“How often did that happen?”
His lips twitched. “A few times in the beginning. By the end...no one could beat me.”
Blakely wasn’t surprised. Gray might be many things, but the man she knew was driven and determined.
“I learned a lot about myself in the process. But most of all, I grew into a man I could be proud of.”
Blakely shifted, using her leverage to roll them both. He dropped onto the bed, his large body sprawling. Blakely’s hips settled over his, their legs tangling together.
The hard ridge of his sex stirred between them, making her own sex pulse with a reminder and demand.
But there was something she wanted to say first.
Wrapping her hands around the base of his skull, Blakely brought her face close to his, making sure she filled his entire gaze.
“You are one of the best men I’ve ever known, Gray Lockwood. You’re honorable, strong, quiet and resourceful. I hate that you went through a terrible time in your life to become the man you are, but the man you are is amazing.”
His eyes sharpened, going hot and hard.
His fingers buried deep into her hair, holding her steady as he surged up and found her mouth.
Apparently, words weren’t necessary anymore.
* * *
They landed in Kuta. Gray was certain the city was gorgeous—they were in Bali, after all. Surprisingly enough, in all his travels during his younger years, Bali had never made it onto the list. Perhaps because he’d been more interested in wild adventures than calming, peaceful vistas.
Unfortunately, the view was still lost on him since his mind wasn’t on taking in the sights. Apparently, neither was Blakely’s, which shouldn’t have surprised him, but did.
She was efficient and focused as they followed the man who greeted them as they disembarked the plane. Striding before him across the tarmac, that was the sight Gray couldn’t tear his gaze away from. The compact, lithe movements of her body. The lush, rounded globe of her ass hugged by well-worn denim. Hell, he hadn’t even realized Blakely owned a pair of jeans until she’d pulled them on when they’d finally decided to climb from the bed.
He liked seeing her relaxed and casual. Something told him not many people got to experience that side of her. He tried not to convince himself it was important she felt comfortable enough to let him in...but it was.
They reached a dark green Jeep, clearly set up for off-roading adventures. The top and doors were off, roll bars showing. Several men who’d followed behind with their luggage quickly stowed everything in the back. Blakely didn’t hesitate, but grasped one of the bars and boosted herself up into the lifted vehicle.
Reaching into her bag, she rummaged around until she found a hair band and quickly pulled it into a knot at the base of her skull. Shaking his head, Gray followed her. Beneath his breath he murmured, “Always prepared.”
“What?” Blakely turned to him, her eyebrows beetled together in confusion.
“Nothing.”
But that was Blakely to a T. She hadn’t questioned or hesitated. She’d simply seen the vehicle they were taking and adjusted accordingly. It never would have entered her mind to complain and request something else. There had been plenty of women in his life—before—that would have stood outside the Jeep and pitched a fit, refusing to get in because it would mess up their hair.
Climbing up, Gray settled into his seat. Reaching over, he grasped Blakely’s hand and pulled it into his own lap. He simply needed to touch her right now.
The drive across the island was beautiful. But the closer they got to the villa he’d rented, the more his stomach churned. After some digging, Joker had finally been able to send him an address. His sister had apparently rented a small place on the beach not far from where they were staying.
In less than an hour he might be confronting the person responsible for his imprisonment. And she was his half sister.
Was he ready for this?
They pulled up at the villa. It was gorgeous, but Gray didn’t particularly care. He was used to staying in beautiful places. Often took it for granted.
Blakely didn’t.
She hopped out of the Jeep, her feet hitting the ground with an audible thud. And she simply stood there, staring at the place.
It took several moments for her reaction to catch Gray’s attention. But when it did, he decided then and there they were coming back to Bali the first chance they got. He wanted to put that look of wonder and surprise on her face every chance he could.
After handing off a bag to the staff that had come out to meet them, Gray walked over to her. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled Blakely against his body. She willingly went, leaning into him without hesitation.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Wait until you see the view from the bedroom.” The master suite opened out to the pool, which overlooked a stretch of private beach. They could lie in bed and watch the sunset...and sunrise.
Twisting around, she looked up at him. “You didn’t have to get a whole villa, Gray. It’s just the two of us. Surely they have hotel rooms on the island.”
“Of course, but I thought we might want privacy.”
Her gaze sharpened. “Because you intend to make me scream your name repeatedly or because you expect things to go badly with your sister?”
Gray huffed out a laugh. “Both.”
A smile teased the corners of her lips. “I’m in for the first and I’m going to hope the second doesn’t happen.”
Gray was going to, as well, but he wasn’t holding his breath. Nothing added up where his sister was concerned, so he really had no way of making an educated guess as to how this encounter was going to go.
He was about to say as much when the cell in his pocket buzzed. Pulling it out, he glanced at the number on the screen. His belly tightened, but he answered the call, anyway.
“Joker.”
