Page 36 of Prisoner of War
Joshua looked startled. “Yes, I suppose I might look that way to one like him.” He glanced at Minnie then back at Nick. “Thank you, but may I take a rain check for a few minutes? I want to have a quick word with Minnie.”
“Of course,” Nick said swiftly. “Hurry back, though.” He and Adán went back through the doorway into the private room again. Adán, Minnie noted, was careful to keep his faceaverted from the windows of the restaurant.
Her father pushed his hand through his hair.
“I haven’t seen you do that in quite a while,” she told him.
“Do what?”
“Push your hand through your hair like that.” She rested her hands flat on the table. “Shoot, Dad. What’s up? What’s bothering you?”
“You, to be frank.” He sighed and pushed his hand through his hair again. “Oqueno just confirmedan unpleasant fact that I’ve been putting off for a bit. I have to speak my mind, Minnie.”
She tried to hide her smile, for that was a phrase her father had used when she was twelve and had disappointed him in some way. “What’s up?” she said softly.
“I think you should go back home to your mother.”
The jolt delivered to her heart by his words felt just like someone had slammed a baseball batinto her chest. “What?” she whispered, incapable of speaking any louder.
“I do,” he confirmed. “This little officious man trying to hit me up for bribe money has made up my mind. If I am visible as Nick hinted, then that makes me a potential target.”
“Sure, a target for money-hungry bureaucrats,” Minnie agreed.
“Serrano has men crawling all over Mexico watching us. Nick hasn’t confirmed itbut I know he believes this, too. Now that Nick and the people in the big house have been approached by the Mexican government to reopen diplomatic relations, Serrano is going to be pissed off and desperate.”
“We’re surrounded by army officers in the house.” Her heart was beating so hard it hurt. Adrenaline gave her the shakes.
“I’m down here for my company, Minnie. I’m helping haul our peopleout of the sea when they make it here and I’m helping Nick preserve our company’s assets in Vistaria. I have to be here. You don’t. I want you to go back home.”
There it was. The imperative. She took a deep breath to try to control her shakes and slipped her hands under her thighs to hide their tremble. “No, Dad.” She tried to make it just as firm as his demand but it sounded just like a twelve-year-old’spiping voice.
He pushed his hand through his hair again. “Look, I can’t pretend that I understand this thing between you and that officer of yours. Duardo seemed like a nice guy and I’m sorry he got killed but...” He stopped and held up his hand. “No, that’s not what I wanted to say. That’s not where I want this to go.” He laid his hand flat on the table. “I don’t know why you’re the way youare these days, Minnie. I don’t understand it. I do know you’ve changed so much I barely recognize you anymore. You used to be this empty-headed, flighty party girl—”
“Thanks,” she injected dryly.
“I guess they’re not the most flattering words a father could use but honey, I would almost prefer to have that flighty girl back than keep watching the sad shell that’s left move around the houselooking lost.”
“I’m not lost.”
“Yeah, I think you are.” He sighed. “I think Duardo’s death and the flight from Vistaria have dropped you into a place where you don’t know your role or where you fit in. When you get back home, you’ll know where you fit. You can get back to normal. Hell, I’ll even give you the keys to the old Mustang again.”
He meant it as a joke but Minnie stared at him, unableto speak for the horror that gripped her. The noise of the diners around them, the crowd outside the restaurant, the clatter and clink of china and glass...it throbbed in her ears, crowding out everything but the horror.
She couldn’t leave Acapulco. Not unless it was to go back to Vistaria. Back to Vistaria and closer to Duardo. He was there somewhere.
Two days ago she had faced a fact; if shewanted to find Duardo again she was on her own, for everyone else believed he was dead.
Now, if she didn’t do something, her father would ship her back home to her mother.
She faced the last unpleasant fact. Time had run out.
