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  A light tap at her door opened her sleep heavy eyes. “Come in.”

  Having just been pulled from the edge of falling asleep, Alana had no interest in entertaining her husband. She wondered why he bothered with her in the first place. She was doing everything in her power to keep him at a distance. The clunks of him stumbling through the dark had her throwing her head back into her pillow. She signed when he bumped into her bed, likely searching for a light. She slept with her room pitch dark, the blackout curtains intensifying the darkness.

  Instead of finding her lamp, his hands raked the backs of her legs and grazed over her ass. She was too sleepy to get upset. The fact that she was starting to enjoy him touching her may have had something with her relaxed attitude. “I wouldn’t have called you in if I knew you were coming in here to fondle me.”

  His soft chuckle penetrated the darkness. “I can tell by the hint of care in your voice that you desperately want me in this bed with you.”

  She ignored his comment completely. Eyes adjusted to the darkness, Alana had no trouble reaching around her husband to turn on the lamp.

  The light flooded her room and flashed Devin a view of his wife’s daring eyes as her gaze darted up to his face.

  The wicked look she gave him and seeing that his penus area was placed directly in front of her face made him take a few steps back. “I’m sorry I woke you, but I received a call from Kevin. He would like to meet with us tomorrow. I wanted to update you now because I know you have to work.”

  Rubbing her eyes, she rose with a lazy stretch. “That’s good news. Did he say where?”

  “He would like to meet us at the mall around one o’clock tomorrow. Will you be able to make it?”

  “It will not be a problem. Give me a shout when you’re ready.”

  He sent her a playful salute. “I hope you have a good night sweet wife.” He turned off the lamp and exited her room.

  Alana was left speechless. Devin’s sincere sounding words had stunned her because it sounded like he meant them.

  Chapter 12

  Cousin Kevin

  Studying for one of her exams, Alana was proud of all she had accomplished over the years. Despite being fulfilled professionally, she was empty where it involved having someone special to share her successes with.

  A knock called her attention. “Come.” She’d been watching re-runs of Star Trek the Next Generation and loved the way the character Jean Luc Picard would always answer his door with the one word command; ‘come’.

  Watching Devin saunter towards her, it was hard to deny he was one of the most attractive men she’d laid eyes on. However, his confidence in himself was overwhelming. Keys in hand, he asked, “Are you ready?”

  He sat so close to her, the warm flow of his words seemed to fan out and coat her body.

  The realization that she enjoyed his closeness had her jumping from her own bed. She slid into her shoes hurriedly. “I am ready now. Let’s go. I want to meet this mysterious cousin of yours.”

  As they drove to the mall, Devin initiated small talk but Alana was perfectly fine with the quiet between them. She knew Devin didn’t like it. Ever since their two almost connections, once on the dance floor and once with the Amber incident, he seemed to have been searching for ways to positively engage her.

  His voice broke through her thoughts. “I know that I have missed a lot where it concerns our marriage. I apologize for it. I wasn’t trying to be…”

  She stopped him before he finished his sentence. “I told you once before, you have nothing to apologize for, especially where it concerns this marriage. We both agreed to this, obviously without thinking it through. You had a life before I entered the picture, and I respect it. I haven’t ask and nor will I ask you to be devoted to this marriage if you don’t want to be. But, I do realize and accept that we have to keep a certain appearance. I will do my best to make that happen.” He’d been bringing up the subject of their marriage a lot lately, but she wanted it all done and over before she ended up falling for him.

  After parking, his attempt to open her door was pointless. She was already walking toward the mall before he got around to her side. She reminded herself to work on allowing him to engage her more caringly in public. Once inside, they blended into the lunchtime crowd. Finding a table near one of those mini Chinese buffets, they had only been seated a minute when Devin’s attention was lured into the crowd.

  Alana followed his stare and saw a tall, dark and good-looking man approaching. He bore features similar to Devin’s. The man had to be Kevin. Approaching their table, she watched the man give Devin a quick hug and a playful round of punches. When the handsome man focused his attention her way, Alana froze. Gazing up at him, she reached to shake his offered hand.