“She’s there right now, but she’s not planning to stay long. She started moving money a couple of hours ago. Looks like she’s getting ready to run.”
Because she’d figured out they were close?
Gray had purposely left all of his electronics back in Charleston, including his personal cell. This one was a Stone Surveillance burner he’d grabbed on their way out of town. Not only had he needed to evade his sister’s scrutiny, but he was also still on probation technically, and not allowed to leave the country without approval.
“How did she figure out we’re here?”
Joker grumbled something unintelligible, but clearly he wasn’t happy. Finally, he said, “She didn’t. Someone else found her.”
Gray let out an expletive. Shitty timing. “Who?”
“A Russian mob boss she screwed over about two years ago.”
Perfect. “It going to be a problem?”
“Not if you get to her first.”
Grabbing Blakely’s hand, he started pulling her back to the Jeep. Whistling to get the attention of their driver, Gray pointed at the Jeep. The guy nodded, then passed off the piece of luggage he’d been carrying. Jogging over, he launched his small frame into the driver’s seat.
Gray didn’t wait for Blakely to pause, but grabbed her around the waist and boosted her up into the Jeep. Rounding the vehicle, he showed their driver the address before following.
He’d expected to have a little time to prepare for this encounter. But maybe this was better.
Thirteen
Blakely was patient and simply went along for the ride. He hadn’t even bothered to tell her what was going on until they were already speeding away from their villa. The whole time Gray’s mind raced with what would happen if the Russian muscle arrived first, anxiety gripping his gut.
No one deserved that.
The drive up to his sister’s place was severely different from the drive up to theirs. Wil
d vegetation obscured the view of the house, not just from the road, but from the long, winding drive. Their rental had been meticulously landscaped—the lush vegetation had been tamed to give a sense of tropical decadence.
The house itself was also much different. Small and old, clearly it had seen better days. Their villa screamed affluence and attention, not because Gray cared about stuff like that, but because he could afford the comforts it provided.
His sister could afford the same things. But something told him she’d chosen this place on purpose. Not only because it was well hidden, but also in order to not draw any undue attention.
Before they actually reached the house, Gray leaned forward and tapped their driver on the shoulder, telling him to stop. She might have already heard the Jeep, but in case she hadn’t, he didn’t want to spook her.
Jumping down, he walked around to help Blakely from the vehicle. Grasping her hand, they quietly walked the rest of the path up to the house.
It was silent and dark. No lights on inside, which made a tight band constrict Gray’s chest. Were they too late? Had they missed her?
Rather than knock, he tried the knob, but wasn’t surprised to find it locked. No one who made a habit of screwing over powerful people left the front door unlocked. Not if they were smart, and from everything he’d learned, his sister was extremely intelligent.
He could pick the lock, a little skill Finn had shared. But his friend had also imparted another piece of wisdom—don’t make a simple job harder than it has to be.
Urging Blakely to follow behind him, Gray circled the house. It might not have much to offer in the way of luxury, but the view was breathtaking. Like most villas here, the back of the house had a huge outdoor area. The living space was open to the breezy outdoor sitting area and a path straight down to the water. There were doors that could be closed for security, but right now they were standing wide open.
Which told him that either his sister had left in a hurry, not bothering to secure the place, or she might be somewhere inside.
Taking a chance, Gray stepped up onto the back deck and raised his voice. “Kinley.”
Her name reverberated against the terra-cotta tiles. His instincts hummed. A sound echoed from deep inside the darkened house. A muffled curse.
“Kinley, I’m not here to hurt you. I’m just here to talk.”
Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the dark. Moonlight high above washed everything with a ghostly silver gray. He inched forward. And a soft voice floated into the darkness. “Stop.”
Blakely’s hand clamped down on his arm. Slowly, Kinley materialized out of the shadows as she moved forward into the watery light. “Don’t come any closer.”
Gray held up his open hands in the universal sign that he meant no harm. “I’m not here to hurt you.”
“That’s a lie. Why wouldn’t you be here to hurt me? I ruined your life.”
“You know who I am.”
“Of course I know who you are.”
Gray took a deep breath, pulling in air and holding it for several seconds before slowly letting it out on a warm stream. Some of the tension that had been tightening his shoulders flowed out with it.
“All I want is to talk.”
“Bullshit. You want to make me pay for what I did to you.”
Gray tilted his head sideways, really studying his sister. She didn’t look a thing like their mother, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t just as beautiful. In fact, she was even more striking. Her inky hair hung in long, thick curls down her back, contrasting with her creamy skin, making it glow in the moonlight. He couldn’t tell their exact color, but her eyes were dark, as well—probably brown. She was tall—he’d guess only a few inches short of six feet. But her body was lean, a runner’s build.
Gray wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but it wasn’t this beautiful, strong woman standing before him. Maybe he’d expected a child. The sixteen-year-old teenager who had influenced his life. Kinley was hardly that. Gray knew within seconds that she was fully capable of taking care of herself. Because she’d had to do it for the last eight years...or even longer than that.
