Engaged (Challenge series, #2)

by Kiru Taye

  He laughed again. “Go ahead. What are you going to tell them? That your fiancé threatened to kill his brother after he found out you’ve been fucking him.” He lifted her phone out of his jacket. “Here, go on. Remember this is Nigeria. You’ll find that they’ll be sympathetic with me. After all I’m justifiably upset and can say anything in anger. Go on, take the phone. Call them.”

  Ijay snatched the phone from him, her body shaking with anger. She knew he was right. Who would take her seriously? It was just her words against his.

  “I won’t let you hurt Paul or anybody else. There are people who depend on him. I won’t let you take that away from them too,” she said instead.

  “So marry me and solve their problem,” Vincent said in a matter of fact tone as if they were discussing the rising price of petrol or some other mundane thing.

  She bit back the sharp retort on her tongue. Marrying Vincent was the last thing she ever wanted to do. She loved Paul. She couldn’t imagine a life without him. However promising marriage would buy her time to speak to Paul. He’d know what to do about Vincent.

  “If I agree for the wedding to go ahead, will you promise to leave Paul alone forever?” she asked boldly.

  “Yes,” he replied. She suppressed a gloating smile until he added, “But you’re not to see him or speak to him ever again.”

  “That’s not possible. I have the project to complete.”

  “No, you don’t,” he said sharply. “You’ll tell your boss you have to withdraw from the project. I’m sure you can come up with some excuse. If I get even a whiff that you spoke to Paul—“

  “I understand,” she replied quickly and nodded for emphasis. “I’ll marry you. Just leave Paul alone.”

  Her stomach churned even as she said the words. She felt sickened that she was betraying Paul by agreeing to marry Vincent. This was the wrong time for Paul to think that she’d turned her back on him when things were going wrong for him.

  The alternative was even worse. She couldn’t bear to see Paul get hurt or killed knowing she could’ve prevented it. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself.

  Paul alive and caring for his family and community without her was better than Paul dead because of her. And everyone else left with no one supporting them. She couldn’t have that on her conscience.

  “That’s fantastic,” Vincent’s voice brought her back to the hotel room. “So you can put this back on.” He reached in his jacket pocket and took out a ring. It sparkled in the light.

  “How did you get that? I threw it in the bin.” She recognised the engagement ring he’d given her previously.

  He laughed. “I told you I knew everything you were up to. Let me have your hand.”

  Biting back the nausea that rose in her throat, she extended her hand robotically.

  It’s better this way.

  He slid the ring onto her finger. The last time he’d slid it on, she’d been overjoyed and felt like she was floating in the air. Now it felt like a chain of lead dragging her down into depression and misery.

  “Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together?” He said with a leer. “I knew you were going to be the perfect woman for my plan when I saw you with Paul that night.”

  “What night?” She asked, unable to shake the creepy sensation on her spine.

  “The night you threw yourself at him in London, of course.”

  “No!” Ijay gasped, clutching her cheeks in shock.

  “Yes. I was there at the party. I saw the two of you on the balcony before you left together. I know about my brother’s sexual preferences, so I know exactly what you two did together. I decided I’ll kill two birds with one stone; giving my mother the grandchildren she’s been nagging me about and destroying Paul for good.”

  “Grandchildren?”

  “Oh, didn’t I tell you. Once we’re married I’ve got a clinic ready to have you artificially inseminated with my sperm. That bitch Onome did something to me so I can’t fuck you the normal way, my dear fiancée.”

  Ijay couldn’t hold back the nausea any longer and ran to the bathroom.

  “When you’re done in there, pack your things. We’re going down to Lagos. We’re booked for a registry wedding this weekend,” Vincent said cheerily from the other side of the bathroom door.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Paul was in the car heading back to Enugu. The day had been quite gruelling. First was dealing with NAFDAC. He’d spent most of the day with the officials answering their questions about the products and packaging.

