Page 57 of Frost and Venom

In the short time that followed, Harlow didn’t take her gaze from Guadalupe, hoping to catch a glimpse of the real woman. She seemed so perfect. Every response. Every action. Each word that came out of her mouth. Harlow suddenly felt terrible for her. Whether Guadalupe was the woman the senator had driven away or not, she had suffered terrible trauma. Harlow didn’t like the feeling of deception that was suddenly coming over her. She had done her best to show her friends her real self. Maybe she wasn’t always good at it, but she tried to be authentic. She’d lived an illusion her entire childhood, and she’d learned to deceive everyone around her just to survive. Now she was adding to someone else’s trauma.

They discussed it after Guadalupe left, promising to research the property.

“We did our best to sow the seeds of doubt,” Vienna said. “Now it’s in her court.”

“She was acting,” Zahra said. “I’d never noticed that before. She seems so genuine, but she was acting.”

Stella nodded. “Absolutely, she was. It is kind of creepy how good she is at it.”

“Like me,” Harlow reminded. “She had to have a lot of practice.”

“We don’t know if she’s like you,” Vienna said. “You always give everyone the benefit of the doubt.”

“This will give me something to work on that Rush isn’t going to object to,” Raine said. “No real pressure. Give me a few days, and I’ll know quite a bit about her.”

Harlow had no doubt that it was true.

Chapter Thirteen

The emergency meeting called a week later was held at the Sunrise Café, mainly because Shabina was at the height of her customer rush, but it was Shabina who called the meeting. She sounded agitated and very nervous, something not usually associated with her. When she wasn’t calm, Rainier stepped in, and nearly instantly, she was back to being her serene self. That wasn’t the case. The moment Harlow entered the café, she felt tension coming off Shabina in waves.

Her friend was busy serving food and chatting pleasantly with customers, but Harlow could easily tell by her body language that she was extremely upset. Automatically, she looked around the room for Rainier. He was behind the counter leading to the kitchen, his gaze on his wife. Before heading to the back of the café, to the table reserved for her and her friends, she made her way to the kitchen, not hesitating to step behind the barrier of the counter.

“Shabina’s upset.” That could mean anything, but if she was slipping into a PTSD episode, Harlow wanted to be aware and ready to assist her.

“Deliberately,” Rainier’s voice was grim. “That fuckin’ sheriff is coming after her again. He has no proof, but he took the opportunity to try to impact her business.”

“Maybe he needs a reminder that Shabina is off-limits.” Harlow couldn’t believe she was suggesting such a thing. Rainier’s reminders could be very harsh, but it was Shabina, the sweetest person on earth.

“I don’t give reminders,” Rainier said. “She’s going to be all right. She just needs the reassurance of her friends. In her mind, the sheriff put her beloved café in jeopardy, but I’ve got people working fast to stop any rumors. Raine is one of them. Rush is bringing her to talk with Shabina.”

“Should he do that? Is there a way to make her comfortable here? And what about germs? Raine’s very vulnerable here.” Harlow felt real anxiety for both Shabina and Raine.

Rainier gave her one of his very rare smiles. “You really are the compassionate one in the group, aren’t you? You do realize you’re very fragile and you need someone to shield you occasionally, just as Shabina and Raine need it.”

“You do know that no one wants to be described as fragile.”

“You say that as if fragile is a bad thing. Life is what it is. Our childhood shapes us, whether we want to believe it or not. We’re responsible, after a certain point, for how we live and what kind of person we want to be, but the bottom line is, you can’t escape certain things you were raised with. Wilder needs to be needed. He needs you. Every single thing about you appeals to him. That’s a good thing, Harlow, because he’s a good man. Not just anyone would be compatible with him. Shabina is my only, and I’m very aware of it. Stella is Sam’s only. We aren’t easy men, but we’re loyal, and we take care of our women.”

Rainier wasn’t a talker. He didn’t explain things as a rule, but she heard the caring in his voice, and it warmed her. She had these extraordinary men in her life thanks to her friends. They were men who sacrificed for their country, men who put their lives on the line every day to protect the vulnerable in society.

“Take good care of my wife, Harlow,” Rainier said, and turned back to the kitchen.

His actions surprised her. Ordinarily, Rainier would be the one looking after Shabina exclusively if she was upset. Evidently, he had come to the realization that her friends were important in her life. She loved that Rainier was far more adaptable than he appeared. Mainly, that was because of Shabina. Her happiness meant everything to him, and he moved heaven and earth to ensure his lady was very content.

As she approached the table in the back that Shabina kept reserved for the women, she realized the space had been transformed. The back half of the seating was now a long, raised couch, clearly for Raine to stretch out on while they visited. Pillows were on one end, with a wedge to make lounging more comfortable. Sitting on the table was a stand to rest her laptop on. Rush had set everything up ahead of time. Harlow knew Rush was staying with Raine in her home, overseeing her care. He was strict when it came to visitors. Harlow had spoken with Raine several times in the last week, and she had whispered that the visitors Rush seemed to object to most were all the male ones.

Stella and Zahra arrived together, hurrying through the crowded tables to get to the back, where Zahra flung herself into one of the most comfortable chairs and pressed her hand to her forehead. “What a mess.”

Zahra was very upset. She normally was the epitome of serenity. She was rarely upset over anything. She might feign being irritated, but she gave off a low-energy vibe that calmed everyone around her. Whatever she knew about the meeting had to be disastrous.

Stella gave her no clues, just simply sat in one of the chairs waiting for the others. “I was smart and called my order in ahead of time.”

“I should have done that,” Harlow said, taking the seat that would put her closest to Raine. “I always forget.” She felt very protective of Raine. Rush had fixed the lounge to make it comfortable for her, but if one thing went wrong, if she reached for something on the table and lost her balance…Harlow was determined she would take care of Raine when Rush wasn’t present.

Vienna flung herself into the chair opposite Stella. She had a drink in hand and took several sips. “Need caffeine this morning. What a terrible few days.”

“Does everyone know what’s going on but me?” Harlow demanded.