Exposure_A Stone Billionaire Series Novel

by Kaya Woodward

  ***

  “Lauren darling, it's Athie in London,” Athena's voice croons over the phone. “That blasted son of Noah's, Evan is in Fiji, and I was wondering if Caleb was there, to keep him company. I know your island is usually empty around this time of year, until June or July, and you lovely lot are in France this time of year, but I'd prefer if Evan stayed out of trouble. I know Caleb isn't one to keep him out of trouble, but at least they can share a cell together,” Athena's gracious laugh fills the phone, and all of us cringe together.

  “Oh Athie, how are you, dear, how's Nicholas?” Lauren Darlington replies, her voice equal measure of gracious and condescension.

  These two make me want to blow my brains out.

  “Glorious Lauren,” Athena croons, and we all try not to groan because we're on a three-way call.

  “Yes well,” Lauren sighs. “Unfortunately, Evan will have to keep out of trouble himself, I believe Caleb is in Monaco or Monte Carlo. He was in France with us, but he got into some trouble here and decided to find some fun elsewhere, that blasted boy. Going to get himself in trouble with some mafia or another one of these days. Alexander had a fit when-” Lauren is still talking, but Noah ends our side of the call.

  I fist pump.

  I haven't fist pumped since the Corona 150 days in college.

  This deserves a fist pump.

  Evan is shaking his head in the background, albeit silently as he mouths that he is not trouble on his own.

  I get up and bring him into a little jig, he has no idea what's going on.

  Evan just walks away.

  “Well, that settles it,” Tinsley says with a smile to Noah.

  Noah picks her up and swings her around in the air, to everyone’s astonishment.

  Then they are kissing.

  Rather inappropriately at that.

  I finally understand what Ava was talking about: they forget everyone else when they’re together.

  “We found them!” Noah calls into the air once they’ve stopped kissing.

  Tinsley is still in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist.

  Lucius smiles as he gets on the phone immediately, presumably to find the architect who designed the compound for the Darlington family to get the original plans for the compound, so we are not going in blind.

  We are going in.

  Noah stated as much, before we made the phone call, if the Darlington’s are in France.

  “Get the drones up. I want to see what's going on there,” Noah calls, his arms still around Tinsley. “Lucius, I want those plans now.”

  “On it boss, it might cost a bit more than usual. Unless we can get the Darlingtons…” Lucius’ implication is clear.

  “Don't involve them,” Noah is very firm on this. “The drone things, now.”

  “On it,” Lucius nods again. “They have to charge sir, a full twelve hours or else they'll just drop.”

  “Twelve hours?” I've barely slept but I could jump into a helicopter right now if I had to.

  “Well go charge the contraptions and get them up in the air!” Noah demands.

  Evan comes back down from a quick shower in a euro style swimsuit and Hawaiian shirt.

  I question his sexuality sometimes; he doesn't question me.

  Brother to brother.

  Especially now that I know who his mother is.

  “So, you thought I could help, eh?” Evan shakes his head at Noah. “You know, if you had said that this involved my mother, I would’ve said no.”

  “But it involves Ava,” Noah reminds him. “And your sister’s husband.”

  Then Evan turns on me.

  “You married my sister? And I wasn’t invited?” he asks.

  “No one was,” I tell him flatly. “But, my wife did tell me I should forgive you.”

  “It's been years, and it took your wife to convince you of that?” Evan raises a blonde eyebrow at me.

  “Well,” I scratch my head. “She has a way with words. Let me just say that when you fight with the person you want to fight with, for the rest of your life, they point out the other errors you've made,” I wrap an arm around his neck. “And we've spent too much time together, as brothers, for me to let that go, over a stupid woman you were protecting me from.”

  “Thanks, brother,” Evan looks genuinely happy, for the first time since we got into that fight years ago, and I'm genuinely glad that Ava talked me into this.

  Ava.

  Ava the love of my life Ava.

  Ava, the only woman I could ever dream of being with again.

  I can only hope that Ava hasn't learned anything, which Elizabeth has refrained from telling her anything because she's hoping to get away with all the Darlington money in the world.

  “So, my mother kidnapped my sister,” Evan mulls over this.

  “Who I married,” I add.

  “Alright. I'm going to go get nice and loaded,” Evan excuses himself to mix a drink, at one of the many bars Noah's planted around his home here.

  Then he'll probably lay on the beach.

  “Evan,” Noah calls before he can escape.

