Page 19 of The Perfect Escape
Incompetent.
Shoving my fingers through my hair, I looked over to Patton to see his eyes staring back at me. Shaking my head, I rubbed my hands across my face. “You didn’t deserve that.” My thoughts went into reverse as I remember the reason behind protecting Reyna in the first place. “We are missing something. All this time we thought that Salko was Reyna’s father. Clearly that isn’t the case. So why would he take her?
Think. Davian. Think.
“I don’t know,” Patton began. “But let’s focus on what we do know. Salko isn’t Reyna’s father, and Giles Curtis is. We also know that Anya Salko and Louise Braxton are the same person and that she and Rui were married.” Patton scratched his head, piecing everything together. “Do you think Salko knows that Reyna is Louise’s and Giles’s daughter?”
“It’s the only thing that makes sense.” The thought crossed my mind as well. Reyna spent over three weeks with Salko, and just maybe she could fill in the blanks. “Maybe it’s time I tell Reyna everything.”
“I don’t know much about women, but it is clear how you feel about her and how she feels about you. I think keeping what you know from her is going to be worse than telling her. Just saying.” Patton knew more than I gave him credit for. He was right. I had to let her know.
∞
Thirty minutes before we were scheduled to land, Reyna woke up. Her eyes were red and swollen. It was a sure sign that she had cried herself to sleep. Jeannie brought Reyna the sandwich and bowl of soup that I had declined earlier. I was glad she took a seat next to me while she ate. Even though she hadn’t said a word, it was a step in the right direction. Once we landed and got to the villa, hopefully with a couple of days of relaxation, I could find a way to tell her the truth about her mom and Curtis.
Jeannie returned minutes later to retrieve the tray of food that Reyna barely touched. Looking back over her shoulder, Jeannie gave us a sympathetic smile. “We will be landing in about ten minutes. Be sure to fasten your seatbelts.”
Nodding my head, I retrieved the straps of my seatbelt and fastened them together. As I looked over at Reyna, I could see she was struggling with hers. Reaching across the seat, I took the two ends from her grasp and pushed them together until it snapped close. I thought the rest would make her feel better, but when she turned her head to face me, tears rolled off her cheeks. If we weren’t landing soon, I would have taken her from her seat and held her in my arms. Who was I to be the one to comfort her, especially since I was the one who caused her so much pain?
Piss on it.Undoing my seatbelt first, and then hers, I lifted Reyna from her seat and pulled her close before settling in my seat with her on my lap. Jeannie must have had sonic hearing because she appeared from behind the partition. Instead of warning us about the seatbelts, she nodded, giving me a smile before ducking back behind the partition.
Reyna rested her head on my shoulder, with one hand resting on her lap and the other holding on to me. “Am I ever going to be okay?”
The weight of an elephant pressed against my chest—the same one that occupied the room. “We will get through this, princess, together. I promise everything will be okay.”
I had to believe that she would. I wanted to believe that together we could put what happened behind us and move on. Be happy. Rui Salko would pay dearly for what he did to Reyna and the many other women and children he held captive.
The sound of the wheels lowering alerted me that soon we would touch ground. Not once did it cross my mind to secure her in her seat. As much as I hated myself for not protecting her, I couldn’t let her go. It nearly killed me, not knowing where she was. Now that I had her back, I would never let her out of my sight again.
The Caribbean air enveloped us as we stepped off the plane. The Cayman Islands were like night and day compared to Atlanta, Georgia. The people here had a different way of life. More relaxed came to mind. Hopefully, because I’d also brought Mika here, Reyna would find the same relaxation. Reyna had taken to Mika almost immediately back in Chicago. I thought it would be fitting to have her here when we arrived—a familiar face, so to speak.
Kian, one of the men I hired, leaned against a black Lincoln MKZ as we stepped off the plane. Even though he was part ofThe Society,he remained on the island to ensure that the villa was kept up and secure. It wasn’t often that I came here. But when I did, it was only because of problems with the new resort or some other crisis. There were too many bad memories here, but given that my residence here wasn’t known, it was the safest place to bring Reyna.
Since there wasn’t any luggage to speak of to unload, we were on our way within minutes. I arranged ahead of time to have everything we needed by the time we arrived. The only thing left was to make sure that Reyna remained safe. Of course, there was still the elephant that needed to be taken care of.
~13~
Reyna
A dark-skinned man with a Caribbean accent, who Davian introduced as Kian, pulled in front of what Davian referred to as the villa. Villa was an understatement for the colossal house before me. It was clear that Davian did nothing small when it came to the homes he owned, and just like the Cross Estate in Chicago, this home was spectacular.
I slid from the back seat of the car, already working the buckles of my sandals—more than anything, I wanted to feel the warmth of the basalt tiles beneath my feet. The way Davian looked at me, he must have thought I was nuts. Taking me by the hand, he led me to the front door. “If feeling the warmth of the driveway barefooted puts that kind of smile on your face, I’m sure you are going to love what I am about to show you.”
I was smiling from ear to ear. Not because of the warmth, but because I felt safe for the first time in over three weeks. As we headed toward the entrance to the house, the warm breeze brushed against my face. Before Davian could push open the door, Mika was pulling it open on the other side. I turned to Davian, and I realized his concern about my safety went beyond bringing me here. He wanted me to be comfortable, and that included being around people I knew and cared for. If only Kenzi and Helga could be here with me.
As I was suddenly overwhelmed with sadness, Mika wrapped her arms around my waist. “Miss Reyna, I’m so glad you are here. We were so excited to learn that Davi had found you, and you were safe.”
I was just about ready to ask her what she meant by ‘we’ when Lorenzo Cross walked up behind her. I didn’t know why I should be surprised. Davian’s father was the one who knew, more than anyone, what Rui Salko was capable of.
I had a death grip on Davian’s hand, and he could feel it because he turned to Mika and said, “Mika, why don’t you show Reyna around while I have a few words with my father before he leaves?”
Mika pulled me away from Davian while he remained outside the door. She waited until Lorenzo stepped outside before closing the door behind him. Squeezing my hand, she led me away from the door. “How about I show you to your room first?”
“That would be wonderful.” I met her gaze and allowed her to lead me away from the entry door.
From what I could see, I already loved Davian’s villa. The bright sun shone through the massive windows that graced the home’s front. The sun’s warmth reflecting off the windows brought comfort. The floor was covered with white tiles, which were intricately placed in a staggered manner to give the illusion of wood planks. I tilted my head upward to a large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling that was the large living area’s center focal point. The colors brought life to the room. Different hues of all the primary colors on a color wheel were spread throughout the room. It reminded me of a rainbow after a healthy rain. Even the paintings that hung on the walls were dynamic in color.
As we headed up the steps, my hand glided along the shiny surface of the stainless-steel railing. Stopping at the top of the stairs, I walked toward the windows that extended from the first floor to the ceiling, only to find an endless body of water of a clear and a magnificent shade of blue on the other side. I placed my hands on the glass, feeling the warmth of the sun. A smile splashed across my face, anticipating the white sand’s texture between my toes and the warmth of the water against my skin. I think of all the places Davian had brought me to, this was by far my favorite.