  Then he’d had to call the customer Bide Supermarkets and warned him of a delay in shipping the products. Luckily he had a good working relationship with Bide. He’d never been late with a delivery before. The purchasing manager was happy to give him a few extra days leeway on the delivery of the goods. All he had to do now was ensure everything was sent out before the end of next week.

  He scrubbed his face as he exhaled raggedly. Leaning back into the soft leather, he closed his eyes and tried to relax. He’d had to learn early in life how to cope with nerve-wracking situations.

  Losing his mother as a child, dealing with a vile step-mother, fighting a nasty brother and finally being held in an unpleasant police cell for a crime he didn’t commit, had all contributed to toughen his personality. So coping with a few days of hellish incidents at the factory was stressful but bearable.

  His concern was about the reasons for them occurring now. There was only one catalyst for his sudden run of bad luck.

  His relationship with Ijay.

  And one set of perpetuators—his step-mother and his brother Vincent. They were the only ones he knew who’d be bent on exacting revenge and punishment upon him for dating Ijay.

  Vincent could never live to see Paul take anything away from him. As children, Vincent had made sure he won in any fight about toys or any other items at home. If he wasn’t able to acquire it by trying to physically intimidate Paul, he’d enlist his mother who would instruct Paul to give it to him.

  Vincent was never big on moving on—he carried a grudge for life. He’d see Ijay choosing Paul as a great affront and do everything to punish Paul. Paul could live with Vincent’s wrath. He could survive whatever his brother threw at him. He’d coped with it so far.

  However, this time the incidents had hit so close to home. He’d suspected that Vincent had spies working for him for months. The break-in and disappearance of the NAFDAC approval certificates had led to sweeping out the informer in their midst. Paul had demanded the truth from Mr. Obi after the man couldn’t give a proper explanation to the disappearance of documents.

  Unfortunately, Mr. Obi’s late confession hadn’t prevented the temporary closure of the factory. Apparently, he’d been instructed to burn the papers by Mrs. Arinze and replace them with the false documents. Paul’s step-mother had promised his factory manager a large amount of money and the caretaker job of the Arinze properties in Lagos.

  Paul’s anger rose again and he clenched his fists tightly. Suppressing a vicious growl, he inhaled and exhaled refreshingly cool air.

  How could Mr. Obi be so selfish? The factory manager hadn’t been thinking about his fellow employees who could lose their jobs if the factory closed permanently. The man even had the effrontery to say that he knew the factory wouldn’t be closed for long. At the point, Paul had instructed the policemen present to arrest him. A few days in a police cell should hopefully make him see the error of his ways.

  Paul now had to worry about hiring and training another manager. In the meantime, he’d have to appoint someone to act as the supervisor until a permanent person was appointed. At least he didn’t have to worry about it for a few days while the factory was closed.

  The sound of his ringing phone jarred Paul out of his thoughts. He opened his eyes, took the phone from his pocket and picked the call without recognising the number.

  “Hello, Paul Arinze speaking,” he spoke into the receiver.

  “Hi Paul, this is Sonia
from Havers & Child. I hope I haven’t disturbed you,” the soft tentative voice replied. Paul recognised the voice of Ijay’s colleague. Ijay had explained to him that Sonia was her best friend.

  “Hi Sonia, not at all. How are you?” he replied pleasantly. A warm smile broke out on his face, lifting his spirit. He was happy to speak to a friend of Ijay’s. It made him feel even closer to Ijay as another link in her life was connected. He wanted to know everyone that mattered to her. Anyone who mattered to her mattered to him.

  “I’m well thank you,” she replied tentatively.

  “How can I help you?” he asked when she didn’t volunteer anymore information.

  “I’m not really sure if I should be telling you this,” she said, her voice hesitant and worried.

  “Is there a problem at Havers & Child? Is Charles okay?” he encouraged her as he felt there was something important she felt she had to tell him. It was probably uncomfortable for her to tell him since he was technically a business client and there were non-disclosure contracts in place.

  “No it’s not a business matter. It’s personal.” She paused again and Paul waited giving her time to talk. “Have you spoken to Ijay lately?”

