I was about to make my way over to Gino when I felt my phone buzz.
It was an unknown number.
We have her. She tried to ruin us, and we can't have that happen. She has proven that she is not to be trusted and must be dealt with. Ten million, or she dies.
I stood there, frozen, staring at my phone screen. It couldn't be.
My brain snapped to action.
Was this Peter Khan? I'd spoken with him personally and he’d agreed to back off.
Although he had mentioned something about an angry son, about having to talk him down. Was that who could be responsible for this? I couldn't think of anyone else that would know that I had that kind of money.
As for whether I would spend the money to get Kandice back, there was no question. But if they thought I would just do a tradeoff for her, without a fight, then they had another thing coming. The fuckers.
Okay, I texted them back. Where should we meet?
I sent an email to my accountant. Fortunately for me, she was the kind of woman who lived and breathed for her job, so it was likely she would respond in minutes, if not sooner.
As I rushed through the crowd, an arm grabbed me.
"Where are you rushing off to?" Gino asked.
"It's Kandice," I said, as he and Jen eyed me curiously. I made sure to keep my voice low. "She's been kidnapped. They're demanding ten million dollars. I have to go meet them now."
I planned to be in my car and driving before they even had a chance to respond.
"Oh my God," Jen said. "I can't believe... We're coming with you."
Gino grabbed her arm. "Are you nuts? It's not safe."
“That’s my friend,” Jen snapped, pulling free, her chin set. “There’s no way I’m not coming.”
“There’s no time for this,” I snapped, hurrying away as they followed.
As we drove, we got the address—the Abandoned UFO house in Homestead—a forty-five minute drive away.
We got there to find an abandoned lot in the middle of farmland, three main houses, and some strange outbuildings.
We parked behind a small stand of trees. The hum and chirps of the insects was deafening in the silence. It felt like I could even hear the wind move through each blade of grass.
As we approached the decrepit buildings, the sun was low in the sky, casting our shadows long and distended. It made the pink hue and bright graffiti colors take on an almost ethereal quality. The greens, neon… The orange looked fuchsia… The blue, aqua.
On the house itself, the windows were broken, and the front door was removed from its hinges and laid in the entry way, as if it had just tipped over.
"Are you sure we should do this?" Gino asked.
"We have to," I said.
"Giovanni's right!" Jen said. "We can't just let them take Kandice and... Hurt her, or something."
"I don't mean that," Gino snapped, red flushing his cheeks. "Only that... Don't we need a plan?"
"Here's the plan," I said. "I'm giving them what they want. You two can come or stay."
I exited the car, unable to wait any longer. I hadn’t seen a car on the premises, but I didn’t want to take a chance that waiting out here may put Kandice in greater danger. I slowly entered the small, flying saucer-shaped structure, Jen and Gino right behind me. I moved to the middle of the room and waited. And waited.
"Incoming," Jen said under her breath.
My head turned to look in the direction she was looking, and I saw the dust rising from the road, the sunset behind it casting it into an unearthly glow.
The car came fishtailing into the driveway, screeching up the dusty lane and slammed to a stop two feet in front of the door. The car’s engine stayed running, the lights blaring along with the setting sun. I refused to blink or look away.
The driver’s side door opened, and with the cockiest hop I’d ever seen, Peter Khan’s son, Chang, stood up and slowly turned to face me. He slammed the car door shut and began a slow strut around to the front. He leaned against the grill and looked me up and down. His scraggly facial hair was the most obvious sign of just how far he was not under his father’s control.
“Do you have the money, rich-boy?” Khan sneered at me. He flicked his head at the tinted window in a come-hither motion. The passenger’s side back door opened and Kandice was pushed out onto the ground, hands tied and a gag in her mouth. Leather shoes followed her, then a man, who, by his size, could have been a Sumo wrestler. He lifted Kandice off the ground with one hand.
“Your father and I had a deal.” I looked at him coolly.
