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  When she’d taken the seat, he spoke. “I brought you here, Bai, to teach you a lesson.”

  She thought the comment odd. “What lesson would that be, Howard?”

  He smirked. “People should know their station in life.”

  He flicked his fingers. His bodyguards moved aside so she could see Michael Chin held down on his knees with his arms pulled up behind his back by two of Howard’s bodyguards. Blood from a split lip stained his chin.

  “Imagine how disappointed I was to find you’d turned down my offer of a date to go out with a waiter—a servant. Do you have any idea how you made me feel? The humiliation? You turned me down to go out with this?” he said, pointing at Michael.

  Michael raised his head to look at her then looked away. He looked angry and ashamed. Her heart ached for him. Instinctively, she wanted to protect him. As she stared at Michael, she felt an anger so intense it flowed through her like electricity.

  “This seems to be my day for men to teach me lessons,” she said as she turned to stare malevolently at Howard. She stood with her hand on the sleeve of her jacket. “School is over.”

  Her gaze unsettled Howard. His smile disappeared to be replaced by a haughty look as he shook his head. “I see you haven’t learned your lesson.”

  His hand flicked up, and one of his men stepped forward to strike an open-handed blow across Michael’s face, one that rocked his head back.

  Her voice devoid of emotion warned him again. “End this now, Howard, and I’ll let you walk away. If not, people are going to get hurt. One of those people is going to be you.”

  He looked uncertain for a moment then seemed to dismiss her threat. He started to raise his hand again. She flicked the knife from her sleeve. The blade smacked into the center of Howard’s palm and buried itself to the hilt. He looked at one side of his hand and then the other. The knife protruded evenly on both sides.

  He let out an ear-piercing scream.

  Half of his security team rushed toward Howard to protect him while the other three men dropped Michael to the floor and rushed Bai. Ducking under the first man’s grasp, she kicked the back of his knee and forced him into a kneeling position. She took a quick step back to use the kneeling man as an obstacle to the other two men facing her before leaping onto his back and using him as a springboard, launching into the air to kick a second man in the face. Her shoe slapped his head hard enough to flip him to the ground.

  The third man reached for her. From behind him, Michael swept her assailant’s feet from under him. Bai turned in time to kick the man in the face to make sure he stayed down.

  She took a quick look at Michael to make sure he was all right. He pointed behind her. Her first attacker lurched to his feet. She turned and clapped her hands over his ears. As he reached up to cover his ears, she reached inside his jacket to pull a gun from his shoulder holster then turned to train the automatic weapon on Howard, who whimpered as he held his bloody hand out in front of him.

  Everyone froze. It took Howard a moment to realize Bai pointed a gun at him. He plopped into a chair with fear distorting his features. When one of the bodyguards started to reach for a gun, Bai shook her head and pulled back the hammer on her weapon while flicking off the safety. The bodyguard’s hand slowly dropped back to his side.

  “I’ve enjoyed the lesson, Howard,” she said evenly. “We should do this again sometime soon.”

  He didn’t appear to hear her. His head bowed over his bleeding hand as he mewled like a kitten.

  Bai directed her comments at his bodyguards.

  “We’ll be leaving now. If I ever see any of you again, you’ll be very sorry. If I hear you’ve tried to teach anyone else a lesson, I will find you and hurt you. That’s a promise. As a sign I have no hard feelings, you can keep the knife. Michael, we’re leaving now,” she added for his benefit. “Say good-bye to the nice gentlemen.”

  Michael looked aside at the guard who’d slapped him. Before the guard could react, Michael punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

  “Bye,” he said before preceding her toward the exit. She walked backward with the gun still pointed at Howard. At the exit, she flicked on the safety, ejected the clip, and tossed the gun back into the room before pulling the door closed behind her.

  No one followed. The two of them avoided the elevator and took the stairs.

  She hesitated when they reached the street, turning to face Michael she asked, “How bad is the lip?”

  He reached up to feel his mouth. “It’ll be fine. Thanks.”

