Part 20 (1/2)
”Only as much as you told him to tell me. Do I hear the rest from you now or later?”
Blu touched his mother's cheek. ”Later, Ma.”
Rose's chin quivered, but she kept it up. ”All right, then. I've always had to settle when it cametoyou. I didn't think this time would be any different. Kris packed last night for Amanda. I don't understand why they can't stay together, but I suppose you have your reasons.”
”Margo's place is the perfect safe house for Angel, Ma. And Mandy...” He cleared his throat. ”For now she needs to be at the shelter. Trust me, Ma. I know what I'm doing.”
”Oh, I've never doubted that, son. I told Kris yesterday that if she was desperate, the man she needed was you. I still believe that.”
”You showed her your sc.r.a.pbook.” Blu wasn't angry. He'd made his bed, as they say.
”She deserved to know.”
”Yes, she did,” Blu agreed.
Rose reached up and kissed his cheek, then she stepped back and gave her son a long head-to-toe. ”You certainly grew taller than either Carl or I ever thought you would.” She patted his chest, her hand lingering. ”I don't know why all this is necessary, but I trust you'll get around to tell me as soon as you get a spare minute. Until then, I'll just go along with whatever it is you want done.”
”Thanks, Ma. I can always count on you. And I appreciate your faith.”
Blu tried to keep the worry from his eyes. His mother was perceptive and he didn't want to upset her. He wished Margo was there in case things turned sour. His mother would need her if... He gripped her arms and leveled his gaze on her. ”I need you strong, Ma. Don't sell me short. I'm the Blu Devil, remember?”
The sound of the bedroom door opening caught Blu's attention, and he watched as Angel walked into the kitchen carrying Mandy. Her hair was tousled, and she had that heavy-lidded look that told him she'd just woke up.
”Amanda heard your voice.” She s.h.i.+fted her daughter to her hip.
Blu studied the two blond beauties who had entered his life so unexpectedly. If only things had turned out different, he thought. But fate had a way of s.h.i.+fting the tide, and knowing there wasn't much time left, he put to memory everything about his two girls-their pretty brown eyes and small sweet mouths. Their fragile innocence.
”Da, come home.”
Suddenly Mandy wiggled out of her mother's arms. Blu watched her come to him. He felt his throat close up as he bent and scooped her up. She was warm and soft and she smelled like lemon verbena, just like her mama. He felt the lump in his throat grow bigger, and he turned away from Angel and his mother to give himself a minute to pull it together.
A moment later he turned backtoreturn Mandytoher mother, but she had other plans and clungtohim. She triedtobite his chin, then giggled.
”Mandy,” Angel scolded, ”you don't want to hurt Blu.”
It didn't take much to crush Mandy's feelings. Her mother's words had her pulling her hands back close to her chest and hanging her head.
”She can't hurt me,” Blu insisted. When Mandy didn't lift her head, he pulled her close and started nibbling on her ear until he had her giggling hysterically.
”Blu, how is she going to learn proper behavior if you let her do anything she wants?”
He directed his attention to Angel. ”There's time enough for her to learn proper behavior. Right now all she needs is to feel safe and happy.”
The words reminded Blu that if Mandy was ever going to have a chance for a normal childhood, he had places to go and people to see. He hugged her close, then handed her back.
Angel took her, but just as quickly handed her to his mother. ”I need to talk toBlu . Rose, could you keep Amanda occupied for a little bit?”
”Of course.”
She turned back to the bedroom and Blu had no choice but to follow. As he stepped inside, she closed the door behind him. Glancing at his watch he said, ”Brodie will be by in about two hours to take you to my sister's house. Mort will-”
”Why did you leave last night?”
Blu kept his distance. He wasn't going to touch her, he'd already decided that. He needed his head clear and his thoughts only on Salvador Maland. ”I needed air. You know me. I walk easy.”
His words hurt her, but it was for the best. She couldn't keep walking around thinking he was something that he wasn't. ”Mort will be with Brodie. He's taking Mandy to the shelter. You won't be leaving together, and you'll wear disguises.”
”I don't see why we have to split up.”
Blu had no intention of explaining. No matter how much he wished there was a better way to snare Maland, a safer way, this was a solid plan. ”I want you to stay at Margo's until I come for you.”
”And when will that be?”
”Sometime tomorrow.”
”Just like that, I'm suppose to do whatever it is you tell me? I left Belize because I was told what to do every minute of the day. What makes you think I'm going to do what you tell me just because it's you telling me instead of Salva?”
”That's not why you left Belize, and we both know it,” Blu countered. ”The reason you'll do what I tell you is because you know who I really am, and what I'm capable of. And if you would be honest right now with me and yourself, deep inside you're praying I'm even worse than the rumors claim.” When sheat tempted to speak, he held up his hand. ”No. Don't tell me I'm good. The guy you need watching your backside right now, baby, had better be one mean son of a b.i.t.c.h. Because that's the only way you're goingtoget out of this in one piece. Mandy, too.”
”This isn't fair. You're not being fair!” She was crying now, coming undone.
Blu watched her wrap her arms around herself. He had to touch her. Had to ease her fear. He stepped forward, pulled her into his arms. ”He won't touch you. I promised you that days ago, and it's still my promise. He won't even see you.” She kept crying. He shook her a little. ”He's just a man made up of blood and guts like me. He's beatable. The Blu Devil can beat him.”
She broke away from him and backed up, shaking her head.
”You can help,” Blu heard himself say. ”Give me some facts about him. It doesn't have to be much. The yacht. What will he be sailing?”
She was against the wall, clinging to it as if she needed it for support. ”He'll be sailing thePrincess. You won't be able to miss her. She's a beautiful boat, and...”
Her voice broke. Once again Blu was there, pulling her away from the wall and into his arms. ”And what?”
”Salva had a man sculpt a figurehead for his yacht. It's me. I'm naked, my hands are tied behind my back. He made me ... made me pose for it. The figurehead rides thePrincess.”
Blu tried to keep his rage below the surface. She must have sensed his struggle. She backed away. ”I'm sorry. When I came here all I wanted wastofind some way to go back to being whoever I was before ... before I woke up and found myself in a nightmare.” She paused. ”I wanted to go backward, but I know now that's impossible. All I want right now is for you and me to- I couldn't bear it if you got hurt because of me. Please, go to the police. Let's tell them my story, and-”
Blu shook his head. ”It's too late for any of that.”
”It can't be too late. I love you. I know I shouldn't be saying that now. That you don't want to hear it. And I know I have no right the way things are, but-”
”Don't finish.” As much as he wanted to hear her confession of love, Blu couldn't let her go on. He pulled her against him and covered her trembling lips with his own. He knew he neededtodistance himself from her, but the needtotaste her one last time was stronger.
He kissed her tenderly, then possessively. She leaned into him, gave herself over to him completely-her need as clear as his own.
Blu wanted to possess her, to make everything all right for her and Mandy. And he wanted her to keep on loving him forever. He'd never wanted anything so badly as he wanted a chance for a life with this beautiful young woman. But that wasn't goingtohappen. As much as he wanted to hold ontoher, he wanted her to be free more. He wanted her standing on her own two feet, starting over, and being whoever it was she neededtobe.
Blu brushed her long hair off her shoulder and murmured huskily, ”I have to go.” Then he kissed her one last time.