“Too bad. You, her, everyone else who doesn’t see how powerful and amazing he is, brings him shame. You deserve whatever punishment we bring.”
“Your father gave me his word Kandice would not be harmed. To drop the conflict. Yet here you are, with her bound, treated like a dog… Demanding money from me. I’d say—”
Chang practically ran to me, stopping inches from me and standing on tiptoe to try and intimidate me. I scoffed at him, “Don’t bother.”
Before I could react, Chang’s blade gleamed in the remaining light and a gun sounded. That was all I needed as I quickly followed Chang’s thrust through until he was off balance, then slammed my elbow down on his shoulder. I followed with a kick to his knee, dislocating it, pushing him to the ground.
I barely registered his cries of agony as I turned, searching for the gun and Kandice at the same time. The sumo wrestler had Kandice on her knees, his hand raised to knock her out.
I moved faster than I thought possible. I still couldn’t see the gun, but if he didn’t have it, then…
I leapt into the air, my body colliding with his middle, sending us both flying to the dirt. My landing was soft, the weight of me knocking the wind out of Khan’s man sending his head colliding on a rock beneath it.
I stood up and ran to Kandice, gathering her in my arms. I pulled her gag off and undid her hands.
Thank God. She was alright, okay, safe.
There was no time to linger. Keeping Kandice tucked against me, I surveyed the scene behind me. Chang still lay useless on the ground. Jen was standing, shocked, off to the side. Her ashen face looked away from where I would have expected her to be looking. I turned my head further, looking to where Gino was.
“It’s filled with blanks, Giovanni, I swear,” Gino said in a rush, his arm still pointing up, a pistol gripped in his hand. Jen moved closer, her hand reaching out tentatively. Chang’s moan brought us all back to the present.
I forced my mind to process what I was seeing. Gino with a gun... I exhaled.
“Okay. Let’s just go home now.”
Gino’s relieved look allowed Jen to close the distance and wrap her arms around him, her face now looking at us, her eyes as wide as saucers. The two of them looked terrified, but okay.
Meanwhile, the sumo-man was still breathing. Everyone who needed to be was safe, so I could start cleaning this up. I pulled Kandice even closer and reached into my pocket. Pulling out my cell, I dialed the only number that mattered.
The police agreed to come soon.
Looking down at Kandice, I kissed her forehead, my heartbeat stopping every time I looked at her, realizing she was okay. But—
“Kandice, are you okay?” I checked her visually now, realizing I could have missed something. She sighed, small tears of relief rolling down her face.
“Now I am.”
And with that, the four of us moved toward our car. It was time to go home.
As I drove the forty minutes home, my mind was reeling.
God, what if she hadn’t been safe.
Even now, holding her hand and keeping my peripheral vision on her, I was still shaken. Just the thought of her gone…
I couldn’t take it.
As I navigated the city streets, I decided it would be best if I took everyone to my penthouse. Mama and Maria had enough to worry about without me telling them about everything that had happened just now.
I pulled in
to my carport and as soon as I got out of the car, I jogged to Kandice’s side and opened her door. As soon as she was standing, I got down on one knee.
Kandice only stared at me, wide eyed and shaking. "What are you..."
"You don't have to answer now,” I said. “I know you've been through a lot, but I want to be with you. I want it all to be real. I want to marry you, for real. I want to have a real relationship, the whole works. I want to be with you forever. If you want to, that is. I can't imagine ever letting you go again."
Kandice blinked at me. "Giovanni..." she began.
35
Kandice
The winner for the craziest day of my life goes to... Today.
Giovanni, his eyes still wild, was on one knee, having just asked me the question of all questions. What I'd never even thought to hope for, and yet... The feelings that rushed through me right now, warming me with happiness from the inside out, made me realize how much I had wanted it all along.
"I'll give you some time to decide," Giovanni said smoothly, rising, though I could see the tension in his jaw. "You must be exhausted, shaken."
I could only nod blankly. A myriad of questions flooded my mind, smacking into each other.
