Secret Vows (Hideaway (Kimani))

by Alers, Rochelle

  “I don’t need your money. The people who hired me to protect Jason Cole paid me a lot more than what you’re attempting to bribe me with.”

  She decided on yet another approach. “How are you getting me out of the country without going through customs? What about a passport?”

  “That’s all been taken care of. You’re flying first class in a private jet, and we have your passport. Once we land and you go through customs, you are on your own.”

  “I’ll scream and tell everyone I’ve been kidnapped.”

  “No one’s going to believe a drug smuggler.”

  This can’t be happening. Monk promised this would be an easy job. Stefi curled into a fetal position and cried. Her father had been a paid enforcer for several unions, and two of her uncles were hit men for organized crime families. Their weapons of choice were knives and guns. She’d become an ophiologist, milking snakes to make antivenom. Then something had happened and she’d followed her relatives, becoming a hired killer. Monk had selected her victims and provided her with identities that got her through airport security and customs.

  But it appeared as if Jason Cole’s people were one step ahead of her, and she was heading to prison in Southeast Asia. Her life was about to mirror Brokedown Palace, but instead of going to a prison in Thailand, she would spent the rest of her life in a hellish Singapore dungeon.

  Chapter 22

  The doorbell chimed throughout the house and Greer and Jason exchanged a knowing look. Their guests had arrived. They’d spent hours roasting, baking and sautéing the dishes for their initial Thanksgiving gathering. She experienced a domesticity she had never felt in her first marriage. Jason’s passion for cooking surpassed hers. Greer cooked out of necessity, while Jason cooked for experimentation. He’d substitute a common ingredient for an exotic one with pleasantly surprising results.

  “I’ll get it,” she volunteered. A smile parted her lips when she opened the door to find Chase staring at her as if seeing her for the first time. “Happy Thanksgiving. Please come in.”

  Chase handed Greer a decorative shopping bag. “Same to you. Here’s a little something for your table.” He dipped his head, kissing her cheek. “Jason is safe,” he whispered.

  Greer blinked as if coming out of a trance. “Are you certain?”

  He nodded. “My people took care of everything.”

  Her expression brightened. “Thank you. Where’s Stefi?”

  “She called this morning to say her agent got her a part in a movie being shot in New Zealand. She told me to tell you, she’s sorry to leave without giving you prior notice, but it was an offer she felt compelled to accept.”

  Greer reached for Chase’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “You did say she was short-term.”

  His gray eyes darkened as he studied the woman who’d managed to enthrall his friend—enough to get him to not only include her in his life but also his future. “Yes, I did. You’re going to owe me, Greer.”

  Her jaw dropped slightly. “What are you talking about?”

  “I took care of a problem earlier this morning, and the result is you’ll be able to wake up beside your husband tomorrow morning. Yes, I know you and Jason are married. And, no, he didn’t tell me.”

  Greer swayed slightly when her knees buckled, but she managed to right herself as Chase tightened his hold on her hand. “Stefi?” Chase nodded again. She didn’t want to know how he got his information because some things were better if not explained.

  “If she ever comes back to this country, she’ll be too old and broken to harm anyone. I promised you my people were going to help you out with your problem. Ten days from now it will be over.”

  She closed her eyes, whispering a silent prayer. “How can I thank you?”

  “Name your firstborn son after me.”

  “I don’t even know your actual name.”

  He laughed softly. “I’ll tell you once he’s here.”

  Greer tugged on his hand. “Come and rest yourself. My uncle and his friend are expected at any time.”

  Jason walked out of the kitchen and into the living room as Chase sat on a leather chaise in front of the fireplace. “Welcome, my friend.”

  He stood, shaking hands and pounding Jason’s back. “Thanks.”

  A slight frown appeared between Jason’s eyes. “Where’s Stefi?”

  “She got an acting job in New Zealand,” Chase lied smoothly.

  Greer gave her husband the shopping bag. “This is from Chase.”

