“Yes.”
Julian finally meets my eyes. “Iris,” he says quietly, “some things?—”
“I’m not asking for classified secrets,” I cut in. “I’m asking why my life just imploded and why both of you keep looking at me like you’re trying to figure out how to best use me. Like I’m a variable you want to fit into your equation.”
Lucien’s expression softens. Just a little.
“You are,” he says gently. “That’s the trouble. You’re an unknown variable neither of us accounted for.”
Julian pushes back his chair. “This was a mistake.”
“What was?” I ask.
“Taking you to his house,” he says, gesturing toward Lucien and then makes a sweeping motion that encompasses the house, the lawn, the jungle. “All of this.”
“And yet, here she is.” Lucien tilts his head. “She got close to you. Close enough to where you wanted to save her.” There’s anundercurrent in his words that I can’t interpret, and the two men glare at each other as the jungle sounds continue to hum around us.
Suddenly, I’m exhausted. “I need some food and some sleep,” I say and set my glass down. The wine has made me lightheaded. “It would be great to also get some answers.”
“Food I can arrange for,” Lucien says, gesturing to someone behind me. “But answers will have to come from Julian. I’m not at liberty to disclose any information.”
Two young men step out of the shadows and place plates filled with steamed fish, rice, and vegetables on the table. The food smells of coconut and spices. My stomach growls loudly, making me blush. “You would have to kill me if you tell me?” I joke and smile.
“Yes,” Lucien says, his smile solemn.
I involuntarily shudder.
“Iris,” Julian says, and I look at him across the table. His blue eyes are warm. “I promise you are safe here. As much as I dislike this bastard,” he gestures toward Lucien who looks offended, but then grins, “I wouldn’t have brought you here if I thought there was any chance of him endangering you.”
“But are you safe with him?” I ask.
Both Julian and Lucien freeze for a moment and exchange a long look. “That remains to be seen,” Julian finally says. “Eat,” he tells me. “I’ll tell the answers I can later.”
Lucien smiles. “When I’m not around?”
“Exactly,” Julian answers.
We continue the dinner in silence. When I can’t stand it any longer, I ask Lucien about San Isidro and how he came to be the steward of this villa and the surrounding land. He tells me a charming story about his mother traveling to France to go to medical school, where she met a charming boy who became Lucien’s father. But their relationship crumbles when Lucien’smother wanted to return to San Isidro once she’d become a doctor and his father insisted she stay in France to be a traditional wife.
“Like you, she was a strong and independent woman, full of passion for her profession. She left my father and returned to San Isidro with me so that she could start a medical clinic and server her country,” Lucien ends his story.
Julian rolls his eyes. “Stop flirting.” Lucien just smiles in return.
“Did you see your father again?” I ask.
“Yes, he and my mother remained friendly after he’d calmed down. They never married, so he was free to find a more traditional partner with whom he had another family.” He looks down and smooths a tablecloth wrinkle with a finger. “I see my half brothers and sisters every now and then. It all worked out okay.”
Something in his voice makes me think it isn’t as okay as he’d like me to think, but I don’t want to press him. I recognize the irony of insisting on answers about his clandestine career but being okay with him not sharing family secrets. Maybe it’s because I can see that some of them are hurtful.
“I’m glad,” I say instead and push my chair out. Both of the men immediately stand, startling me briefly. “Thank you for a splendid meal.” I smile at my host. “And a wonderful story. I’m going to get that sleep you recommended now.”
I nod at Julian and leave the dining area. On the way back to the bedroom, I check the other doors in the hallway to see if I can find a phone or a computer to contact April. But they are all locked.
One of the young men who served us dinner appears suddenly. “May I help you find your room?” he asks in accented English. He’s smiling, but his eyes are hard.
I giggle and pretend-stumble a little, as if I’ve had too much wine. “Yes,” I say. “The wine’s gone to my head and I’m all turned around.”
He escorts me to the correct door, and I flick him a smile as I enter. I close the door behind me and lean against it, my heart beating wildly.
