Donovans 02 - Jade Island

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    “If Wen didn’t sell the jade,” Kyle said evenly, “then it was stolen.”
    “Harsh word,” Johnny said.
    “You try seeing your woman in handcuffs, scared bloodless, and then tell me how tender you feel toward the world,” Kyle retorted. “But, hey, I’m all for intercultural sensitivity, so how about I use the word borrowed. Does that make you feel better?”
    “There’s no need to be rude,” Anna said. “This is Johnny’s family we’re talking about, not some stranger’s.”
    “Correct me if I’m wrong, Ms. Blakely,” Kyle said, giving Anna a cool look, “but one member of Johnny’s family is sitting right next to me, which makes—”
    “It doesn’t matter,” Lianne cut in. “The subject is jade, not family.”
    “The hell it is,” Kyle retorted. “The subject is a Tang family dispute over how a batch of jade went missing. Various members of the family are pointing fingers at you, which makes me feel rude as Satan. From what I can see, you worked your ass off to please the Tangs, and in return you were set up to take the fall for a spot of family theft.”
    “Jade,” Lianne said sharply. “Let’s just stick to the damned jade.”
    “Christ,” Kyle snarled. “Not you, too. Don’t you ever get tired of tripping over everything that’s been shoved under the carpet?”
    She closed her eyes, hardly able to speak for the combination of humiliation, sadness, and anger sweeping over her. “Yes! I get damned tired! But what does that have to do with getting the U.S. government off our backs? What—”
    “Daughter.”
    Johnny’s single word cut off the flow of angry wordsfrom Lianne. She opened her eyes and stared at the father who had never acknowledged her as his daughter. Until now. He was watching her with eyes that reflected her own seething emotions.
    “I don’t expect you to understand,” Johnny said. “I value you as much as I value my legal daughters.” He smiled sadly. “More, I’m afraid. There is so much of your mother in you. She is the only woman I have ever loved, and I will never marry her as long as my wife lives. Perhaps not even when she dies. It would be very, very difficult for Anna to be my wife. By then Wen would be dead. His Number One Son has no patience for Western women. Neither does Harry. Nor would I see my sons embittered by having to accept into their family the woman they have resented since they were old enough to know why I spent so much time in America.”
    Tears ran down Anna’s face, shiny trails through her carefully applied makeup. She held her lover’s hand between her own. Her eyes were unfocused, looking through everything, even the daughter of her love for Johnny Tang.
    “Resentment,” Kyle said. “Interesting. Like vengeance, resentment is an age-old human motive.”
    Johnny didn’t disagree.
    “How much do Lianne’s half siblings resent her?” Kyle asked. “Enough to set her up for ten years in jail? Or would their vengeance be more personal and final? An assassin in a dingy hallway, for example.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous,” Johnny snapped.
    “You have a better explanation as to why a triad hit man attacked Lianne yesterday?”
    “What?” Johnny leaped to his feet. “Lianne, is that true?”
    “Baby, are you all right?” Anna asked simultaneously, standing as swiftly as Johnny had.
    “She’s fine,” Kyle said. “She has a nice karate kick.” He looked at Lianne. “Didn’t mention that little incident to your parents, huh?”
    “What was the point?” Lianne’s narrow eyes told himshe wasn’t happy that he had raised the subject. “It’s over. The man has been shipped back to China.”
    “I’ll tell you the point, sweetheart. A load of grief has come down on you lately, and it has come from the Tangs. I want to find out which Tang is responsible. Then I’ll put an end to it.”
    “My sons resent Anna and, to some degree, Lianne,” Johnny said after a moment. “They don’t hate either one enough to kill.”
    “You sure about Daniel?”
    “Kyle,” Lianne said fiercely under her breath. “No!”
    He ignored her. His odd, golden-green eyes were fixed on Johnny with the unflinching clarity of a big cat closing in on lunch.
    “Daniel?” Johnny asked. “Why?”
    “He knows jade,” Kyle said succinctly.
    Anger flattened Johnny’s face and made his eyes opaque. “Are you saying that my son would steal from his family?”
    “Someone in the Tang family is a thief, and it’s not