How could Khan's son have found me so effortlessly? Was it finally over now?
Giovanni led me upstairs to the penthouse and sat me down on the L-shaped leather couch, stationing Jen and Gino on either side of me. Immediately though, he and Gino were heading back toward the door.
"We have some business to attend to," Gino explained.
"To make sure nothing like this ever happens again," Giovanni added, a look of terrifying fury on his face. "I'm going to make sure that Peter Khan gets the full power of my wrath. Anyone who was involved in this… I promise you. They will pay, and I will see it done. I will personally make sure that you are safe, Kandice."
Even after what had happened, seeing Giovanni like this, there was no doubt in my mind. He would do as he said. As I sank back into the couch, Jen grabbed my hand.
I’d been half-awake in the car, so the others had left me alone mostly. But now, all of Jen’s latent anxiety burst free.
"Kandice! I was so scared! Are actually okay?" She asked finally.
"I think so," I said. "Peter Khan's son isn't exactly a nice guy. Plus, his breath smells like sardines."
Jen wrinkled her nose and giggled. "You got kidnapped, almost killed, and that's what you remember?"
I shrugged. "It made you laugh. Right now, I'm all for anything that makes people laugh. I'm just exhausted."
"Too exhausted to make a decision about Giovanni's question?" Jen asked slyly.
I smiled back at her. "You're worse than he is."
"That's what friends are for," she said, rising and waltzing over to Giovanni's fridge. She returned with a green and white striped tub of ice cream.
"It isn't cookies and cream, but I think mint chocolate will do the trick." She opened the lid, handed me a spoon, and we dug in.
"Just think," Jen continued. "A real wedding."
"I haven't decided yet," I reminded her. "I also don't have wedding fever like you do. I don't want a wedding just for the sake of having one."
"But it's not," she argued. "It's a wedding for the sake of celebrating your undying love. Or are you going to keep denying that, too?" She mimed a big yawn before retrieving an overambitious spoonful of ice cream, which quickly fell back into the tub.
"I don't know," I admitted. "I love Giovanni, but having a wedding has just always seemed a bit over-the-top to me."
"Then have a small one," Jen suggested. "Small, fancy... I mean, you already have a maid of honor, I've had a speech prepared for years!"
"As you keep reminding me," I said dryly. "I'll think about it. I just worry about being unsure. If it’s normal.”
Jen rolled her eyes. "Please, of course it's normal. Kandice, you were lying to people about your and Giovanni’s relationship for how long? Then both of you went back and forth about real or fake feelings so many times, I think everyone lost track. So, the marriage thing, it's a big deal. I mean, not that you aren't already married, but a wedding. Those are big. So, it's completely understandable."
"Maybe we'll have a destination wedding," I pondered.
Jen smiled evilly. "See? You're already coming around."
Jen and I turned on Legally Blonde and, by the time the credits started rolling, Giovanni and Gino were walking in the door. They looked grumpily pleased with themselves.
"It went that well?" Jen teased.
"Let's just say, there's going to be hell to pay," Gino said confidently.
Giovanni's gaze met mine. I already had the answer he was silently asking.
"I want to do it," I said simply. "Marry you. A second time, I mean. I want to have a real wedding, the works."
Giovanni's smile slid to Jen. "You've been a busy bee, haven't you?"
Jen gave her short blonde straight hair a little toss and winked at him. "Nah, I did a bit of convincing, but in the end, it was Kandice's decision. And she made the right one, like I knew she would."
In seconds, Giovanni closed the distance between us and swept me up into his arms. "You're going to be well-rewarded for this," he said with a devilish grin.
His expression sent shockwaves of goosebumps through my entire body, my inner thighs tingling.
Of that, I had no doubt.
Epilogue
Kandice
Here we were, the Buena Ona in remote Costa Rica.
As soon as Giovanni and I had seen it online, we’d looked at each other and called the wedding planner’s number.
