Secret Paradise (Kimani Romance) (15 page)

Chapter 19

N
ikki stared at Lucian, dumbfounded. “You? Why?”

“I didn’t tell you the entire story of why I broke off my engagement with Alana. Yes, I did find her with one of my patrolmen, but only because Dante had given me a reason to return early from a trip and come home.”

When he stopped, Nikki gently touched his arm. “What was it?”

“Dante had discovered Callia with a packet of powder she’d found hidden in one of the rooms, and learned it was cocaine. He then followed Alana’s cousin and discovered a drop-off point.”

“A drop off point?”

“Yes, Alana’s cousin and uncle were smugglers and she was their leader. I learned that it wasn’t just a small operation, but an international one, all based on my island. When I opened my home to her family, I never anticipated something like that. I didn’t mind their long stays or question their comings and goings. I came home, and Dante and I discovered that they’d been smuggling and storing their stash in my home. Drugs, weapons, porn. My home had become a perverse den of depravity.

“I confronted her and that’s what we argued about. She didn’t want me to send them away, because they were in debt to a big-arms dealer who threatened to kill them if the delivery didn’t go through. I didn’t care and I sent them away. I heard her cousin’s body was found floating on a beach in Portugal, and she likely blamed me and started her campaign of destruction. It was weeks later that I learned what she’d done with the money for the foundations, and she leaked stories to the press, determined to ruin my reputation.

“One day I stood looking at this place with rage. I was disgusted by my blindness. By then my reputation was destroyed, our engagement over, and I wanted everything gone. So I had Dante clear the house of all staff and we set it ablaze. I watched it burn with satisfaction, until everything changed,” he said, remembering that night. He told Nikki what had happened.

Lucian had stood outside the house, watching the fire slowly take hold, while Dante stood beside him. It was over and he felt victorious. Then Lucian heard him gasp. He turned to him.

“What?”

“Dear God,” Dante said, then made a sign of the cross.

“What is it?”

He pointed to the roof. “Look! Someone’s in the house. Someone’s still inside.”

“That’s impossible,” Lucian said. Then he saw the figure, too. Alana. “What is she doing here?”

“Doesn’t matter. There’s nothing we can do.”

Lucian quickly assessed the fire, then took off his jacket. “Yes, there is.”

“You can’t go in and get her.”

“There’s still time. She’s trapped up there. I can’t just let her die.” He ran into the house and up the stairs to the roof, where he searched until he spotted her. “Alana.”

She turned, her eyes wide and full of terror. “Why did you tell me to meet you here?”

He stopped. “I didn’t.”

“But I received your message.”

“I didn’t send you a message.” He held out his hand. “Come quick. I know a way out.”

She took a step toward the edge. “I thought once you knew about the baby, you’d forgive me.”

“What baby?”

She touched her stomach. “Our baby. I know it’s yours,” she said, seeing the doubt on his face. “I’ve already had the tests done. Please don’t desert us now.”

Lucian waved his hand. “It doesn’t matter now. Alana, come on. We have to get out of here.”

“I thought you wanted me back,” she said in a weak voice. “But now I know you don’t want me at all.”

“Alana, we can talk later.”

She took another step back. “Promise you’ll marry me.”

Lucian grabbed her arm. “I’m not playing this game.”

“It’s not a game. I can’t be shamed like this. What will my father think?”

“Your father, the murderer? You, the head of a smuggling ring? It doesn’t matter.”

“That was my cousin’s idea.”

“And you went along.”

“I didn’t know about it until too late. Lucian, please. I can make everything right if you’ll only marry me.”

“I’ll take care of the baby. That’s all I can promise.”

“I do love you and there’s something else you should know. There’s—” Suddenly her eyes widened from something behind him. “No! Don’t!”

Lucian spun around, but not fast enough. He felt a searing pain in his leg as a bullet passed through it, and heard three other shots. He grabbed Alana and dropped to the ground. The shooting abruptly stopped, and he cautiously looked up but didn’t see anyone. Someone else was there, ready to kill him.

“Come, Alana. Let’s get out of here.” He looked at her and saw her sightless eyes staring back at him. Obviously the bullets meant for him had gotten her instead. He touched her face, wanting it to be a nightmare, wanting her to get up and tell him who she’d seen, but he knew the truth had died with her.

