Private Melody

“Kianti Lawrence, my right arm, Vaughn Burgess.” Therin enjoyed the man’s mesmerized expression.

Vaughn, in fact, seemed to have forgotten all about Therin’s presence. He leaned close to take Kianti’s hand. “I enjoyed your playing very much,” he told her.

Kianti bowed her head graciously. “I appreciate you saying that. I thought I may have sounded a bit rushed last night.”

“Nonsense.” Vaughn’s entranced expression turned woeful. “I do apologize for the interruption. I’m gonna have to steal this guy.” He glanced toward Therin before smiling again at Kianti and stepping back to offer the couple privacy.

Therin took her hand next. “This was nice.”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“This must be important or else he wouldn’t be here. Always on my back for not relaxing more.” Therin spoke the last sentence a bit louder for Vaughn’s benefit.

Kianti bit her lip playfully to stifle her laughter. “It’s okay. I understand, really.”

“When do you leave?” he asked.

“This afternoon.”

He let her see his frown. “I’ll see you before you leave.”

She placed her hand across his. “Handle your business.”

“I promise,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze and standing as the waiter returned. “This is on me.” He tossed several bills to the table and pushed several more into the young man’s hand.

Kianti’s eyes followed Therin until he was gone from the dining room.

“This had better be damned good,” Therin growled to Vaughn as they rounded the corner.

Vaughn’s voice was uncharacteristically hollow. “It’s not. It’s not good at all.”

The weight which had lifted from Therin’s shoulders during the time spent with Kianti fell like an anvil when he and Vaughn returned to the suite. The conversation he’d escaped from earlier, and hoped would be over by the time he returned, seemed to have taken on new life. It wasn’t long before he discovered why.

“Dammit,” Therin growled upon viewing the file on one of his staff assistants, Ruby Loro.

Absolute silence settled in the suite for the first time that morning.

Therin Rucker’s calm demeanor was a constant that his staff respected and thrived in the midst of. Though he often preferred to step back and do more observing, Therin encouraged discussion and debate. He felt they were the greatest tools in running effective campaigns and encouraging loyalty. Witnessing a loss of temper from someone so focused and deliberate was as fascinating as it was disconcerting.

“This is bullshit.” Therin’s voice was a little more than a whisper. He massaged the back of his neck and slanted Vaughn a dark look.

“Agreed.” Vaughn raised his hands defensively. “But it’s still gonna have to be dealt with…on several levels.”

“I should talk to her.” Therin rifled through the file. “Has she seen this mess?”

“No, um…it was uh—stuck inside your complimentary copy of this morning’s USA TODAY,” Morgan Felts explained.

Therin began a pace of the suite’s living area. “Anybody contact the office to confirm that?”

“Ther, nobody’s heard a damn thing,” Gary Bryce chimed in.

Peter Stanson used the pen he held to gesture toward the file. “I think it’s safe to say that whoever left that crap meant for you to see it first and to decide how best to keep it quiet.”

“By keeping my damn mouth shut,” Therin guessed, walking past the table and swiping a stack of papers to the floor.

Vaughn took advantage of the clean area of the table and helped himself to a seat. “I don’t think it’s as much about keeping your mouth shut as it is about using it to promote other interests.”

“Screw that.” Therin’s voice was monotone.

The other four men in the room exchanged looks. They’d known Therin long enough to know that the flat tone of his voice signified his mood shifting into dark territory.

“Would it really be that much of an issue to throw a little chatter toward your other endeavors?” Peter asked.

Therin turned, pushing hands into the deep pockets of his sweats.

“The pockets you open…there’s enough to go around, right?” The look Peter received then had him swallowing uncomfortably while lifting his hands in submission.

Vaughn reached for the file and perused the lurid film shots. The webpage printouts showed covers of adult DVDs featuring Ruby Loro when she’d come to the U.S. illegally and willing to do anything to stay there.

“We suspected all along that these folks you’re rattling were sons of bitches. All of our research into what few leads we have proves their allegiance is to the manufacture of the weapons and military strength over the education of the nation’s kids,” Vaughn said while shaking his head at the damaging items inside the file. “What they’ve just done proves they’re willing to go to any lengths to draw you over to their side but this…” he groaned. “She’s a sweetheart, Ther. She doesn’t deserve to have this tossed up in her face. She’s not this woman anymore.”

“Hell, you don’t think I know that, V?” Therin’s mood had journeyed into an even darker abyss. “Get her on the phone, G.”

“What are you gonna do?” Peter asked, while Gary made the call.

Therin’s expression was unreadable. “I’ll know that when I talk to her.”

Chapter 3

Kianti’s shoulders slumped when she returned to her suite and found it filled with her travel companions. They each turned to fix her with unfriendly looks when she strolled into the room.

Cube even ceased his raid on the snack safe. “Well, well, look who decided to show up and let us know she wasn’t somewhere havin’ a heart attack!”

Winton was on the phone and only remarked with a slow shake of his head to illustrate his irritation. “Yeah…yeah we should be in by six,” he continued.

“Mmm-hmm.” Khan didn’t look up while he surfed channels. “No note or nothin’. Your cook wasn’t sure whether to start breakfast.” His slanted stare narrowed further when he and Cube dissolved into laughter over the dig at Brody.

Dr. Brody Parker simply leaned against the doorway to the bedroom, arms folded across his chest.

“Can’t I even eat breakfast on my own?” Kianti tossed aside her black tote.

“Ah, breakfast.” Brody pushed off the doorway. “You mean that stuff we practically have to force you to eat?”

“Can’t a person improve their eating habits?”

“Of course, but this is you we’re talkin’ about,” Brody countered.

Kianti threw up her hands. “I don’t want to waste time going back and forth over this.”