Red Phoenix. Kylie Chan
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me,’ he said with grim humour. ‘He’s wanted me to have a human child for a long time so that we could formally seal the union between our Houses. The minute Simone was born he tried to talk me into arranging something with one of his sons. When he finds out about Michael he’ll be thrilled.’
I glared at him. ‘Don’t you dare promise my little Simone to anybody, Xuan Wu. She will choose her own partners, and your politics will have absolutely nothing to do with it.’
He grinned. ‘Yes, my Lady. I agree with you, anyway.’ He sobered. ‘But I want you to know something. I trust you to guide her. If she chooses somebody while I’m gone, and you approve, then I won’t have a problem with it. And if it’s Michael, it’s Michael.’ He paused, thinking. ‘There’s quite an age difference, though. He’s nine years older than her.’
I collapsed over the desk, silently laughing.
‘Which is absolutely nothing,’ he said with amusement, ‘compared to the more than four thousand years between us. I see your point.’
‘I suppose I’d better call his mother then,’ I said. ‘She and I have a lot to talk about.’
‘Humph.’ He rose with fluid grace and pushed his chair back. ‘Human women comparing notes on how you survive living with male Shen.’ He spoke with mock dignity as he retied his hair. ‘I will be in the training room meditating, and I do not wish to be disturbed.’
Monica knocked, then poked her head around my bedroom door. ‘American lady, Ms MacLaren, here to see you ma’am.’
I rose. ‘Thanks, Monica. Is Simone okay?’
Monica smiled and opened the door wider for me. ‘She’s making cookies with Charlie and me.’
‘I hope she hasn’t trashed the kitchen too much.’
‘Not a problem.’ Monica hesitated, unsure. ‘The office is very bad, ma’am.’
I patted her shoulder. ‘I know. He’s taking Simone out Friday afternoon, and I’ll tidy it then. You can come in and dust before they’re back.’
She smiled with relief. ‘Thanks, ma’am.’
I leaned in to whisper. ‘It drives you crazy too?’
She nodded, still smiling.
I stopped at the entry to the living room and studied Rhonda MacLaren. She saw me and returned the look, sizing me up, and obviously wasn’t impressed; I wore my usual scruffy jeans and shirt, and my hair was a mess.
She was immaculately groomed and wore a smart navy business suit. She had her blonde hair neatly pinned back from her attractive face. No wonder the Tiger had gone for her; her intelligence and strong will shone through her beauty.
Monica brought some Chinese tea and I served. I was curious about Ms MacLaren’s history, but decided to tackle the matter at hand first. If I gained her trust then she would be more open with us. Michael hadn’t told her about John; he really was very impressive. Any other kid would have stormed home and confronted his mother. Michael had left it to me.
‘Please just call me Emma, Ms MacLaren. I know Michael’s told you he wants to come and work here live-in. But he’s very young, and I wanted to make sure it’s okay with you first.’
She sighed. ‘Just Rhonda, Emma. I appreciate you talking to me like this, and asking me first. I don’t want him to move out, but I really can’t stop him if he’s determined. And if he’s going somewhere good, it may be better than having him sit at home being miserable. He’s not doing anything right now, not going to school, no job, and he’ll get into trouble if I don’t do something. I’m in and out of Hong Kong all the time for my business, and I leave him at home alone with the domestic helper quite often. I just thank God Leo has taken him under his wing. Without Leo, I think Michael would already be in jail.’
‘You’re probably right. Michael’s very talented at martial arts, and that makes him a target for recruitment by some unsavoury groups.’
‘What are the details of Michael’s job, if he comes to work here?’
‘Let me tell you the situation.’ I leaned back, working out where to begin. I decided to tackle it head-on. ‘Leo works as bodyguard for a little girl by the name of Simone Chen. Michael will be training to replace Leo.’
Rhonda nodded.
‘Simone’s mother is dead. Simone’s father, John Chen Wu, is really Xuan Wu, Dark Lord of the North.’
She went completely still.
‘Michael would be working for the North Wind, Rhonda. We know his father is the White Tiger, the West Wind. We already told him that.’
‘You had no right to do that.’ Rhonda rose stiffly. ‘You’re probably one of them as well. I want nothing to do with you creatures any more. Don’t ever contact me or my son again, you cause nothing but misery. I’m going.’
‘Wait.’ I jumped up and put my hand on her arm. ‘I’m not a Shen. I’m just the nanny. Well, I used to be. I know what the White Tiger is like; he tried it with me too. I don’t blame you for falling for him. But Xuan Wu is completely different. He’s only ever been married to a single human woman in his whole history, and he only has one human child, and that’s Simone.’
She stared at me. ‘Is he really that different?’
‘Yes I am,’ John said from the doorway. He came in and sat on the couch, stretching his long legs in front of him. His torn black cotton pants were really starting to fall apart and I made a mental note to throw them away and send Leo shopping. ‘Monica, another tea cup!’
Monica rushed in with a tea cup for him, then disappeared back into the kitchen.
‘Sit down, Ms MacLaren,’ he said. ‘Let me tell you about myself, and what I can do for young Michael.’
After we’d explained the situation for about ten minutes, Simone came out of the kitchen with a plate of chocolate chip cookies. She served them around, then put the plate onto the coffee table and crawled into John’s lap. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. Rhonda didn’t miss that.
He concentrated.
Charlie poked her head out of the kitchen across the hall from the living room. ‘Of course you can eat them, sir, completely vegetarian. Simone made them for you.’ She smiled around at us and returned to the kitchen.
John reached around Simone to try one of the biscuits. Simone watched him carefully as he took a bite.
‘Good,’ he said through a mouthful of biscuit. He raised it to see it. ‘What’s this black stuff?’
‘Chocolate,’ Simone said. ‘Chocolate chip.’
‘Oh. I thought it was red bean. Needs milk with it, it’s very sweet,’ he said, still through the biscuit. ‘Soy milk would be good.’
‘Don’t talk with your mouth full, Daddy. That’s rude for Westerners.’
‘Okay.’
Simone leaned back to put her head on his shoulder and snuggled into him. He pulled her tight and took another bite of the biscuit.
Rhonda’s face softened.
‘Will you let Michael come and work for us, Rhonda?’ I said.
‘Let me think about it,’ she said. ‘I’m not sure I want him to follow in his father’s footsteps too much. I was hoping he would just lead a normal life, away from all of this.’
‘It’s his birthright, Rhonda,’ John said softly.
Rhonda snorted with disdain. ‘His birthright is to be completely ignored by his father, who is too busy chasing women and horses to care for his mother.’
‘The White Tiger always tells his