Lucian closed her eyes, then struggled to his feet and stumbled down the stairs, but his original escape route was blocked, so he went to his room and waited for death. Alana, and possibly his child, were dead—murdered. And someone wanted him dead, too, but he didn’t care anymore. His life had no more meaning. He didn’t care if he didn’t escape. He sank into a chair and waited for death, until he heard a scream....

“That’s when I heard Callia,” Lucian told Nikki. “Someone killed Alana and wanted to kill me, but Callia was a true innocent and I needed to flush out who this person was. I won’t deny that there was a cover-up. That’s why I came up with the story of Alana starting the fire, to see if anyone would try to refute me. No one did. I rebuilt to see if anyone would slip up. No one did until tonight. That’s when I knew my prey was close at hand and finally showing me their hand.”

“Who?”

“I can’t tell you until I’m absolutely certain. The less you know, the better, but I have a plan in place.”

“You will be careful?”

“Yes.” He took her hand. “I’m telling you all this because I want you to know the truth and why I’m willing to let you go.”

“And if I stay?”

“It’s too risky.”

“You said you have a plan.”

“I do, but what happened tonight has me worried.” He shook his head. “But let’s not talk anymore. Tonight we’re safe.”

Basilio felt sick. He remembered seeing the dress Nikki had worn to the party in Iona’s room. He had to find out why. He went to her room and knocked on her door.

She opened it with a smile. “I’m not packed yet.”

He pushed past her. “I’m not here for that.”

She closed the door. “Then what are you here for?”

He glared at her. “To find out what you’re up to.”

“What do you mean?”

“That dress that Nikki wore tonight is the same one I saw in your room.”

“It was given to me to hem.”

“By whom?”

“I don’t know,” Iona said, annoyed by his question. “I found it hanging on my door with a printed message.” She touched his face, her eyes searching his. “Don’t you trust me, my love?”

He wanted to, but there were so many questions that had slowly been growing in his mind and nagging him. Especially about the fire. “Of course I trust you, but—”

“But what?”

But why did she seem so interested in Nikki? What had she been doing on the night of the fire? How had she been able to assuage his guilt so well? How had she shown up at the same club he’d gone to on the mainland? No one else from the house had been there. It had been his biggest mistake and something he’d never told anyone. He’d left Callia alone in the hotel, thinking she was old enough to look after herself and would be safe as long as she stayed in her room.

That night he’d gone out for a drink at the local club he liked to frequent, where he’d met Iona. She came on to him and he was drunk enough to take her up on the offer. They returned to his hotel and went straight to bed. He didn’t check on Callia in the next room. He just assumed everything was fine. He’d woken the next morning with Iona beside him and in good spirits. He ordered breakfast, and that was when he checked on Callia and realized she was gone.

He’d been so panicked, knowing what his brother would think, and Iona had calmed him down and told him what he should say. She stood by him and kept his secret, but now he wondered if she’d planned to be at the bar to meet him. But why? He’d once asked her how she ended up there and she’d said it was fate and he’d always taken her at her word. Now he wasn’t so sure. But none of it made sense. Why would Iona do anything to hurt Callia? Or his brother?

“It’s nothing,” Basilio said, wondering if he really knew the woman he planned to marry.

“Are you sure you won’t stay the night?” Iona said.

“It’s been a long day. I’ll just go to bed.”

Iona looked disappointed but didn’t reply.

Nikki woke to the sound of claws scratching at her door. The early morning light filtered through her room and she turned to see that Lucian was gone. The scratching continued. She got up and opened the door and looked down to see the kitten, Pauline, who meowed.

Nikki bent to pet her. “What’s wrong?” she asked, then noticed blood on her paws. She stood and ran to Callia’s room.

She swung open the door and found Callia’s bed empty and Kay lying on the floor, with blood on the side of her head. Nikki knelt next to the woman and checked for a pulse. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found one.

“Kay?”

The woman moaned.

She gently shook her. “Kay, what happened?”

Kay groaned, then slowly got up. “God forgive me.”

“Tell me what happened.”

“This wasn’t part of the agreement.”

“What agreement?”

“Mr. Kontos will put me away for this.”

