She sent him a puzzled look. “Why would you think that? Doesn’t everyone know how to drive?”
He shrugged. “It’s just that since I’ve known you, one of your bodyguards has driven you everywhere.”
She shrugged. “I guess it all depends on my mood. But as you noticed, they were right behind us.”
“I only noticed because you said something.”
“Someday that’s all going to change. As soon as we figure this mystery out.”
This was his cue to speak up. “I’ve been thinking.”
“I know. You’ve been quiet ever since the judge gave the kid probation.”
That wasn’t what had him quiet, but the judge’s sentence did give him pause. “Did you think that was a fair sentence?”
She shrugged. “After hearing the kid’s side of it, I can see where desperation might have led him to do something stupid.”
The teenager had been trying to help his mother financially. She’d just lost her job and he was scared of how she would make ends meet. It would be a tough position for anyone.
Grayson rubbed his clean-shaven jaw. “I’m just worried the kid might not have learned his lesson. And if he were to be put in a tough spot again, he might make the same poor choices.”
“Let’s hope not. But doesn’t he deserve a chance to prove himself?”
Grayson glanced away. “I suppose.”
Annabelle’s gaze bored into him. “There’s something else that’s bothering you and I know what it is.”
“You do?”
She whispered. “It’s the note, isn’t it?”
Needing some air, he got out of the car and she joined him. She kept looking at him, waiting for an answer. He had to find just the right words so she’d give credence to what he was about to say.
He held his hand out to her. “Let’s go for a walk.”
“But we need to take care of the note and then get ready for the festival dinner—”
“This is important. Come on.” He gave a gentle pull on her arm.
For a moment, he thought that she was going to resist, but then she started moving and he fell in step with her. She was headed for the royal gardens, the exact place he had in mind. The gardens were enormous and would allow them plenty of privacy.
With the golden sun of the afternoon shining, it lit up all of the flowers from reds and yellows to purples and pinks. Plenty of greens were interspersed to offset everything. He never considered himself a flower kind of guy, but there was something truly beautiful about this place.
When they came upon a bench along one of the walkways, he stopped. “Let’s sit down. We need to talk.”
“I’d rather be treating the note so that we can read it.”
“That can wait. This can’t.”
She wasn’t listening to him about the threat and he had to find a way to reach her. He needed her to be cautious. But he understood her hesitation to tell her father or uncle. After all, she’d been living with security dogging her steps for years now unless she was on the palace grounds. He couldn’t imagine what they might do to protect her if they found out about the note. Before he made the decision of whether to tell anyone about the threat, he had to know that Annabelle was taking it seriously.
“Okay. I’m listening.” Annabelle’s gaze met his.
“That’s the problem. I don’t think you’re hearing what I’m trying to tell you. This note, it’s serious.”
“It’s proof that we’re close to the truth about my mother’s murder.”
“It’s much more than that and you know it.” He really didn’t want to scare her with the stark possibilities, but what else did he have to knock sense into her?
Annabelle sighed. “I know you’re worried. But I can’t stop—”
“I know. I know.” He understood how important this endeavor was to her.
Annabelle’s determination reminded him of Abbi’s. That was not a good thing. Warning bells were going off in his head. Maybe if he’d been more insistent with Abbi then they wouldn’t have been in that horrible car accident that stole her life far too soon.
He took Annabelle’s hand and guided it to his face. He ran her hand down over the faint scar trailing down his jaw. “Do you feel that?”
“It’s a scar?”
He nodded. “I’m going to tell you something that I’ve never told anyone. I mean, it was written up in the papers, but they invariably got the facts wrong. Way wrong.”
Annabelle sat quietly as though waiting until he was ready to go on. The horrific and painful memories washed over him. He’d locked them in the back of his mind for so long that it was almost a relief to get them out there—almost.
He cleared his throat, hoping his voice wouldn’t betray him. “When my company went public and I ended up with more money than I knew what to do with, I gained instant fame. I could have easily become a partying fool with a girl on each arm, but that just wasn’t me.”
“Let me guess—you preferred to spend your time working on your computer.”
“Something like that. I guess when you grow up with your nose in a book or gaming on your computer, it’s tough to change. One night, after a particularly successful deal was signed, a couple of friends talked me into going out to celebrate. Of course, I’m the lone guy at the table while those two were off chatting up some beautiful girls. And that’s when Abbi stepped into my life. Literally. I was on my way out when she stepped in front of me.”
“And it was love at first sight.”
Grayson shrugged, not comfortable talking about his feelings for Abbi with Annabelle. “She was leaving too. I offered to grab some coffee with her and she agreed. There was an all-night coffee shop a couple of blocks away. I had the feeling that I should know her, but I didn’t. And she was actually okay with that. She told me she was an actress. She’d just had her first box office hit. But she wasn’t like the others who’d passed through my life. She didn’t want anything from me. She was down-to-earth and actually interested in my games.”
