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Cassim was speaking in Arabic. “You should be more careful. I didn’t tell you, but I was approached by someone.”
Daar shook his head and turned from his brother.
“They sent me a letter,” Cassim continued.
A letter?
Harper wondered if he could get his hands on that letter.
Damn. That meant committing to this role past this trip.
When would it be over?
Tuesday. Hilton Garden Inn, Miami, FL.
Robin was still physically shaking when the taxi dropped her at the front of the Hilton Garden Inn near downtown Miami. Intellectually she knew she was overreacting. At no point had she herself been in danger. Her physical reaction was so overblown she was irritated with herself.
And yet part of her feared that she’d stepped into the very world that was fighting back against her uncle.
“Robin!”
Her heart leapt into her throat and she jerked around at the same moment Jessica wrapped her arms around her.
“Oh my God. Oh my God! I am so sorry,” she said as she squeezed Robin tight.
“Thanks,” she managed to get out.
Jessica let go of her only to grab her hand. “Come upstairs.”
Robin didn’t protest. She didn’t want to get caught standing out here on the off chance someone after her uncle decided she was the next best thing.
Jessica looped her arm in Robin’s and together they entered the lobby of the Dolphin Mall hotel. They passed by a driftwood art installation and wove through clusters of people in business casual attire.
“I booked through our rep, so they put me at the more corporate hotel. Wish I would have thought that through or I would have sprung for the South Beach location,” Jessica said.
Robin didn’t say anything.
They rode the elevator up in silence with a group of five businessmen, each of whom stood with arms on their hips taking up enough space for two people. Jessica glared, but they ignored both of them. It was probably for the best. They got out, and she hustled Robin down the hall to a room toward the end of the hall.
“This is me.” Jessica swiped her keycard and opened the door. “Enter and be welcome.”
Robin quickly ducked into the room. She peered into the bright, all-white bathroom then into the room beyond. It was a spacious room with one big bed. Robin collapsed onto the foot next to Jessica’s luggage and drew in a shuddering breath.
“Hey? Hey, you’re okay.” Jessica went to her knees in front of Robin and grabbed her hands. “Everything’s fine now.”
“But what if it isn’t?” Robin blurted out.
Jessica stared back at her, blue eyes alarmed.
“Think about it.” Robin set aside her large travel purse. “The moment Uncle Daar stepped through those doors, they went for him. Harper, Dad, Saaina, none of them saw it like I did. I was about to head back in when it just happened.”
Jessica lowered to the floor, sitting with her legs crossed under her, and pulled out her phone. “Okay, walk me through it again? I’m going to record it.”
Robin nodded then waited for Jessica to click the record button.
“Start at the beginning,” she said.
“Okay, um. So Harper got everyone’s bags from the carousel and he helped the limo driver load it all. Dad and Saaina wouldn’t help and Harper wouldn’t let me. So I’m just waiting around, right? Pretty day. It’s warm. Then I realize Uncle Daar didn’t come out with us. I’m looking around for him when Harper finishes with the bags. Dad and Saaina get in the limo so I say I’ll go find Uncle Daar. That’s when he steps out. He’s looking down at his phone so I called out something. I think I told him we were ready to go. He looks up at me and we lock eyes for a second. It was just a moment. Then this big guy steps between us. I didn’t realize what was going on, but Harper did. He pushed through people, jumped over a trashcan and ran straight into the big guy, pushing him away. I think. It’s so jumbled.”
