Page 16 of Unveiled

The story captivated him, or maybe it was the storyteller, but he didn’t miss how much of herself she was giving away.

“The woman pulled a crisp one-hundred-dollar bill from her wallet, a wallet we could clearly see had a lot more than five hundred dollars in it, handed it to my father, and left. The first thing I did once she was gone was ask him why? Why when she was clearly lying. My father told me, because my little orchid, her willingness to compromise on her husband’s funeral won’t stop if I say it’s not enough. She will go somewhere else until she gets the answer she wants. This way, I see to it that he can leave this world with dignity.” Julia took a reflective pause before continuing with passion.

“I argued and argued that who cared because he was a bad guy, anyway. My father got stern with me, which he didn’t do often, and spoke. It doesn’t matter to me as the man responsible for his earthly body after his death, what he did or did not do in life. I did not know him or his situation. But I have a job, a responsibility, and I take it very seriously. The way the person who pays for the service feels shouldn’t determine how I treat him. One day you’ll learn, the way you treat people speaks about who you are, not who they are.”

“He sounds like a hell of a man. I wish I could’ve met him.”

“He would’ve loved you. And not just because of the car. Are you close with your parents?”

“Yeah, as much as we can be, considering I don’t get home often. We don’t exactly express it the way it sounds like your family did, but we are close. My parents are still married and happily retired. Although to hear my mother tell it, dad is driving her to drink with all his home improvement projects that don’t need improving.”

“Ha, that sounds just like my mother, although dad never retired. Worked right up until the day he. . .was killed.”

This time, Rush slid his hand forward and took hers. “I’m so sorry. I can’t even begin to imagine. I hate to ask, but was the case solved?” Rush knew the answer, but he needed her to share it with him.

Her smile was watery. “Officially, yes. There was a break in, and they were collateral damage.” Julia leaned forward and looked him directly in the eyes. A fierce and certain glint to the gold rimmed eyes was unmistakable. “I suspect I was sleeping with the man responsible, but I can’t prove it.” The meaning of her words bottomed out his stomach with the weight. Holy fuck.

Julia must’ve realized it, too, because shock overtook every fiber of her being. “Um, I need to use the bathroom.” She bolted as Stavros pointed the way. She hadn’t meant to reveal that much, and now that she had, she was metaphorically running away in a veil and dress of white again.

“Your beautiful woman is haunted more than most.” Stavros hadn’t heard their words, but he couldn’t miss the expressions they both held.

“Tell me about it.” He breathed.

Stavros took her seat. “If you don’t take care of her problems, my friend, I will. No one deserves to live like that.”

Rush met his stare and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt Stavros was not bluffing; he had connections. Some to rival even Cole Security. Julia stumbled back to the table and Stavros jumped up, barely catching her before her knees gave out. She was pale and clammy. Like she’d seen a ghost. “Please, can we leave now?”

A riot of male laughter cut through the kitchen from the dining area and a yell for Stavros followed. The older man rolled his eyes and gave a curse in Greek, one Rush could translate even though he couldn’t speak the language. “You take Miss Julia home now. I have customers to deal with.”

He turned to a slightly less pale, but still beautiful, Julia. “You take care and remember my name should you ever need me. It was an honor to serve you and would be doubly so in the future.” Rush caught his meaning, and it had nothing to do with food. Stavros was as protective of her as Rush found himself to be.

Before leading her from the restaurant, Rush stepped aside to the kitchen doors, cracked them apart, and snapped a picture of the men in the dining room. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that at least one played a key role in Julia’s nightmares.

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