“No. He didn’t have to. I knew on my own. And I’m pleased you have sought me out. I know that takes great courage for a man who mated my granddaughter only a few days ago.”
The woman wasn’t kidding. Keegan still wasn’t sure this was the best-laid plan. He took the offered seat at her side and leaned his elbows on his knees. “How much do you know?”
“Enough. There is great unrest at your casino site. I don’t need to drive there to feel the rumblings coming in waves across the land as if the soil is speaking to me.”
Ordinarily, before the events of the last few days, that would have sounded absurd, and yet Keegan nodded.
Mimi didn’t say anything for a long time, and then she put him in his place. “You’re keeping important information from my granddaughter and your other mate.”
“Only for about an hour, but yes.”
“You must tell them. They have a right to know of the danger.”
Keegan nodded. This woman gave him the creeps.
“As for the land, it’s not stable.”
“The land? Or the building?”
Mimi shrugged. “Does it matter?”
“A judge would think so.” If the original foundation would have been relatively stable after the earthquake by following all the regulations in place at the time, a court of law would have blamed any mishap on the seismic activity. If, however, Templeton Construction cut corners the first time around, they would now be liable for any mishaps.
“I don’t care what a judge would think, frankly.” She folded her hands in her lap. “I care about the safety of my granddaughter, her mates, and the hundreds of other workers at that site.”
“And the land,” he pointed out.
She nodded. “This is a truth. I hate that casino. Everyone knows my position on that project. But this has nothing to do with my personal opinion. Heed my words, that construction is doomed. It will never occur. There’s no doubt of that in my soul. The question isn’t when will it fail, but rather how many innocent souls will die in the process.”
Incredible. Keegan focused on Mimi’s words, staring at her severe expression. The crazy thing was he knew she was right. He’d known it before he arrived. He didn’t need a shaman to tell him.
He breathed heavily for several moments, staring at the old woman’s serious face. She would not apologize for her harsh manner. This was her way. And he knew she was right. He didn’t expect her to soften the blow. It would have been ludicrous anyway.
Finally he blew out a breath. “What should I do?”
Mimi smiled faintly. “Follow your heart, son. Listen to the voices in your soul. They will guide you. The spirits won’t let you down. They have made their presence known to you now on two occasions. There’s a reason for that. You must heed their warning. Open your mind. Listen. Act.” Her words filtered through the air like a thin layer of cotton candy.
And he knew deep inside he must listen to her. He reached for her hand and squeezed it. So cold. So rigid. “Thank you,” he whispered.
Mimi set her other hand on top of his. “No thanks necessary, son. Now go. Talk to your mates. Make a plan. And then act. Quickly before it’s too late.”
He had so many more questions, but none of them were issues Mimi would be able to answer. Her position was that of medicine woman. She had visions, feelings, vibes of concern. She didn’t have an action plan to evacuate the premises and keep the employees safe. That was his job.
He finally released her and stood. He had one final thought. “Will there be another earthquake?”
She smiled. “I don’t know.”
He nodded and jogged down the porch toward his truck. He hadn’t even gone inside to say hello. Mimi would make his apologies.
As he drove home, his fingers shook on the steering wheel. He bounced his leg up and down with worry.
Fifteen minutes later, he pulled into his driveway and made his way into the house on leaden feet. When he stepped inside, he found Melinda sitting on the island giggling at something Trace said. Trace was leaning over the stove, stirring something. His back was turned to both of them.
The house smelled fantastic, like red sauce and garlic. Spaghetti?
Too bad he would vomit if he swallowed even one bite.
Both Melinda and Trace turned their heads to face him as he shut the front door. Their faces fell instantly.
“What happened?” Melinda asked.
Keegan blew out a long breath as he approached them. He rounded the island, clamped a hand briefly on Trace’s shoulder, and then nudged Melinda’s thighs apart and buried his head against her chest. He wrapped his arms around her ass and held on as though she were a life line.