Alex put down the phone, then checked his watch. Five more minutes until his scheduled appointment. When it was over, he would deal with Susan. He’d do everything in his power to make sure she didn’t ruin Spiros’s life with her self-serving lies.
He clenched his fist and suppressed the urge to smash something with it. He’d experienced enough lying females to last him a couple of lifetimes. His mother. His wife. Self-centred women who didn’t give a damn how their lies tore others apart.
He’d been just a bit older than Spiros when he’d married Christina. He’d believed her lies, defied his father, and had made the biggest mistake of his life. In return, she’d thrown his love for her in his face, had used him, and then made a fool out of him. There was no way he was going to allow Spiros to make the same mistake.
Leah’s footsteps echoed eerily through the deserted underground railway station. Her nerves were stretched tight. The butterflies in her stomach had turned into giant moths, beating against her abdominal wall for release.
She felt ridiculous in Susie’s high-heeled shoes. Afraid she’d topple over in them. Susie had the personality to carry off the trendy gear, whereas Leah’s conservative clothes were more befitting her role as a high school teacher. Sensible shoes. Modest hem and necklines. The only thing she felt comfortable with was the handbag, but that was hers. Their mother’s last Christmas gift to both girls had been identical handbags, and the bag was the only part of her sister’s outfit that wasn’t too trendy or revealing.
A voice nagged at her. Maybe that was why your relationship with Kyle didn’t last. She was too conservative. Too unwilling to abandon her principles and take risks. Perhaps that was why she felt so uncomfortable with the role she was playing now.
She glanced over her shoulder and confirmed that she was still being followed by the man Alex had tailing her. Further behind him, two other men got onto the escalator.
I’m only under surveillance, not the target of a hit man. Stay calm.
The words were like a mantra, yet they weren’t calming her down. Her emotions were on the hairpin turn of a roller coaster ride, overshooting the track and being jerked one way, then another, as she absorbed the reality of Susie’s life. It didn’t help that her conscience was still troubled by her masquerade. She was also worried that by helping Susie she was allowing her wayward sister to take the easy way out, that it may have been better to stand firm and make her sister face up to her problems.
The noise of a suburban train approaching made her pick up her pace. By the time she was sitting in a movie theatre in central London, Susie would be with Spiros. A couple of days later they’d be husband and wife. Then they’d travel together to Greece to face Spiros’s family.
Whoosh. A cold gust of air buffeted her as the train pulled into the station, the chill of it seeping into her bones. She registered the empty carriages as the train slowed. Just my luck! The line was normally quiet, even at peak hour, but a completely empty train seemed eerie to her, like a ghost train.
Hiss. The carriage doors opened. She jumped backward. The sound was like a rifle shot, tearing through her frayed nerves.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she stepped onto the train and sat on the closest seat to the door. The man who was tailing her entered the same carriage, followed closely by the two other men.
As the train moved off, her fingernails dug painfully into her palms. She prayed she was doing the right thing. Acting as a decoy was tough.
In a lengthy telephone call an hour earlier, Spiros had assured Leah that he would marry Susie. He’d also promised to support her every step of the way in her battle with drugs. The man had seemed sincere. He’d then urged her to continue masquerading as Susie so they could marry without his brother’s interference.
It seemed fair to try to let the couple sort out their problems their way. Leah couldn’t let the tyrannical Alex stand in the way of her sister’s happiness. She wouldn’t let him ruin Susie’s attempt to change her lifestyle and overcome her addiction. Her loyalty to her sister demanded that she do everything in her power to give Susie a chance. She’d never forgive herself if Susie became suicidal and she hadn’t helped her.
Heat rose to her cheeks again as she thought of kissing Alex. How could she have responded so ardently to someone she’d just met? She’d never responded like that to Kyle.
Alex’s kiss had caught her by surprise when she’d already been on edge, that was all. She hadn’t been thinking straight, and she’d allowed his sophistication to overpower her inexperience.
