CHAPTER ONE
TINA SHARMA STOOD at the front door of her home and closed her eyes. She inhaled deeply as she allowed the hot, fragrant breeze to waft along her skin and tug at her thin shirt. She had missed the heat of the night and the familiar scent of tropical flowers. She even longed for the chaotic noise and energy of Mumbai. Once she had thought they were out of her reach forever, but she was back and no one could keep her away.
Not even her husband.
The unexpected tears stung in the back of her eyes as a sob clawed her throat. No, she decided fiercely. She wasn’t going to do this. No more crying, especially over him. She had done enough of that to last a lifetime.
Her mouth trembled and her hands shook as the unpredictable emotions balled into a fiery knot in her stomach. Anger. Hate. Fear. She needed to keep it together if she was going to walk alone and unprotected into the lion’s den.
Tina’s eyelashes fluttered when she heard the door swing open. She had seen the luxury cars parked in the driveway and heard the loud, pulsating bhangra music as she had approached the house. Now she saw the men and women dancing to the primitive beat in the main hall. There was obviously a party going on.
Was it to celebrate her absence? Would the party end abruptly once she stepped inside? Perhaps that would be best, Tina decided as she pulled her gaze away from the guests. As much as she would prefer to have witnesses, she knew they would not be on her side.
“Memsahib!” the elderly manservant declared as he stood at the threshold.
Tina flinched. She wasn’t used to being greeted as a married woman. But then, she’d been a wife for less than a year. Using all of the acting skills she could muster, Tina carefully smiled and stepped inside before she was denied access. “Hello, Sandeep. You look well.” She was pleased that her tone was cool and friendly when she was a jumble of nerves inside.
The old man looked over his shoulder, as if he wanted to hide the signs that a lavish party was going on in her home. “Sahib didn’t tell me you were returning tonight.”
“He doesn’t know.” She removed the dark blue scarf from her head and let it fall around the collar of her shirt.
“Your hair!” Sandeep exclaimed, his eyes widening in horror. He winced at his unguarded words and abruptly bowed his head.
“Yes, I know,” Tina said with a sigh. She wasn’t offended. She had the same reaction every time she saw her reflection in the mirror. Tina self-consciously ruffled her fingers through the short tufts. Once she’d had ebony curls cascading down her back and had managed to get an endorsement deal for her crowning glory. Now her hair barely covered her ears. “It was a mistake.”
Sandeep cautiously glanced up, his gaze returning to her chopped-off tresses. “And...how was your vacation?”
Tina stilled. Vacation? Was that what Dev was calling it? Did he think she was under his spell and incapable of staying away? The hurt scored through her like a jagged knife, so swift and ferocious that she couldn’t move.
Her “vacation” had been more like prison. Like hell. The memory of endless white walls, the acrid smell of disinfectant and the oppressive sense of despair washed over her. She gritted her teeth and struggled to stay in the present. “I’m glad to be back.”
The servant took a few shuffling backward steps. “I’ll go find Sahib.”
“No need.” Tina raised her hand to stop him. She had the element of surprise on her side and she wasn’t going to waste it. It was time to act like the mistress of the house instead of an intruder. She only needed the role for a moment and then she’d gladly discard it permanently. “I know you’re busy with the party. I’ll go find him. Where was the last place you saw Dev?”
Sandeep gave a guilty start and looked at his bare feet. “It’s hard to say.” His mumbling words were barely audible over the dance music.
Was it in the arms of a woman or two? Tina’s lips twisted with bitterness. Or was it even worse than she could imagine? She almost wanted a hint of what she would see, but she wasn’t going to ask. This was Dev’s home and the employees had been with him for years. He had everyone’s loyalty and she was the interloper. “Don’t worry, I’ll find him.”
The manservant’s shoulders sagged in defeat. He peered outside the door. “I’ll have someone take your things up to your room. Where is your luggage?”
“I didn’t bring any.” She didn’t plan to stay long.
Sandeep frowned but didn’t voice the questions that were obviously going through his head. He reached out his hand, his fingers lean from decades of work. “Shall I take your purse?”