'Yes. Just remember that.' The man tapped the bridge of his nose, and a corner of his lips twitched.
When they got to the first floor, Duarte spoke again.
'We will pick up your luggage at the hotel. Then we have a quick stop to make before you leave. It won't take long.'
'Lead the way.' Christian extended his arm toward the revolving front door of the hospital. 'I'm placing my trust in you.'
Duarte grinned, for real this time. With chest out, the police captain sauntered across the hospital reception area in his neatly pressed uniform and shiny black shoes, his footsteps resonating across the marble floor.
'It's about damned time, Delacorte.'
Jasmine cleared her throat, a painful look on her face. Opening her eyes looked like an effort. Nicholas grabbed a cup of half-melted shaved ice and held up a spoon with an ice chip in it. Without words, she
opened her mouth and accepted it. After she cooled her parched throat, she spoke in a soft raspy voice.
'You think Christian bought what you said about regrets and your act of benevolence?' Jasmine forced a weak smile, putting up a good front. The fire was gone, but she looked more beautiful than he'd ever seen her.
'I can be very convincing, you know.' He winked and leaned closer, filling his eyes and his senses with everything about her.
'With all that talk about reform, I was worried you might actually be telling the truth.'
Nicholas traced a finger down the side of her cheek, letting a sad expression linger on his face. 'The best lie comes with an element of the truth, my dear Jasmine. I do have regrets in my life. Some are worth rectifying . . . and some I consider . . . terminal character defects.'
She raised a pale hand toward him, the one without the IV.
'I love you, Nicky. Just the way you are.'
'Yes, I know.'
After a long silence, Jasmine raised an eyebrow. Her lips pursed into a weak pout. 'Admit it. You love me too.'
'I will do no such thing.' Nicholas leaned closer and gazed into her eyes. 'I prefer to show you instead.'
He bent down and touched his lips to hers, a loving gentle kiss. In all their years together, Jasmine had never known such tenderness. She wanted the moment to last forever, but she would take what he was willing to give.
With a man like her Nicky, a woman could live a lifetime in a day.
Duarte's unmarked police car was parked at the curb in the front parking lot of the hospital. While the captain got into the driver's seat, Raven gestured her preference to sit in the back, no doubt wanting some distance from the male bonding ritual he and Duarte had started. Christian opened the door, but before she got in, she looked at him with a question on her mind.
'A reformed drug kingpin with a conscience? Out of curiosity, did you buy any of that?'
Christian's expression melted into a grin. 'Not a word.' He shook his head. 'Let's just say Father's Day got a hell of a lot more . . . complicated.'
He kissed her on the cheek and closed the car door behind her.
It didn't take long to pick up their luggage from the penthouse suite at the Hotel Palma Dourada. They didn't have to check out. Nicholas needed the suite while Jasmine was in the hospital and would pick up the tab when he left.
All the while, Captain Duarte chatted about the weather and the charm of his city—a proud ambassador for his country and his people. This Duarte was a completely different man than the one Christian had met, the guy with all the suspicion and menace for unwanted foreigners to his country. Their brief, casual exchange left Christian wishing he had more time to get to know the man. But one thing Duarte did not talk about was where they'd be going next.
When he turned down a familiar street, Christian fought the growing grin on his face.
'So how are Bianca and Hector?' He turned toward Duarte as the captain parked in front of the Guia Do Espirito. 'They going to be all right?'
'You know what they say, Christian.' Duarte got out of the car before he finished. ''That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.' They will be fine, I think. I promise to look in on them from time to time.'
'I'm sure she would appreciate that, Luis.' He smirked. 'Having a good woman in your life may not be a bad thing.'
Before Duarte could react beyond his shocked expression, Christian reached for the front door, but didn't have to opened it. It swept from his reach with the tinkle of a bell overhead and Bianca Salvador greeted them on the street with outstretched arms. He couldn't help but notice the special smile Bianca gave to the dashing man in uniform.
'Oh, you've come.' The woman's eyes glistened, but the beaming smile on her face challenged the idea her tears were spawned from sadness. 'Please . . . please come in,' she greeted them, then yelled into the back of the store. 'Hector. They're here.'
Hector came from the back storage room with a grin on his face. His bruises had yellowed, but the cuts were still visible. Bianca had endured much the same abuse. It pained him to see it. If they were hurting, they never showed it.
Bianca had a plate of cookies from the cafe down the street. She served coffee and they chatted as if they were family, catching up on old times. It reminded Christian of the Delacortes, the family he had lost all those years ago. He stood on the periphery and watched the others, recalling the faces and voices that lurked in his memory, entwined in the nightmare of his past. One day he hoped he could sort them out and discard the pain, keeping what remained.
When the time felt right, he spoke up, addressing Hector.
'I was going to contact you once I got back to the U.S., but you stuck your neck out when you thought Jasmine was in trouble and you ended up on Chief Zharan's radar. For that, I'm sorry, but very grateful. And we had an agreement. Do you remember?'
Hector looked sheepishly at his aunt. His cheeks blushed.
'Yes, but you don't have to worry about that anymore. We are friends, yes?' Hector raised his eyebrows, a glimmer of hope on his face. 'Friends don't exchange money to do what is right.' He stuck out his chest and stood tall, exchanging a look with Bianca. She nodded, tussling with a smile.
'But friends help each other,' Christian insisted, catching the attention of a curious Raven. 'I want to set up a trust fund for you and Bianca, to help while you're away at school.'
'Oh, no. That is too generous.' Hector shook his head and waved his hands in objection. 'Away at school? I don't go to university.'
'Yet. At least, it will be up to you whether you take me up on my offer. The trust fund will be set up. I want to pay for your education, like I promised. I insist. Personally, I think it's a wise investment. You can attend a college in Brazil or come to the U.S. I'll sponsor you, once I learn what I need to do. It will be your choice.
