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I looked out the passenger window and still couldn’t see anyone guarding us.Either they’re really good, or Bennett has no idea what he’s talking about.But I was going to heed his advice and keep my eyes open for anything that looked like trouble. I was here to learn about what my father had done, to try to be part of the solution. I needed to understand where I came from in order to know where I was going. Not just for Annabella, but for myself as well.
We finally arrived at New Hope Resort, and the security there was tight. We couldn’t even get onto the resort without showing identification to the gatehouse guard. The guards weren’t standing there holding weapons, but I could tell they were armed.
Bennett said, “This is Colton Marzoni, part of the Henderson family.”
They nodded, and said, “Welcome to Tabiq. Let us know if you need anything.”
That seemed to be the phrase I heard from just about everyone. The Henderson name seemed to carry power here. I still hadn’t decided if I was going to claim it as mine, but I was only going to be here for a couple of days. I didn’t really care what they called me.
Bennett showed me around the resort before I went to my room. A shower and a change of clothes and I was ready for dinner. Before heading down to the lobby to meet Bennett, I called Jack.
“Good morning,” he answered.
“Actually, it’s six-thirty at night here.”
Jack said, “You never told me where you were going. I get it, they said things had to stay within ‘the family’, but you don’t know them. What if their intentions aren’t good? What if Greg’s warning was in earnest and you should stay the fuck away from the Hendersons?”
These were all valid concerns. I mean, if they wanted to get rid of me, a country that I never had heard of seemed like a good place to do it. I had no proof that what they were saying was true. That’s why I traveled halfway around the world. If this is where it all started, then the Tabiqian people would surely be able to tell me what I needed to know without bias. Jack was looking at this as a safety issue, but I had a different perspective.I need to know who I am, where I came from.
“How are things at home?” I asked, changing the subject.
“I get it. You don’t want to talk about it.” I heard him let out a low growl of frustration. “Things here are good. I checked on your dad like you asked. He’s doing fine. Of course, he asked where you were. I lied and said you were still in Boston. It made him happy. Obviously, he believes you’re with Annabella. Don’t get yourself killed. Your relationship with Annabella, or the one I might have planted in his head, is really keeping the man going.”
Just fucking great! And if I can’t fix this, then I have to go home and lie to him some more.
Jack was only doing what he thought best, and keeping my dad in the dark about this definitely was wise. The only problem I could foresee was that lies always came out sooner or later. At least he had bought me some time before I had to come clean.
“Thanks, Jack. He doesn’t need to know where I am.” If he thought I was doing something dangerous, he’d worry himself sick.
“Have you talked to Annabella?” he asked.
“Jack, I made this clear. I’m not reaching out to her. Greg meant what he said. He wants me to stay away from her. Until I know what the hell went down, I have no choice but to do as he ordered.”
“There are always choices, Colton. You chose to follow the Hendersons to God knows where, instead of staying in Boston and fighting for Annabella. I sure as hell hope you made the right choice. You’ll never find another woman like her,” he said.
“I don’t recall telling you all that much about her. And from what I remember, you only spoke at Mom’s funeral. What makes you an expert on Annabella now?” I asked.
“We had dinner last night,” he said, as though it was no big deal.
“You fucking did what!?” I barked.
“You heard me. We went out to dinner. By the way, you never told me she drove a Mustang. Guess she’s got a wild side that she keeps hidden for…”
“If you fucking say it, I’ll knock your ass out when I get back,” I warned. Annabella did have a wild side in the bedroom, but I didn’t want Jack or any other man thinking of her in that way. “You had no right contacting her without speaking to me first,” I said firmly.
“I didn’t. She was the limo driver who showed up to take me to the airport.”
The last time we discussed her schedule, she was supposed to have Tuesdays off. Since we no longer spoke at all, there was no way to know her plans had changed.Nothing compared to my own change of plans.
“Okay, she took you to the airport. And what did you do, interrogate her the entire way?”She must’ve loved that.
“Actually, I missed my flight, so we went to dinner to kill time while waiting for the next one. By the way, they have an amazing steakhouse that you’ll have to go to when you get back,” he said.
“I don’t give a fuck about steak. Why did you ask her to dinner?” I demanded to know.
“I didn’t. She asked me,” he stated.
I could almost hear him grinning, and if I could reach through the phone I’d show him how pissed I was. “I don’t find your humor very funny right now, Jack.”
