by Girard, Dara
“Where is she?”
“Iona has her. In the caves.” She took his hand. “I’ll show you where I came out from.”
“Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
“No, I don’t want to be alone.”
“Fine. Come on.”
With Callia in tow he ran back to the cove where his brother and the other men were discussing a strategy.
“I found Callia!”
They all turned and then Callia ran to Lucian.
“Are you all right?” he said, searching her for any injuries.
“Iona has Nikki.”
Lucian nodded. “I know.”
“She’s not here,” Callia said, looking around the cove. “Come on, before it’s too late. I think I know where she is.”
Callia led them to the tunnel from which she’d escaped. “She’s still down there. I heard a splash.”
“That means she won’t be here,” Lucian said, walking to another cave. “She’ll be farther down.”
Dante swore. “She’ll be swept out to sea.”
“Not if I get to her first,” Lucian said.
Basilio shook his head, afraid for his brother. “You can’t—”
“I know these tunnels, too, and I’m a strong swimmer.” Lucian stopped in front of a cave that looked like an animal’s burrow. It was tight and low to the ground. He’d have to crawl into it. “I have to at least try.”
“But—”
“He’s a great swimmer,” Callia said with fierce support. “He’ll save Nikki.”
Lucian was glad to have her confidence. He knew the caves better than anyone. He knew where they turned and dropped and how the water flowed. It was still dangerous, and possibly a deadly choice, but he had to make it. The darkness didn’t frighten him. He would rescue her. He got down on his knees, checked his pocket for his penlight, set his cane aside and then crept into darkness.
Chapter 21
It was a torturous, slow death. For fleeting moments Nikki felt herself being pushed toward the surface by the force of the water and given a chance for air. But she was always dragged down again, each time reaching out to grab something but always meeting emptiness. Soon the water settled, giving her a chance to emerge at the surface and gulp in air until her chest felt as if it would burst. She looked around, her eyes growing used to the darkness, but all she sensed were more walls. She swam to the edge and called out. Would anyone hear her? She knew they would be looking for her, but it was a large island with many caves and tunnels. They could be on the other side, for all she knew, but she couldn’t think that way. She would make it out of there.
Suddenly she felt the water move. Something was coming. Oh God, Iona had found her. Nikki was pushing herself from the wall, ready to dive into the water again, when something grabbed her leg. She screamed and fought to free herself.
“Shh,” Lucian said. “It’s me. I’ve got you.”
Nikki collapsed into his arms in disbelief. “I was so afraid no one would find me.”
He held her close. “Now you don’t have to be afraid anymore.”
“It’s so dark. How will we—”
“It’s okay. Trust me. It will be a little rough, but we’ll make it.”
“Callia,” Nikki said, remembering. “Have you found her?”
“Yes, she’s safe, Artemis,” he replied, using the nickname he’d first given her. “She helped let me know where I might find you. Come on.”
“Can’t we go back the way we came?”
“No, it’s best not to fight the current. Don’t worry. I know where this river leads. Just hold my hand and don’t let go.”
Nikki didn’t let go, even when she feared the current would rip them apart and felt all her energy would fail her. She was determined that the water and the darkness wouldn’t win. Soon the current weakened and then disappeared. She could feel that they were in a large opening and not just an air pocket.
Lucian stopped and lifted her up. “We’ll get out here.” He gestured ahead. “See that spot of light? I want you to crawl toward it.”
“Is there a ladder?”
“No, not all tunnels were used or made by smugglers. This one nature made. Go on. I’ll be right behind you.”
Lucian watched her go and hesitated. He didn’t want her to see him without his cane. He was nimble and strong in the water, but on land he could hardly walk without it. At one moment he felt like a hero and the next like a broken man. The darkness welcomed him.
“Lucian?” Nikki called out, anxiety and fear in her voice.
He reluctantly smiled, knowing she’d never let him stay in darkness. She would always be his light. “I’m coming.”
Nikki hovered around the opening of the cave, waiting for Lucian to come out. But he was taking too long. Had something happened? Would she have to go back and get him? She was considering her options when he finally emerged. Nikki fell on her knees and hugged him. She swallowed hard and bit back tears of joy.
“We’ll get the doctor to look at you,” Lucian said. “Go on ahead.”
Nikki shook her head. “I’m okay.”
“You go ahead, anyway.”
Nikki paused, knowing why he was trying to send her away. “I know you don’t have your cane. Let me help you up.”
“Please don’t ask me to do that.”
“I’m strong enough for you to lean on me. Don’t be too proud.” She lowered her voice. “A strong man knows his weakness, and a wise man his faults.”
Lucian relented and allowed Nikki to help him rise.
She grunted. “You weigh a ton,” she teased.
He smiled, then his smile fell when he saw Iona standing in front of them with a gun.
“I wonder if I should shoot your other leg this time.”
“You’ve lost, Iona,” Lucian said.
“Not yet.”