It was secluded, with views of the mountains in the distance, the ocean on the horizon, and an infinity pool in the center. The best part was, our entire wedding party took up every room they had—all ten of them. It was picture perfect, no doubt. This was where it would happen. Our new start—our real start.
In the days leading up to the ceremony, we explored the lush grounds to exhaustion. We hiked through their private rainforest and spotted a sloth sanctuary, spotted sleeping birds, a giant spider, and even caught the fleeting, brown shadow of a puma running past.
Now, here we were. We had made our way up the isles, peopled with less than twenty of our closest family and friends, and arrived next to my maid of honor and his best man.
My dress was a soft, ivory sundress. Still classic, but not over the top. My hair, piled on my head, had curls falling down the sides, and Jen, with only one attempt, had made my makeup subtle yet perfect. I wore my mother’s pearls, and Mama’s pearl earrings.
Giovanni was also in an ivory suit, but it was linen. It billowed gently over his frame in the breeze, his pale yellow shirt highlighting his tan and deep, beautiful eyes. Jen, and Gino, looked great in their matching attire. Jen's bright yellow dress was set off by the pale yellow dress shirt Gino had on under his linen suit, the color matching Giovanni.
My mom and dad were in the front row on one side, Mama and Maria on the other. They all looked genuinely happy.
It had only been six months since I had told my mom and dad that Giovanni and I were doing everything for real. To my surprise, they had actually come around to the idea fairly quickly. Mom had finally understood that I was a woman now, capable of making my own decisions. My dad, well, he was so happy that he painted us a picture of us on that swing on the Bruno family property that Giovanni quickly had hung in his penthouse so we could see it each and every day.
Yep, things were looking up—for everyone. The company, thanks to Gino's innovative insights, had sales that were skyrocketing. Having spent some time working in the factories at Bruno production, Gino was able to gain stable footing and really flourish in the business, as Brunos do.
Meanwhile, Giovanni was tireless, supporting and mentoring Gino, creating new designs for the company, and moving the business ahead in innovation. Maria naturally moved into the company's CEO position. Everyone had their place. Life was good.
&
nbsp; Me? Thanks to my habit of being a workaholic, I had built up quite the journalism career for myself. Sure, there was still a long way to go, but I was ready to do it with Giovanni beside me. Now, here we were. The man I'd married in a lie, and then truly fell in love with, as we were about to read our vows.
Giovanni spoke first. "I never told you. The first time we met, I saw your face through the window in the bar and it was like a balm to me. A light in the darkness. Then, I saw that man approach you and realized I needed to be the one talking to you. The only one. We met, talked, and went on this whole crazy adventure together. I took it for granted at first. Thinking that we had known each other for such a short time, I tried to tell myself it wasn't real. But I couldn’t keep it up. You know the rest. Reality won out in the end. Now, what can I say? I'm a lucky man. You've made me a lucky man, Kandice. You're honest, loving, fun. Irreverent."
The crowd gave an appreciative chuckle.
"I can't say much more, besides the stereotypical, overdone and yet, in this case, completely true statement: You make me a better man. You make me a happy man, and I feel so goddamn lucky to have found you."
As everyone in their seats clapped loudly, joined by an angry toucan that squawked and took off in a huff, I smiled at Giovanni. I waited until everyone had quieted down again before I read my own vows—with a bit added at the beginning.
"I don't know what to say to that. I don't think anything I can say in response will be enough. Just that, I didn't see this coming either. In fact, I didn't even want it when it arrived. But you helped me realize something about myself that I hadn’t, but needed to, realize—that love, real love, scared me. If you love, then you have something to lose, and I've never liked losing. Yet, from the start, I knew it was different with you. You were too passionate, too handsome, too witty. And too honest for me to get away with lying to myself, to pretend I wasn't falling for you. You've done more for me and been more than I ever could have asked for. Thank you. I'm honored to be standing here, and to be your wife—for real this time."
Playing Pretend Box Set Page 38