  He held her hand. “Nice to meet you Alana. I’m Kevin.”

  Taking a moment to soak her in, he scanned her with amused eyes. “So you are the infamous Alana Nazari? It’s nice to finally meet you. I have been waiting to meet the lady that has finally put my arrogant cousin in his place.”

  Kevin kissed the back of Alana’s hand and it took every ounce of her strength not to melt into the floor. She was not used to handsome men kissing her hand. Her mind straightened itself out enough to recall his last statement. He’s been waiting to meet the lady that’s finally put his cousin in his place? What does that mean?

  Her eyes asked Devin for an explanation, but he dismissed Kevin with a flippant wave. “Ignore him, he is always teasing me.”

  Kevin continued to hold onto her hand. “If you decide to leave him, call me.” He winked afterward, letting her know he was joking.

  Giggling at him, she spoke nonchalantly, “Nice to meet you Kevin. It’s nice to finally meet someone with a personality. Lord knows that one doesn’t have one.” She steered her head towards Devin to drive the insult home.

  Devin looked as if he had been slapped while Kevin hung over the table in laughter.

  Kevin stalled his laugher long enough to talk. “I like you already. You say what’s on your mind. My aunt and uncle told me how you two lock horns. They said you are definitely not a push-over.”

  Amused, she now knew that it was her mother- and father-in-law who had been spilling the beans on her and Devin’s relationship woes.

  Jumping in, Devin said, “Okay, enough of that. What can you find out about our situation?”

  Kevin took a seat and managed to speak thought his laughter. “I don’t know anything for certain yet, but your father was right in not telling the two of you anything. There is quite a bit to untangle, and I’m not even sure I should be telling you anything. There are some things that you simply do not need to know. Not right now.”

  Kevin’s words drew Alana’s concern but she kept quiet.

  “Your words have made a circle Kevin. What in the hell can you tell us?” Devin voiced, obviously getting frustrated.

  Kevin paused for a long time before he spoke again. “Let’s just say, it’s a blessing that you two are married. There is a lot more to this situation than I can explain right now. Things can get as serious as life and death. Devin, I’m going to need you to call forth some patience and give me a chance to find more information. I also want you both to be more guarded and aware of your surroundings. Have there been any unusual occurrences in any of your lives? You can tell me anything, no matter how strange or unimportant you might consider it. Things that may have been insignificant at the time may spark a clue to something bigger. Tell me even if it’s something you may think is a little bit hard to explain.”

  Alana was no fool. Kevin knew more than he would say. “It’s me, isn’t it? If I hadn’t married Devin, I would be in some sort of danger? It’s why my dad all but forced me into getting married. But. Why marry me off? It puts more people in jeopardy.”

  Devin flashed a look of concern her way but said nothing. Kevin eyed her with an emotionless expression. Avoiding her questions completely, Kevin asked, “Do you remember any weird or concerning conv
ersations from your father or brother?” He glanced at Devin. “You too. Do you remember anything of concern?”

  Devin answered first. “I practically begged Dad for information, but he wouldn’t tell me anything. He told me the same thing you’re saying to me; that it’s better not to know certain things.”

  Alana's voice softened. “I haven’t lived with my father since I went to college. We call and check on each once or twice a week, but we haven’t been close since I was a little girl. My brother was killed a few years ago, and I got the notion that my dad knew more about his death then he would tell me.”

  Devin stared worriedly, taking in her words. Alana continued, “My father prohibited me from seeing my uncles and cousins. I never understood why. One day, I was curious enough to ask my brother. He told me some off-the-wall story about our family being tied to some huge Cartel, despite our father being FBI. At the time, I thought my brother was kidding, but now, I’m starting to wonder if there is some truth to that ridiculous story. It makes me wonder why our father fought so hard to keep us away from the rest of our family. My name hasn’t always been Alana Santos either.”

