“If that’s what you wish. If you really don’t want me to tell you all about my overnight guest…” She shrugged.

The tone of her voice struck me as odd and I raised my head to see her standing there, arms crossed in front of her chest, a smug look on her face.

“Why would I want to hear about any of that?”

“Suit yourself,” she sang, pulling the chair out beside me and sitting down. “I’ve been expecting you. William stopped by with a copy of your itinerary indicating you’d be flying in tonight.”

“How did he know?”

“Do you really need to ask that question?” She paused and I remained silent, knowing how much information our company had access to. “Now, tell me… How are you doing?”

“Good.” I avoided her eyes as I swallowed a large bite of lasagna.

“You can fool a lot of people, young man, but I gave birth to you. Tell me how you’re really doing.”

I sighed, leaning back into my chair. I savored the last bite of lasagna, contemplating having seconds. “Shitty,” I finally admitted and she nodded in understanding. Her intense dark eyes bored into me, goading me to continue.

“I thought being away from it all was the right thing to do, like you suggested, but I don’t know. I think I was away too long.”

“Why didn’t you come back sooner?” she inquired, placing her hand on mine.

“I wanted to, but every time I brought it up, Alexander insisted I stay put, claiming I was needed, that he didn’t think it was safe for Eli or me to return yet. I’m starting to think he kept me there on purpose to keep me away from…” I trailed off, her name causing a lump to form in my throat.

“Yet, here you are. What happened?” Mom asked.

I snapped my eyes to her. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re back, aren’t you? Why now? Something must have changed for you to disobey your brother’s asinine orders. What was it?”

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the folded email, sliding it across the table, eyeing my mom as she unfolded and read it. She had almost the same reaction I did when I first read those sorrowful words. Her chin quivered and her eyes moistened with unshed tears.

When she finally finished absorbing the words on the page, she looked up. “What do you intend on doing?”

“Whatever I have to. I can’t go another day without her, Ma.” I stood up from the chair and placed my plate in the dishwasher, then began to retreat from the kitchen.

“Where are you going?” she called out.

“To get a few hours’ sleep,” I said over my shoulder. “Then I need to get back to Texas.” I headed out of the kitchen, briskly walking toward the elaborate staircase.

“Tyler, baby,” she whispered, running after me in her bathrobe. “Wait…”

I spun around. “What, Ma?”

She searched my eyes. I couldn’t help but think she was hiding something from me. “You need to go, I understand that, but do me one favor.”

“What is it?”

Her nervous expression softened. “Wait until after breakfast, okay? I need one of your father’s frittatas and you’re the only one who knows how to make them right.”

I planted a kiss on her forehead. “You got it, Ma.”

I tiptoed up the stairs, praying I didn’t wake my mom’s “special friend”, and headed down the long corridor to the last door on the left…my old bedroom. I looked across the hall, a low glimmer of light coming from beneath the door of one of the guest bedrooms. Too exhausted to care, I entered my room, closing the door behind me. An unexpected waft of cinnamon washed over me, and I only hoped it was a sign of things to come.

Tyler

TOO EARLY FOR MY liking, the morning light started to peek through the shutters. I had barely slept since going to bed just a few hours before. The smell of cinnamon haunted my dreams. I felt an intoxicating electricity that now invigorated me with a renewed sense of determination to do everything I could to make Mackenzie mine once more.

Stretching in my bed, I fought the temptation to close my eyes and go back to sleep. It had been months since I had slept on a proper bed and I didn’t want to leave the comfort surrounding me. My eyes drooping, I threw my legs over the side of the bed and padded to the en-suite bathroom. After splashing some water on my face, I rummaged through my bag and found some gym shorts and a t-shirt. I tossed them on and laced up my sneakers, heading quietly from my room and out of the house for an early morning run.

Time passed as I escaped into my thoughts, running through thousands of different scenarios as to why our agency contact had disappeared, whether Charlie had any involvement in his disappearance, and whether we were all being played. I wondered if Alexander had made any headway into what was really going on. I had so many questions and was anxious to get back to Texas so I could pick up where I had left off…with the job and Mackenzie.

Before I knew it, the sun began to beat down on me with more intensity. When I left my mother’s house, the sun was just starting to rise. Now, it was shining brilliantly, and I knew I had probably been gone for a few hours. I circled back toward the house, putting in another few miles, and entered the foyer, hearing voices from the kitchen. Not ready to face Mom and her special overnight guest, I dashed up the stairs and hopped in the shower. After shaving and dressing in a pair of cargo shorts and a light green linen shirt, I found the email I had kept with me since receiving it and placed it in the pocket over my chest…over my heart.

Checking the clock to see that it was nearly ten, I hurried through the remainder of my morning routine. I still needed to cook my mom breakfast, then get to the airport in time for the noon flight Eli had arranged on one of the company jets.

Dashing down the stairs, I entered the kitchen and came to an abrupt stop.

“Alex…,” I said nervously when I saw him sitting at the table. I felt like an employee who had been caught in a lie after calling in sick. “What are you doing here?” I sat down opposite him, studying his every move.

“Tyler.” He raised himself from his chair, a knowing smirk on his face as he straightened his crisp suit. Heading toward the coffee machine to prepare a cup, his expression remained fixed. “Mom called and asked for a family breakfast this morning. I tried to say I had work to do, but she mentioned you were home, which certainly got my attention.”

My eyes narrowed at him, my blood boiling every second I was in his presence. His odd demeanor made it readily apparent he was not happy I was home. I would have rather had him shout at me. I could handle that, but the fake smile, the niceties, the even temper… I just wanted him to get on with it so I could get on with what I needed to do.

“I was going to wait until you were settled, but I have a new assignment. You’re on a transport to Afghanistan tomorrow at sixteen hundred hours.”

I remained quiet as he returned to the table with two cups of coffee, placing one in front of me.

Sitting down, he reached into his laptop bag, retrieved a file, and slid it across the table toward me. “We’ve opened a shelter for girls who have been the victim of abuse and are at risk of further harm, possibly even death. Honor killings and all that. These girls–”

“Just stop,” I interrupted. My voice was soft, my lips barely moving.

He snapped his head up, his green eyes meeting mine. “Ty–”

“No. Enough, Alex!” My voice rose with the anger that was slowly building within me. “I’m not going to be told what to do by you anymore, not when it’s readily apparent you only have your best interests at heart and no one else’s!”