ALAYNA“Arianna!” I squeeze my sister into an embrace as soon as I see her cross the door. It is midnight, but those left in the house are unable to sleep, anxiously waiting for everyone’s arrival. Heck, I couldn’t even help but think of the worst things that might happen to them since we haven’t even received any update. We are in the living room now with Cassius, Casey, and Pauline.
“I’m fine, Laynie. Really, really fine.” She hugs me back. Behind her are Brandon and his cousins, who seem unharmed too; only, I don’t see Jason.
“Where’s J?” I ask.
“Right here,” my brother comes through the door.
“Thank God you’re all okay.” I sigh, purging the anxiety from my chest. “Brandon—”
I’m abruptly cut off when Pauline appears at my side and jumps on Brandon. She wraps her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She probably thinks she’s some kind of a spider; no, a hairy tarantula. My skin crawls at the sight.
Get the hell off him!She sobs. “You’re okay! I was so worried about you!” It’s not enough that she is squeezing myBrandon’s expression is somewhat unguarded, but he manages to return to his impassive attitude. His arms remain at his side too. Everyone around us wears the same bewildered look.
I am about to stomp behind her and poke her brazen ass, or maybe yank her hair, but Brandon puts her down.
“I’m fine, Pauline,” he says forbiddingly.
Her eyebrows knit together, and her face turns red. She pouts. “Sorry, it’s just a habit.”
I grunt inwardly. A habit? She freaking does this often?
“WhewAn awkward silence falls. I wish I could say something, but it would be immature. Pissing Pauline off might not be a good idea in our current situation.
Brandon looks at me with concern, and I answer him with a small smile. His eyes gleam, then he says, “I still have something to discuss with everyone. I apologize, but this can’t wait.”
“Oh, God! You guys made it?” Casey covers her mouth in awe, her voice teeming with hope.
“Yes, Arianna delivered the device to Silvanus. He shall be calling soon,” Brandon says.
“And if he doesn’t?” Cassius asks.
“Then we“I’ll get us some snacks and coffee. I’m sure most of us are still exhausted,” I say.
Brandon reaches for my hand. “But I want you to be present,” he says softly.
“I’ll do it. You guys can proceed,” Casey volunteers.
Brandon ushers everyone to the living room. He sits next to me, his hand not leaving mine. While everyone is still gathering, he whispers to my ear, “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay now,” I assure him, squeezing his palm.
He kisses my forehead. “I’m sorry I worried you.”
“Yes, but I believed in you.”
An ahem“I called you here because I’ll be needing cooperation from each,” he begins. “In a couple of hours, we shall be answering Silvanus’s call. Now, anyone is free to take a break, get a nap, but Pauline, Jason, and I should be staying in the same room wide awake until that happens. But tonight, while we wait, we shall discuss the plan for the bargain. Any questions?”
No one answers or makes a move.
“Very well. Jason, take the floor,” Brandon prompts.
Six pairs of eyes shift in Jason’s direction. “This should be after we make a deal with the bad cousin. As I’ve said earlier, we didn’t need to know their location, because we can “Isn’t that dangerous?” Pauline asks.
“It is if we’re not careful,” Jason replies. “Even if we are, we shouldn’t be comfortable when we’re around our enemies.”
“But I thought I wouldn’t have to meet with him?” Pauline insists.
“You won’t because I’m sure he won’t show himself either,” Brandon says.
“But you need to be in the location. We need to show Silvanus we are fully ‘cooperating.’ We have to make sure Oliver is on site. Our security guarded“Yes, because what if he really doesn’t come? It’ll be a waste of time,” Cassius remarks. “He’ll most likely choose the place.”
“He’ll come,” Pauline asserts, holding her head high. “I’ll make sure he will. I’ll choose the place. My father owns a private airport Midtown, and I’m sure Silvanus knows about it. I’ll talk to Daddy in case Silvanus tries to connect with him. But of course I won’t tell him our plans, though I’ll have to involve him in this sham. You are all saving two lives, and that includes mine because I’m better off dead than marrying him, so this is what I can do to help. I’ll have to make it believable.”