  His hackles rose and his body tensed. Somehow he knew instantly that something was wrong with Ijay.

  “Not this evening. I spoke to her before she boarded her flight to Abuja this afternoon. I’m in Enugu,” he said, keeping his voice even, not wanting Sonia to pick up on his concern.

  “Well, I’ve just been on the phone with Ijay and then Vincent turned up.”

  He sat up in his seat, his seatbelt tugging at across his chest. Icy fear ran down his spine. “What? Vincent turned up where?”

  “In her hotel room!”

  White hot rage lanced through his mind. He let out a loud growl that vibrated his whole body. Amaechi glanced back at him and looked away quickly. He must have seen the murderous fury in Paul’s eyes.

  Murder was too simple a solution for what he had in mind if Vincent hurt Ijay. He’d allowed his brother too many liberties in the past. Now it seemed his Vincent had overreached himself.

  “Paul?” The quiet tentative voice of Sonia on the phone brought Paul back from his violent thoughts.

  Slowly he leaned back into his seat. He had to understand everything that was happening before he decided on the best course of action. He inhaled several times, his regulated breathing calming his rage somewhat before he spoke again.

  “Sonia, please calmly tell me exactly what happened.”

  “Well, Ijay called me,” she began. He heard her panting breath as she narrated her conversation with Ijay. “She said she’d just arrived in Abuja from Enugu and told me what had happened in the past few days. She also told me she’d left a message for Vincent breaking off the engagement and threw away his ring. While we were talking there was a knock on her door and it was Vincent. Ijay wasn’t happy to see him but had to open the door because he wouldn’t go away. When he got in, he got quite angry, snatched her phone and shouted at me never to speak to Ijay again since they were going to get married. He called me a slut! Then he switched off the phone.”

  As Sonia told her story, Paul’s blood bubbled over with rage. He could barely restrain himself. The idea that Vincent was anywhere near Ijay drove him insane. He counted mentally, keeping himself calm.

  “Are you sure it was Vincent?” he asked. He had to be sure. His brother had pulled some crazy stunts before. This was new, materialising in Abuja when he should be in London. “Ijay said he wasn’t due in Nigeria for another two to three weeks.”

  “That’s what I thought too,” Sonia said, her confusion apparent in her voice. “It was certainly him. I recognised his voice as soon as he spoke to me on the phone.”

  “Did you hear anything else? Was anyone else there?”

  “No, he switched off the phone. There is something else though. Before Vincent’s arrival Ijay mentioned she’d bumped into a woman in the hotel lobby who said she was your girlfriend. The woman had warned Ijay off you.”

  “A woman? Did Ijay tell you the person’s name?”

  “Yes, Kate. Do you know her?”

  “I know Kate.” He nodded. The jigsaw clicked into place in his mind. He’d always been suspicious about Kate’s motives. Now he was absolutely certain she’d been in cahoots with Vincent from the start. She’d been feeding Vincent information about him in the past.

  “She’s not my girlfriend,” he continued to Sonia. “I haven’t dated her in almost a year. I don’t know what she’s playing at but I’ll find out soon enough. Don’t worry.”

  “I hope so,” Sonia replied. “For now I’m more concerned about Ijay with Vincent. He sounded so angry. I couldn’t think of anyone else to call apart from you and her parents. I thought you’d be the better person, since you’re Vincent’s brother.”

  “Yes, you made the right decision. Thank you for telling me. I promise you I’ll make sure she’s okay,” he replied, hoping to reassure her. He also hoped he’d get to stop Vincent before he did anything stupid.

  “If you get to speak to her soon, please tell her to call me as soon as possible so I know she’s well. I’ve tried her number several times and it’s switched off.”

  “No problem. I’ll let you know myself as soon as I get hold of her.”

  “Thanks.” Sonia hung up.

  It took Paul several moments to calm his raging fury after Sonia disconnected.

  How dare Vincent threaten Ijay?