A set of chimes was followed by an announcement that the train was nearing its first stop. She stayed seated. So did Alex’s man. The other two men got up from their seats.
As the men drew alongside her, they stopped.
One of them was holding a gun.
She gasped aloud, looking up at them in blind panic. Her heart skipped several beats. Her brain screamed in denial.
This can’t be happening.
‘Get up, Susan!’ one of the men told her, quietly but firmly. ‘This is your stop.’
Her gaze fixated on the gun. It looked real. Her eyes flew back to the man who was tailing her. Were they all working for Alex?
‘Start walking to the door,’ the stranger ordered.
Were they going to kill her?
The hard barrel of the gun connected with her upper arm. She stood. Fear made her legs shake so badly she doubted their ability to support her. The man with the gun put one arm around her and pulled her close. Then, the gun was hard up against her ribcage. The remaining air was squeezed out of her lungs by the cruel tightness of his grip.
Susie had warned her that Alex was ruthless, but would he resort to murder?
She had to escape, make a dash for it when they got off the train. Her eyes darted to the window, hoping she’d see people on the platform. She could attract attention or call for help. Her optimism turned to despair as the train slowed. There was no sign of anyone at the station.
A sharp object penetrated her upper arm, causing a startled yelp of pain to escape her lips. The sound was quickly stifled by a large hand clapping over her mouth. Jerking her head sideways, she saw she’d been stabbed with a hypodermic syringe. Adrenaline surged through her. Held tight, she couldn’t flee, but she could fight. Forgetting the gun, she began struggling against her attackers as they bundled her out of the train.
A slight burning sensation crept along her arm as the fluid from the syringe seeped into her veins.
A few seconds later, her vision started to blur. Was that a railway guard on the platform? She drifted on a foggy sea, unable to support herself, let alone continue her fight. She wanted to cry out, but the hand was still over her mouth, muffling her protests. She was vaguely aware of a male voice yelling before her world slipped into darkness.
Alex stretched out his long legs. He’d been sitting beside Susan’s bed most of the night, and now his limbs were stiff.
The nurse was checking Susan’s vital signs again.
Alex sat forward in the chair. ‘How is she?’
‘Still stable.’
‘No sign of a negative reaction?’ He could hear the anxiety in his voice.
‘No, Kirie. If she was going to react badly to the drug used in her attack, it would’ve happened by now.’
He let out a long sigh of relief, and the muscles in his arms and shoulders relaxed a little. The last thing he needed was Susan overdosing or having a bad reaction to the drug that had knocked her out. He’d been worried all night about it.
Having spent a great deal of the night tossing and turning, she was sleeping peacefully now. Her silky dark hair caressed the pillow as she moved her head. Her complexion was flawless — all peaches and cream. It gave no hint of the abuse her system had suffered as she’d slowly poisoned herself with recreational drugs.
Without conscious thought, his eyes were drawn to her mouth. The memory of the sweetness of her lush mouth made his lips part. His mouth grew dry, and he swallowed ha
rd.
The blood drained from his limbs and rushed to his loins, causing him to shift uncomfortably in his chair. Every muscle in his body tensed again as he struggled for control. He forced himself to remember the images from the photographer’s sordid collection. They were imprinted in his mind and the memories had the desired effect. In an instant, he’d managed to quell his body’s cravings.
Alex gazed down at her again. She was an extremely attractive young woman and looked so innocent while sleeping. It was almost easy to forget that she was far from naive — almost completely amoral. Not only was she sexually promiscuous, but she was a drug abuser, making her a high-risk candidate for deadly or infectious disease. He’d do well to remember that and hoped to God that Spiros hadn’t caught anything.
He shook his head in pity. Susan had been exposed to fame and fortune in her late teens. Ten years on and she was still at the top of the charts, but her personal life was a mess.
A tide of anger rose up in his throat. What had her parents been thinking, permitting an impressionable teenager to enter the fickle and artificial world of musical entertainment?
Leah stirred, feeling groggy and disoriented. Her limbs were like leaden weights, too hard to move. She moaned. All she wanted to do was keep her eyes closed, and drift back to sleep.