“Pauline, what are you going to tell your dad?” Constantine asks.
“Sticking to the story, I guess; I will tell him I’m pregnant.” She shrugs. “And that I finally accepted the marriage? Dad will most probably contact Silvanus after hearing that, so I have to talk to him first tonight. We’ll deal with the consequences later, just like Brandon said.”
Wow. That’s one hell of a sacrifice. I almost forget her hostile behavior toward me. I’ll always deny to myself that I am in any way jealous of her, but I sure can feel it now. How I wish I’d been brave enough to get away from my abuser and face him head on, just as she is ready to do. Because I didn’t. The devil left of his own accord.
Other than that, I wish I could help this family as much as Pauline can. The information I gave to Brandon can’t compare to Pauline’s bravery. I couldn’t do much to save Oliver.
“... I will make Silvanus believe that I want him to take me back,” she goes on. “That I’ll do anything for him and our child.”
“That’s tough,” Carmelo says. “But we’ve got your back.”
“Yes, we will make sure he won’t get to you,” Brandon says.
Pauline nods confidently.
Casey finally comes back with a tray of clubhouse sandwiches, chips, and cups of coffee. The delightful scent of each awakens my almost sleepy senses.
“What did I miss?” she asks.
“Take a seat, Case. We were talking about the plan for rescuing Oliver,” Cassius answers and his sister takes the seat on my other side.
“Do we have a lead?” she wonders. “Something much better than before?”
“We do,” Cassius replies. “We’re close, Case.”
She sighs in relief. “Then thank God.”
Everyone takes a cup, then Brandon hands me the one with a latte and a piece of sandwich. I smile at the sweet gesture. “Thank you.” I sniff at the coffee.
He sneaks a kiss to my temple and bites his food. I can almost hear him sigh. My poor man must be starving.
“Arianna, aren’t you supposed to enlighten us about something?” Brandon says.
“Oh.” My sister sips her coffee and nods. “Yeah, I suppose I will.” She places her cup down, then picks up a chip. “So, I tried to make him open up, I asked him about his other business in Manhattan besides chasing rare diamonds...” She eats the chip. “... After three shots, he started talking.”
“That’s a surprise for a hard drinker,” Pauline remarks.
“I drugged him. Hallucinogens, then some sleeping pills, but the dosage is quite low, so he’ll still wake up soon,” A answers casually, as though she’s an expert—no, these are the words of a realPauline smiles bitterly. “I’d very much prefer it if he doesn’t wake up.”
“We need him alive, Pauline,” Constantine says in all seriousness.
She rolls her eyes. “I know. Can’t I make a bad joke? Please, continue.”
Arianna clears her throat. “So, yep, he answered me. He told me he’s here for a business his father asked him to handle, but I didn’t get to know what business that is.”
“No matter how obsessed he is with the idea of marrying Pauline, he’s not influential enough to make connections in the US. Alfio, our uncle, on the other hand, holds that“Told you something is fishy with him, but he obliged anyway since he’s still getting something from it. Right, Pauline?” Carmelo adds.
Pauline grunts irritably.
“Besides that,” Arianna continues, “Silvanus said he is only here “This is why Silvanus hasn’t made a move,” Cassius observes. “He’s probably waiting for something else. Some order because it does sound like it. What do you think, Brandon?” he asks curiously.
“Yes, and maybe no.” Brandon’s jaws and fist clench in unison as if he’s realized something else. “It means his father is also behind this kidnapping, and that’d make more sense.”
I’m not sure I’m following anymore. “If he’s behind this, what does your uncle want from me then? Weren’t they supposed to kidnap me?”
Brandon briefly shut his eyes. “Of course...“What? What is it?” I insist.
“Because you know about Marcus,” Carmelo says out of nowhere, and his expression perks up. “Brandon, this is what we are looking for. We haven’t proven this yet, but if Annette is not a Katrakis, then Marcus and Alfio are half-brothers, and all are interconnected!” He runs his fingers through his blond hair. “Damn. Why didn’t we think of this, Stan?”
“Because back then Marcus was still unknown to us, Cary,” Constantine points out.