Nikki shook her. “Where’s Callia? Tell me what happened.”

“My mother’s sick, and I needed the money, so I took the job to look after Callia.”

Nikki sighed, exasperated. “We all know that.”

“What you don’t know is that I was also paid to make her appear crazy. I didn’t know who it was at first. It was just a voice on the phone who said that I could make extra money, and when it told me the amount, I couldn’t resist. I placed a small speaker in Callia’s room and filtered the harp music into her room, and at times I would play it and pretend not to hear it. I paid a woman to dress in Alana’s clothes and go past the window or Callia’s door, and I pretended not to see anything. When you came, I left the head scarf in the room, and that night, as Callia slept, I told her that you were really Alana, who’d come back. I also filtered subliminal messages.”

“But why would you do that?”

“I didn’t care at first. The money was too good, but then, when I discovered who was behind the voice and what she wanted, I didn’t know what to do with someone so powerful.”

“Powerful?”

“Yes, she was going to marry into the family and I knew no one would believe me over her. But when she came in tonight and told me what she wanted, I couldn’t go along with it.” Kay began to cry. “She said just for a couple of months and then it would end. She didn’t tell me she would hurt her. I couldn’t let that happen, so I fought her, but she got me.”

“Who?”

She gasped. “Iona.”

“Where is she?”

Nikki felt a gun pressed to the back of her head.

“She’s right behind you,” a familiar voice said.

Chapter 20

N
ikki didn’t turn and kept her voice calm. “Where’s Callia?”

“You’ll find out in a minute.” Iona motioned her gun at Kay. “Help me tie her up.” She dropped some rope next to Nikki.

Kay began to tremble. “Iona, please don’t—”

“Keep your mouth shut and I won’t kill you. I’m still debating that.” She nudged Nikki. “Go.”

Nikki tied Kay’s hands.

“Make it tighter,” Iona said. “I want to see her hands turn white.”

Nikki tightened the rope, but as she made the knots, she inconspicuously loosened them again.

“Now do her feet.”

Nikki repeated the same tactic she’d used with Kay’s hands.

Iona pulled something out of her pocket and tossed it at her. “Now, cover her mouth.”

Nikki complied.

“Good. Now let’s get out of here.” Iona went to Callia’s bookshelf and hit a knob. A door opened, and she gestured Nikki to go through it, then turned to Kay. “I’ll be back for you,” she said, then closed the door.

She pushed Nikki down a hidden staircase. Once they reached the bottom, Nikki saw a tunnel and realized that it was likely one of the caves that led to a secret entrance into the house. It must have been a gold mine discovery for Alana and her family. They would have easily been able to hide and smuggle things into the house and get to their escape route on the beach. They had direct access without being seen.

“I slept with the architect,” Iona said, as though reading Nikki’s mind. “Lucian thinks no one knows about these secret passages, but I do. I know where the panic room is and other ‘secret’ areas. I knew them even back then. Although most of the mansion was burned by fire, the old structure remained intact, and the new builder just built around it. I got him to show me the old hidden entrances and some new ones.”

Nikki didn’t have time to question, because when she turned to Iona, something hit her and everything went black.

Basilio woke to stare into the emerald eyes of the devil. It took him a second to realize that the eyes belonged to his brother, but it didn’t make the expression any less terrifying.

“What did you tell her?” Lucian said in a low voice.

“Who?”

“Iona,” Dante said. He stood several feet behind Lucian.

Basilio scrambled up and stared at them. “What are you two talking about?”

“Callia’s missing,” Dante said.

“And I can’t find Nikki, either,” Lucian added. “Now, what did you tell her?”

Basilio rubbed his eyes. “What would Iona have to—”

Lucian grabbed his brother’s T-shirt. “Don’t play stupid with me. We’ve been watching Iona, tracking her steps. Watching her moves. Gauging her. We had everything planned to snare her, but something spooked her to act out of character and rush things.” Lucian released his grip and stepped back. “What did you say to her?”

Basilio started to stand. “Let me talk to her.”

Dante shook his head. “She’s gone.”

“What do you mean, she’s gone?”

“No more questions,” Lucian said. “Tell us about last night.”

“I just confronted her about the dress.”

“What dress?” Lucian asked.

