“And what do you say to your dog?” Duvine clipped.
“You’ll think it’s silly, and I admit it’s rather embarrassing if anyone overhears, but I speak animal language. All animals. For whatever reason, he loves it.”
“And you do this every day?”
“I try to.” Ian shrugged. “It’s only a few seconds of my time, and it spares my brother a headache.” He couldn’t believe the lies he was spouting. It was becoming easier to manipulate words and shape them into a false reality. It made him feel like a colossal jerk for coming down hard on Gwen when he was doing the exact same thing. “Do you have any other pets here besides the birds and the cat?” The creepy cat. “Or did you have any as a child?”
When Duvine didn’t answer, Ian wondered if he saw through the lies. It was obvious that something was bothering him.
“Duvine is probably too busy with work to bother with a menagerie of pets,” Gwen broke in. “It takes a lot to run his empire with such smooth efficiency. I’m sure he doesn’t even have time for hobbies.”
Thankful to Gwen for keeping the conversation moving, Ian added, “My hobby used to be traveling. I haven’t had a chance to do any traveling—for pleasure—in a long time. Well, except for now.” He winked at Gwen, who blushed. He hadn’t ever remembered her blushing before. Did she fake it? If so, Ian was impressed. “Gwen has been showing me your lovely home. The library is amazing. We were even able to play a game of billiards in the . . .” He looked to Gwen. “What was that room again?”
Gwen pressed her lips together to keep a smile at bay. “The game room.”
“Oh, yes, of course. It was the game room. Such a great place.”
Two minions took away their plates and replaced them with dessert. Duvine waved away his and stood. Ian scrambled to stand as well, wondering what was about to happen. Duvine motioned for him to sit again.
“Please enjoy dessert,” he said. “I just have to check on a few things. Good evening.”
Ian sank back down in the chair and poked at the chocolate mousse until Duvine disappeared through the door on the opposite side of the room. It was the same door through which the minion had taken the bag of diamonds.
Ian flicked his eyes at the door, silently questioning Gwen.
She looked at the door and then at the minion standing at it. She cleared her throat and stood, picking up her mousse. “Would you like to finish dessert on the terrace?”
“I’d love to.” Anything to get out of here. He still wasn’t positive the floor wouldn’t open and drop them into a shark tank.
* * *
Gwen settled at the table on the wide terrace that overlooked the ocean and glanced around her. She couldn’t see anyone else, but that didn’t mean anything. There were still ways for them to be overheard.
“Why don’t we eat dessert and then go on a walk on the beach?” Gwen suggested, dipping her spoon into the whipped chocolate. “It’s such a lovely night.”
“I’d love to,” Ian agreed. “The weather here has been a nice break from Njamba.”
“It is nice, but you probably haven’t noticed the heat as much since we’re either in air conditioning or the water.”
“True. But I have noticed the air conditioning. It’s a bit cold at night.”
“You never seem cold.”
“You keep me occupied.” A lopsided smile accompanied a little wink.
He was too adorable for words, and Gwen wanted to keep him occupied some more. However, they did need to talk before they abandoned all thought.
“Tell me about your dog,” Gwen said to keep the conversation moving.
The corners of Ian’s lips curled in amusement. “He’s a sweet dog, a bit on the big side, which irritates Greyson. He continually complains about Fritz sneaking up on the bed and hogging it entirely.”
“He could close his door.”
“Fritz is very smart.”
“Will you ever go back and get him?”
Ian sat back and eyed Gwen. “One day. When I have a reason to go back.”
“And what reason would that be?”
“Family.”
Gwen felt that word as it shimmered down to her toes. That simple word was filled with promise she didn’t dare to clarify.
Once, she had thought about marrying and having a family of her own, but that ended when Duvine had taken over her life. With Ian, he made her believe again. They were already married and she had thought that would never happen. So, maybe there was a tiny spark of hope for the future.
Unfortunately, they still needed to deal with Duvine.
Chapter 23
Ian and Gwen had spoken at length last night on the beach. They both agreed Duvine must be suspicious, and therefore had indeed listened into the Millerese voicemail Ian had left Greyson. While they doubted Duvine could have cracked the code with two very brief voicemails, Ian was hesitant to call Greyson again, especially since he hadn’t yet answered. Since they agreed to try one more time, Ian picked up the phone. And then set it back down.
“Ian, go ahead and call Greyson,” she said from the couch, the mid-morning light causing her hair to shimmer with flecks of gold. If he were anywhere else, he would have been tempted to take her back into bed. But after last night’s conversation with Duvine, their situation had changed, though he wasn’t quite sure how.
“I thought Duvine would have contacted us this morning.”
“Try one more time. Fritz needs you.”
Ian took a breath and picked up the phone, dialing Greyson.
“Hello?”
Ian let out his held breath in a whoosh of relief. He wanted to reach through the phone and kiss Greyson for finally answering. Instead, he instantly started speaking in code, fearing anything he or Greyson said in English could be used by Duvine.
“Where have you been?” Ian asked, ending on a moo sound.
