Page 23 of Dangerous Rhythm

“A crazed person hunting one of us?” Brandon quipped.

Curtis and Callie glared at him.

“Too soon?” Brandon grinned.

Julien, next to him, elbowed Brandon in the ribs lightly with a chuckle. “We have to laugh at these things. I mean, we as a group seem to attract trouble,” the French chef pointedly said.

“Before you kids, the only trouble I’ve attracted to in my life was this woman,” Dad chimed in with a laugh, squeezing Mom’shand. “My parents did not approve of me falling in love with a Chinese woman. But I didn’t care, and we eloped.”

Callie’s eyes widened as she stared at their parents. “I didn’t know that. Did you, Curtis?”

“Nope.” It was news to him, too.

“Is that why we didn’t see Dad’s parents much?” Callie asked.

“They wanted your father to marry a real American woman,” Mom answered with a small, bitter smile. “But that’s a bygone story now. Let’s not rehash the past.”

Curtis could see Callie looking at their mother with new understanding. All of those years of their mother denying their Chinese heritage and pushing her kids to a certain standard made sense now. She’d wanted to please and be accepted by her husband’s family. But it never quite happened.

In the corner of his eye, Curtis saw Lina sitting quietly, absorbing everything. Curtis couldn’t really tell what she was thinking from the polite smile she’d sported all night. She’d tried to wiggle herself out of dinner using her bodyguard status as an excuse, but he’d told her it was best for his safety if she stayed close. She couldn’t argue her way out of that one.

“Lina, Curtis told us your family is in the Bay Area,” Popo said. “Are you planning to go home for the Lunar New Year?”

Turning her gaze to Popo, Lina seemed caught off guard by the question. “I haven’t thought about it, but that sounds like an idea if all turns out well in time.”

“Lunar New Year is two weeks away. Do you think it’ll be safe for Curtis by then?” Callie asked.

“I don’t have the answer to that yet,” Lina answered honestly.

“We’ll celebrate here. We have family, friends. What more do we need?” Popo said, obviously avoiding the real reason behind the family reunion.

“Food, Popo,” Curtis indulged his grandma. “Lots of food.”

“Don’t you worry about that!” Popo beamed with happiness.

More talk and laughter filled the night. Everybody avoided the elephant in the room because nobody wanted to worry Popo. Frankly, Curtis was glad that for once his mind wasn’t focused on death. Now that this Serafina woman, whom he’d been oblivious about all of his life, wanted him most likely dead, he couldn’t help but think about his demise.

“I think you’ve had enough, Curtis,” Lina said to him when he put up his glass for some more wine. “We need to keep our heads clear.”

“You need to keep your head clear,” Curtis retorted. “I don’t want to remember anything come morning.”

Lina, like always, only had water or tea throughout the night. She now took the wineglass from his hand and said levelly, “It’s probably good for you to sleep it off.”

Curtis didn’t think he was buzzed enough. He could still see and stand straight. He was about to protest some more, but Brandon said, “Come on, buddy. I’ll help you to the studio.”

“I’m good.” Curtis stood and showed them he wasn’t drunk as a skunk, though he really wanted to be. “See.”

“I’ll take him,” Lina said. “I have to check in and do my rounds anyway.”

“You’re sure you can handle him?” Brandon asked. Lina only gave him a look, and Brandon grinned. “Right. I forgot who I was talking to.”

Callie gave Curtis a kiss on the cheek. “Get some rest. We’ll see you in the morning.”

“I’m turning in, too,” Popo added and patted Curtis on the cheek. “Good night, sweetheart.”

“Good night, Popo.”

Popo said something to Lina in Mandarin that Curtis didn’t understand and gave her cheek a rub, too. Lina’s expression softened at the gesture and she nodded at his grandma. He wondered what Popo said to her.

---