Page 60 of Hidden Falls

“Sure.”

That’s how I ended up dressed for riding, archery, and falconry, eating a gorgeous fluffy omelet with strawberries on the side, while a maid French braided my hair.

All at the same time.

“Blake would never believe this.” I speared a strawberry and ate it. “Yummy.”

“Who’s Blake?”

“My boyfriend.” It still gave me a little thrill to say that out loud, but it also made my belly tighten and my eyes prickle. “He must be going crazy with worry.”

“Maybe Don Ramirez will let you send him a message. One to your family, too.”

“Ow!” I turned my head too quickly and that had made the comb catch in my hair. “Do you think so?”

“Your father wants you to be happy here.”

“That wasn’t really an answer, Noella.”

She shrugged. I was starting to regret letting her braid my hair because she was pulling it so tight it felt like my face was getting stretched. “You need to accept being here. Being one of the family. When you do, he will let you communicate with the people you care about.”

I flapped a hand at her. “Stop, please.”

“I’m sorry if I upset you.” Noella put the elastic on my braid, finishing it even though it wasn’t fully done. Now a big hunk of ponytail hung off the end.

“It’s not your fault. It’s the situation that’s upsetting.”

Noella stepped back. “I understand. Don Ramirez said to tell you he expects to see you in half an hour at the entry to the house.”

“Or else?”

Noella said nothing.

“See what I mean? Upsetting.” My eyes stung. “How can I keep pretending this is all okay?”

Her gaze was kind and a little shiny. “Because you have to,” she whispered. “Please.”

I had to remember I wasn’t the only one in danger here.

That took the fun out of everything I was trying to enjoy. I pushed the breakfast away, unfinished. “I’m done. Might as well get it over with.”

27

Cruz went back to the computer and sat down, pulling up his email. “Still no answer from Ramirez.”

Harry tightened her mouth. “I’ll wash up since you cooked last, Lei.”

Lei leaned back in her chair, sipping her cup of coffee. “We can’t just hang out down here in this bunker forever, waiting for word. I’m on a time clock to return to Maui, and that’s supposed to be today.”

Cruz glanced over; the crinkles around his eyes had deepened, but why she couldn’t tell. “We need to lay low and stay out of sight for a bit longer. We’re waiting on a response. What else could we do right now?”

“Let’s give Marcella a call now that we have a secure way to communicate. She came to Maui to help find out what happened to Malia. I left her on the island pursuing other leads and haven’t communicated since.”

Harry looked up from the sink, where she was elbow-deep in suds. “We know where Malia is. I don’t see the point.”

Anger heated Lei’s neck. “I called in a favor with the FBI to help you and your daughter. Just because we’ve gone way outside any jurisdiction, all the way to Mexico, doesn’t mean Marcella hasn’t also gone out of her way to help.”

Harry glanced down into the suds as if they held an answer. A long moment passed as she scrubbed a pan. “I’m sorry. Maybe I’m losing perspective.”

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