“The dress Nikki first wore. I’d seen it in Iona’s bedroom before.”

“If you suspected anything, you should have come to me.”

“I wanted to make sure. I didn’t want to accuse her without hearing her side.”

“But you knew she was the one behind it?”

“It just came to me. When I confronted her, she told me that someone else had given it to her to hem.”

“And you believed her?”

“I had no reason not to.”

“What else made you suspicious?” Lucian asked, reading his brother’s hesitation.

“I didn’t say anything, but I was just thinking about the night of the fire.”

“What about it?”

Basilio lowered his head and shook it.

Lucian lifted his chin. “We don’t have time for your silence. Two lives are at stake.”

“Iona was with me. I mean, I left Callia alone in the hotel and went to a club. I didn’t think it would be a problem. I met Iona and we went to bed. I woke up the next day and she was beside me and Callia was gone. I never suspected she had anything to do with it. She made me feel that she’d stand by me and keep my secret. That’s all I thought about, not disappointing you. I didn’t make the connection until recently, and I started putting certain pieces together. But I thought there wasn’t enough time for her to take Callia to the island and then come back. She told me she was with me all night.”

“You brainless idiot!” Dante said, exploding with anger.

“Dante,” Lucian warned.

Dante ignored him. “She lies! You were passed out drunk or maybe even drugged. You have no idea what she could have done.”

“I never thought she could—”

“And because you don’t think about anyone but yourself, this is the second time you’ve put Callia’s life in danger. And now Nikki’s. What are we to say to her sister if we don’t get to her in time?”

“We will,” Lucian said in a quiet but lethal tone.

Dante gestured to Basilio in disgust. “No thanks to him.”

Basilio jumped to his feet. “I didn’t know!”

“I told you to stay away from her,” Lucian said.

Basilio turned away. “Why didn’t you trust me? Tell me something?”

“And how could I trust you when you didn’t trust me? For all I knew, you were both in it together.”

Basilio looked at his brother. “I would never—”

“I didn’t know that. Your precious secret meant more than anything I said to you. The more I warned you, the closer you got to her.”

“I loved her.”

“I know. You loved her enough to want to marry her. It blinded you to everything. Before coming to your room, we discovered Kay bound and bleeding in Callia’s room. She was one of Iona’s victims, too, except Iona used the allure of money with her. She told us how Iona had bragged about becoming a rich woman. Kay’s in custody now.”

“It doesn’t make sense. Why would she want to hurt Callia or anyone?”

“That’s not the right question to ask right now. Where do you think she is?” Lucian said.

“There’s a cave by the cove that she used to go to.”

The three men raced out of the mansion and down to the cove. As they neared the opening of one of the caves, they halted and Dante studied the ground. “There are no fresh marks. She may not be here.”

“Maybe she’s left the island,” Basilio said.

“No, she’s taken them underground. Kay says she knows the tunnels well,” Lucian said.

“She’s right.” Basilio stepped forward. “Look, let me—”

Lucian stopped him. “No. You’re going to go back to the house and do what you do best.”

“What’s that?”

“Smile and lie,” Dante said.

Basilio scowled at him, but Lucian spoke up before he could reply. “Yes, you’re going to make sure that our guests don’t suspect anything is wrong. If they ask questions, you tell them what they need to hear. Nothing else. Now go.”

“I think I should help—”

“Go.” Lucian’s voice grew hard. “Don’t disobey me this time.”

Basilio swore, then spun away and marched off.

Dante watched him go. “Do you think we can trust him?”

“Now that he’s no longer blind? Yes.”

“You have more faith in him than I do.”

“I know, but he’s not the problem.”

Now, waking again, the only thing Nikki knew was that she was in one of the caves. She had no idea how far underground they were, but knew that it wouldn’t be an easy escape. She straightened and sat up and saw Callia sitting a few yards away from her. She looked scared, and Nikki felt as if she was trapped in one of her nightmares. Someone she loved was in trouble but out of reach. Unfortunately, this one was real, and unlike in her tormenting dreams, Nikki knew she couldn’t fail. She couldn’t live with that.

She tried to assess her surroundings—the cave was narrow, and she heard the sound of rushing water and knew there was a river cutting through it. She could jump in, but she didn’t know where it would lead. She’d have to come up with something else.