  In the past, he hadn’t minded about Vincent or his mother’s activities because it had been between them and him. Now that Vincent had extended that spitefulness to Ijay, Paul couldn’t sit back and let it continue.

  That he’d been quiet before didn’t mean he didn’t have a means of dealing with the rampaging pair. He’d simply chosen a path of peace because he’d made a promise to do so, no matter what they threw at him.

  The idea that Ijay could get hurt by those two meant he could no longer remain passive. If Vincent and his mother wanted war, he’d give them war. And he had exactly the right weapons to bring them down.

  Paul lifted his phone and scrolled through his phone numbers. When he found the right one, he pressed the dial button.

  The recipient picked it up almost instantly with a gruff, “Yes.”

  “I need that parcel I left in your safe keeping,” he said calmly.

  “No problem. I’ll have it ready for you. When do you want it?” the deep voice replied.

  “I’ll pick it up in the morning,” he replied.

  “I’ll see you then.”

  Paul switched off the phone and relaxed into his seat. What he was about to unleash was extreme. The situation called for it. As he didn’t know who to trust in his personal household anymore, he didn’t make any other calls until he got home. He didn’t want to think that Amaechi or any other person he cared about was betraying him. But if Mr. Obi could fall into the snare of Mrs. Arinze, then anyone else could too.

  Moreover, someone had told Vincent where to find Ijay. Although, he could’ve guessed since she was staying in the same hotel she’d stayed last week. It still didn’t explain how Vincent knew she was going to be there this afternoon.

  He said a quick hello to Simon outside before going inside. He met Aunty by the hallway. She greeted him as usual. Something in her tone sounded off and drew his attention. She appeared to fidget with her dress.

  “Is there a message for me? Did Ijay call?” he asked her curiously.

  “No.” She shook her head and didn’t meet his gaze. Something was definitely off with her. He wanted to probe her a bit more he needed to make few more phone calls first.

  “Okay, I’m going upstairs for now.”

  When he got into the quiet sanctity of his bedroom, he called Ijay’s hotel and asked for her. He was informed she’d checked out a short time ago. The receptionist also confirmed she’d been with a man.

  “Do you know where they were headed? I’m supposed to
be meeting them at the airport.” he added in a charming voice. He really needed to be ahead of Vincent if he was going to stop his brother.

  “Yes, she mentioned something about a flight to Lagos,” the girl replied in a sweet voice.

  “That’s great,” he said pleasantly. “You’ve been very helpful. When I’m in Abuja next time, I’m going to bring you a nice gift. What’s your name?”

  “My name is Funmi,” the girl giggled. “Thank you, sir”

  “You’re welcome. Bye.”

  He hung up and called Peter and Michael on a three-way voice conference.

  “I need your help, guys,” he said as soon as they both came online.

  “Shoot. What do you need?” Peter asked first.

  “I need to get on your late flight out to Lagos,” he said deadpan.

  “Ha. Why are you not asking Pamela to book it for you? I’m not your secretary,” Peter joked.

  “This is serious. I need to get to Lagos and I don’t want anyone to know what’s happening except you and Michael,” Paul replied in a sombre tone.

  “You have to tell us what’s going on,” Michael interjected. “You sound hassled. Why the cloak and dagger stuff?”

  “I’ll tell you both. First please tell your secretary to book the flight and call me back with the details. And Michael, please book a car to take me to the airport.”

  “You mean you don’t want Amaechi to take you?” The shock in Michael’s voice was loud and clear.

  Amaechi was probably the closest person to Paul out of all the people that worked for him. The faintest hint of distrust would break a relationship that had existed for a long time. But Paul couldn’t afford to take risks when Ijay’s life was in danger.

  “Right now I can’t trust anyone close to me. Not my employees or people in this house,” he said as sadness wrapped around him. He hated to distrust the people he cared about.

  “Why?” Michael asked.

  “One or more of them is passing information to Vincent and his mother.” And whoever it was, Paul had to smoke them out so they didn’t spoil his relationship with everyone else.