In the Still of the Night:Sexy Romantic Suspense (Book 2 The Blonde Barracuda's Sizzling Suspense Series) by Taylor Lee Read Free Book Online Page B

again until I met Anthony. My father was a lifelong meditator. It’s what made him the good operative that he was. My mother always teased him. Of course, he was as big a man as I am. And to see him in his cross-legged meditative posture seemed out of place with his size. It is something that I learned early and has served me well all my life.”
    Master Wan gave him a thoughtful nod. “That explains much to me, Jake. I now understand better what Jai Li when she says you fight from another place. A place that has been elusive to her.”
    Jake’s eyes narrowed, remembering sparring with his father. “It’s interesting that’s how she describes my fighting style. That is precisely how my father fought. Apparently I’ve incorporated that meditative quality into my fighting as well. However, my true introduction to meditation was in a prison camp in Afghanistan where I spent six of the worst months of my life. I credit the fact that I survived to my ability to ‘move to another place’ if only at a subconscious level.”
    Glancing up, Jake saw Master Wan watching him closely, as if carefully choosing his next words. When he smiled it was in a surprisingly offhand way for the dignified man. “Someday, my son, we will need to compare notes. My meditation practice was ‘enhanced’ shall we say in a metal box in North Vietnam where I spent the good part of a year.”
    Jake held his gaze for a long moment then bowed low. “I truly am honored, Master Wan, to be in your presence.”
    “Perhaps you will walk with me for a few moments, Jake, while we wait for Jai Li to pound some needed humility into that young boy.”
    “Of course.” Jake grinned. “I also want to speak with you out of earshot of that glorious young woman who has me ass over elbows as we say in my part of the country.”
    Master Wan smiled. “While I have not heard that colloquialism before, I now have a way of describing what Jai Li has done to me since she came into my life twelve years ago.”
    Jake saw the concern on the older man’s face. His usually smooth countenance was distinctly strained. Jake waited patiently. No question that Master Wan wanted to talk with him about Lexie. He was always careful not to betray her trust, but with a soft word or a gesture he conveyed his concerns. Master Wan, more so than Jake, knew how to reach Lexie—how to get her attention without questioning her judgment. Jake knew he could learn from the wise man. And he wasn’t disappointed.
    “Jai Li told you about the murder of the young prostitute?”
    Jake gave an aggrieved sigh. “Well, to be accurate, Dan Rourke told me, and with some prodding, Lexie confirmed.”
    Jake waited. He was learning. One didn’t rush Master Wan. Jake grimaced to himself. It was a lesson in patience, but one that paid off when Master Wan spoke.
    “You know I am extremely careful about not betraying Jai Li’s confidence.”
    Jake nodded.
    “I have spent twelve years earning her confidence and it is a gift I treasure. I appreciate you not asking me to do so. However, I also owe you information that you may not have that involves Jai Li. At this point it is information I have not conveyed to her.”
    The knot in Jake’s gut, the knot that had been gnawing at him since he’d received Dan Rourke’s call, twisted painfully. It took a supreme effort to merely nod, giving Master Wan the space he needed to speak.
    “I have many connections in the Asian community. Some of them are best described as unsavory. Through the years, I have cultivated those connections, and have never questioned the information I receive.”
    Jake nodded, confirming that he was aware of Master Wan’s connections to the Chinese underground. The Triad community was alive and well throughout the world. Jake ought to know. In his special ops life, he often relied on them for his best information. It took a supreme effort not to hurry Master Wan’s disclosure. Fortunately, his information was worth waiting for.