by Carlyn Cade
Silence filled the car as there was no answer she could give to his declaration.
“My father was a good man,” Clay reflected minutes later. “He always loved my mother and me. He let his obsession to win back his crown control his life. Everything he did – from the friends he made, to the money he acquired, to the power he was able to exercise – was geared toward taking back his country.”
“What happens now?”
“To me? Is that what you’re asking? Will I take up where he left off?”
Stacia nodded.
“What was right for my father is not necessarily right for me. He did what he had to do, and I’ll do what I must do.”
“Which is...”
“I told my father many times I didn’t want to be king,” he said emphatically. “That decision remains unchanged. I’ve always been happy at home. I don’t mind running SwissDen, but anything beyond that is out of the question. I cannot take up his crusade for him.”
“What will your mother want you to do?”
“My mother will agree with my choice. She loves SwissDen.”
“Will your father be buried there?”
“Mother wouldn’t let him be buried anywhere else. They’ve had too many happy years living there.” He took out his phone. “I need to make a few calls. I’ll try Sam first,” he said as he punched in a number.
The rest of the way home was filled with Clay’s voice as he called person after person, giving Stacia an update whenever he finished one. “Sam and Helen will be there before we are,” he said. “I’m assuming you’ll go back with me. I’d like you with me through this.”
“Of course I will,” she said.
She pulled into her garage as Clay finished his call to the airline, reserving a private jet to return home to SwissDen.
♥♥
Stacia packed as quickly as she could and almost finished ahead of Clay. As they hurried to the airport, she couldn’t help but remember their last trip speeding through the streets of L.A. This time they didn’t have to worry about a killer shooting at them. Yet the stress of thinking you could be killed could not compare with the finality of death itself when someone you loved actually passed on. Hope was stomped out when the final breath was taken but remained alive and glimmering until then, no matter how bad the situation was.
The grief of losing his father had settled heavily on Clay. She didn’t know what to do to comfort him except hold his hand, which she did all the way to the airport.
The private jet he’d chartered was waiting for them when they arrived at LAX. And when the plane touched down at SwissDen, Helen and Sam met them. The next day Clay was kept busy consoling his mother and making decisions for the king’s burial. The two things his father had not designed in his palatial resort were a funeral home and a cemetery. Who needed these in paradise?
The king’s body had been sent to Geneva, and preparations for the funeral services were performed there. Then the funeral director accompanied the king’s remains on his final journey back to SwissDen. The funeral itself was intimately private with only the people the king had loved most attending. The queen, Clay and Sam. Helen and Stacia, the newcomers, were also included and supported the three mourners the best they could.
The burial took place in a secluded area next to the rose gardens with the intention of designing and building a family mausoleum as a final resting place.
In the days following the funeral, Stacia, Helen, Sam and the queen spent most of their time together. Clay had to take command of his father’s bank, establishing right away the continuance of the same sole leadership his father had always demonstrated.
Outside SwissDen, new decisions were also being made. The mafia’s new boss was chosen, and Clay immediately set the precedent of dealing with him over the phone only. He extended no invitations to him to visit SwissDen because, unlike his father, he saw no need to cultivate any type of friendship with the mob. Clay doubted they would bank elsewhere because of the privacy maintained at SwissDen and also because of Switzerland’s low tax rates.
But one invitation Clay had presented still was in effect – Josie and Ryan arrived at SwissDen as scheduled.
“We had doubts, Clay, about whether we should come at all right now,” Josie said as soon as they stepped off the plane, and she’d offered her condolences along with a hug.
“You’re welcome at my home,” he replied, “at any time and under any circumstances.”
“I’m sorry about your father,” Ryan said as he gave Clay a man hug and patted his back.
Clay nodded his thanks. “My mother’s waiting to meet you both.”
Once inside, Josie and Ryan’s quiet enthusiasm about the magnificence of the palace eased some of the morbid tone that had settled over the king’s home. Clay and Stacia escorted them to the atrium, and Clay introduced them to his mother.
“Stacia has been very comforting to me and my son during this sad time. I’m pleased to welcome you to my home. I’m going to leave you young people to yourselves now, but I’ll see you all at dinner,” the queen said as she left the area.
“What do you want to see first?” Clay asked. “Your suite or a tour of SwissDen?”
“The tour, of course. I’m very excited to see the rest of your home,” Josie said.
“Okay, let’s go.” Stacia started to walk slowly toward the outside door. She tried to harness her enthusiasm, but she couldn’t. She grabbed Josie’s hand and walked faster. The men quickly followed. “The resort area is amazing. Clay’s father designed everything here, and his mother decorated it. There’s no place on Earth that can compare to this Shangri-La. SwissDen can entertain you, yet it has peace and quiet if that’s what you want.”
“You sound like a travel brochure, Stacia.” Josie said as they reached the parking area. “Your father must have been a wonderful man, Clay. He had to love you very much.”
Clay wiped a tear from his eye as they took their seats in the red cart. “He was and he did.”