She had aimed, ready to shoot, when a dark form jumped down from one of the trees and landed on her head. It attacked her face with its sharp claws, drawing blood. She screamed as Lethe assaulted her with all his animal fury. Nikki helped Lucian lean against a tree, then ran and grabbed the gun. Iona’s screams alerted the others. Within minutes Lethe released her, but not before doing considerable damage to her face. Soon the patrol had her in handcuffs.
Nikki went over to Lucian and rested her head against him.
Dante joined them and said with a flourish, “Thank God that’s over.”
Callia hugged them. “I’m so glad you’re all right.”
“Yes,” Nikki said as Lucian took the cane Dante handed him.
Dante glanced up and saw Basilio, who saw the butler’s look of disdain and turned away.
“It’s not his fault,” Nikki said, seeing Dante’s stern look.
“He was reckless, disobedient and stubborn.”
“You just described me,” Nikki said.
Dante shook his head. “You’re different.”
“Not really,” Nikki said. “I understand him. He worships Lucian but also wants to be different than him. He wants to be seen as his own man. As a younger sibling, I know how important it is to have someone you admire be proud of you. Appreciate your accomplishments, even if they never measure up.”
“Accomplishments?” Dante said with a sniff. “He hasn’t tried to accomplish anything, and to be with Iona, a woman—”
“When did you know about her?” Nikki asked.
“A while ago,” Lucian said, “but I suspected more when the head wrap turned up. Callia mentioned it, and I knew no one would have something from Ghana except Iona, to whom, I knew, Alana had given most of her throwaways.”
“Iona thought they were gifts,” Nikki revealed.
“Alana didn’t give gifts. Iona may as well have been a trash bin. Once Alana was finished with something, whether it was an item or a person, she had no use for it,” Lucian said. “I wanted to see what role my brother was playing in her deception, before I made my move,” he added.
“She chose the
perfect mark,” Dante said.
“Why don’t you like him?” Nikki asked, surprised by Dante’s level of disgust. “Yes, he’s young, and yes, he was taken in, but if you look past his mistakes, you’ll see that you two have a lot in common.”
Dante pointed to himself. “Me?”
“Yes. You’re both willing to protect those you care about.” Nikki waved his protest away. “I know he tried to protect the wrong person.”
“You mean himself? He didn’t do it for Iona. He lied because he didn’t want Lucian to know what really happened.”
“Do you blame him?” Lucian said.
“Give him another chance and you’ll uncover how you’re both very much the same,” Nikki added.
Dante shook his head. “No, we’re not.”
“You’re both good-looking, charming in your own ways and considerate. If you gave him a chance, you could be friends,” Nikki said.
Dante shuddered. “No, never that.”
Lucian sent him a look. “But perhaps something else.”
Dante paused. “Does he have to know?”
Lucian nodded. “I think it’s time. He’s heartbroken. There’s nothing you can say that he won’t say to himself. Forgive him for being young and reckless and for falling in love with the wrong woman. He’s not the only one.”
“Does he have to know what?” Nikki asked, but both men ignored her question.
Dante lit a cigarette and sighed. “I suppose I do owe Basilio for one thing.”
“What?” Nikki asked.
He offered her one of his rare smiles. “Bringing you into our lives.”
Chapter 22
“Are you sure you don’t want to come back with us?” Monica asked her sister as she packed her suitcase.
She and J.D. had stayed an extra three days to be with Nikki while Lucian traveled to the mainland to talk to the police. Callia and Nikki had also spoken to them and given their statements, but Lucian had made sure the meeting was brief, and with his influence the officers followed his orders and were soon gone.
Strangely, despite their horrendous ordeal, Callia had recovered quickly. She didn’t have any nightmares and her mood seemed oddly buoyant. It was when Nikki saw Callia putting a flower in a vase that she discovered the reason why.
“Dante and I are friends again. We sat on the beach and talked like we did in the old days, and today Dante gave this to me. My favorite flower, which he picked up from a vendor on the mainland.”
Nikki looked at the variety of flowers that surrounded her in the house and even beyond, in the garden. She knew that to Callia none of them mattered. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yes, it’s my favorite color, too, red. He told me that he’s so glad that I’m safe and how brave I was to escape and lead them back to the cave, and then he handed me this.”
Nikki bit her lip, tempted to warn Callia not to make too much of it, but she didn’t want to remove the joy on the young woman’s face in the slightest way. She deserved this recaptured happiness.
“I know it’s nothing much,” Callia said, as if Nikki had spoken aloud. “But I’ll keep it forever, because it means that just for a moment, he was thinking of me.”
“That’s right.”
Callia smelled the flower and sighed. “I’m so glad we’re friends again.”
“Yes.”
She sent Nikki a coy look. “And in a few years I’ll convince him that we can be a lot more.”
Nikki couldn’t help a smile. It seemed clear that Callia was quickly heading toward womanhood and would soon learn the power of her looks and the mastery of feminine charm.
Nikki thought of that now as she sat on the bed and watched her sister close up her suitcase. Dante’s gift and Callia’s happiness had given her an idea. “I do need your help,” she said, jumping off the bed.
“With what?”
“I need you to help me pack.”
“You’ve decided to come with us? Not that I blame you. You’ve been through a lot and need a break from this place.”
