Page 140 of To Tango, with Desire

The drive to the Latif residence was quiet. The streets as familiar to me as my own suburb. Now that summer was around the corner, the days were warm, the trees lush and verdant. Being here brought back so many memories.

Back then, we’d take the bus here, and it had only been in the final year of mom’s life that I’d had a secondhand car to drive us. Back then, I’d only dreamed of having the life I led now. And I gave thanks to the universe for my good luck.

But as we drove, I found myself growing restless. The last time I’d been here had been the day that Omar had died.

He’d wanted to be at home, his pride and joy.

I appreciated the sentiment, even if it had been one of the most devastating days of my life. The image of his frail body, still and lifeless as he’d taken his last breath, taunted me still. I’d held his hand at the end and told him everything in my heart, speaking to him as if he were aware of the world, aware of me. The palliative care nurse had suggested it, as it sometimes helped loved ones to hear familiar voices. It had been the hardest, most cathartic thing I’d done.

The gates of Loganwood were open, and as I pulled up to the home I’d loved as a child, a pang of nostalgia, an ache for those I’d lost, struck me.

I missed my mom. I missed the man who’d been a father figure to me for most of my life.

I stepped out of the car and crossed to Amira. Her face was filled with wonder and open adoration as she gazed around the mansion.

“It’s beautiful.” Her smile was soft, her hand on my forearm reassuring.

“Looks like it needs some upkeep.” Kade had probably fired all the grounds staff, thinking he’d do the job himself. “It used to be immaculate. Wait until you see the inside.”

“It’s a good sign the gates are open. Maybe the staff know something?”

“Well, the flashy car over there belongs to Kade, and there’s music. I can hear it.”

Quelling any nerves I might have felt, I rang the bell. And waited. When nobody answered, I tried the handle. Unlocked.

“Kade must be having a party.”

“Maybe he was away and just got back. Wanting to celebrate his sobriety?”

“That doesn’t surprise me at a—” I cursed as we walked into the hall. What had once been a beautiful entry point was no longer.

“What happened?” Amira looked around, her shocked face no doubt mirroring my own.

Empty, expensive Champagne bottles were littered around the place. Discarded cigarettes lined the dual staircase on either side of the hall.

It looked like the place had been ransacked.

I raced upstairs.

Every expensive item had been stripped from the rooms. Busts, artwork, pianos, chandeliers. All gone.

What the fuck was going on?

I ran over to Kade’s old room. That, too, was empty.

“Zane?” I could hear Amira’s footsteps, but I couldn’t stop. I didn’t until I reached Omar’s bedroom.

It was the only one left relatively intact.

It, too, had been stripped of expensive artwork, but it had a bed at least. Women’s dresses littered the floor. A few heels. Some lingerie. But Kade was nowhere to be seen.

“What’s happening?” Amira asked.

“I wouldn’t have a fucking clue.”

Mind racing, I followed the sound of the music to the backyard. Taking Amira’s hand, I led her downstairs and out the back door.

As the warm breeze swirled around me, I shoved open the pool house, the music an assault on my ears. In the corner was Kade dancing with three women, oblivious to our presence. I marched over to his phone, pressing pause on the playlist.