Page 11 of Prisoner of War
“What is going on here?” It was Nick’s voice, cold and sharp.
Carmen spun around. So did Minnie.
Nick stood at the door to the balcony, his arms crossed. Minnie’s father was behind him, his eyes wide as he glanced from Carmen to her.
Minnie stayedsilent. Let Carmen hang herself. She didn’t give a damn.
Carmen straightened to her full height, her hands on both hips. Defiant. “We were just talking.”
Nick nodded. “And now you’ve finished. Find something else to do, Carmen.”
Carmen’s expression hardened. “How dare you—”
“Now.” Nick spoke with his usual volume, but the single word throbbed with authority.
Carmen’s lips thinned. She turnedand headed for the door. When she was level with him, Nick grabbed her arm. “Do not ever again use that sort of gutter language when speaking to someone in my household. Do you hear me?” He still did not raise his voice. Minnie shivered anyway.
Carmen looked him in the eye, as if she intended to argue the matter. Then she gave a sniff and walked over to where the jock hovered by the door. Asshe passed the small bar she picked up a sealed, full bottle of scotch and tucked it under her arm. She glanced at Nick as she did so, daring him to comment.
He watched her leave, dragging the jock with her.
Josh pushed past Nick and hurried over to Minnie. “For god’s sake, Minnie, what were you thinking? She’s just lost her father, her country, her home. Don’t you have any feelings at all?”
Minnie sank back onto the bench, only now realizing how badly she trembled. “I know,” she said tiredly. Why had she let it rip, right at that moment? It wasn’t as though Carmen hadn’t irritated her all along.
Calli dropped onto the bench with her. “It was the men comment, wasn’t it?” she said softly.
Awareness flooded Minnie. She nodded as the last few minutes shifted and meanings became clear.She had blown her stack because Carmen had been right. Minnie did know exactly how to deal with men. How to woo them, how to get them to do what she wanted. It came naturally to her.
What had happened to change that? Why was she going at Nick like a pit bull instead of using guile? She had once known how to do it perfectly. “I guess I haven’t been myself for a while, have I?” she said to Calli,who patted her hand.
Josh pushed his fingers through his graying, wavy hair. “Will you please start behaving like you, then? We’re guests in this house and you just insulted the daughter of the President, for heaven’s sake.”
“Josh, leave Minnie alone. It wasn’t her fault,” Nick said. He’d come up beside them, moving silently. “Carmen has been provoking Minnie since she arrived. My niece grewup in a household where she was the only female. Sharing attention doesn’t suit her.”
Calli expelled a hard breath. “That would be one way to describe it.”
Josh frowned. “Even so,” he said, his tone pedantic. “You know better than to descend to the same level, Minnie.”
Nick rested his hand on her father’s shoulder. “Enough for the moment, Josh. Let it rest. Come with me, there’s something Iwant to discuss with you.”
Josh pulled himself together. “Yes, of course,” he agreed. The two men walked back into the house, leaving Minnie and Calli alone once more.
Minnie let her shoulders slump. “Shit.” She sighed.
Calli put her arm around her. “I know, Minnie. Well, maybe I don’t, but I give good hugs.”
“Yes, you do,” Minnie agreed and accepted the hug with all her heart.
* * * * *
Nick took Minnie’s father back to his private study, which had become command central, for now.
“So, how can I help?” Josh asked, sitting in the leather bucket chair in front of the desk.
Nick rested against the big desk. “You need to take it easy on Minnie, Josh. As much as you don’t want to hear this, Minnie is grieving, too, even though she won’t consciously admit Duardo is dead.”
Josh thoughtit through. “You’re right, I don’t particularly like hearing it. She was that involved with this soldier of yours?”
