Page 21 of Dangerous Rhythm

“My dad’s family, too. But my mom’s family’s mostly still in Hong Kong.”

“My grandparents came from Shanghai,” Curtis shared. “Popo’s food might not be what you’re used to, but it’s always delicious.”

“Smells delicious,” Lina said. “I must try some later.”

Curtis was satisfied with that promise, but he wasn’t ready to let her go. “Hey, about earlier—” He’d told her she fascinated him as they’d landed. She’d stared at him with those sharp eyes but was saved from making a response by the captain announcing it was safe to open the door. She’d jumped straight into action. She got their immigration specially processed and put them in the car within fifteen minutes. Being jammed in a car with his parents wasn’t the right place to continue their conversation.

“Why don’t you join your family, Curtis?” Lina suggested, putting a stop to his intentions.

He was about to protest, but she added, “The team’s waiting.”

“Right.”

“Go on inside. It’s cold,” she urged.

Curtis was a little peeved at her dismissal, but he let her usher him inside like a child. He thought he’d made some progress in loosening her up around him. But each time he stepped closer to her, she pulled back and drew a new line between them.

Why do I even try?he questioned himself.

When they’d been touring, he’d always tried to make her laugh, and over time, he’d succeeded. But she’d never given him an opening for more than just that. She’d always been friendly but professional. He’d always been drawn to Lina. Even after a couple of years of having no contact with her, he immediately reacted to her as soon as he’d seen her. But maybe that wasn’t the case for her.

I’m just a client to her. Someone to protect from his own idiocy.

ten

“All’s calm. Nothing much to report,” Paul told Lina when she returned to Callie Chen-Bisset’s home later that evening. After the quick briefing with Paul, she’d gone off to a nearby hotel, showered, and slept. She’d worked with Paul and trusted him. Paul was an American whose husband was French and had lived in Paris for the past decade.

“The family stayed inside the compound all day. Their friends who live in the other units went about their day as usual,” Paul said. “But they were all aware of the situation and not unfamiliar with safety measures.”

“Yes, Callie told us as much on the phone.” Lina nodded.

“There’s no new developments from Marcus except some rumors about the Stilettos intimidating the Murphys.”

“Let’s hope it’ll take up their time and resources, and they’ll forget about Curtis,” she said. “Thanks for the update, Paul. I’ll take it from here.”

“Pierre is outside.” He handed her his communication device.

“Great.” She liked Pierre. She and Paul had interviewed him together.

Lina was about to go knock on Callie’s door when Paul added, “Oh, I almost forgot. The sister has a visitor, a colleague. She checked out. She’s still in there.”

“Thanks,” Lina acknowledged.

“Just go in. They’re expecting you.”

She turned with a laugh. “Go, Paul. I’m sure Guillaume is waiting for you.”

“I’m going after I do a last perimeter check.” He threw her a grin. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Lina appreciated Paul’s thoroughness. A babysitting job wasn’t exactly exciting, but a job was a job and needed to be done properly. She watched him walk through the courtyard and took a moment to take in the beautifully set-up compound in the dimming evening light. There were three three-story townhouses—two to one side and another opposite the courtyard, with a smaller building next to it. The team would’ve already secured all those buildings prior to their arrival, but Lina made a note to familiarize herself to the property later.

A twinge of envy spurred inside her. It wasn’t the wealth she was jealous of. It was the peaceful sense she got from the place. But then she remembered the report she’d read about Callie being abducted from her own home. Even well-guarded peace could shatter fast.

Let’s make sure nothing will disrupt this family again. Not under my watch.

With that vow, Lina entered the house. Her mouth watered as soon as she breathed in. Growing up, she’d preferred perfecting her high kicks to learning how to make steamed buns, but she still loved every dish her mom made. She was almost embarrassed at how eager she was to see what Curtis’ Popo was making.

The ground floor was a prettily decorated foyer, a closet, and what looked like a home office. She climbed the stairs to the main living area and found it filled with lively chatter. In the sitting area, Brandon conversed with his father-in-law. She had gotten to know Brandon as much as she had Curtis. She liked the Canis Major front man. He’d always been sketching when he wasn’t in music mode. In fact, she had a drawing he’d made of her framed in her apartment.

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