“Wait. As you’ve said, this isn’t proven yet, right?” I say. “We don’t know for sure if this Marcus is Lucia’s—I mean, Annette’sLucia“But they were acquainted, even before. It was Marcus who ruined my face, and Annette was there when it all happened,” he explains sourly and dejectedly. “At first, it didn’t make sense why she was there because she had no business with Katrakis family.”
“However, she used the Katrakis name once in a civil registration document,” Constantine says, his eyes on me. “It was when Alfio made her a witness to his second wedding. There are no unknown Katrakis unless you’re a bastard. That made Petros, Brandon’s grandfather, presumeyourBrandon looks at me. “Now, is there any other reason why he might not be the man you saw in Venice?”
I blow out a breath. Their family tree is giving me a damn headache. “Okay, this is out of context, but why was Helen not using her husband’s name again?”
“Her husband died before giving birth to Alfio, and I’m sure she preferred it that way,” Brandon says simply.
“Any woman is entitled to her own full name, regardless of civil status. That may not be a part of the family’s rule, but that’s a law, not most are aware of,” Constantine says.
“Okay.” I nod. “So, back to where we stopped. Let’s just say he is“You’re a liability,” Brandon says gruffly. “You’re the only one who saw him, and they probably assume that you’ve told us about it by now.”
“Then Alfio coming after Alayna makes even more sense now,” Cassius says. “It didn’t happen once; they attempted it twice.” His frown turns into a grimace. “This is all him?”
“Well, Silvanus was supposed to kidnap Laynie, right?” Arianna finally joins in. “Then it’s not a surprise anymore that this is Silvanus’s father’s doing. Now that they have Oliver, they are like killing two birds with one stone. Because if we go back to how the kidnapping started, either of the two, Laynie or Oliver, is useful for them. If they got Laynie, they would have the chance to hide their mess forever; now that they got Oliver, their plan diverted into getting Pauline back.”
Jason grunts angrily. “It means Laynie still isn’t safe.”
“So, what now? They wanted me dead, too, is that it?” I ask incredulously.
“Probably,” Carmelo says plainly.
I cringe in horror.
“Because you are a witness..His brother crosses his arms. “Uh, they’re working together?”
“Yes!they are working togetherConstantine nods. “If they are, Alfio might really be the one who’s behind all of this. Who will benefit more from Brandon’s family’s demise? Who wanted everything for himself, even killing his own flesh and blood to attain power?”
“Right? Stan, we’re geniuses!”
His twin rolls his eyes. “But it all still remains a theory without proof to support it. We need evidence. Evidence, Cary.”
“Come on. Despite all that, you know we’ve never been wrong,” Carmelo says.
Brandon rubs his face and shoves his fingers into his hair in exasperation. “Cary is right. Oliver and I had already come to a conclusion—that Annette might be working with Alfio. But that excluded Marcus’s existence in all of this. I knew something was missing, but this..“We will work on that, but, Alayna, you have to be ready too,” Constantine says.
“Okay, what should I do?” I straighten my back. I feel more useful to them now than ever. “Anything I can do to help, I will do it.”
For Brandon.I stare at his beautiful face; he is now facing me too, and he smiles. He holds my hand in response.
“We will need your actual statement. Soon,” Constantine says. “It’ll help us proceed with the case. You will be protected, so you have nothing to worry about. I’m sure even your brother can do that for you.”
I look up at J, and he smiles and winks at me. I’m not sure how he will do that, but I believe in him.
“I will give it,” I say confidently.
“But of course, you have to be careful,” he adds.
“I understand.”
Brandon drapes his arm around me and pulls me against his warm body. He brushes my face with his fingers and fondly kisses my forehead. “Thank you.”
I embrace him, not caring anymore if we’re surrounded by the people close to our hearts. “You don’t have to thank me. I haven’t done anything yet.”
“You’ve already done so much for me,” he says.
“It’ll be over soon,” I assure him. I pull away so I can look at his face again. “But for now, we wait.”
***“Guys, wake up! It’s him. Silvanus is calling now; he’s calling,” Pauline says, and I snap out of my dreamless sleep. I roll onto my stomach and find that my head is still resting on Brandon’s lap.