  “I’m sorry that happened.”

  He shook his head and smiled. “I should have been the one saving you. I feel like an idiot.”

  “Don’t,” she said. “You couldn’t have known what you were getting into when you asked me out. My life is a mess.”

  He looked at the ground. “When I met you, I thought I could handle anything, Bai.” His gaze lifted, and he tried, but failed, to smile. “I’ve learned that’s no longer true. When you said we live in different worlds, I really didn’t understand.”

  “You’re a nice man, Michael. Forget this ever happened. Forget you ever met me.”

  He nodded and smiled. “I think you’re going to be a hard woman to forget.”

  She patted his cheek affectionately. “You have my number. If Howard bothers you again, call me.”

  He nodded and smiled soberly before turning to walk away. She watched him go while thinking things might have been different if she’d met him ten years earlier. Then again, maybe not.

  She’d never wanted anyone the way she’d wanted Jason. And that hadn’t changed.

  Chapter 34

  The drive to Healdsburg the next morning gave Bai time to think. Mostly, it gave her time to put together a plausible story for Elizabeth. She mentally tried out a number of scenarios. Nothing held together. After an hour of trying, she decided to tell her the truth—but not the whole truth.

  The family had just finished lunch when she arrived. The triad soldiers looked a little heavier than the last time she’d seen them. Coleta’s cooking was broadening their waistlines along with their taste in Mexican food. The entire house smelled like roasting meat, sweet spices, and baking bread.

  She found everyone in the kitchen helping with cleanup. Jia threw her arms around Bai to hug her while Dan held back. She could see the hurt on her child’s face. Alicia nodded a restrained greeting.

  Bai smiled. “I have an announcement. I’m no longer dating Howard Kwan. I have no intention of marrying him.”

  Dan grinned and ran to throw her arms around her mother. Bai laughed as she hugged her daughter. She’d managed to make at least one person in her life very happy. The stormy look on Elizabeth’s face informed her she’d managed to make another person in her life very unhappy.

  “May I have a word with you alone, Bai?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Certainly,” she acceded soberly and turned to walk into the living room.

  Elizabeth followed her and confronted her when she stopped. “What do you mean you’re no longer dating Howard? I thought you were doing marvelously. His mother said he’d taken you shopping. What happened?”

  “It’s a long and ugly story. The end result is that I don’t think Howard wants to marry me. Not after I stabbed him.”

  “You stabbed him?!”

  “I warned him first. He wouldn’t listen.”

  “There are other ways to end a relationship. How badly is he hurt?”

  “I suspect he’ll be signing his name with his left hand for a while.”

  “Why on earth would you stab him?”

  “You really don’t know him, Elizabeth. I met a young man for drinks. When I saw Howard for dinner the next night, he had that young man held down by his bodyguards so I could watch them beat him. Howard said he was teaching me a lesson—that people should know their stations in life.”

  Elizabeth looked stunned. “Was this young man all right?”

  “Yes, he’s fine
, but that doesn’t excuse Howard’s behavior.”

  Elizabeth grew silent a moment before replying. “No. I agree. I’d hoped Howard might be a good match for you, but I can see I was mistaken.” Her eyes met Bai’s gaze steadily. “I trust your judgment. You did the right thing.”

  She put her arms around Elizabeth and hugged her. “I can’t say that I’m sorry for stabbing Howard, but I’m sorry if I disappointed you.”

  “You haven’t disappointed me in the least,” Elizabeth replied hurriedly, though her dejected expression suggested otherwise.

  Bai decided it was a good time to change the subject. “Will you be going to the spa with us?”

  “Of course,” she replied. “I insisted Coleta come with us as well. We’ve all been working far too hard lately. We need an afternoon of relaxation.”

  “What about Lee?”

  “He’s coming too, not that he’s keen on a spa day. He’ll go anywhere just to get out of the house. You might want to take him back to the city with you. He’s starting to get irritable and restless.”

