Black Karma by Thatcher Robinson

Author:Thatcher Robinson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781616140069
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Published: 2014-10-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

A reserved atmosphere presided at the dinner table. Alicia ate the Chinese food without comment. Everyone spoke in hushed voices, as though fearful of breaking something fragile. Later, all three girls decided to sleep in the same room to get acquainted. Bai suspected by tomorrow morning she’d be facing three bleary-eyed teenagers.

Later, as she soaked in her much-anticipated bath, the thought of the three brought a smile to her lips. She held an icy tumbler of Yamazaki to the side of her face, the cold glass pressed against her flushed cheeks. Steam from the bath surrounded her while Lee’s condition occupied her mind. He still hadn’t been moved from ICU. A nurse there had informed her he would have to stay in intensive care for an additional twenty-four hours. He’d spiked a temperature, and they feared infection.

The door opened, and Jason stepped into the room. She tilted her head to look at him with a quizzical expression.

“We need to talk,” he explained.

“First, let’s talk about how you got in here.”

He waved her question aside and sat on the edge of the tub to take her drink from her hand. “How is Lee?”

Bai knew Jason was just making conversation, stalling. He could get an update on Lee’s condition as easily as she. His reticence made her curious. “He’s running a temperature, still in intensive care. They’re giving him antibiotics. Why are you here?”

He ignored her question. “I’ll stop by the hospital later tonight and check on him.”

“Don’t you ever sleep?”

“Sleep is a terrible waste of time.”

He slept only one or two hours a day. Working day and night, he personally managed his teams around the world, regardless of the time difference. He drove himself as if he had something to prove.

He took a sip of her scotch. She considered protesting but didn’t have the energy to rally any righteous indignation, forcing her to acknowledge she was glad to see him. “Fine,” she capitulated. “What do you want to talk about?”

He hesitated before answering. “The Kwan family.”

“What about the Kwan family?”

“Stay away from them.”

“Why?”

“They’re dangerous.”

“You’re talking about your aunt and your cousins.”

“They don’t see me that way, at least not my aunt. I’m her enemy. That makes you and Dan her enemies, by default.”

“She’s asked me to marry Howard.”

“You can’t trust her. I’m telling you, she’s poison.”

She held out her hand and gestured for her drink. He handed the glass back to her, so she could take a sip while contemplating his words.

“What about Howard?” she asked.

Contempt infused his voice. “What about him?”

“Do you think he considers you his enemy?”

“I don’t have any idea. I’ve never come up against him either in business or personally. Jade’s ruled Kwan Industries with an iron fist for thirty years. I imagine she runs her family the same way.”

“He didn’t seem like a bad man. His attitude toward women is a bit jaded, but his having an overbearing mother would explain that.”

“You’re not seriously considering marrying him are you?” His tone suggested he found the thought repulsive.

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