“Why’d you leave?” Qasim asked, taking no further interest in the crops.
She turned, frowning. “Didn’t you get my note on the pillow?”
“Something about business at the vineyard.”
Smiling, Vectra turned back to the vine. “End-of-the-month business—more than usual since I’ve been preoccupied lately.”
“And it couldn’t wait?” he asked.
“I was serious last night when I said we needed to talk.” She bowed her head. “I didn’t think we’d be able to do that in your hotel room.”
Qasim moved toward one of the vines and plucked off a plump red grape. “This okay to eat?” A sly grin tugged at his mouth.
Vectra picked up her bucket. “There’s a rinsing spicket at the end of this row.”
“Why’d you leave this morning?” he asked again while they walked between the tall vines clustered with the sweet fruit.
“I told you I—”
“No, after you told me about Will. Why’d you leave?”
“I was afraid.”
“Of me,” Qasim said the words as though her confession was no surprise.
“No, Qasim, no I—” She clutched the front of the plaid shirt she wore. “I was afraid of myself, of what kind of weird issues had followed me without me even being aware of it.”
Qasim slowed his steps. “What weird issues, V?”
She hesitated and then hurled the bucket of grapes to the ground.
“V?” Sim started for her, halting when she waved him off.
Moments passed with only the wind and birdsong accompanying the rustle of leaves against the stems.
“These are...issues my family doesn’t even know about.”
“About Keith Freedman?” he stiffened when the name passed his lips.
“Remember when I told you he was more interested in my money than in who was interested in me?” She smiled tightly when he nodded.
“I found out how true that was when I went with him to Miami and he got a taste of the power money could provide. His family worked for mine right here on this vineyard. They never had much, and he...he wanted to change that, and I wanted to help. I had the gallery going here, and I gave him the money to get something going on his own. That didn’t work out so well. Keith went through everything I gave him and expected more. I’d been running this place. I had the gallery in the city, and the Miami place was shaping up to be another success.”
She spent a few moments staring up at the sky. “It was safe to say I knew what I was talking about businesswise—at least a little. Keith didn’t think so, and he didn’t mind letting me know how much.”
Qasim massaged his collarbone while working a muscle along his jaw. He strode to the spicket and doused his face with the cool water. “I don’t know how Oliver and Mr. B could let that fool get away with that.”
“They knew enough.” Vectra sighed. “They threatened to kill him for it, but left him alone because I asked them to.”
He blinked, thick lashes spikey with moisture as he watched her. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I didn’t want the two men I love most in the world behind bars. I learned how to keep my mouth shut about the way he handled money. I tried to learn, anyway.”
Qasim felt the rage beginning to catch fire like kindling. Thoughts of Vectra in that situation ran wild in his head. “We need to change the subject, V.” He spread the lingering water from his face through his hair. “What does this have to do with why you left? Because you had to step in and tell me about what was going on with Will? Did you think I’d react to something like that the way that idiot did?”
“No, Sim. You don’t remind me of Keith at all. Your situation with Will reminded me of who I was with Keith—when someone I cared about was in a bad place and I wanted to help. Your situation took me back to a place I wasn’t expecting, a place I thought I was done with. That was what scared me.”
She hugged herself as though she were shivering in the midst of the late morning sun. “I was afraid of messing up, having us not make it because I’d overstepped.”
Qasim moved before her, blocking her path when she would’ve paced off. “Do you think any of the crap that fool took you through was your fault?”
“I know it wasn’t, but getting my head and my heart on the same wavelengths was harder than I thought, and I thought I’d licked it until I had to admit what I wanted from you.”
He tweaked her chin, lifting it a bit. “What are you trying to tell me, V?”
“That I was afraid—afraid I’d screw up over nothing... And then sharing with you all that creep put me through before I— I needed you to know, but couldn’t make myself say the words. After all that I went through with Keith, I swore I’d never be controlled by fear ever again and not being able to talk to you about this...that fear came down out of nowhere.”