Page 102 of Savage Bosses

Selene cut a deal with a local who promised to take her in and out of the community under the nose of Antonio’s closely monitored tour. Initially, it seemed like her plan worked as she got good research done away from Antonio’s watchful eye. But when she returned to theI Love Palenquesign at the edge of town, the driver was nowhere to be found. She had been waiting for ninety minutes as gray clouds began to gather. The last thing she needed was to stop in the rain. There were few transportation alternatives, and she was beginning to regret her insistence on going it alone.

Selene was stranded with no cell signal, no one to ask for help, and her stomach was growling.

She was screwed.

And it was all Emir’s fault.

COMPLICATION

Selene fascinated Emir.

Even now, pacing back and forth in the rain and wringing out her ridiculous head scarf, she was a vision.

“So, you’re just gonna be a creeper and keep staring at that girl out this window?”

Emir jumped, surprised at his sister’s voice.

She was right.

He acted like a creep, staring at Selene from a house across the street. The real surprise was that she hadn’t noticed. The house wasn’t that far away, and he hadn’t even bothered to move from the window for the last hour. Nonetheless, she was unaware. He wasn’t surprised, she was unaware of most things that didn’t happen directly in front of her face.

Emir had followed Selene around with stalkerish obsession for the past week, and one thing he learned was that her environmental awareness was severely lacking.

“Whatever, Asha. I’m just trying to ensure the girl doesn’t end up kidnapped or laid out by one of these speeding motorbikes on the side of the road.”

Asha laughed. “Uh-huh. And you need to do that with a pair of binoculars, right?”

He looked down at the binoculars in his hand and shook his head while Asha continued to chuckle and pat his back. He rolled his eyes as he stifled a grin. When Emir decided to go to Palenque after Selene, Asha tagged along mostly for her own entertainment. Her teasing and unsolicited advice were neverending since the moment they boarded their family’s private jet.

“Emir, why don’t you just go out there and talk to the woman? It’s clear you love her.”

Emir groaned and shook his head. “No, I don’t. You know I don't have time for love. I tried that once and we both remember how that ended. I am concerned for her safety as a KJR employee charged with a very important project.”

Asha rolled her eyes in disbelief, but she knew better than to push him further on the subject of Selene or love.

Emir was stubborn, but she had learned over time how to recognize when he was trying to avoid a topic out of fear rather than conviction. She grinned inwardly at the thought that maybe there really was hope for Emir in matters of love after all, even if he denied it for now.

Asha watched him track Selene’s every move from the window. She’d have to try another tactic to get him to open up.

“Emir, why are you pressing her so badly about this? We both know you could tell Antonio that her plan is solid and will aid the community further than anything the World Bank proposed. You said as much yourself. You're holding her success hostage, and I’ve never known you to be the type to hinder a black woman from reaching her goals.”

Emir sighed deeply. As always, his sister hit the nail on the head.

He never wanted to be that person - the one who held any Black woman back from achieving her goals. He had seen far too many amazing Black women throughout his life have their brilliance disregarded and pushed aside because of something as simple as their gender or race, yet here he was, seemingly doing the same thing for someone so close to him.

“You’re right. I’ve got to let her do this and let the cards fall where they may. I can get her a real meeting with Antonio and his Quadro and then step back. It’s really the last peg that needs to be put in place, the last thing she’ll need from me.”

Asha threw her hands up and screamed. “OH.MY.GOSH. Is that what all this is about? You aren’t seriously comparing that caring and conscientious woman outside in the rain with your demon-spawned ex, are you?”

Emir leaned against the window he was peeping out of and arched an eyebrow at his sister. “Why shouldn’t I? The similarities are endless.”

Selene was just like Nina, beautiful, smart, and in love with her career more than him.

After her, he swore off women for good. He couldn’t trust their intentions, and he refused to walk into the same mistake twice, no matter what foolishness Isabel was spitting.

Asha came and hugged his neck from behind. “Brother, everyone but you knew that Nina was trouble. She was a wannabe journalist with a fat ass, and you fell for her. You must forgive yourself and the fall-out; it was ten years ago, and everyone else, including the company, has moved on. Live and learn.”

Emir touched her hand and gently shook her off before walking over to the kitchen and pulling out two bottles of water from the fridge. Then he turned to Asha. “I learned to live without women, because they’re nothing but trouble.”

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