  Devin gave her an open-mouthed look she ignored. “My parents had my name legally changed twice before I became an adult. I was naïve. I believed they were letting me pick the pretty names I liked.”

  Kevin waited, seemingly knowing she had more to tell. She figured she may as well tell him everything she could think of. “Since I was adopted, I didn’t understand why my father felt the need to keep me away from family that I didn’t biologically have blood ties to. Now, I am starting to wonder if I have been looking at it backwards. Maybe he were protecting them from who my biological family might be.” Alana caught the fading lines of worry that Kevin wiped from his face. He was either surprised or she was on to something that he already knew.

  Kevin assured, “I’ll get you some answers. I’ll start with a background check and work my way forward.”

  Alana doubted marrying a Nazari would help her situation, but in the short time she’d known Kevin, she knew she wasn’t going to get an answer.

  He focused his attention on Devin. “Have you thought of anything?”

  Devin shook his head, “No.”

  Kevin reassured, “Don’t worry and don’t go off trying to investigate on your own.”

  Alana didn’t have to say that she had thought of something. Like before, Kevin seemed to know it.

  “What else do you remember?” he asked.

  She volunteered the information about the priest she had encountered near her job. The story had Kevin and Devin on the edge of their seats. Kevin's eyes couldn't edge out his interest in her words, as he studied the movement of her mouth and the expressions of her facial movement. Devin sat unmoved in his seat, his eyes glued to her face.

  Sensing a bit of urgency in Kevin now, she presumed the priest might have been a part of the riddle surrounding her marriage or perhaps her life. Recapping her encounter with the priest dredged up unsettling feelings and she couldn’t wait to stop talking about him. The mere mention of the creepy priest had her head hurting.

  Thankful for the shift in conversation, Alana enjoyed seeing and hearing the cousins catch up with each other. It was easy to see they were close. She'd never seen Devin smile so much—unless he was looking at himself in the mirror. He'd glance at her every once in a while and garner a friendly smile.

  Concluding their engagement, Kevin turned an amused gaze towards her. Taking her hand again, he promised he would make an effort to visit and check on her and his cousin’s ego as often as he could. The comment made Alana laugh but a condescending look occupied Devin’s face.

  Kevin stood and took a bended knee near her chair. He had positioned himself as if he were about to propose marriage. Lower than her now, he tugged her hand so that she would lean closer. His action caused her eyes to zoom towards Devin for an explanation. What could have been so important Kevin didn’t want Devin to hear it? The warmth of Kevin’s closeness pushed her discomfort into overdrive.

  She stared across the table at her husband. The fact that a good-looking man she was admittedly attracted to lingered near while her husband sat across the table bothered her.

  The warm spray of breath from his whisper startled her. “You may not see it now, but you are good for my cousin. In my opinion, one of the best things to happen to him. I can sense how much he loves you; can see that he listens to you; can hear the sincerity in his voice when he speaks to you. He may not say it, but he is proud of you. I am sure he is over there right now fighting to keep from telling me to back away from you.”

  Shocked at what she was hearing, Alana’s eyes moved away from Devin’s face to Kevin’s, only inches away. Mouth opened slightly, her face was frozen in dismay.

  Looking back at Devin while Kevin continued to whisper in her ear, she was forced to keep her eyes diverted from her husbands. Kevin’s words warmed her face with sentiment, an emotion she suppressed emphatically.

  Although concerned, Devin maintained a stoic expression. He knew his cousin well and was almost sure Kevin wasn’t coming on to his wife. However, he couldn’t rout the sting of jealousy and a twinge of possessiveness. The expression on Alana’s face showed that Kevin was giving her an earful. Full of what, he wanted to know.

  Seeing another man put a smile on his wife’s beautiful face, he secretly wished it had been him. His back remained rigid as he repositioned himself in his chair. He clearly saw Alana blushing; her perfect brown cheeks a pinkish hue. What in the hell is my cousin telling my wife to get that kind of a reaction?