‘Thank God! She’s coming to.’
Even in her semi-delirious state, she recognised the rich timbre of Alex’s voice.
‘Leave us,’ he commanded.
This must be a dream. She tried to force her recalcitrant eyelids open, but failed. The sound of a door opening and closing quietly registered. Footsteps indicated someone was walking away, but she knew they didn’t belong to Alex. In her dream, he was still there with her, holding her wrist. Feeling her pulse. Even after their brief contact at his office, she knew the warmth of his touch, the strength of his fingers.
‘Mmm.’ She’d never forget how wonderful it felt to be held by him, to be kissed by him.
‘Wake up, Susan!’
Susie was with them? Leah frowned.
‘Don’t wake Susie,’ she mumbled. Her sister didn’t like being disturbed too early in the morning.
‘Susan! Wake up now!’
Wasn’t he listening? Didn’t he know how grumpy Susie would be if he woke her up? She giggled drunkenly. Oh well — she’d warned him. He’d find out! She snuggled back into her pillow and sighed.
‘No, you don’t,’ Alex told her.
Lifted by two muscular arms and hauled out of bed, she couldn’t muster a protest. It was quite comfortable having her head resting against the solid wall of his chest and feeling the reassuring thud of his strong heartbeat beneath her cheek.
Yes, this was where she wanted to be. This was such a beautiful dream; she never wanted to wake up. Funny how she remembered the delicious scent of him so clearly. Just the memory of it released a flood of pheromones into her bloodstream.
She rubbed her head against him, pressed her lips against the warm, bare skin at the neck of his shirt. It was just a dream. It was okay to let her thoughts run wild. To imagine what it’d be like to lie naked in his arms. To have him make love to her, and —
‘Aaaaah!’ The dream evaporated. Her eyes opened wide as she was abruptly deposited and blasted with a jet of freezing cold water. ‘Stop it! Turn it off!’
She could now see that she was standing in a shower cubicle, shivering from head to toe. Alex was leaning against the wall just outside, holding out a towel.
‘Wha-what are you doing?’ she demanded through chattering teeth.
‘Waking you up.’
It was then she realised she was naked — apart from her knickers, which were now a soggy, transparent scrap of lace. She crossed her arms to hide her exposed breasts and glared at him in indignant disbelief.
‘Get out!’
‘I’ve seen you in less.’
‘Get out!’
He dropped the towel on the floor. ‘I’ll be waiting for you outside. Be quick.’
As soon as he closed the door, Leah locked it. Turning back to retrieve the towel, she caught her reflection in the mirror and stopped dead. Gone was her long, chestnut hair. In its place was Susie’s pop star hairdo—a short, black bob now dripping wet from her recent drenching. The reality of the situation began to sink in — she was still masquerading as Susie.
She remembered the men on the train. The gun!
Lifting a hand to her shoulder, she winced. Her skin was tender and swollen where the needle had plunged in. Whatever was in the syringe had done a good job of knocking her out. Catching a glimpse of blue sky, visible through a high window, she realised she’d been unconscious all night.
Alex! He must have ordered the assault on her. What was he planning to do with her now, and where had he brought her? The questions circled in her brain like a menacing shark.
She was still alive. If he was going to kill her, he would have done so by now.
Urgently, she looked around the bathroom. The window was too small to fit through, and there were no other means of escape.
Alex’s voice was clear as he called out to her through the door. ‘If you’re not out in two minutes, I’ll break down the door.’
She didn’t doubt him for a second. This was a man in control of a multi-billion dollar hotel empire. Susie and Spiros had both described him as ruthless.
Did he know that they were planning to elope? Was that why she’d been attacked and brought to him? She shuddered.
‘One minute now,’ he told her crisply.
Oh, great! Where were Susie’s clothes? There was nothing to wear except a large towelling robe. Angry and fed up, she stripped off her wet knickers, wrung them out and put them back on.
‘Time’s up!’
