Unintended Consequences (Act One) Completed

Chapter Ten: Let's Make A Deal

"Shit!"

I knew there was a catch. There's always a catch. I'd promised to keep her safe. Whether as a man of honor or as a husband, I am duty bound to keep her safe from the goons on her tail. But doing that would mean placing a call that I swore I would never make.

But first things first. I need to get an ID on the two idiots threatening her grandmother. This Smoochie guy seems like the kind of person the authorities would have files on. His associated probably had records as well. It's all a matter of making the right calls. Fortunately, Enzo is my one-stop shop for these things. Despite the hour I know he'll be awake.

"Enzo."

"Yes, boss," he answers, completely unphased by my call. He was probably expecting it. He always seems to be one step ahead of me.

"I'm going to text you a phone number and some information. I need IDs on these guys starting with pictures and legal names. They should have records, so you might want to start there."

"Yes, boss," Enzo says, sounding mildly disappointed.

"What's the problem?"

"This is for her, right?"

"She's my wife, Enzo."

"I know. I just want you to be careful. Beautiful women have dark hearts," he warns.

"She's not like that. And even if she is, we're both using each other. I have a problem and she has a problem. We're helping each other fix it." I know my words are unconvincing. Even I am beginning to doubt them.

"If you say so. I'll look into this right away. Will you be staying in the loft? Should I bring your stuff?" He doesn't sound convinced.

I pause, shocked by my own reaction. This is the first time in five years that the first thought on my mind isn't about work. I've already been awake for the better part of an hour and I haven't even checked my email.

"Please do, and tell Janine to forward all of my calls to my cell phone," I say before hanging up.

I'm not surprised by Enzo's reaction. Even I am beginning to question my motives. Sure, Unique is a beautiful woman, but this is beginning to feel less like a contractual relationship and more like... I don't know. A seduction? Am I seducing her or is she seducing me? 

All I know is that I saw the same woman who faced down kidnappers with nothing but an iron bar become helpless and scared. Even more shocking was that I wanted to make sure she never feels that way again. And the whole time she never once looked in my direction. Not once did she look up for help. In the past, I've always avoided women who were looking for a superhero to rescue them from their problems. That's what I liked about Portia. She was a woman who wasn't above using others to get what she wanted, but she never looked for handouts.

But Unique is a whole different brand of woman. She's obviously in way over her head, but she won't ask for help. She won't beg. She won't break. And in the face of her bravery, I want to be her superhero. Just this one time, I want to save the day. God help me, I even want her to ask for help. To look up at me with hope in her eyes.

I stare at the number I never call but have yet to delete and ask myself if it's worth it. How badly do I want to be her hero? I'm not an especially brilliant man, but if there is any genius in me it's this: I don't lie to myself. The truth is, I want it more than almost anything else.

I dial and wait for the line to connect. Its morning here so it's evening there. It doesn't really matter, I know as soon as my number appears, somebody will answer.

"Assalam alaykum, Rayyan!" my mother's breathless greeting instantly grates on my nerves. "Two calls in twenty-four hours. I'm so happy."

It sounds cheesy but I know she means it.