“He needs to be wiped off the earth,” Simon commented gruffly.
“Agreed,” Sam echoed adamantly.
“For Christ’s sake...I’m surrounded by some of the most brilliant, richest men in America, and you’re all acting like idiots. Put your emotions aside and think with your heads,” Travis said harshly. “You all have too damn much to lose to do anything else. You have kids or children on the way, women you care about.”
“I can’t just leave it,” Kade replied, his voice hostile. “Yeah, I’m thinking of Asha, but he might kill the next woman he gets involved with.”
A rumble of agreement echoed through the room.
“I’m not suggesting that you leave it. I’m suggesting that you put your emotions aside and use your head,” Travis drawled. “The last thing Asha needs is more chaos and guilt in her life.”
A pang of remorse stabbed at Kade’s conscience. He knew Travis was right, but he couldn’t seem to control his need to seek some kind of justice for Asha, one that involved severe pain and suffering to her ex-husband.
It had only been a few days since Asha had given him her body for the first time and rocked his world, but they’d made up for lost time by touching each other every chance they had. He couldn’t seem to not touch her when she was anywhere near him. In fact, the urge to get up and go to the kitchen just to see her, make sure she was okay, was almost irresistible.
“I suppose you have a plan,” Max said slowly, glaring at Travis.
Travis shot a superior look back at Max. “I generally do,” he answered arrogantly. “I happen to use the head above my waist when it comes to women, unlike the rest of you.”
“Not always,” Kade reminded him hotly. “Not when it comes to Mia.” Other than Travis, only Max would understand his statement because he was the only other one who knew that Travis was more than willing to kill when it came to Mia’s safety.
“Unfortunate accident,” Travis answered nonchalantly. “And Mia’s safety was threatened.”
Simon and Sam looked on, confused, but didn’t comment.
Unfortunate accident, my ass. Kade had no doubt Travis had known exactly what he was doing when the man stalking Mia just happened to have his “unfortunate accident” that left him conveniently dead, never to bother their sister ever again. “I’m listening. But no guarantee that I still won’t kill the bastard,” Kade said sharply, his guts still telling him he needed to hurt the one who had hurt Asha.
Max folded his arms and pierced Travis with a stubborn look. “Let’s hear it.”
Sam and Simon grumbled, but agreed to hear Travis out.
With a satisfied smile, Travis began to talk.
Asha replaced the security phone by the door on its cradle and hugged baby Ginny a little tighter. Ginny Helen Hudson was sleeping peacefully in her arms. She loved the smell and feel of the infant, the trust the tiny being had given her by falling asleep while Asha had rocked her. Named after both of her grandmothers, Asha thought she was the most adorable infant she’d ever seen.
“Why would someone want to talk to me?” she muttered to the sleeping infant as though the baby would answer her. “I don’t even know anyone here.”
Turning away from the door, she walked back into the living room where the women were taking up residence while the guys were on cleaning duty after they had all indulged greedily of the Thanksgiving dinner. Fighting down the instinct to go to the kitchen and help because she was still uncomfortable with the idea of men in the kitchen, she reluctantly handed baby Ginny back to Kara with a frown. “Some lady wants to talk to me. A doctor. Kade’s security agent said he checked her ID and she was legitimate. Apparently she knew my father and wants to give me something that belonged to him.”
“What are you going to do?” Mia asked, her voice concerned.
Asha shrugged nervously. “I told him to let her come up to the house. She’s alone. I can’t let her leave if she’s claiming to know my real father. I know so little about him. If she does know him, she can fill in some information, tell me more about him and maybe my mother.”
“She could be a reporter in disguise,” Maddie retorted, her voice sounding disgusted.
“Or just curious. There was enough coverage in the gossip rags about your discovery,” Kara murmured as she repositioned the sleeping baby Ginny back in her lap.
The doorbell rang, and Asha flinched nervously. Had the woman really known her real father? And if she had known her father, she probably knew her mother, too. Why, after all these years, would she come here?
“I’ll get it,” Mia said hastily and jumped up from her seat on the couch to jog for the door.
Asha knew she could have answered the door herself, but confusion kept her feet planted on the carpet, the other three women looking at her anxiously.
Mia returned moments later, followed by an older Indian woman. The woman was dressed with casual elegance in a trendy pantsuit of muted fall colors, her hair gathered in a loose knot on the top of her head. Her age was hard to judge, but Asha could see some gray hairs peeking out of coal black tresses.
She stopped in front of Asha, her smile warm and comforting. “Namaste,” Asha welcomed her softly in Hindi, India’s national language. She wasn’t certain exactly what to say to the woman, and not sure whether or not she even spoke Telugu.
Smiling wider, the woman echoed, “Namaste.” She paused briefly before continuing in English. “You look very much like Navin and are as beautiful as Alice.” She gently cupped Asha’s cheek before dropping her hand and adding, “I knew you’d grow up beautiful even when you were a baby. You stole everyone’s heart.”
“Did we meet?” Asha asked curiously.
“Yes. But you wouldn’t remember me. You were still an infant.” The woman’s English was lightly accented, but perfect.
“So you really did know my father,” Asha said softly, offering the older woman a seat and sitting in a chair across from her.
“Yes. May I speak in front of your friends?” The woman looked around at Maddie, Kara, and Mia.
Asha nodded and introduced her sister, sister-in-law, and Kara, explaining that Mia’s husband, Max, and Maddie were also Alice’s children.
“It’s wonderful to meet you all. I’m Devi Robinson.” Looking at Maddie, she added, “I’ve heard of you, Dr. Hudson, and the wonderful work you do with your clinic.”