“Thank you. I’ll connect you to his apartment.”
The phone rang twice before someone picked up. “Sejal.”
“Ken.” She pulled her feet up on the seat to make herself into more of an invisible ball, though no one was looking her way. “You’re not picking up your cell.”
“I was up late playing games. It must have died.”
Ken stayed away from online poker and the like, but Sejal allowed him a substantial allowance for his mobile games. “You have to keep it charged. Also, what have I said about making too many waves at this place, Ken? We’re trying to keep a low profile. Filing fake complaints isn’t the way to do it.”
She could picture Ken sitting back at his small kitchen table. Time had stooped his once-powerful shoulders, and his black eyes had faded. More lines creased his dark brown skin, and his hands shook now.
When she’d first met Ken, she thought the gregarious Black man was larger than life. She’d been nineteen, in love with a terrible guy, and found surrogate parents in the man’s driver and the driver’s husband. For two glorious years, she’d been enfolded in Ken and Kevin’s family. Kenneth had been the first one to voice his concern over how Alexei treated her, and he’d been the one to eventually drive her away, risking his own life to do it.
Thankfully, when Sejal had gotten free, she’d also gotten Ken away from Alexei without any further repercussions. Her new dads had kept in touch, asking to see her whenever they could,like she was their own child. She’d told them about her life, including the mistakes she’d made in the past and why that meant she couldn’t put down roots. They’d understood her.
Three years ago, she’d stood with Ken as Kevin passed, from cancer. It was then that she’d realized Ken was sick as well, and found out about the crushing debt he was living under. Medical bills and gambling.
She breathed out. So fuck Agent Anand, because she really couldn’t go to jail. Ken needed her. Hell, she couldn’t even let the feds look too closely at her finances. Her aunt had left her a sizeable sum of jewels that had been instrumental in paying off Ken’s huge debts and setting him up in the cushiest place she could afford in London. But Sejal hadn’t exactly disclosed that windfall to, say, the IRS.
“I don’t know what you mean, fake complaints. These people make up stories about me.”
“Jolene said—”
“Jolene! That woman is evil, Sejal. Her parents must have known. Who would name their daughter Jolene after the great Dolly Parton put Jolenes everywhere on high alert, I ask you?”
“Ken.”
“They weren’t fake complaints. Those aides smuggle all sorts of contraband in for the rich white patients! I told them I was good for the bribes, and they laughed at me.”
Sejal bit her cheek, hating the hurt pride in Ken’s voice. Whatever happened, all she wanted was to give him a luxurious and safe home. “Listen, that’s frustrating, but you’re not supposed to be eating steak or drinking whiskey.”
“My memory may not be as sharp as it used to be, but I can eat a damn steak.”
“You also have heart disease, and you can’t.” She controlled her rising voice. “But listen, that’s not the reason I’m calling. I wanted to tell you I’m coming to visit you! I’m at the airport—”
“Are you okay?” His voice was sharp.
“I’m fine.”
Ken cursed, which was weird for him. He was a real stickler for old-school manners and never cursed in front of a lady if he could avoid it. “Someone is chasing you? Is it Alex—”
“No, no,” she said hurriedly. “I wanted to travel a bit.”
“I don’t believe you,” he said flatly.
She tightened her hand around the phone. “You know how I am. Can’t stay in one place for very long.” He was silent for a beat, which she took advantage of to end the call. “My plane’s going to board soon. Keep your head down, go to your appointments, and do whatever exercises they tell you to do. I’ll see you soon.”
“You haven’t come to see me in years, and suddenly you’re at the airport? Is someone after you? Are you sure everything is okay?”
“Everything is fine.” As nice as it was to have someone care about her, the last thing she wanted was for Ken to be stressed out. She hadn’t told him much about her mom or their nonconsensual—on her side at least—reunion a couple years ago. Let him play his candy matching games and try to smuggle in steak.
He wasn’t a part of this world, despite working for Alexei in the past. He was a shining, pure being who didn’t deserve to be tainted by her or her terrible family. “Bye, Ken.”
“Love you, Sejal.”
She cleared her throat. “I love you.” The words were hard to say, not because she didn’t mean it, but because she’d said them to so few people.
After she hung up, she let her gaze drift around the gate area. As the sun rose in the sky, more people had filed in, though with over an hour to takeoff, it wasn’t quite packed yet. Families, couples, businesspeople...