It’d been a long time since he was able to think about Abbi without seeing the horrific scene of the accident with the blood and her broken body. Those images were the ones that had kept him up many nights. But these memories, he found comfort in them. He remembered Abbi smiling and laughing.
“We became fast friends.”
“Uh-huh.” The look in Annabelle’s eyes said she didn’t believe that they were just friends. And there was something else. Was it jealousy?
“Trust me. In the beginning, neither of us were looking for anything serious. We both just needed a friend—someone who treated us like normal people. And so when she wasn’t filming or doing promo spots, she came and crashed at my place. We gamed a lot.”
Annabelle frowned.
“What’s the matter?” Grayson asked.
“I just never had anyone like that in my life. Sure, there’s my brother, but other than that my father succeeded in isolating me.”
“What about female friends? Didn’t you have some close ones?”
She nodded. “I did. But then we grew up and went our separate ways. In fact, my brother is visiting one of our old friends right now. She’s a model on the Paris runways. Who’d have guessed, given that she started off as a tomboy contrary to her mother’s best intentions? She and my brother were best friends as kids. They’d fish together and go boating. You name it and they probably did it.”
“But not you?”
“I guess I was too much of a girly girl. I was not into getting dirty or touching creepy, crawly things.” Her face scrunched at the mere thought and he couldn’t help but smile.
So once again, she’d been left out. Grayson’s heart went out to her. He knew what it was to be alone and never know if the people who were in your life were there becaus
e they liked you or because they liked what you could do for them. He couldn’t blame her for doing everything she could to solve her mother’s murder and to regain her freedom.
When Annabelle spoke again, her voice was soft. “Did you and this Abbi get romantic?”
“Eventually. At the same time, she got nominated for a prestigious award for outstanding supporting actress. Her fame grew exponentially overnight. In the process, she gained what she called a superfan. I called him a stalker from the get-go, but she didn’t want to believe it.”
Annabelle remained quiet.
“Eventually, she told her agent and the studio where she was working on a new film. They hired her a bodyguard until they could do something about the stalker. And everything quieted down. No notes. No roses. No photos. Everyone assumed the guy had given up and moved on.” Grayson felt like such a fool for letting himself believe that someone that obsessed would just give up. If only he had done something different.
Grayson leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees. He stared straight ahead, but all he could see were flashbacks of the past. A nightmare that would never fully leave him.
“We felt suffocated and needed some time alone without any security watching Abbi’s every move. So we snuck off to the beach—alone.” The breath caught in the back of his throat as he recalled how things had gone from fun to downright deadly. “It...it was like something out of a real-life horror movie.” The pain and regret stabbed at him. He lowered his head into his hands. “I keep asking myself, what was I thinking?”
Annabelle didn’t say anything. Instead, she placed her hand on his back, letting him know she was there for him. The funny thing was that he was supposed to be here for her—to help her see reason. And yet here she was being supportive to him.
When he found his voice again, he said, “At first, I couldn’t even believe what was happening. At a red light on the way to the beach, gunshots rang out from the car beside us. The windows shattered.”
Annabelle let out a horrified gasp. “Were you hit?”
He shook his head. “I punched the gas and luckily didn’t hit anyone as we cleared the intersection. It turned into a high-speed chase, but I just couldn’t shake the guy. And then...”
The scenes unfolded before his eyes. To this day, he still kept thinking “what if?” scenarios. If only he’d made a different decision, Abbi might still be here.
He swallowed hard. “I came upon an intersection with heavy cross traffic. I stopped...the stalker didn’t. He...he plowed into the back of my car. It sent us airborne. I can’t remember anything other than Abbi’s scream. The rest is a blank. The first responders said that I was thrown free, but Abbi, she, uh, was pinned under the wreckage.”
“I’m so sorry.” While her one arm was still draped over his back, her other hand gripped his arm. “You don’t have to go into this—”
“Yes, I do. You have to understand.”
“Understand what?”
He had to keep going. He had to make Annabelle understand that risky decisions had major consequences. “Abbi died on the way to the hospital. And it was my fault.”
“No, it wasn’t.” Annabelle’s voice was soft and gentle like a balm on his scarred heart.
Grayson turned to face her. “I wish I could believe that. I really do. But it was my idea to go to the beach. It...it was my idea for us to spend some time alone. I just never thought that guy was still sticking around. I failed her.”
Annabelle pulled him close and held him. He knew he didn’t deserve her sympathy when he was sitting here while Abbi was gone. Life wasn’t fair. That’s one thing his father had taught him that had been right.
When he gathered himself, he pulled back. “The media, they got ahold of the story, and they told lie upon lie about me and about Abbi. It got so bad that I didn’t leave my house for a long time. I worked remotely. That’s when I started working on my plan to take the cafés global.”