  Kevin left Alana to recover from whatever he'd filled her ear with. The brotherly hug Devin received from him was quick and firm. He shot a wink back at Alana and stepped into the never ending movement of the crowd. He hadn’t given Devin time to get upset, knowing he’d probably stirred agitation.

  Squinting his eyes in Alana's direction, Devin didn't hide his smile. “Nice to meet someone with a personality huh?”

  “Don’t start with me,” she replied allowing a rare laugh to escape her.

  Devin enjoyed seeing Alana smile, but hearing her laugh was a special treat. “My cousin seems to really like you. He has never been a big people person and is usually very particular about who he chooses to like. I can't believe he let you see bits of his personality.”

  Alana wasn’t sure how to respond. After what Kevin had whispered in her ear, she was still fighting shock. She had to decide how much of what Kevin had said was true.

  Thinking back on their meeting, Devin realized he’d been allowed to peek further under Alana's veil. The troubling unknown lurking in her past and present worried him. “I’m sorry to hear about your brother. How old was he, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  Her face saddened. “He was about to turn twenty-eight. We were close. He and I had a good relationship. We were siblings and also good friends. Although I was his pesky little sister, he was always patient with me, answering my annoying questions, helping me with my homework, and teaching me about the perils of being a teenager.”

  Devin noticed a spark in Alana he had never seen before as she talked about her and her brother’s relationship. It was another beautiful part of her that she had kept hidden away.

  “Can I ask you a personal question?” she asked him, curiosity apparent.

  “Sure,” he replied, glad she seemed interested.

  “What nationality are you exactly? You, your father and your cousin seem to have something else happening.”

  Although most concluded he was Caucasian, his ethnicity had been in question his entire life. That Alana had noticed enough to be curious made him happy. “Glad you noticed. My father’s Egyptian. He was born in and grew up in Alexandria, Egypt. Kevin’s mother was my aunt. I am sure you can tell, we don’t exactly follow traditional customs but we respect our background.”

  Devin enjoyed telling Alana about his family history. Seeing her interested in him was salve to his brui
sed ego.

  Chapter 13

  The Jealous Type

  This was the first time a woman had ignored his legendary charms, but Devin refused to accept defeat. Something in the back of his mind kept reminding that Alana intended to leave him and return to her life after the sixth month. He had half read their marriage contract, but only now were the words starting to make their impact. After having spent six months under his roof she would be free to leave.

  After their meeting with Kevin, he’d started paying more attention to her. She would leave the house every Saturday and wouldn’t return until evening or night. Peering from his window, he watched her drive away. His ego took over, putting ideas of her going to see another man into his head. He wanted to know what Alana did with her Saturdays. He grabbed his key and ran down to his car, hoping he wasn't too far behind to follow her.

  Sitting in his car, like a stalker, he watched her walk into a building. The books in her hand said she was attending the classes she had spoken of briefly. The giant letters on the building that spelled out Livingston Hall conveyed the same. Surely classes didn’t take her full day. She remained in the building for nearly four hours. Once she'd completed her classes, he continued to follow her, like a stalker, to a nearby florist. Who in the heck are the flowers for?

  Realizing he was being irrational, he started to paint a clearer picture in his head. Alana’s mother had died when she was a little girl and her brother only two years ago. He was a total idiot for what he'd been thinking and understood how the male ego contributed to unnecessary problems.

  Guilt instantly kicked his butt the moment he saw Alana's car slowing at the entrance to the Safe Hope Cemetery. After carrying on for a month with his girlfriend, he couldn’t stomach the idea that Alana might have had a man on the side.

  Devin turned into the cemetery grounds and crept towards the area in which Alana had driven.

  He came to a stop when she came into view. He watched her leave her car with the flowers and walk in the direction of a group of plots. She stopped, divided the bundle of flowers and stepped between what must have been her mother and brother's graves. She place flowers at the head of each plot. She took a seat on the ground between the sites before bowing her head in prayer.