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A lump formed in her throat.
Harper didn’t know about her uncle’s work or what he did. How was he not curious after that incident? Or was he simply used to altercations like that? Then there was the third option. Could Harper know? If he knew, what did that say about him?
She bit her lip to keep her questions to herself. Airing them wouldn’t make matters better by any means. In fact, it could cause problems if Harper began asking questions of his own. She didn’t know what Uncle Daar might do then.
Harper took her hand in his. “Come on, they’ll take us to the villa.”
“Okay,” she muttered.
He waved at a man wearing a three-piece suit despite the humidity. The gentleman nodded then sprinted toward a shiny golf cart that looked more like a mini, luxury car.
“Come on,” Harper urged.
She let him lead her to the cart and hand her into the back seat. He spoke with the driver, or was he a butler? She knew the villas were supposed to come with twenty-four-hour butler service, but she hadn’t paid attention to what that meant. Regardless, Harper gave the man directions then slid in next to her and draped his arm across the back of her seat.
He didn’t say anything, and neither did she.
The cool ocean breeze felt good as they sped toward their villa on the property.
She didn’t know who had found this place, but it was quite nice. Situated a little distance outside Miami, it boasted a central hotel, a few restaurants, a golf course, excursions, and private villas. They wound away from the central areas through what felt like neighborhoods of villas with their own soaking pools. When she thought they might drive off the property they emerged from under the palm trees to a gate.
The driver swiped a keycard then turned to grin at them. “Welcome to the most exclusive villa on the property.”
The gates swung open revealing a spacious ranch-style house. A few carts were already there, including a utility vehicle with their luggage.
She managed to pull herself together enough to offer to tip the driver, but he held up his hand.
“No, ma’am. I can’t accept that. Hotel policy,” he explained with a generous smile.
“The hotel’s policy is to pay their employees a higher wage,” Harper chimed in. “I might have read the brochure on the flight.”
“Oh.” Robin pocketed the money and thanked the man again.
Mom would love that policy.
Was that something they’d looked into trying themselves?
Then again, who was she to suggest changes to Mom’s businesses?
Robin filed that question away for later.
Harper laced his fingers with hers and together they stepped into the villa. Button and Bow barked constantly, their voices sounding like a chorus of dogs with all the tile. Several people in three-piece suits bustled around under the watchful eye of Saaina.
Uncle Daar and Dad were noticeably absent.
“Where do you have us?” Harper asked one of the butlers sporting an impressive amount of pins on her lapel. It seemed to indicate seniority of some kind.
“Follow me, please?” the woman said brightly.
Robin was just glad she didn’t have to think for herself. Tremors still shook her, and she felt jumpy.
It was one thing to know her uncle was a bad man. It was another to see him attacked like that today.
“The two of you are in rooms across the hall from each other,” the woman said as she led them down the left hall off the entry. She referenced a little notebook before following the hall around at a right angle. “Mr. Gonzalez, you are in the exterior room and Ms. Suleiman you are in the interior room. Here at the end of the hall is a little sitting room with pool access.”
Harper opened the door to his room, and they both looked inside. He appeared to have scored the corner room. The drapes were open to let in the sun and show off the impressive view of the strip of beach accessible to resort patrons.
“You each have private bathrooms,” the woman added. “Your luggage should either be in your room, or there shortly. Can I get anything for you?”