“I’m very sorry that all of that happened to you, but why did you tell me?”
“Because I need you to take that note seriously. Abbi and I didn’t take her threat seriously enough and look what happened.”
Her gaze met his. “You are that worried about me?”
“Yes. I couldn’t stand for anything to happen to you.”
“It won’t.”
“Promise me that you’ll be careful.”
“I promise.”
And then he claimed her lips, needing to feel her closeness. Her touch was rejuvenating and eased away the painful memories. He’d never forget what happened, but he knew now that he had to keep going forward because his life’s journey wasn’t complete. Maybe he was meant to be here and keep Annabelle safe.
But as her lips moved beneath his, something very profound struck him. Here he was warning her about unknown dangers and yet, he was the one in imminent danger—of losing his heart, if he wasn’t careful.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“THIS IS A MOMENT we’ve been waiting for.” The king’s deep voice rang out loud and clear.
Annabelle quietly sat at the heritage dinner that evening. Back at the palace the note had been brushed with chemicals that hopefully would illuminate the print on it. And while she waited, she’d been treated to the most amazing home-cooked food.
She wasn’t alone in her enjoyment. Everyone had oohed and aahed over the entrees before devouring them. And the sinfully delightful desserts had just been served, but before people could dive in, the king wanted to make a special toast.
Grayson sat next to her at the long wooden table. They were having dinner in the village streets of Portolina. It was a community affair and this was the only spot big enough for such a large turnout. Annabelle smiled as she gazed around at so many familiar faces.
Her eyes paused on the man next to her—Grayson. He’d surprised her today when he’d opened up to her with what must have been one of the most tragic moments of his life. And the fact that he’d done it because he was worried about her was not lost on her. This man who said that he wasn’t interested in a relationship was now throwing out very confusing signals.
And the fact that he’d been willing to keep her secret for just a little while longer made him even more attractive. He was not like the other men in her life. He was not domineering and insistent on having his way. He was willing to listen and consider both sides of the argument. That was a huge change for her. And it was most definitely a big plus in her book.
Not to mention she was getting used to having him next to her—really used to it. She didn’t know what she was going to do when he left Mirraccino. Because no matter what was growing between them, she realized that he intended to leave and return to his life in California.
“And that’s why I’d like you to help me welcome Mr. Grayson Landers,” the king’s voice interrupted Annabelle’s thoughts.
Applause filled the air as Grayson got to his feet. He smiled and winked at Annabelle before he made his way toward the king. Hands were shaken. The contract for the South Shore Project was signed. And Grayson offered a brief thank-you.
Annabelle hadn’t realized how much this moment would mean to her. She thought that it would be monumental because at last she could show her father that she could take care of herself. But she realized that this moment meant so much more because Grayson now had a permanent tie to Mirraccino. He would be housing his Mediterranean operations right here in addition to starting one of his famous cafés. Maybe it wasn’t such a far-fetched idea to think that they might have the beginning of something real.
“Annabelle.”
She turned to find her father standing behind her. “Poppa, what are you doing here?”
“Is that the way you greet your father?”
“Sorry.” She moved forward to give him a kiss on the cheek followed by a hug. �
�I didn’t know you were coming.”
“We need to talk.” His voice was serious, as was the expression on his face.
She started to lead him away from the crowd. “Is something wrong?”
“Yes, it is.”
Fear stabbed at her heart. It had to be serious for him to come all of this way on the spur of the moment. And then a worst-case scenario came to mind. “Is it Luca? Has something happened to him?”
“No.”
She let out a pent-up breath. She could deal with anything else. Curiosity was gnawing at her. “What is it?”
“We’ll talk about it back at the palace.”
Annabelle walked silently next to her father. He was never this quiet unless he was really agitated. She had a sinking feeling that she knew the reason for his impromptu visit. And this evening was most definitely not going to end on a good note.
Annabelle stopped walking. “Let’s have it out here.”
Her father sighed as he turned to her. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re not going to talk out here in public.”
“There’s no one within earshot. And I don’t need the palace staff overhearing this and gossiping.” She wasn’t about to say that there was someone out there who thought they had a vested interest in anything having to do with her mother’s murder. Right now, she wasn’t sure who she could trust and who she couldn’t.
“Fine.” Her father crossed his arms and frowned at her just as he had done when she was a little girl and had gotten into the cookies right before dinner. If only this problem were so easy to remedy. “I know what you did. I know you stole some of your mother’s belongings.”
“Stole? Really?” The harsh word pierced her heart, but she refused to give in to the tears that burned the backs of her eyes. “She was my mother—”
“And her journal is none of your business.”
“I disagree. I was robbed of really getting to know her. And you...you shut down any time I ask about her. How else am I supposed to get to know her?”
Her father’s eyes widened with surprise. “Why can’t you just leave the past alone?”
The Millionaire's Royal Rescue Page 14
