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“Dare to love him, miss.”
“Who?”
“Him,” came the reply, as if it were a silly question.
Skeptical, Val offered a respectful, “Thank you again,” and crossed the street. Behind her, she heard the old woman laughing softly.
Grateful to find the hotel’s door unlocked, Val stepped inside. There were a few white-clothed tables spread out across the small dining room. The people seated at them glanced up from their meals at her entrance, and the way they stared made her conscious of her wrinkled, disheveled appearance.
A man in a crisp black suit stepped to her and said, “I’m sorry, miss. We’re about to close the kitchen, so I can’t seat you.”
“I’m here to speak to Captain LeVeq, if I may.”
The man took in her shoddy appearance and the bags she carried. Disapproval lined his dark face. “I’m sorry. The captain is attending a private family gathering, and they’ve asked not to be disturbed.”
“I just left him and his sister-in-law, Sable. They told me if I needed assistance, to come here.”
He forced a smile. “I’m sure they did, but they’re unavailable.”
She fished the paper from the pocket of her skirt. “He wrote this for me.”
He gave the note a cursory glance. “I’m going to ask you to leave before I call the authorities.”
“You believe I’m a liar?”
Another forced smile. “Leave, please.”
His condescending attitude coupled with her awful day, and the prospect of spending the night on the street, forced her to grit out, “Either take me to him or I will shout this place down!”
He opened his mouth to respond, but she was quicker. “Captain LeVeq!” she called out in a loud voice.
Diners jumped with surprise, and a buzz filled the room.
She yelled again, louder, “Captain LeVeq!”
“Miss!” Black Suit snapped, staring around at the unsettled guests. “Keep your voice down!”
“Captain LeVeq!”
A blink later, LeVeq appeared at the edge of the dining room. Confusion filled his eyes and voice. “Miss Lacy?”
“Hello,” she said with relief. “He wouldn’t take me to you.”
Black Suit said, “I’m sorry, Drake, but—”
LeVeq held up a hand that stopped him in mid-speech. “It’s okay, Raoul.”
Val had been so focused on the captain and the relief his presence generated, only then did she notice the other concerned-looking people he was surrounded by. Most were men, but she spied Sable holding a little girl. Beside Sable stood three other children. An emotion-filled Val gathered herself and whispered, “I’m so sorry for interrupting you, but Georgine Dumas threw me out, and I’ve no place to go.”
A beautiful, older, ebony-skinned woman stepped out from behind the men. “Drake, do you know this young woman?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Then have her join us.”
Val shook her head. “No, please. Can you just tell me where I can get a place to sleep for the night? I don’t want to disturb your party.”
The woman asked Drake, “Is she always this stubborn?”