  Jason removed the bottle from the bag, reading the label and the tag attached to the neck. “¡Mierda!” he whispered in Spanish. His neighbor had given them a bottle of aged scotch he’d won at an auction. “This girl is more than one hundred years old. Thanks, friend.” Jason knew the bottle would sit in the bar untouched because neither he nor Greer drank scotch.

  The doorbell rang again and hugs, kisses and handshakes were exchanged when Bobby introduced Renata Sutcliff as his very good friend and nutritionist. Tall, slender, with stylishly coiffed salt-and-pepper hair, a clear peaches-and-cream complexion and strong, even features, Greer felt an instant kinship with the woman who’d made her uncle’s health a priority.

  * * *

  Renata successfully hid her shock at meeting Bobby’s niece behind a polite smile. She didn’t know what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t the tall, slender woman with the golden-brown complexion and gold-flecked brown eyes. Greer was casually dressed in a white silk blouse, black tailored wool gabardine slacks and matching ballet flats.

  * * *

  Greer clasped her hands. “Everything is ready, so please follow me into the dining room.” She removed the place setting that would’ve been Stefi’s, unable to believe the woman would’ve posed a threat to Jason. She didn’t want to think of the consequences if Chase and his people hadn’t uncovered her plot.

  “Would you like me to help you bring out something, Greer?” Renata asked.

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  Tiny lines fanned out around Renata’s dark-brown eyes when she smiled. “I told Bobby he can eat whatever he wants today because no normal person would even consider dieting on Thanksgiving.”

  Greer nodded. “Thankfully it’s only one day a year.”

  Jason carried the platter with roast turkey into the dining room, placing it in the middle of the table, while Greer and Renata rolled out a serving cart topped by various dishes: macaroni and cheese made with truffle oil, sweet-and-sour green beans, sweet potato casserole with pecan brȗlée topping, fresh cranberries, cornbread-sausage stuffing, giblet gravy and a tossed salad with honey-orange vinaigrette.

  The hours passed with lively conversation adding to the festive mood as everyone had second servings washed down with sparkling water, rosé or white wine. Bobby exacted a promise from Jason to give him the recipe for the mac and cheese, but when he heard the price for the truffle oil, he quickly changed his mind. Cappuccino and espresso accompanied slices of pie and homemade chocolate chip cookies.

  Greer shooed the men away from the table while she and Renata cleared the table and put the food away. Jason, Bobby and Chase retreated to the media center with a large wall-mounted flat screen and audio components that were separated from the primary living space. Jason lit a fire in the massive rock-faced fireplace as they settled down to watch television.

  It took Greer half the time to put the kitchen in order with Renata’s assistance. They sat at the cooking island talking about everything. The licensed nutritionist admitted she had never married after losing her college fiancé in an auto accident more than thirty years ago. She liked Bobby, but knew realistically she could never replace his late wife.

  “You can’t replace her,” Greer said, “but you can help to make him happy and healthy.”

  Chase was the first to leave
, thanking Jason and Greer for their hospitality and promising to come to West Palm Beach for their New Year’s Eve wedding. Two hours later Bobby and Renata left with shopping bags of leftovers.

  Standing in the doorway with their arms around each other, Jason and Greer waved as Bobby maneuvered his car out of the driveway. Jason closed and locked the door. “You did good, Mr. Cole.”

  Jason dropped a kiss on her hair. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Mrs. Cole.” Taking her hand, he led her into the media center, pulling her down to the sofa to sit between his legs. “I spoke to Bobby about buying the house on the lake, and he said he couldn’t sell it to me because he’d planned to leave it to you in his will.”

  Greer glanced up at him over her shoulder. “What are we going to do with three homes?”

  “We’ll definitely use the condo in Florida.”

  “But what about the house on the lake? How often will we use it?”

  “One of my cousins is transferring from a college in Miami to Lewis & Clark in Portland for the spring semester. He can stay in the house instead of on campus. It would be an hour’s drive each way, but at least he’d have his privacy and a quiet place to study.”