“Come on. I don’t want Lucian to see me.”
“Why not?” Monica asked as she followed her sister to her room.
Nikki entered her bedroom and pulled out her suitcase.
“You can’t just leave without saying goodbye.”
Nikki opened her armoire. “That’s right. I need to leave him a note.”
“I think you should say what you want to say in person.”
“Not yet. I need you and J.D. to do something for me.”
“Anything.”
Nikki told Monica what she’d planned, and as Monica listened, a smile spread on her face.
Basilio sat in Lucian’s study, wondering why Lucian had called the meeting. It had been over a week since the event with Iona, and his brother had barely spoken to him. Not that there had been much time. Lucian had spent lots of time on the mainland and then a few days ago he’d taken Dante and Callia and gone on a trip with Nikki, Monica and J.D. to his home in England, because Monica had asked him to. He’d invited Basilio to join them, but Basilio felt like an outsider and offered to stay behind.
But he didn’t stay on the island. Instead he rented a room on the mainland and drank himself into a pitying stupor for a few days, until he realized he was being stupid. He was an outsider because of his own stupidity. He liked life to be easy and whined whenever it wasn’t. When his mother died, he’d gone to Lucian for help. When he needed work, he turned to Lucian to give it to him. Not once had he given his brother anything. That was why he’d worked with Monica to get Nikki to come and redesign the place. And she’d made the place great and made his brother happy, and he’d nearly ruined it.
Basilio ended his pity party, ready to prove to his brother that he hadn’t made a mistake by letting him stay. He would run the villas and make sure that everything was in order. He would come up with ideas. See what other holdings his brother had and see how he could help. Maybe Lucian would let him oversee one of his investments or businesses and give him the opportunity to make it even more successful. He felt a new ambition filling him. He would never be some woman’s pansy again.
Now Lucian was back, J.D. and Monica were heading back home and his brother had ordered to see him. What did his brother want to say to him? Was he going to tell him to leave? He looked over at Dante, who stood by the corner. Did his brother have to shame him in front of that bastard? He didn’t want to have to plead with him to give him another chance, but he would, because it wasn’t just that Lucian was the only immediate family he had left. He loved him. His brother meant everything to him.
He couldn’t blame Lucian for wanting to send him away. He’d probably do the same. He knew he could find a job somewhere else, but it wouldn’t be the same. He’d miss everything here. He was a different man now. Hell, he even liked cats. After seeing what Lethe had done to Iona, he’d thought of getting one for himself. But it wasn’t just that he’d changed; this place, Callia, Nikki and Lucian had become his home and family, and he didn’t want to give them up.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” Lucian said, coming into his study and walking over to his desk.
“I know I messed up,” Basilio said, ready to defend himself. “And you have every right to be angry with me—”
“You’re forgiven,” Lucian interrupted.
Basilio stopped, with his mouth open. He closed it and stared at his brother a moment. “What?”
“That’s not why I asked to see you.”
Basilio shifted in his seat. “Why then?”
“I thought we should have an official family reunion.”
Basilio jerked his finger at Dante. “Then why the hell is he here?”
“Because he’s family.”
Basilio rose to his feet. “What?”
“He’s our half brother.”
“Is this a joke?”
Dante folded his arms. “No.”
“He knows why we never saw Dad again,” Lucian said.
Basilio turned to Dante, then back to Lucian. “Do I really want to hear this?”
Dante shrugged. “It’s up to you. If you’re too scared—”
Basilio spun to him. “I’m not scared of anything.”
“Stop taunting him,” Lucian said. “Tell him.”
Dante sighed and let his hands fall to his sides. “Our father liked to juggle women. My mother met him after your mother. She didn’t know about her when she married him.”
“Our father was a bigamist?”
“A polygamist.”
“There were more?”
“Two more.”
Basilio collapsed into his seat and covered his eyes. “I don’t believe this.”
“Well, he juggled his women well until one found out about the other and—”
“Killed him?”
“It was never proven,” Lucian said.
“My mother learned about Lucian and the connection to my father and encouraged me to contact him. I needed the work, so I did,” Dante said.
Basilio looked at Lucian, amazed. “How many more secrets do you have?”
Lucian sent him a level stare. “Hopefully no more than you.”
Basilio sighed and held up his hands. “None. I have no secrets to keep.”
“Good. Me too.”
“Me three,” Dante said. “This doesn’t change anything. I still think you’re a brainless dummy.”
Basilio frowned. “And you’re an officious idiot.”
Dante held out his hand. “But I’d prefer you as a brother than as an enemy.”
Basilio shook it. “Agreed.”
Lucian stood. “Good. Now, which one of you will help me choose a ring? The idiot or the dummy?”
Dante jerked his head at Lucian and looked at Basilio. “What do you think we should call him?”
“Nothing that he’ll let us get away with.”
Dante laughed. “You’re right.”
Lucian leaned back in his chair. “You haven’t answered my question.”
Basilio rubbed his hands together. “So you’re going to make it official with Nikki?”
Lucian glanced at his watch. “I have the jeweler scheduled for this time.” There was a knock on the door.