Bounty (57 page)

F
inally tearing
his eyes away from me, Chase pushes his wife away and breaks the kiss as he looks at her strangely. "Mirana, what are you doing?"

It's a strange question to ask your wife after she greets you with a kiss, but at this point I can't pretend to know or understand Chase Anderson at all. I feel like I should run. Take off to the limo, hop in and tell Mark to take me directly to the airport. But I can't help but want to see Chase squirm now. I want to see how he tries to weasel his way out of this to both his wife and girlfriend at the same time.

Mirana is talking quietly now, but she’s grabbed his hand and is clutching it against her chest as if she doesn't want him to be apart from her ever again. His eyes grow wide as she speaks and then makes a strange sound. It's not until he looks up that I see a smile on his face. That noise had been a laugh. Of all the reactions I had expected from him, laughter was pretty much the last one. It makes me want to slap him, and I take a few steps toward the two of them with that very intention.

"The government? Definitely not," he says to her. "She’s not even American. She’s from Canada."

I stop in my tracks, confused.

Mirana looks back at me with equal confusion on her face, and then back at Chase. She speaks again, and despite the fact that I'm close enough to hear them this time, the words are in Spanish anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

"Well, I don't know what she told you," he says, shaking his head. "But I'm sure it was a misunderstanding." Here come the lies. Is he really going to claim that he and I haven't been dating these past couple of weeks? With me standing right here? Does he actually think I'll cover for him and go along with whatever story he’s going to try and spin?

"Don't believe him," I say. My eyes feel like they’re blazing as I glare at him. "Whatever he’s about to say is a lie."

Mirana turns to me again, even more confusion on her face. "Chase, what is going on here? Who is she then? How does she know my parents?"

"This is Lila. She’s my... well, she was my girlfriend. Now I'm not sure."

I open my mouth to contest his story but stop as I realize what he’s said. He's actually admitting that I'm his girlfriend to his wife? What kind of a sick asshole is he? Or do they have some sort of twisted understanding or agreement?

My eyes slide over to Mirana, waiting for some sort of explosion of emotion, but she doesn't react. Not at first, at least. Her head cocks to one side as she looks over at me with her eyes narrowed a bit, as if she’s thinking about something, then she smiles as well. "Ahh, this makes sense then."

"Wait, what? What's going on here?"

Mirana's hand loosens her grip on Chase's now and he pulls it away. "You didn't tell her about us, did you?" she asks him. He shakes his head.

"What the hell kind of... look, I don't know what weird open relationship you two have but I don't want any part-"

"No, wait," Mirana says, holding her hands up and shaking her head. She looks over at Chase. "Do you love her?"

Chase looks at me, his deep blue eyes fixated on mine as he nods.

Mirana turns back to me. "Our marriage isn't real," she says.

"Mirana, I wasn't going to-"

She raises her hand again and this time Chase stops talking. "No, it’s not fair to you to keep this secret from her," she says. "You've done too much for me and Diego already. I don't want you to risk losing the woman you love."

My head is spinning as I try to make sense of everything, but none of it fits yet.

"What the hell is going on," I demand, looking back between the two of them.

"I thought you were from immigration," she explains. "That’s why I told you that Chase and I were in love. You came to warn me about him, didn't you? You found out he was married?"

My head nods automatically but I'm still lost.

"Denise," I hear Chase explain but my eyes continue to stare at Mirana. Who is this woman?

Mirana makes a disapproving sound with the back of her throat. "I told you that woman would only cause you grief." She shook her head again as she looked at me. "You can't listen to anything that
puta
says."

I have no idea what
puta
means, but I have a feeling it isn't a term of endearment.

"You poor woman," she says, putting her hand on mine and squeezing it. "Come back inside. Let's talk. Chase and I can explain."

My first instinct is to pull my hand away and still run back to the safety of the limousine. To hide behind the tinted windows and let Mark take me back to the airport so I can flee to the familiar and comfortable. My country. My apartment. But what's waiting for me there now anyway? Evelyn is gone. Only Harrison remains. How fucked up is my life if he turns out to be the most stable thing in it?

"Come," she urges, pulling at my hand. Chase is just watching us without saying a word. At least he has sense enough to keep quiet now.

"I don't know what's true anymore," I say softly. "You're married but you're not. You were in love a few minutes ago, but now you say you aren't. Chase... so many lies."

"I never lied about her," Chase says.

While it’s true that Chase never actually told me he wasn't married, that's a pretty weak argument. I glare at him and his gaze drops away to the ground. He knows the difference is meaningless.

"It's not his fault," Mirana protests, squeezing my hand again. "Please, come inside and I will explain everything. Chase is a great man. If he loves you, you're very lucky. I do love Chase, but not like that. I love him for a different reason."

"Why?"

Mirana shrugs, tugging my hand again and turning toward the house. "Because he saved my life."

I
let
Mirana lead me back into the house in a daze as I try to process everything going on, but I'm still so confused. Is Chase a cold hearted asshole or not? That’s the main question I'm still trying to answer.

"What do you mean, he saved your life? What happened?"