  “I’m okay with it as long as he doesn’t turn it into a frat house.”

  “Nathan’s a cool kid.”

  “He’ll stay cool as long as he doesn’t destroy my aunt and uncle’s home.”

  Jason pressed a kiss on the column of Greer’s neck. “You’ll get to meet Nathan when we go to Florida. Speaking of Florida, both Bobby and Chase are coming to the wedding. Is Bobby bringing Renata?”

  “He said he is.”

  “It’s too bad Chase couldn’t have made a go with Stefi.”

  “It sure is,” Greer drawled facetiously. She hid a smile. If it hadn’t been for Chase, she and Jason wouldn’t be planning to renew their secret vows. Her smiled faded quickly. He’d promised her that in ten days her life would change forever. Ten days, and then another four weeks, and she would change forever.

  * * *

  The seconds became minutes and minutes a half hour as they listened to the correspondents at the all-news TV station. Jason became instantly alert with the breaking news that there was a possible gas explosion at the Los Angeles home of Webb Irvine. There was footage of the police attempting to restrain a woman unofficially identified as Irvine’s mother from entering what was left of the smothering mansion. The reporter said the woman kept repeating she’d left her son sleeping inside the house. The explosion had occurred within minutes of her leaving to drive to the store.

  So, it’s over, Jason thought. There were no more Irvines and probably no more Slow Wyne. Even if the L.A.-based independent record label went under, Jason knew he wouldn’t pick up their most talented artist. It wasn’t worth the trouble.

  His cell phone vibrated. He took the phone out his back pocket, staring at the display. “Are you watching the news?”

  “That’s why I’m calling,” Ana said. “He’s gone, Jay. It’s finally over.”

  “Yes, it is. But I feel sorry for Mrs. Irvine. No parent should have to bury their children.”

  “I agree, but I’m not going to cry for her. She had to have known what she’d given birth to.”

  Jason didn’t want to argue with his twin sister—not today. “Did you get my check from the bank?”

  “I did, but I shredded it.”

  “Why?” Ana had quoted a price she wanted for her condo, and he’d authorized his bank to cut her a check.

  “Because I’m not going to take money from my brother. Consider the condo a wedding gift.”

  “What do you want as a gift?”

  “A boat. It’s not for me. It’s for Jacob. He loves deep-sea fishing, and when I mentioned buying him a boat, he went ballistic. My civil-servant husband has issues because I’m worth a lot of money. You don’t know what it took for me to convince him to move to Bay Colony. He claims the house in the Keys can fit into our new home four times. So if you give him the boat as a wedding gift, he’ll have to accept it.”

  “Pick out what you think he’d like, text me the dollar amount and where to send the check.”

  “Thank you, Jason. I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Ana. I’ll see you guys in four weeks.”

  Jason ended the call, and then looked at Greer. She hadn’t overheard his conversation because she’d fallen asleep. He understood Jacob’s reluctance to accept expensive gifts from his wife because a man wanted to provide for his wife and not the other way around. He’d explained to his brother-in-law that all Coles came into a five-million-dollar trust at twenty-five.

  At the reading of his grandfather’s will, Jason’s net worth had quadrupled. Other than building the house in Bear Ridge Estates, he hadn’t purchased any other big-ticket items. He didn’t draw a paycheck from Serenity Records, living instead off the interest from his investments. He had more than enough money to take care of Greer, their children and their children’s children.

  West Palm Beach, Florida—New Year’s Eve

  Greer, Ana and Peyton stood with their arms around each other’s waists in one of the bedroom suites in the West Palm Beach family mansion set on twelve acres, dressed in their wedding finery. Peyton had to have her platinum satin gown taken out at the waist to accommodate her expanding waistline.

  Greer smiled at her fellow brides. “I have something to tell you before we go downstairs.”

  “What?” Peyton and Ana chorused.