“Jenna and I took a few days to celebrate our engagement. We were out of cell phone range.” He rattled off in Millerese, ending with a hiss-oink.
“You’re engaged? Congratulations.” Bark-roar-chirp.
“Thank you, but she’s looking at me oddly, so can we hurry this along? I heard your other messages. Tell me exactly what you need.” Ribbit-croak-caw.
It took a few minutes to explain and translate everything, but when Ian finally finished, Greyson was still on the line and hadn’t hung up.
“Why didn’t you call David? He’s better at handling these situations.” Meow-howl-hoot.
“He has a baby on the way. I don’t want either of you to involve yourselves. Just get the message out. That should be enough.” Snort-bellow-cheep.
“And if it’s not?”
“I’ll deal with it. Give my love to Jenna. I hope to meet her soon.”
Ian disconnected, feeling both relieved and extremely nervous. Greyson would follow through; he was not one to let anything fall by the wayside. Which meant their plans were in motion.
“Well?” Gwen stood next to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “It sounded like the zoo had a conference. How is Fritz?”
“He’s good. All is well.”
Gwen squeezed him and then let go. “Then how about another tour?”
“Sounds great.”
They left the room to search out spots they hadn’t been to before, but without access to the east wing, it seemed pointless. And without an invitation they didn’t have many options. Now that Greyson would relay messages, they had two days at the most. Ian doubted anyone would be able to organize a strike this far away without at least a day or two lead time.
That gave them a limited window to find the jewels and get off the island before diamond mongers brought a war down on the compound.
“Why don’t we go visit your dad first,” Ian suggested.
“I’d like that. Thank you.”
When they found Bruce in his room, he was still searching for the missing puzzle piece.
“Dad, we put the puzzle away. Why did you put it ba
ck together?”
He looked at her as if he didn’t understand the question, or maybe he just didn’t remember reassembling the puzzle. Bruce was worse off than Ian had originally thought. His care here was inadequate for his needs.
“Ian, we put the puzzle back in the game room. He must have wandered from his room. What if he walks out to the pier and accidentally falls in the water?”
“Let’s speak to Duvine. Bruce needs a nurse to care for him around the clock.”
Gwen nodded, biting her lip hesitantly. “I just don’t understand how this one lost puzzle piece is lodged in his memory.”
“I don’t know. I’ve never had experience with dementia. As soon as we get out of here, we’ll get him the help he needs.”
Gwen swung open the door to address the minion. “Do you normally stay at this door?”
She didn’t answer, just stood staring blankly ahead.
Gwen let out a frustrated breath. “Tell Duvine I want to see him immediately.” She snapped the door closed, not bothering to see if the woman had obeyed.
“Why don’t we all look in the game room for the missing piece,” Ian suggested. “If Bruce went there for the puzzle, the piece might be there.”
Gwen nodded. “Anything. Just get me out of here.” She walked over to her father, who still sat at the couch. “Would you like to go to the game room, Dad? We can look for your missing piece there.”
He stood, his body still in good shape, not needing support of any kind.
When they opened the door again, the woman was not there. It became apparent to Ian that even if the woman didn’t respond, she was at least capable of following instructions. He wondered where they came from; why they all looked exactly the same and acted like drones.
As they made their way to the game room, Bruce was able to navigate the halls and stairs. It was only when they reached the room that Bruce continued ahead, passing the game room completely.
“Dad, we’re here.” Gwen opened the door, showing him.
Bruce didn’t respond, just continued on his path.
“Dad?”
Ian touched her arm. “We wanted to explore anyway. Let’s let him lead the way.”
She sighed. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt. I’d be good for him to stretch his legs.”
They weaved through the house, always keeping Bruce in sight but hanging back a bit just so they could whisper back and forth. It wasn’t until they followed him into a room they had never been inside before that they both stopped cold. Glass showcases filled the room, all with the most stunning collection of jewelry Ian had ever seen. Strategically placed lights made them sparkle. Some lit like fire and others like blue ice.
“I can’t believe Dad found it,” Gwen said, her gaze raking across the room. “Look at it all.”
He was. Ian couldn’t drag his eyes away. All of this was from Gwen. His own Matahari necklace that she had stolen was in a case to the far side of the room.
Suddenly, they no longer looked beautiful. They were ugly chains that bound them both to a life they didn’t want. Gwen must have had a similar thought because unshed tears welled in her eyes.
“I wasn’t paying attention,” Ian said, hoping to distract Gwen. “But we must have crossed into the east wing.”
“We should leave. If Duvine finds us here, he’ll punish us all.” She looked at her dad. “Do you think he’s been here before?”
“He must have been. He seemed to know exactly where he wanted to go.”
She watched her father as he skimmed through the room, not looking at the cases but at the floor. Was he still searching for the damn puzzle piece?
“Dad, it’s time to go. We shouldn’t be here.”
A woman appeared at the door. She looked exactly like the others, but she dressed in black instead of white. Her eyes also appeared sharp, not dull and lifeless like the others. As soon as Gwen noticed the other woman, she snapped straight, her eyes narrowed.
“Duvine requires your presence,” the woman said. “Please follow me.”