Stacia sensed his sadness, so she tried to be upbeat. “You two look like you’re pretty blown away by SwissDen,” she said as they drove out of the parking lot and into the resort area. “I felt the same way the first time I saw it.”
“It’s unbelievable,” Ryan remarked. “And you grew up here, Clay? I can see why you didn’t want to leave.”
“There are beautiful places to see everywhere. My father tried to take bits of each of them from different countries and recreate them here.”
“What a legacy of beauty he’s left you,” Josie said.
Clay turned off the engine when they reached the waterfall parking lot. “We’ll walk from here.”
“This is my favorite place.” Stacia hopped out of the cart first, her excitement at going to the waterfall as strong as it always was whenever she went there. “I return to the waterfall every time I meditate,” she said.
“So do I,” Clay added as he took Stacia’s hand, and they started to cross the bridge over the lake together.
“You do?” Stacia asked.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Josie said as she joined them. “You already know my theory about you two being soulmates.”
“You three talk a different language than I do,” Ryan inserted. “Soulmates. Meditation. Waterfalls. Maybe you’ll have to give me some lessons on how to meditate, Josie, so I can keep up with the rest of you.”
“Anytime.” Josie stood on her toes to give her husband a quick kiss. “Clay, I can’t believe your father designed this on top of a mountain.” Josie paused for a moment, transfixed, as she looked at the waterfall. “I can feel his spirit beside us. The only reason you can’t see him is because the vibration of his dimension is faster than ours. He can’t slow his vibration down, and we can’t speed ours up. There are certain times during the year when it becomes easier to contact the spirit world. Vibrations can change on days that were important to the person who has passed over and the person left behind. Birthdays, anniversaries, Hallow
een and other special days.”
“If he is here,” Clay said, his voice breaking, “I hope he knows I love him.”
“I’m sure he does. Why don’t the three of us try meditating? We won’t do anything fancy. Just meditate in our own way,” Josie suggested. She turned to Ryan. “Honey, you can enjoy the waterfall, if that’s okay with you.”
Josie’s idea established a new routine. Every day Stacia, Clay and Josie would meditate together at the waterfall, while Ryan spent his time learning the technology of the security at SwissDen. Clay introduced him to the chief of security at the palace and gave the chief permission to answer any questions Ryan had. Dominic, the sixty-something man was an encyclopedia of information regarding security measures, and the two men shared many interests and became good friends during the ensuing days.
After one intense day of learning about SwissDen’s security, Ryan remarked to Clay, and the women, “Now I know how you knew so much about security when you came to rescue Stace and bring her here. You must have been spoon-fed that stuff by Dom.”
Clay laughed. “I guess I was. He’s like a second father to me. I spent a lot of time with him when I was growing up, listening and learning everything he taught me, and most of it came in handy later.”
Stacia was glad things turned out so well for Ryan because Clay, Josie and she spent hours away from him whenever the three of them meditated. Ever busy, at times, Stacia felt as if she was a program director at a resort. After meditating, she tried to make certain Josie and Ryan had plenty of time to share alone. Since Helen and Sam were on their honeymoon yet, she also attempted to do the same thing for them. Then she worried about the queen, trying to respect her need to grieve and making sure she had someone to talk to when she wanted to talk. But above all else, Stacia worked hard at trying to keep the queen from being lonely.
Lastly, but above hers, she thought about Clay’s needs. Not because they were the least important to her, but because it seemed like she had no other choice. Even with his heavy work schedule, they spent as much time as possible alone together in the daytime, as well as long hours talking into the night while the others were asleep. Clay confided in her about how he was feeling, and she hoped she administered the therapy he needed to help with healing his own grief.
Somehow, she also managed to sandwich in time to begin memorizing the script Hal had sent with Ryan for her new movie. The first thing she discovered when she started to learn her lines was that this time it wasn’t as easy. Nothing was familiar – unlike London Affair. This gave more substance to Josie’s theory that she was Audra...and more credibility to her belief that she couldn’t marry.
Day after day, her love for Clay grew stronger and stronger. How could she not marry him if he asked her? But the simple answer to that was if she did, one of them might die. Clay had dreamed someone would die, and his father had. Why was it so impossible for her not to recognize the same thing from her feelings? How could she be wrong?
But she couldn’t give him up either. So she plodded through her thoughts whenever they dumped their fatalistic view on her. And when she was with Clay, she reveled in the joy of loving him with her whole heart and soul, as if their life together would not end.
♥♥
“Why don’t you come with us?” Helen asked Clay’s mother after dinner one evening. “I’ve discussed this with Sam, and he suggested that instead of flying around the world, we cruise around it with you. It would give you time to relax and heal. You need that. We’d start with a Caribbean cruise and go from there.”
“I wouldn’t want to interfere in your honeymoon plans,” the queen said.
“You wouldn’t. I promise you that,” Helen stated firmly. “How about if we toss in a trip to Hollywood for you? You know after all my years there, I could show you around pretty good, and I could also introduce you to most of your favorite stars. Does that tempt you?”
The queen smiled. “I’ve never been to California,” she admitted.
“We’d like you to come with us,” Sam said.
