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OUR LAST CONVERSATIONLEFT NO DOUBT AS TO YOUR OPINION ON THE MATTER WE DISCUSSED. HOWEVER, I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THIS ARRANGEMENT WILL BE TO YOUR BENEFIT AND I AM UNABLE TO ENSURE HER SAFETY IN KOREA.
THIS TREASURE IS MY LAST SURVIVING RELATIVE. WORD OF SOOK-JAE’S DEATH CAME TO ME A WEEK AGO. IT WAS UNFORTUNATE. BUT I TRUST YOUR DISCRETION AND WISDOM IN THIS MATTER. I WOULD ASK YOU TO LOOK AFTER HER AND TREAT HER WITH ALL THE CONSIDERATION I KNOW YOU ARE CAPABLE OF.
ANGEL WILL BE AVAILABLE TO YOU IN EVERY WAY.
THANK YOU,
MANNY.
Ross threw the letter down.He wasn’t one to give up, but he knew when he was beaten. Manny wasn’t a fool, and Ross was in no position to chase him all over Virginia. There was an airstrip nearby, and Manny flew private. The bastard was probably on his way to Los Angeles that very minute. Or maybe he was reclining in the Rowanville Springs taking a load off with a towel on his head. There was no way to find out.
Ross knelt on the bed and shook Angel’s shoulder again. Her skin was like dark velvet.
“Hey,” he said. “Hey. Come on. Wake up.”
Nothing. Suspicion told Ross to check the insides of her arms. He was able to move her without any reaction but a small pucker between her eyebrows.
He ran his thumbs up her forearm, his brain absorbing the softness and weight of it as he would for any woman. Hell, he wasn’t made of wood. He noticed her attributes but his search led him elsewhere. Had they given her something for sleeping?
Sure enough he found small puncture marks on the insides of her elbows. Ross didn’t suppose Manny would send him a junkie, so he could only assume someone else had administered those drugs. She might be out for a few more minutes, or hours.
Ross pulled a chair to the edge of the bed. He sat down hard, keeping the whiskey closeby.
“Well, shit,” he rasped, staring at her. Impulse made him dim the lights next to the bed, which were shining in her eyes. Another sign this sleep was artificial…Nothing to do but wait.
Why drug her? “What did they do to you, Angel?” Ross murmured. “Thought you wanted to come here. Was that a fucking lie?”
He tried Manny’s number again and again. Nothing. As Ross’s panic lost its edge he slipped into detective mode.
There was no question of the girl staying. But if Manny didn’t want her, then what? Ship her back to Korea?
Ross cast his eye over the pile of documents that had come out of the envelope. With an expert eye he recognized forgeries. Zero effort forgeries. Manny would spend three racks on a fucking silk teddy but order forgeries that had clearly been printed in a Wuhan wet market.
Ross ground his teeth. He’d have to question the girl thoroughly once she woke up. Her sweet, innocent look boded ill for him. Women had always been his weakness.
Think, stupid bastard, think.No sending her back to Manny. The obvious next step would be to get her back to where she’d come from. Not Korea or Japan, but Los Angeles. She must have family there. A life.
Los Angeles.
Ross’s finger hovered over Quinton’s number. But Quinton couldn’t keep his mouth shut and the hour was late. He’d had a lot to drink. He got to his feet and discovered that very quickly. Sleep was returning in spite of the circumstances. Tomorrow was another day. He couldn’t send the girl anywhere tonight. Except the police station.
She’s gorgeous. Fuck— are her nipples pierced?
Ross reached out a finger and slowly, slowly pulled down the frilly edge of the negligee bodice.They’re pierced. Oh God. Tattoo of a heart on her left titty. Probably means nothing.
His mouth was full of saliva. His dick was hard. He withdrew his finger.
Don’t even think about it.
Ross started for the living room couch but changed his mind. Fuck that. He’d sleep in his own damn bed. For one thing, it was his house. Damn right, it was his house. And what if sleeping beauty woke up before he did? He imagined her creeping around and going through his shit. No fucking way. Bear-like, Ross lumbered to the bed, shutting off the light before the eiderdown swallowed his large frame. The girl was all up on his side, but he resolved that with a couple strong shoves, which then became a gentle but stiff male embrace with her head on his chest.
Angel will be available to you in every way…
Fuck.
Sex. Manny was talking about sex. He’d talked about it in Japan.
That was the whole reason, wasn’t it?