“Let me escort my father back to his room first,” Gwen said.
“That will not be necessary. You are all required.”
Gwen flinched. “Dad, we have to go see Duvine. I’ll help you find your puzzle piece after.” She walked over to take his hand and then nodded for the woman to proceed.
Ian followed behind, at a loss. Did Duvine want to speak to them because they found his collection, or because of something else?
It didn’t take long to reach Duvine, making Ian suspect they had indeed wandered way too far. The woman opened a door leading to a vast room with a dozen minions standing behind Duvine. But it wasn’t Duvine or the waiting minions that put Ian on edge, it was the cement floor that angled at a slight pitch.
Gwen’s gaze darted around the room. She must have never been here before. That was not a good sign.
“I believe you had wanted to know my hobbies,” Duvine said to Ian. “I have three, actually. One you know of: diamonds. The other one is code breaking.”
Damn. Ian wouldn’t have thought Duvine could have broken the Millerese code, but he must have.
“And the third?” Ian asked.
Duvine smiled. “I’ll leave that for you to figure out.” With a single flick of his fingers, the minions surrounded them.
While Ian wasn’t keen on hitting a woman, minion or not, he wasn’t going to allow them control. As soon as one of them touched him, he reached out to grab her wrist. She twisted him around and had him on the floor before he could blink. Okay, so they were trained.
“Ian!” Gwen squeaked. She started to kneel down to him and found herself in the same predicament. Her father followed behind.
Ian tried to kick out but couldn’t. The way he was being held didn’t allow for movement.
Duvine walked closer, the cat slinking between his legs. “Gwen, our working arrangement is at an end.”
“Wait!” Gwen called. “Don’t do this. Release Ian and my father. They aren’t a part of this.”
“Aren’t they?” Duvine looked down at Gwen, his eyes darkened by shadows. “Ian just brought a war to my island. I hope you’ll have time to see it, but I doubt it. And your dear old dad brought you to my collection. You were going to try to steal from me again, Gwen. Didn’t you learn your lesson the first time?” Duvine straightened. “But I’m not a complete monster.” He tossed the missing puzzle piece down at Bruce. “I think you’ve been looking for this.”
Ian stopped Duvine before he could walk away. “You can’t kill us. Everyone will know it was you.”
“I hadn’t planned on killing you. My minions, as you refer to them, will do it for me.”
“By your command.”
“Do you think they’ll tell that to the authorities? Come now, even you know they won’t. The police will believe me; they always do. Gwen isn’t the only skilled liar here.”
She glared at him.
“Looks like I have a plane to catch,” he said. “And a collection to move. I’d hate to still be around when the angry militia comes and doesn’t find a single diamond on-site. Hopefully you’ll be dead before then, but if not . . .” he shrugged. Without another word, he swept away, the woman in black following behind him.
“So, now that he’s gone, can we talk about this?” Ian asked the woman who held him. She tightened her grip, and with the help of another, dragged him to a portion of floor with metal brackets and a short length of chain. As they locked his wrists, he said, “I take that as a no.”
They did the same to both Gwen and Bruce. Together, they were tethered to the slanted concrete floor. Ian watched as one of the minions walked to the far side of the room and pulled down a lever. Water seeped in at the low end of the wall. They were safe up at the high end, but for how long?
The water bubbled in at a constant speed. It was slow, but Ian doubted they would survive for two days.
The minions filed out the door, leaving the three to die.
“Ho
w long do you think we have?” Gwen asked.
He studied the water for a bit. “Maybe a day.”
She tugged at her metal bindings. Ian did the same. But no matter how hard they fought, they were still secured.
However, the bindings were only on their wrists, not their ankles. They were free to at least sit up, which would gain them another day. Hopefully someone would find them before the water passed their necks. The only concern added to the mix was, who? Would it be the military, the rebels, or the Dark Lions?
Chapter 24
The damn puzzle piece floated like soggy cereal past Gwen’s ankle, and she wanted to cry. It had been over a day, and Duvine was long gone with all of his jewels. She didn’t even care about the stolen treasure anymore. She just wanted to get out of this wet prison. They had moved as far back as possible, gaining only a few precious inches. It was enough to keep them out of harm’s way, but not for very much longer.
“Gwen?”
She turned to find her father looking at her as if he hadn’t seen her in years. He actually said her name. She hadn’t heard him say it for so long.
“Dad?”
“Where are we?”
“In Duvine’s island house. Do you remember when he locked us in here?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I don’t remember anything. When did you get here?”
Gwen tried to think back. Since she’d been in this room with no outside light, it was hard to figure out. Other than the water level, time was irrelevant here. “Three days, I think.”
“Why didn’t you come to see me?”
“I did. Both Ian and I came to see you several times. You were looking for a puzzle piece. We tried to help you, but we ended up here instead.”
“Ian?”
Ian leaned forward so Bruce could see him as Gwen was a block between the two men. “I’m Ian Miller. It’s nice to meet you. Sorry it couldn’t be under better circumstances.”
Bruce looked at her questioningly.
“He’s my husband. We married not that long ago.”
Pocketful of Diamonds Page 19