“I knew you’d be a problem,” Iona said, her voice echoing against the cave walls.

Nikki glanced at Callia. “Do you want a ransom?”

“No.”

“Then what do you want?”

“I want brave Lucian to come down and get her and I’ll be waiting for him.”

“He’ll come for me. You don’t need her, too. Let her go.”

Iona shoved her face into Nikki’s. “When will you learn that I don’t take orders? Especially from you.” She straightened. “Alana could tell me anything. She was beautiful, pure, royal, not a mixed-blood mutt like you. I nearly laughed when I saw you in her dress. You were such a pitiable imitation. I wanted everyone to see that. And they did. Especially Lucian.”

Nikki saw the look in her eyes and heard the anger and anguish in her voice. “Why do you hate him so much?”

“It’s nothing personal.”

“Then what is it?” Nikki asked, perplexed. “Is this because you think he killed Alana? He didn’t.”

“I know. I did.” She turned away. “I didn’t want to, but she forced me to.”

“How can that be? What did she do to you?”

“I worshipped her,” Iona spat out. “With my heart, my soul and my life. Alana understood me. All my life I’ve been tossed aside. My parents put me in an orphanage. I was adopted by a family who farmed me out to do household work and then kept my pay. I lived hand to mouth for years. No one cared. I was invisible and didn’t matter. I, who have the looks to be a queen, was treated like nothing, like less than a slave. Men wanted me only to service them and never offered more. I learned early that it’s best to use others before they use you. Then I came here and worked and didn’t care that I was invisible like the rest. I was left alone to work and the money was good. Then Alana arrived, and do you know what she did?”

Nikki shook her head, afraid to speak.

“She smiled at me and made me her personal assistant. She let me choose her clothes for her, and when she traveled, she took me with her. She gave me clothes that she didn’t want to wear anymore, and I kept every last one. She also gave me jewelry and gifts she’d gotten bored with. At last someone understood me. She taught me how to eat at a banquet, how to walk and present myself. She treated me like an equal and at last I felt that I could aspire to the life that I deserved.

“I knew that she was marrying Lucian for his money and she told me how she’d managed to seduce him. She also told me about her cousin’s activities, and sometimes I would do a run for them. We were as close as sisters and she made me hope again. She made me realize that I could also snag a wealthy man and live the same life she did. I knew my opportunity had come when Basilio arrived. I could tell that he would be an easy conquest.”

“He really loves you.”

Iona laughed. “I know. The young ones are the easiest to manipulate.”

“You didn’t feel anything for him?”

“I cared for him as one would a beloved pet. That’s one thing Alana taught me. Never fall in love with a man, or they control you. You must always have the upper hand.”

“If you had such a close relationship, then why did you kill her?”

“Because she betrayed me. When I told her my plan regarding Basilio, she laughed. She laughed at me! She held her sides and laughed until tears streamed down her face. She said that my plan would never work. That Basilio would know better than to fall for a maid. That I was a nobody.

“In an instant she snatched away all my hope and stared at me like I was a dirty gold digger, though I was planning to do exactly what she had. But she said she had the class to do it. I didn’t. I knew then that she’d stolen my only hope, so I did the same to her. She didn’t deserve to be mistress of the Kontos mansion. I planted the bag of cocaine in a place I knew Callia would find it, and watched her careful strategy to marry Lucian and gain control of his island crumble. I watched her when Lucian forced her and her family off the island, and then I thought of my next step.”

“For what?”

“To become mistress of the house.”

Nikki stared, now remembering Iona’s words.
You want to become mistress of it.

“I overheard Lucian and Dante talking about their carefully orchestrated plan to burn down the mansion, and I knew the perfect way to make my dream come true. I sent Alana a message, as if it had come from Lucian. I took her to the secret entrance and told her that he’d heard about the baby and that was why he wanted to talk to her. I led her to the roof to wait for him. When he showed up, I let them talk, then fired. Unfortunately, she saw me and got in my way. I killed her, but only got him in the leg. I’d meant to kill them both, but my shots were off, so I went with my next plan. I left the roof and closed Lucian’s escape route, so he was forced into the main house. I thought that would take care of him.”

“And Callia?”