I push myself up and realize everyone is gathered in the living room. Jason, Arianna, and the twins are wide awake.
“Damn, Pauline.” Casey rubs her eyes and sits up on the sofa. Cassius is next to her.
The twins automatically move to her side and stare at the phone she’s holding. It’s as though I can feel everyone’s tension, and my heartbeat accelerates too.
“What are you waiting for?” Constantine asks.
“Answer him!” Carmelo says.
Brandon and I briefly share the same astounded look.
“Put it on speaker,” Brandon instructs.
“Isn’t he supposed to talk to Arianna first?” Pauline asks anxiously.
“Just answer him!” the twins shout simultaneously.
“No, no. It’s fine. She’s right,” Arianna says. “He should hear from me first. We don’t want him dropping the call.”
Pauline blows out a sharp breath and presses the answer key, then the loudspeaker.
“Good morning, handsome!” Arianna’s voice is high-pitched and soothing. “I’m so, so happy you called.”
Laughter erupts from the other side. “Where’d you go?”
“I’m sorry, I had a business meeting in the morning. Girls need a whole freaking night to prepare, you know what I mean? Anyway, when do you think we can meet again? ’Cause tonight was really, really, hmmmI’m stunned. Wowshe“Aha, Daddy’s little girl, are you? You’re great, though I can’t remember much.” He chuckles. Brandon’s bad cousin doesn’t really sound unpleasant, but his voice makes me shudder—probably because I know what kind of a person he is. “... but I’ll be staying in the US as long as I need to. Are you free tomorrow? I’d like to talk more about the ring, and... probably reenactWhat he missed last night? “Tomorrow? Tomorrow’s nice!” Arianna squeals in delight. She almost has me believing it’s real. “About the ring, I’m open to negotiation. We both know things like this should be taken seriously. I just really love these charms. But anyway, I have a very, very pretty friend I’d like you to meet. I spoke to her about you, but don’t worry, she’s a family friend... Can I let her join in for a threesome? Because, you know, it’s my thing. We both know where it’ll lead anyway. My best. Night. Ever?”
I gulp. Damn.My gaze travels around the room. I watch Brandon, who seems to be used to this kind of acting; Jason, who doesn’t look surprised at all; Cary and Stan, who can’t hide their awe; and Cassius and Casey, who look hopeful, as if their life depends on how well my sister can charm their bad cousin. Pauline, on the other hand, sits still, her expression unreadable.
“A threesome,” Silvanus repeats, sounding amazed.
“Uh-huh. Wanna do that?” Arianna bites her bottom lip as if he can see her. “I know you’ll like it if we’re on top...”
I grit my teeth. I know this isn’t real, but I don’t think I want to hear it.
“Fuck, I’m in! When?”
“Tomorrow, my darling. Actually, she’s here with me now. Can you at least say hi or something?” Arianna then looks at us and signals for Pauline to take over.
“But phone conversation isn’t really my—”
“Oh, please, am I not your sweetheart? Maybe you can ask her if she likes to role play. Besides, you look like a man who would want a very“Ooh.” He breathes, sounding convinced. “A brief helloArianna hands Pauline the phone.
“Hello, Silvanus. It’s me...”
There’s a long pause on the other line that has me worrying. Everyone steals glances at each other. We’re not sure if he’s still there or if he already hung up until he speaks again.
“What the fuck is this—Sami? Egil?“Silvanus, listen to me.”
“Why are you on this line? What the fuck is going on—Did you just—Fuck! Fuck! Fuck—Egil! Sami, Ed! Where the fuck is everyone?”“Silvanus!” Pauline shrieks. “It’s not important if Brandon did this or not, but I’m pregnant“What?” he hisses, shocked.
“Please don’t drop the call. I’m pregnant.”
“You fucking bitch!” he growls, then a horrifying, sarcastic laugh follows that sends chills down my spine. “After getting away from me, defying me, you have the guts to try to get under my skin? This is Brandon’s doing, isn’t it? Did you really think I’d believe you?”