‘I’m getting dressed,’ she squealed.
She threw on the bathrobe and tied the belt firmly around her waist. Then she unlocked and opened the bathroom door.
He was right there on the other side: tall, dark and glowering like some avenging angel. Just the sight of him made her cantering heart pump into a gallop.
She clenched her teeth. Get a grip, she told herself. He was dangerous. An enemy to her family. She didn’t know this man — didn’t know just what he was capable of. His men had threatened her with a gun and kidnapped her.
‘How do you feel, Susan?’
She stared at him in disbelief. Something inside her cracked. Her stiff limbs started to shake, and she felt her fear being pushed aside by rage.
‘How do I feel? I’ve been tailed, had a gun pulled on me, been stabbed with a hypodermic syringe, and drugged. How do you think I feel?’
He grimaced. ‘I’d guess you’re shaken and scared, but you’re safe here.’
Safe? ‘I don’t even know where here is, and I certainly don’t feel safe.’
‘You’re at my home.’ He moved away from the doorway of the bathroom and into a large bedroom.
‘Your home?’ She followed him, wanting to stay angry, but her rage evaporated as fast as it had erupted. Shock began to set in.
‘Come and sit down.’ He indicated a chair close to a large, unmade bed.
Was that where she’d been sleeping? Where her dream of Alex had started? Pinpricks of agitation needled her chest. She remembered snuggling up against him, moaning in his arms as he carried her through to the adjoining bathroom.
Stifling a groan of embarrassment, she sat down on the chair and studied her bare toes.
‘Do you remember exactly what happened on the train?’
Her head jerked up. ‘I remember, all right. I was attacked by your henchmen.’
‘They were not my men.’ Every syllable carried shocked outrage.
‘I don’t believe you.’
‘I had nothing to do with your attack. I’d never resort to such tactics.’
She clutched the arms of the chair. ‘Your men drugged me. What kind of thug are you?’
‘I’m not a thug, and they weren’t my men. I want to know
what they wanted with you.’
As she studied him, an icy chill began to course through her veins, freezing her circulation, numbing her extremities. Those men hadn’t been taking their orders from him? Could she believe him?
‘What are you mixed up in, Susan?’ His eyes were steely. They studied her like she was some exotic specimen under a microscope.
Her mind raced. Her twin bought and used illicit drugs. Perhaps she was mixed up in something dangerous. Had those two men been underworld criminals? If so, she needed to know what they wanted with Susie just as much as Alex did.
‘Whatever trouble you’re in, you’re not dragging my brother into it.’
‘I don’t know who they are,’ her voice squeaked out, making her sound like a frightened child.
He gave her a long, considering look. ‘Have there been any threats made against you?’
‘You’re the only one who’s threatened me.’
He ignored that. ‘Are you in debt?’
She shuddered. Did Susie owe money for drugs?
‘Those men weren’t playing games, Susan. George — the man who, on my orders, was following you — has the injuries to prove it.’
‘He fought them off?’
‘Yes.’
‘Is he okay?’
‘No, he’s not okay!’ Alex’s face darkened with anger. A blood vessel stood out in his jaw as he rounded on her. ‘He’s battered and bruised because of you. George was lucky there was a security guard at the station who could help him fight off your attackers. Then, even with a couple of broken ribs, George managed to haul your sorry behind out of danger’s way.’
‘I’m so sorry George was injured.’ The tears pooled in her eyes.
‘You’re sorry?’
‘I want to go home.’ She must get home. She had to contact Susie and find out whether her sister was in more trouble than she’d let on. ‘Please, call me a taxi.’
‘That’s not possible.’ There was a chilling calmness in his voice.
Her lips trembled. ‘Why not?’
‘There are no taxis on this island.’
Island? What island?
She got up from her chair, swaying on her feet. She ran over to the window and threw open the shutters, letting out a strangled sob as she looked out. Beyond a spectacular set of gardens, she saw the pristine white sands of a beach, and — further — the majestic blue of the ocean.
Mistaken Identity Page 3