In that moment, Gray realized they had much more in common than a shared parent.
“I want to understand what happened. Yes, I have questions. But I don’t want you to pay for anything. I know you were only sixteen when our mother convinced you to steal that money.”
Kinley took several steps closer, coming even farther into the light. “Wait, what?” Her dark eyebrows winged down into a deep V of confusion. “Our mother?”
Oh, hell. She didn’t know.
Gray’s mouth opened and closed. Of course Cece had never told Kinley. Why would she?
The job had been about his father, not about him. Kinley had accidentally framed him, pulling him into the mess. Without that mistake, none of it would have touched him, so there’d been no reason to tell his sister that he existed.
Blakely’s soft hand landed on his shoulder. She squeezed and then took over when he wasn’t sure he had the words to continue.
“Gray is your half brother. Your mother was angry with his father for refusing to give her more money. That’s why she had you steal from Lockwood Industries. You were supposed to frame his father for embezzlement, but you put the money in Gray’s accounts instead.”
* * *
Kinley stared at the woman who’d just rocked her world, dumbfounded by the unexpected revelation. Her gaze jerked to Gray Lockwood, a man who had become as familiar to her as her own reflection. Hell, she’d spent hours watching him over the last several months. A lot more time than the cursory glances she’d taken in the mirror.
How had she missed it?
She’d dug into this guy’s background. Read every piece of documentation she could find about his life. She knew he’d been a math whiz as a kid, but hated history. She knew he’d had his appendix out when he was eleven. She even knew the brand of underwear he preferred to buy.
“Not possible.”
That was the only conclusion she could come up with. There would have been some paper trail. Some indication.
“I assure you, it’s not only possible, it’s the truth. My father had an affair with your mother. She got pregnant. My mother couldn’t conceive so he paid Cece to give up the baby. My birth certificate was falsified.”
Kinley let out a sharp laugh. “Money can buy anything, huh?”
“Something like that.”
She stared at him. He was handsome and a little scary. Gray Lockwood reminded her of the men currently chasing after her. Despite the silver-spoon upbringing, he still carried an edge of danger that nothing could hide. He was big and broad and clearly possessed the skills to protect himself if push came to shove.
“Why should I believe you?”
Gray shrugged. “You don’t have to. Yet. I’m happy to get the tests to prove we’re siblings...after we get you out of here. We have reason to believe the Russians after you will be here in less than twenty minutes.”
Kinley swore under her breath. She’d always known her choices would catch up to her sooner or later. You piss off enough powerful, vindictive people and eventually you pay the price.
And she’d been okay with that. In theory. Now that the reality was breathing hot and heavy down her neck...
She’d done a lot of good for a lot of people. She’d righted a lot of wrongs. That was going to have to be good enough. The reality was, there was no one in her life who would give a damn if she disappeared. The Russians could kill her and her death wouldn’t be a blip on a single radar.
Which was the life she’d chosen.
But she wasn’t ready to give up just yet.
Spinning on her heel, Kinley headed back into the darkened house. She entered the room she’d set up as an office months ago, when she’d settled in Bali. She’d picked the house for very specific
reasons, one of which was that despite the run-down appearance and out-of-the-way location, the house was wired like a high-tech ops center. Or at least it was now.
She started placing stuff into the open cases she’d abandoned when Gray had tripped her silent alarm. Most of her computers, servers, racks and equipment were already put away. She only had a few more, and packing them wouldn’t take her five minutes. The issue would be getting everything loaded into her car in time.
Next time, she was going to invest in a heavy-duty cart so she didn’t have to lug the awkward cases one at a time.
Her brother—she still wasn’t ready to accept that—and the woman appeared. They stood in the doorway just watching, without saying anything. Clearly, they weren’t there to hurt her, but the Russians would, so that danger was more pressing.
She’d deal with her brother and the woman later. Or not.
Grabbing the first box, Kinley tried to keep in the groan of effort, but couldn’t quite make it.
Her brother shot forward, snatching it from her before she could protest. Lifting it like it was nothing, he spun on his heel and headed out the front door. Kinley started to chase after him—he was holding some damn expensive equipment and she really didn’t want him to disappear with it.
But she stopped. There was no way she was going to win if they ended up in a wrestling match. Better to grab another box and get it into her car. She had the money to replace anything he took, even if it would be a huge pain in the ass.
Battles and wars and all that. She was picking and choosing.
Kinley headed out behind him, cognizant that the woman who’d come in with Gray had also grabbed one of the boxes stacked in the corner and was following. Great.
Ahead of her, her brother approached a Jeep idling in front of the house. He didn’t pause, but lifted up the box and put it into the back. He motioned for her to do the same, but she was in no mood to comply. Instead, she started over to the small SUV she’d bought for ten thousand dollars when she’d arrived to the island.
The Sinner's Secret Page 14