We're back in the house now, and Chase has followed Diego into his bedroom to see something the boy had created out of Legos. More than likely in an attempt to give me some time alone with Mirana.

"Diego's father was not a nice man," she starts, her eyes drifting downward to the long dress she wears as she straightens out an imagined crease. "Not to me or Diego. At that time, Chase was dating a friend of mine, Maria. Chase liked to come to Cuba because he wasn't supposed to. He's always doing things like that. On one of those trips he met Maria and then he would come back about once a month to visit her.

"It was on one of these trips that he met me. Maria asked me to come out with them to a restaurant on a double date with Juan, Diego's father. Chase knew right away what was going on between us. It was like he could read both of our souls. I had always been able to explain away my injuries to Maria, and she would believe what I told her." Mirana looked up at me, her dark eyes looking fuller, surrounded by unfallen tears. "But Chase didn't. Not for a moment."

Mirana was quiet for a moment before continuing. "Chase and Maria eventually stopped dating but Chase kept coming back to Cuba on a regular basis for his vacations, and whenever he did he would check in on me. He found out where my parents lived, and he spoke to them about Juan. He had them talk to me. I was stupid back then. And scared. Chase helped me get away. For Diego." She took a long shuddering breath and I put a hand on her knee which she grabbed and squeezed appreciatively.

"Chase is a good man. He barely knew me, yet he gave my parents money so that they could hide me away from Juan. Juan was enraged, and he kept looking for us. Cuba is not a big island; we could not have hidden from him forever. Chase said that Diego and I would have a better life in the U.S. and that coming here would be the only way to keep us safe from Juan. Even though he barely knew me, Chase promised to help me and he started the process to bring us here, claiming that we were engaged. But getting a Green Card is a very long process and, as you can see, it is still going on. There was anguish on Mirana's face, and I couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been for her to be forced to put her trust so completely in a virtual stranger, and to leave her family and everyone she knew to come to another country. It must have been a terribly hard, but necessary, decision.

"I know it is wrong, that we have told a lie to the government. If they find it out, Chase would be in a lot of trouble. And I know it makes his life more difficult, to keep this secret. But he does it for me and my son. So that we can live here safely. When you showed up this afternoon asking about him... I thought you were from Immigration. They have visited us in the past, asking questions about our relationship to determine if we have a “legitimate” marriage. I'm sorry, I just assumed you were another agent. That’s why I told you those things about Chase and me, but they aren't true. I do love him, but not like that. He is a great and generous man, and the last thing I want to do is ruin a chance at a real relationship for him."

I slowly let out the deep breath I had been holding as I listened to her story. Out of the corner of my eye I look up to see Chase come out of Diego's room. He sees me, and I can tell by his expression that he’s not sure whether to approach or not. I give him a reassuring nod.

"I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about," I shake my head. "I'm the one that should be sorry. I never should have doubted you." It seems like with Chase, no matter how things sound I need to always start giving him the benefit of the doubt.

"I wanted to tell you, but it’s complicated. And it’s really not only my decision, since it’s a secret I share with Mirana. I would have taken the risk for myself, but I couldn’t ask her to do that. She’s very close to getting her green card and then she'll be in the clear, but until then………”

"It's not your fault. Denise... she was obviously looking for this reaction from me, and I was foolish enough to give it to her."

"Puta," Mirana says again under breath.

Chase gives her a sidelong glance and then nods. "Yes, she has a way of finding the one thing that will get under someone's skin and then twisting it around to turn it into a catastrophe. She knows that Mirana is my wife and that she’s from Cuba. I think she also realizes the end goal. She’s not stupid. But she doesn't know the details. She found out by accident. I never would have told her. But despite her flaws, I know she wouldn’t report us, although she obviously isn't above using it to try to break us up."

"The only reason she doesn't report us is because she knows we're not lovers," Mirana says angrily. "She’s always been a jealous and spiteful woman."

"I know," Chase agrees. "I've been hearing that a lot lately. I should have figured it out on my own long ago." He looks at me with an embarrassed half grin.

"So what now?" I ask. I really don't know. I'm such a fool, I wouldn’t be surprised if Chase is completely done with me after the number of times I've been so quick to condemn him. But instead of telling me to go to hell, he reaches out and touches my hand. I let his fingers slide against my palm and grasp them hard.

"Once the Green Card issue is done in a couple of months, Chase and I will get a divorce. Then he’s free to marry you," Mirana says. My eyes widen in surprise as I look at her, searching her face to see if she’s joking at all.

"Uh," Chase clears his throat. "We're not quite there... yet." Then he looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

My eyes are still wide and I shake my head as well. "No, that's right. We're not there. Wait, yet?"

He just shrugs and smiles again, then leans forward and kisses me.

"Now you must stay for dinner," Mirana announces.

I haven't even thought about how hungry I am until she says that. Is it dinner time already? Because of the time change I don't even know how long ago it was since we last ate. I look over at Chase and he’s nodding enthusiastically. "She’s as good a cook as her mother, Elena," he says.

That’s good enough for me. Looks like I'm having dinner with Chase, his wife and his step son. At least there’s never a dull moment with this man.

