same for him and Maggie after they lost their parents.

Trick made a mental note to try to discover what happened to the poor woman. If it was bad—if she ended up like Tahlia’s dad—well, then, there was no reason to tell her the truth. But maybe he’d get lucky.

I might find the old woman alive and well in Cuba.Stranger things had happened.

Tahlia hugged her Ph.D. advisor,trying not to cry.

She was going to get her degree. Since she’d missed so much school, Tahlia assumed her dreams of a doctorate in Mathematics were over. But Patrick insisted on investigating the matter. He had invited her advisor, Dr. Karen Sattler, over for dinner.

Though they had a cordial working relationship, Tahlia was unprepared for the tears Dr. Sattler shed at seeing her alive and well.

“I’m so sorry I worried you,” she said, a lump in her throat, as Dr. Sattler openly wept on her shoulder.

Patrick and Liam, who were both in attendance, stared at each other as if they didn’t know what to do.

“It’s not your fault, my dear,” Dr. Sattler said, patting her grey hair in an effort to pull herself together. “I’ve been interviewed by those nice FBI officers. I know a little about of what you’ve been facing, and I don’t blame you for not getting in touch.” She wiped her eyes, her sniff more disdainful than pained.

“And after speaking to some of your heinous relations, I can only wish you luck.”

Tahlia could feel the blood draining from her face. “You’ve spoken to them?”

“Yes, your uncle Lucas and his attorneys called me several times,” Dr. Sattler said with a shudder.

“What did he want?” Patrick frowned darkly.

He looks a lot more like Liam when he does that, Tahlia observed.

“He was trying to find out if I knew where she was, of course,” Dr. Sattler said, sitting down on at the table with the upright carriage and British stiff upper lip Tahlia remembered her for.

Trick came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as the older woman continued.

“I was glad I couldn’t tell him anything. That man set my teeth on edge over the phone.” Dr. Sattler’s thin lips were almost a nonexistent seam. “He was all sweetness and light at first. He said he wanted to discuss your work in an effort to be close to you. But then he repeatedly tried to order me to call him if I heard anything about you, I reported him to campus security for harassment. After that, I only heard from his attorney.”

Tahlia sat in stunned silence. Suddenly, she was cold, her fingers icy.

“I had no idea he’d reached out to you,” she said in a hoarse voice.

Trick exchanged another loaded glance with his brother. She could practically see them flexing their muscles as if they were girding themselves for battle.

She wondered how many others Lucas reached out to. Dr. Sattler was no fool, but for many other people, she knew it would have been easy for Lucas to pass off his aggressive behavior as concern for his missing niece.

Still uneasy, she lapsed into silence, letting Patrick and Liam monopolize the conversation. They effortlessly soothed Dr. Sattler’s jangled nerves, deftly steering talk back to the possibility of finishing her doctorate.

“It’s not going to be a problem,” her advisor assured her between bites of a delicious seafood risotto. “You’ve done so much good work toward the degree. A few more passes of the manuscript might be in order before we submit it to your committee for approval, but I think it would be a formality at this point.”

“That’s great news.” Trick beamed at her, reaching over to squeeze Tahlia’s hand.

She returned his smile, but the effort was hollow. Mention of her uncle had soured the evening.

Her work at Harvard had always been her safe space. No one in her family, aside from her father, ever asked about her work. And he hadn’t wanted to hear the details. All he’d cared about was that she excelled, not so much what she excelled in. Just knowing Lucas asked about her work made it seem sordid. She knew her reaction was irrational, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.

Patrick’s brother cleared his throat. “Once everything is official, you should talk with our HR department. We can always find a place for talented people.”

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