  “I’ll talk to him and then to Dan. She’ll have a better idea of whether he’s ready to leave the nest.”

  “She’s done really well.” Elizabeth said, referring to Dan’s role as a nursemaid.

  “I know. I’m proud of her. My little girl is growing up.”

  “Which reminds me,” Elizabeth confided. “There’s an older boy at the stables who Alicia feels is showing too much interest in Jia. She says Jia is very naive about boys and fears he may be up to no good. I didn’t want to say anything for fear Jia may have a crush on him. You know how foolish young girls can be, and she’s still very fragile. I feared if I were to caution her, she’d just become more determined in her pursuit of romance. I’ve seen this happen before.”

  “Are you referring to me and Jason?”

  “I knew you’d understand,” Elizabeth said sweetly.

  Bai accepted the rebuke.

  “Young love can be a trying experience for everyone involved,” she replied. “I’ll ask Dan and Alicia to keep an eye on Jia. I know how she feels; I won’t interfere with her romance unless I absolutely have to. Anything else I should know?”

  “Alicia’s a lovely girl, and smart, but very reserved. When I talk to her about returning to school or her plans for the future, she retreats into her room. I’m not sure what to make of her.”

  “Give her time,” Bai said. “She’s been abused. Her father was a gang member. She doesn’t know what happened to her mother. Her only family was the gang, and they were neither kind nor gentle. I’m happy to say one of her tormenters has moved on.”

  “As in, left town?”

  “I suspect he’s gone a bit farther,” Bai replied while avoiding eye contact.

  Elizabeth lifted her eyebrows in silent appraisal but didn’t appear shocked by the revelation.

  “I’ll talk to Alicia,” Bai continued. “I suspect she’s still trying to make up her mind whether or not to give this family a chance.”

  “We must seem an odd bunch to an outsider,” Elizabeth mused.

  “I used to think the same thing. Recently, I’ve come to realize perhaps we’re not the most dysfunctional family in the world. When I think about the Kwans and how badly they treat one another, I’m left feeling grateful for the family I’ve got. We may not always agree with each other, but we’ve always loved and protected one another.”

  Elizabeth looked chastened. Bai quickly backtracked. “I didn’t mean to imply your sister is a bad person.”

  “I don’t think you need to,” Elizabeth replied sadly. “Jade was single-minded even as a child. Her determination to acquire wealth became an obsession. I thought she would eventually realize there’s more to life than money.” She let out a deep sigh. “I guess I was wrong. I think I’ve been wrong about a lot of things.”

  Elizabeth wiped tears from her eyes as she continued. “When you became pregnant with Dan,” she said in a soft voice, “you were little more than a child. I never told you, but I was selfishly pleased when you fought to keep your baby. Dan is as dear to me as you and Jason, but I often wonder if I didn’t take advantage of you.”

  “What’s this all about?” Bai asked, wondering where the conversation was headed.

  “You missed college, and parties, and the adventure of living on your own. I robbed you of your youth. I’ve never told you how sorry I am.”

  Bai put her arms around the older woman. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I love my life. I love my daughter. And I love my family. And, if you hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known my youth had ended.” She paused in thought. “Lee’s the same age I am. I wonder if he knows he’s no longer young.”

  Elizabeth sniffed and spilled tears while gently rapping Bai on the shoulder with her clenched fist. Bai captured the errant hand and held it tightly while drawing Elizabeth closer, holding her as Elizabeth cried while wondering what she’d ever done to deserve so much love.

  Chapter 35

  Spa day might have been more appropriately labeled torture day. Bai found herself stripped and scrubbed from head to toe as a small army of gloved professionals exfoliated, nourished, and oiled her skin. Hot towels and cold packs got intermittently applied to either shrink or to plump various parts of her anatomy. Tiny fish nibbled on her toes while a woman with delicate hands removed the cuticles from her fingers.

  The experience lasted the entire afternoon. By the time they’d finished, it was time for Bai to return to the city. Despite Dan’s objections, Lee insisted on accompanying Bai. After his things were loaded into the MINI Cooper for the trip home, the rest of the family gathered to see them off.