  “Jason and I got married the weekend we came to Virginia.”

  Peyton’s gray eyes grew wider. “Our anniversaries are only a day apart.”

  Greer dropped her arm and combed her fingers through her hair, flipping it over her bare shoulder. “Yes.”

  Ana’s dark eyes drilled into her. “You’re already my sister-in-law?”

  “Yes. Jason had given me a ring, and we decided not to have a long engagement.”

  “But we could’ve had a double wedding,” Peyton said.

  Greer shook her head, a wealth of lush reddish-brown waves moving over her back with the motion. “It was your day, Peyton, and it would’ve been selfish and disrespectful if I’d intruded.”

  Ana flashed a dimpled smile. “It looks as if all of us are renewing our vows.”

  Greer’s gaze swept from Ana to Peyton. “My sisters, you look beautiful.”

  “So do you,” Peyton countered.

  Ana pressed her cheek to Greer’s. “I’m honored to be your sister.”

  Greer rested a hand on the double strand of pearls falling over her collarbone, warmed from the heat of her skin. Chase’s prediction had manifested itself when, ten days following Thanksgiving, special agents from the ATF and DEA arrested sixteen people involved in the sale of illegal drugs and firearms. Danny had infiltrated the group, documenting the delivery and transfer of the stolen weapons. She hadn’t known Danny was a government informant, and he was never made aware that she was a special agent. Two days after the success of the dragnet, Greer drove to the Portland field office and filled out the documents to resign her position with the agency. It was also the same day the Grammy nominations were announced, and Justin Glover was nominated as Best New Artist, his album earned a nomination for Album of the Year, and he was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Country Song. She and Jason celebrated by having a private party followed by making endless love.

  * * *

  There was a knock on the door and the three women turned in that direction. “Who is it?” Ana called out.

  “Your father,” came David’s response. “And I have the other dads with me.”

  Greer smiled. It was about to start. “Come in.”

  The three men filed into the bedroom, their expressions mirroring tenderness when they stared at their daughters. Onl
y Alphonso Blackstone had had the honor of walking his daughter down the aisle. David Cole and Gregory Evans would be afforded that privilege in fewer than five minutes.

  David, wearing the requisite white tie, offered Ana his arm. “Come, baby girl. We have to get you married before the clock strikes midnight.”

  Greer rested her hand on the sleeve of her father’s tuxedo as he adjusted her veil before handing her Jason’s wedding band. She slipped it on the thumb of her left hand. “Do you mind sharing fatherly duties with Bobby?”

  Gregory Evans smiled. “Of course I don’t mind. I’ve always trusted Bobby to look after you and Cooper. Asking him to walk you down the aisle will really make this night even more special.”

  She knew when she walked down the white carpet to exchange vows with Jason it would be merely symbolic. For Greer it would become more personal when she’d leave her past behind to begin anew and live openly with her husband. Gathering the skirt of her gown in one hand, she carefully descended the staircase on her father’s arm, gliding across the marble floor to a door leading to the Japanese garden where the ceremony was scheduled to take place. Organza-swathed chairs were lined up in precise rows under an enormous white tent. Greer watched her father tap Bobby on his shoulder. She couldn’t see her uncle’s expression but she was certain he was surprised by her request. It was a warm winter Florida night, the temperatures in the low seventies and perfect for an outdoor nighttime wedding and celebration to follow.

  She and Jason had flown into West Palm Beach on Christmas Eve where she was introduced to more Coles, their extended families and traditions spanning four generations. There were so many children, if it hadn’t been for her ability to recall everything she saw and heard, Greer would’ve needed a scorecard or playbill to differentiate who was who. Peyton had become the third blonde in a family where dark hair was the norm. Joshua Kirkland had passed his flaxen hair and green eyes to his grandson, Alejandro Blackwell. Gifts were given to all children under the age of sixteen; those seventeen and older that had driver’s licenses were given keys to their first cars.