Page 26 of The Maverick (WaterFyre Rising #7)

“For how much?” A strand of my hair fell over my face.

“I got it as a bargain.” His finger skimmed my jaw. “But it’s the most precious painting in my collection.”

“You’re lying.” I snorted and pushed him away from me. “You own art that can sell for millions of dollars, and you’re telling me The Lost Lily Pad is worth more?”

“I don’t measure worth with numbers, Vanessa.” He pulled me back and wrapped both arms around my waist. “That’s what it’s called? There was no title on the painting. And the only initials were VL.”

“Then how did you know that’s me?”

“Educated guess and trusting my gut. Based on all the new paintings you’ve done. Every artist has a certain style.”

I couldn’t believe this. Of all the people in the world, he had my first painting. That had been a difficult time for me, and I’d channeled that into the art.

“Why is it called The Lost Lily Pad ?”

I didn’t want to share that with him yet. “I’ll tell you one day when you’re ready to share a dark secret with me, okay? We’re newly engaged. It’s gonna take time for us to get to know each other, Whistler.” This role-playing thing wasn’t so bad. It was helping me escape his questioning.

“Is that my pet name?”

“It is.” I ran my fingers along his powerful jaw. “The whistling caught me off-guard earlier, but I like it.”

“Oh, yeah? Why?”

“Because you seem carefree when you whistle.”

He blinked at my comment, and I couldn’t tell if it surprised him in a good or bad way. His phone rang, interrupting the flow between us.

“You can get settled. Make yourself at home. I’ll get the rest of the bags.”

“I’ll do it. Take the call.”

He nodded and walked out of the suite, leaving me in this luxury suite that I could never afford.

My phone rang, and I reached into my purse to see that it was my mom. I closed the door to the suite and walked toward the tall windows that looked out to a private yard. A greenhouse was attached to the side of the house, but it was empty.

“Hi, M? . Is everything okay?” I asked, trying to calm the nerves stirring in me.

I didn’t know why, but I always got this way whenever I received a call from her. She was in prison—an unsafe place where things could turn bad quickly. I wouldn’t be able to stop worrying until she was home with me.

“I’m safe, sweetie. Is everything okay with you ?” she asked. “Have you had the bánh mì lately?”

The code for her escape reminded me how serious things were. Minutes ago, I was flirting with my fake husband, and all the anxiety bombarding me had faded away. But this was reality.

“Yes. We should be all set. I’m going to call the bánh mì shop to double check on my order after our chat.” When I last called Leo for an update, he told me his team would rescue my mom during the street cleanup.

Two months from now, my mother would join other female prisoners to pick up trash in the city. Leo and his men would extract my mom and put her on a flight to Mexico with a new identity that I’d paid for.

“Have you carved out time for yourself? Dating anyone?”

It had been a while since we’d discussed my personal relationships.

She knew nothing about Emmanuel. What would she think if she knew I was engaged to a billionaire and we were getting married soon?

My mom didn’t have any social media accounts that could reveal my engagement. She mostly watched the local news.

“No time for personal relationships.”

“How many times have I told you to slow down and live? I’m okay. It’s not so bad here. I’ve met some wonderful friends who were also wrongly accused. We have each other.”

Whenever I sent money to my mom, I sent extra so she could help her friends, Sheila Brown and Josephine Smith. Their families couldn’t help them like I helped my mom.

“Can you do something for me?” M? asked.

“What is it?”

“Start dating.”

“Why?”

“Because I want my daughter to be happy. I don’t want to see anxiety in you when you visit.

A mother can sense things about her daughter, and I know you’re carrying a heavy burden.

” She choked up. “I know what you’ve been through to get me the bánh mì .

But my only wish is for you to live a happy life. ”

I couldn’t respond right away because tears were sliding down my face. She shouldn’t worry about me. She was the best mother I could ever ask for. I’d give her a sliver of happiness so she could sleep better tonight.

“Well, I was going to wait until I visit you to share this. But since you’re so worried about me, I’ll tell you now.”

“Tell me!” Excitement filled her voice. I could imagine her pretty smile.

“There’s this man I like.”

“Who is he?”

“My landlord.” I laughed, wondering what Attikus was doing now. Technically, he was my landlord and my fake husband.

“Does he have a stable job? Is he handsome?”

“He’s well off, and he’s very hot.” These were all truths that would remove any concerns regarding my private life.

“Those are excellent qualities. But be careful. Men like that aren’t always trustworthy.”

“I’m careful, which is why I’m not making any moves. I didn’t want to tell you until I was sure.”

“I have the most intelligent daughter. Whoever he is, he better be on his toes.”

We chatted for a few more minutes until she had to go.

A knock sounded on my door.

“Come in.”

Attikus brought my duffle bags and placed them on the floor. “I’ve got to head out. You can give yourself a tour or wait until I get back. What do you want for dinner? I’ll pick something up.”

“It doesn’t matter. Anything is fine.”

“Anything?”

“I’m not picky.”

“Okay. How about I get some Vietnamese food from Saigon Bistro again?”

“You really like it there?”

“The food is amazing. Can you text me what we got last time? That way, I’ll know what to order when I call it in?”

“Okay.”

When he left, I called Leo to triple-check that my mom’s escape was solid.