“Please say yes,” Helen pleaded.
The queen looked at Clay. “What do you think, son?”
“Say yes quick before they change their minds,” Clay said and grinned. “You know you’d love the Hollywood part.”
“How soon would we leave?” the queen asked.
“The day after tomorrow, if that’s all right with you,” Sam suggested.
“I should be able to be ready by then.”
“Then, everything’s settled,” Sam confirmed. “I’ll make the necessary arrangements tomorrow.”
“We need to leave too,” Ryan said. “We both have to get back to work.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t go,” the queen inserted.
“Mother, I believe you should. You said yes, now don’t change your mind because Ryan and Josie are leaving. Stacia and I can handle things here.”
Stacia noticed the tears in the queen’s eyes. “We’ll be fine. Really we will,” she said as she attempted to calm the woman’s fears.
“You’re not going to try to avenge your father’s death while I’m gone, are you? I couldn’t cope with losing you also.” Tears began to slip down the queen’s face as she spoke.
Clay took her hands in his. “Mother, did you forget our talk? I told you I had no desire to be king. I meant that then, and I always will. Father told me once that I didn’t have the kind of passion burning inside me to be king, and I don’t. Why would I run to his kingdom to shoot some rebels when I had no goal in mind? And would I do this alone, or do you want me to get involved with the mob as he did? I wouldn’t even know where to start,” he said as he put his arm around her shoulder. “I can’t change what father chose to do with his life, and I won’t let his choices interfere with mine. Not now. Not ever.”
The queen wiped her eyes with her hanky and tried to smile. “I believe you, Clayton.” She turned to Stacia. “Don’t you let him change his mind while I’m gone,” she commanded.
“I’ll do my best,” Stacia replied.
♥♥
“Stacia,” Ryan said later that evening when he managed to get her alone. “There’s something I want to tell you. I don’t like deliberately withholding information from you.”
“And what’s that?” she asked.
“I didn’t want to tell you before. I wanted to wait until you recovered from the stalking, and I think you have now.”
“Ryan, what is it?”
“Remember when you were being stalked, and I called Clay? You asked me the reason I called him, and I wouldn’t tell you. And neither would he.”
“I remember it very well,” Stacia said, her temper elevating slightly from the memory. “I also remember you wouldn’t tell me when I talked to you on the phone.”
“Since Sonny Marcellini is dead, and as I said, you seem recovered, I can see no reason not to tell you the facts. First though, I’ve talked to Chief Brannigan, and he’s relieved Marcellini was killed. According to him, it saves the state a lot of money and him a lot of headaches. And puts an end, however temporary, to many crimes. Regrouping the mob under these conditions won’t be easy. Their new boss may have a hard time.”
“Will you please get to the second thing?” Stacia demanded.
“All right. I called Clay to ask him to have his father contact his friend in the mafia and deliver Jordan to me. But I swear, Stace...” Ryan put his hand up to emphasize his vow. “I didn’t intend for them to dump his dead body on the police station steps.”
“What...” Stacia opened her mouth to talk, but no sounds came out.
“This is the first time I’ve ever deceived you, but I was desperate. I was terrified the stalker might kill you, and I wouldn’t be able to stop him. I didn’t know where else to turn.”
Stacia’s voice came back. “So you made Clay your accomplice?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I suppose I did in a way, but you have to remember Jordan’s death had nothing to do with you...or me. The guy
was a hit man who had murdered some of Marcellini’s men. The mob had already closed in on him because of your escape publicity, and he got careless. According to Brannigan, the only thing extra they did before killing him was extract a confession out of him about your stalking.”
She sat down hard on the sofa. “I was responsible for someone’s death.”
“You weren’t listening, Stace. You didn’t cause his death. He did, by killing members of the mob.”
“How could you do this to Clay? What were you thinking?”
“Only one thing...you...and keeping you safe. Nothing else mattered. Hell, I didn’t even know if his father was associated with the mob for sure.”
“But you got Clay to admit he was connected.”
“I guess I did.”
“Ryan, I didn’t know you operated that way.”
“Neither did I. But I’ll tell you something. I’d do the same thing again, if your life was at stake, or Josie’s, or Mom or Dad’s. Love is funny, Stace. When you love someone, all that matters is keeping them with you. How you choose to do it, whether it’s right or wrong, doesn’t seem important at the time. Keeping them safe does.”
“Do you think Clay respects you for what you did?”
“I think Clay would have done the same thing, if he’d thought of it first. He loves you, Stace. The forever kind of love like I have for Josie. Don’t lose him. You might not find someone else to love you like he does.”
“I love him too,” she admitted.
“Then, what’s the problem? Why don’t you two get married?”
“It gets complicated.”
“So un-complicate it for me.”
“I can’t.” She realized she was as guilty as he was for concealing information from her. She couldn’t explain why she couldn’t marry Clay to her brother, yet she expected Ryan to explain what he’d done. And in the end, he had. She got up off the sofa, went over to her brother, and kissed him. “Thanks big brother, for loving me and protecting me ever since I was little. You’ll always be my hero, no matter what you do.”