W
ith Chase on my left
, his wife on my right and his step son across from me, I feel like I’m eating in a daze, barely aware of how delicious the food is. Mirana and Chase are talking to Diego, and I get the feeling they're letting me catch up at my own pace as I come to terms with everything I've just learned and how I'm feeling about it all.

If anything, I'm overwhelmed and exhausted. The gamut of emotions I've run through over the last hour has left me drained. It was horrifying to learn of Chase's marriage, and that led to anger. First at Denise, but quickly shifting to Chase. Then fear, embarrassment and shame after talking to his wife and believing that I was contributing to the destruction of their marriage. Finally surprise and shock at learning the truth.

So many secrets were being covered up with lies, half-truths or omissions. Faking a marriage to get a Green Card means they were even breaking the law. It's not even a law I agree with, and who knows how much longer it will even be an issue now that the USA is opening up relations with Cuba? Besides, sometimes the end justifies the means. If it was the only way Chase could keep Mirana and Diego safe from Juan, who am I to judge? And I can't really blame him for not telling me about it even if it did break my heart. But Chase was right, it wasn't only his secret to break and, if discovered, the repercussions to Mirana would be considerably worse than to Chase. The United States government does not take breaking its laws lightly.

Maybe Evelyn was right. Not all lies are equal. I was burned by Harrison and his betrayal, but he’s a much different person with much different motives. The old poker player I'd met in Macau was right as well. Even when Chase isn't completely honest, he has a good reason for what he’s doing. I just need to learn to trust him.

I look over at him and he sees me turn, giving me a smile and reaching under the table to grasp my thigh. I put my hand on his and squeeze him gently as a sign that everything is okay. His smile deepens as he gets the message.

"This is delicious," I say, turning to Mirana. She beams a smile back at me. "And you have a beautiful house."

"Chase's house," she nods.

"Yours as long as you want to stay," he corrects her. "I've told you that many times."

"He's very generous," Mirana seems to be embarrassed. "He lets us live here and never takes rent."

Chase shrugs. "The house belonged to my father. It became mine when he died and it’s all paid off. Why would I take money for it?"

Mirana shakes her head and sighs but I just smile at her. "If there’s one thing about Chase I've learned in the brief time I've been with him is that he’s generous with his money and there’s really no point in arguing it. He's very stubborn."

Mirana laughs. "You
do
know him well after all."

"Uh, I'm right here," he protests with his own little grin.

The little bit of humor breaks the tension I've still been feeling and all of a sudden our conversation begins to flow much easier. We talk through the rest of the meal before Diego leaves to go play in his room.

"He's a nice kid," I note as he politely excuses himself and runs off. "It must be hard to raise him on your own."

Mirana nods. "It's easier now that he’s in school. I have my days to myself again. Mostly, anyway."

"So what do you do with your time?"

"Oh, it always seems to get filled," she shrugs.

"Mirana volunteers at a woman's shelter," Chase says. "She helps a lot of people."

His wife shrugs again, looking embarrassed. "I just try to help women who were in the same situation as me. I know how hard it is to leave. I couldn’t have done it without Chase, and if I can give back by helping other women then it’s my pleasure."

"That’s wonderful!"

"Chase got me in there; it’s another thing I owe him."

"Now wait, that one isn't completely altruistic, you know that." He looks over at me. "It's really on the job training as far as I'm concerned."

"How so?"

"Poker players are always looking for a cause," he says, leaning back in his chair and taking a sip of wine before continuing. "Once I realized how hard it was for Mirana to get away from Juan, it got me to thinking about other women in similar situations. I couldn’t help all of them the way I helped her, but there are ways I can make a difference. So I got some of my colleagues together and we started a foundation. We're opening up a women's shelter next year, and Mirana is going to run it once she gets her Green Card."

"Wow. That’s amazing Chase."

He shrugs. "Mirana will be doing all the work. I just gathered together the money to get it started."

"You did more than that," she adds.

"A little bit. There’s work involved in the foundation itself aside from the actual shelter. But once everything is setup and the shelter is operating, it’s all yours to run. That’s why you have to soak up as much knowledge as possible while you're volunteering."

Although I don't doubt the cause or Chase's desire to help women by opening the shelter, I suspect a lot of the reason he’s doing it is to ensure that Mirana will have secure employment. ”Anyway, let's help you clean up before Lila and I get out of your hair so that you can put Diego to bed."

The three of us clear away the plates from dinner and help Mirana wash them. It's very hard not to like the woman, and I'm very happy that Chase helped her get away from that bad situation. The man continues to impress me at every step.

"Thank you so much for dinner." We're standing outside the house and Mark has pulled the car up into the driveway to wait for us.

"I was happy to meet you," Mirana says, honesty showing through her smile. "Chase deserves someone like you. He's spent too much time alone or with... the wrong people." We both know who she’s talking about. "Come back soon. Both of you."

Chase gives her a hug and then leads me to the car where he slides in next to me. His arm slips around my shoulder and I lean against him, much more content now that I'm not angry with him.

"Where to?" he asks.

"Wherever you're going," I say as I snuggle against his warm body. "That’s where I want to be, too."