  Bai drew Alicia aside to speak with her. “I wanted to thank you for looking after Jia.”

  “You don’t have to thank me,” Alicia replied. “Anyone can see she’s damaged goods.”

  “I’m sorry I haven’t been around more. I’ll be back tomorrow, and we can talk.”

  Alicia shrugged. “You don’t have to worry about me. Life here is good. The Corazons are nice people. Dan and Jia are fun.”

  “Is there anything you need? I feel like I’ve been neglecting you. I hope you understand.”

  “You need to worry about yourself,” Alicia advised her in a hushed voice. “Rafe doesn’t like to lose. He might come after you when he can’t find me.”

  Bai rested her hand on Alicia’s shoulder. “You don’t have to worry about Rafe. I heard he went up against Hector, and it went badly for both of them. He’s gone.”

  Bai had sanitized Rafe’s demise. She didn’t feel the need to burden the girl with the truth.

  Alicia brightened at the news. “Maybe now the nightmares will stop. I want to forget the last year like it never happened. With him gone, maybe I can start over.” The girl took a deep breath and continued. “The truth is . . . I don’t want to go back to the city.”

  Once she started to talk, the words came out in a rush. “I’ve talked to the Corazons, and they said I could stay with them. Their children are grown. They have room for me, and they said I could stay here if I got your permission. I could go to school here where nobody knows me and work in the orchards with Mr. Corazon. He said he’d teach me.”

  Alicia’s plans took Bai by surprise. Putting her own feelings aside, she considered what was best for the girl.

  “I’ll talk to the Corazons, Alicia. If that’s what you really want, I’m sure we can make arrangements.”

  Bai put her palm on Alicia’s cheek and smiled. The girl looked a little embarrassed by the gesture but didn’t draw away.

  “I don’t mean to hurt your feelings,” Alicia said. “I just feel more comfortable here with the Corazons.”

  Bai could understand how unfamiliar Alicia might find a home where the inhabitants spoke another language and followed different customs. She’d hoped Alicia would overcome those differences, but those expectations may have been unrealistic and selfish. Alicia had enough problems without Bai’s adding
to them.

  “Don’t worry about me,” Bai replied. “If you’re happy here, then this is where you belong. Follow your heart, Alicia, but know that I’m here if you need me.”

  Alicia smiled and thanked her before stepping back to join Jia and Dan.

  Bai walked to the car and stepped into the driver’s seat. Already sitting next to her on the passenger side, Lee squirmed restlessly. She started the engine and waved farewell as they spun around the driveway. As they rolled down the long drive, Lee let out a long sigh of relief.

  “Are you that happy to be leaving?” she asked.

  He turned to look at her with a smile. “Country life isn’t for everyone. I yearn for the smell of diesel and the clamor of traffic. I want the fog and drizzle to dampen my spirit. I want sushi delivered to my door. Like a jilted lover, I yearn for my love—the city.”

  “You’ve only been away a couple of days.”

  “It seems much longer. I’ve found that time passes very slowly when you’re surrounded by nature. So what happened between you and Howard?” he asked, changing the subject.

  “He tried to teach me a lesson I didn’t have any interest in learning. Push came to shove, and I put a knife in his hand.”

  He chuckled. “I just knew you were having fun without me.”

  “I should have listened to Jason. He told me something was wrong with Howard.”

  “He also told you that Naugahyde came from naugas. That was when you were nine. He had you running all over the neighborhood collecting money to save the baby naugas.”

  She smiled at the memory. “I was pretty gullible at nine. I’ve grown up since then.”

  “You’re still gullible,” he replied. “You’ve just gotten bigger. That’s part of your charm.”

  “How are you feeling?” she asked in a more serious vein.

  He paused before answering. His mood became somber. “I feel like I’ve been shot in the back.”

  She glanced aside to see his grave expression. “This is me you’re talking to. I know when something is wrong. What else is going on?”