I squeeze my eyes shut. I’m suddenly reminded of himMy“Please, please. Talk to me. Don’t go, please,” Pauline begs, and suddenly she’s actually shedding tears. I don’t know if she’s still acting anymore or hurting that she has to beg her abuser to take her back, because even if this is all make-believe, I wouldn’t want to talk to my devilThat is some damn acting. Her script isn’t a part of the plan, but I guess it’ll work out.
Everyone is listening attentively.
“Begged him?” Silvanus laughs humorlessly. “No, hell no. You wanted to fuck him! You wanted his cock inside you all along, so do you think I’m going to believe you? Do you think I didn’t know you still love him? But no, I’m not going to let him have you. You are mine, Pauline. You know that, right?”
Pauline gulps, lowering her head.
“Are you mine, Pauline?” he says again, almost in singsong. But God, he does sound like some kind of idiot. It’s as if he’s an addict finally getting his stolen drugs back.
She jolts in fear and shuts her eyes. “Y-yes... I-I’m yours.”
“Very good. Very, very good girl. When I have you again, you’ll need to be tamed more. You’ll need to be punished.”
“But what I’m saying is true. I’m pregnant, and you’re the father.”
“Nah! I don’t fucking believe you.”
“Or you can just call Dad. He knows.” I did hear Pauline calling her father regarding this matter at dawn before I took a nap. I heard some of their conversations, and her family seemed to have bought it.
“I guess I should listen to this.”
Pauline wipes her tears. “Yes, because you know I can raise this child on my own, but I’m not risking the chance of not giving him a good life. I can’t do that when Dad kicked me out of the family because I disagreed about marrying you.”
“I know the fucking rules, Pauline. I’m also the one to prove that, though I don’t mind a little human with my genes. But did you just try to lecture your owner?”
“No.”
“No, what?”
“No, sirI clench my already sweaty hands hearing their conversation, reminding me of a somewhat familiar sick scenario from my past. Pauline is just like me. Bound to follow his orders. I was just like her—bound to follow my“Good girl. Talking to you now isn’t so bad after all. I’ve missed you, truly, and I can’t wait to hold you again. Now tell me, Brandon wants his dog back, doesn’t he? Yes, yes, you’re right. I have him. He’ll make an excellent dog, but he’s not very easy to tame. Though I have to admit, my dear cousin got me there. Good job, Brandon! Good job! You delivered your pawn in the form of an angel. Please tell that little kinky girl I still don’t mind a threesome. So, what is Brandon’s answer?”
“He wants a trade. I’ll go back to you, and you give Oliver back.” She really made it sound like Brandon wouldn’t mind giving her in exchange for Oliver.
He doesn’t answer right away. “Uh-huh, interesting.”
“I already told Dad, and he wants to arrange our flight back to Athens. For our baby. For our wedding. He wants to do it there. If you still don’t believe me, call my father.”
“How do I know you’re not just fucking with me?” he asks. We already expected it wasn’t going to be easy.
“You have Oliver. Why do you think we’d try to betray you? Anything can happen to him, but you know for sure that Brandon will never hurt me,” she insists.
“If Brandon even tries to fucking lay his hand on you, I’m going to kill him. ReallyOn the other hand, Pauline is all over his cousin. “Yes, so this is why we have to do this bargain. Isn’t this what you want, sir?Brandon suddenly wraps his arms around me and gently rubs my shoulder. It’s as if he can read my mind or feel my tension. A simple touch that can ease my agitation. My mouth curves into a smile, remembering that what bothers me is all in the past. I’m constantly awed by this gorgeous man’s tender gestures, as though he knows exactly what I need. I’m falling more deeply in love with him every day.
“Fine, but we’ll do this according to my“How about our assurance then?” Pauline says, according to the script. “We don’t even know if you’ll really give Oliver back. No trade is going to happen if you ever try to betray us.”
“You’re right, I won’t. But that’s only after I validate your intentions. One of my boys will call you today. Καλύτερα να είστε έτοιμοιThe call ends.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask.
“He said we’d better be prepared,” Brandon tells me.
“And we areSilence. No one says anything, but there’s no dread or mark of any weakness in their faces.