  “What?” Evan scowls.

  “I'd think you might want to help, considering this involves your damn mother,” Noah snaps.

  “Who cares about that woman,” Evan shakes his head.

  The shock on my face betrays me. “You knew about Elizabeth?” I ask Evan.

  “He asks a lot of questions; you don't tell a teenager you know nothing about his mother.” Noah shakes his head at me. “Evan's always known everything. Why do you think he gets into so much trouble?”

  “Dropping the name Elizabeth Darlington all over the world isn't easy,” Evan smirks. “I'm sure there are half a dozen people looking for her now,” He shrugs.

  “Evan, we talked about not doing that!” Noah tells Evan firmly.

  Noah is about to start a different sort of argument.

  “Hey!” I stop them both. “Before you two get into it, can we please focus?”

  “Focus on what? Ava? We have to put some plan together, before we go sneaking in there, like the CIA, or MI5 or whatever. Dad here is no 007 and frankly, neither are you,” Evan shrugs. “I'm not going in there.”

  “You realize that's your sister,” Noah raises an eyebrow, smacking Evan over the back of the head.

  “Sister or no sister… wait,” Evan whirls on me. “You married her!” He points to me, Evan's tone completely accusatory. “This is… wait, is that wrong at all?”

  “You mentioned this earlier…” I tell him confused.

  “Must be the pot,” Evan sighs.

  “You aren't brothers.” Tinsley points out. “It's just Noah's theory.”

  “It's a theory?” Noah glares at Tinsley. “You call it a theory?”

  “Theory,” Tinsley repeats hotly, giving him a look.

  My head spins.

  “What's your plan then?” Evan pours himself a glass of whiskey. “Go in guns blazing and hope you don't kill my sister?”

  “No,” Noah shakes his head. “We give her ample opportunity to get away, but make sure she leaves Ava behind, she'll have to leave Ava behind…” he looks up at Evan. “You want to have a conversation with your mother?”

  “Not particularly… but this could be fun,” Evan takes a sip of his drink. “As long as I don't have to change.”

  Chapter 25: Ava

  May 24, 2017

  Fear of what Elizabeth has planned for me.

  That's the only person that could've possibly been capable of this.

  Wasn't that what the woman said anyway?

  She didn't make it a secret, but the gun she revealed told me that I didn't have a choice in the matter.

  I don't bother trying to scream as I attempt to lift my head, because there's duct tape over my mouth, and everything is cement anyway. I can't see a doorway.

  It's too difficult to look around anyway. The searing pain in my head is like a big fat elephant, stepping on my head, probably intended
to subdue me in some way.

  Either way, I'm not going anywhere, not like this.

  I manage to push myself up, and shuffle against the wall.

  I’m still in the tiny little silver dress; half-naked, shivering and wet, and cold.

  I'm sandy, and the room is damp, and my head is pounding, but managing to push myself into a sitting position gets some feeling back into my legs and arms. At least a little bit.

  Only my heart drops instantly because there's not getting through that steel door, even if I rip the duct tape off my legs and hands somehow.

  Think Ava, just Think.

  Someone must get me soon, not even Corban, just anyone.

  They can't intend to keep me here?

  My stomach grumbles, and it must have been a while, I think.

  It could be anywhere from an afternoon to the next day, to days.

  I try to gage how hungry to dehydrated I am, but all I can think about is how worried I am about Corban, if he's alone, if he's with Noah, where they are, are they looking for me, will they find me before Elizabeth does whatever she wants to do to me?

  I shiver, wondering if I could at least get a blanket.

  There's no sense of time. Maybe five minutes pass. Perhaps an hour. The only sanity I get is remembering the night I shared with Corban and hoping they will find me soon.

  I replay the scene repeatedly in my head before I feel myself drifting off, tired and cold, under the dimly lit bulb.

  ****

  It's enough to drive me into a frenzy until one day I finally wake up in a room I've never seen. In a luxurious four-poster bed, in sheets, under a cozy quilt, in pajamas, dry.

  There is a tray of food on a table with chairs on a balcony outside, all the doors of which someone has opened for me, letting the sea air in.

  I sit up, confused, hungry, and thirsty.

  “You're awake,” the snake says.

  Elizabeth is Isa.

  Or Isa is Elizabeth.

  “Is… Elizabeth. I'm not sure what to call you,” I recoil instantly, like a small child, pulling my legs against my chest.

  “I'm not going to hurt you, at least not anymore. I had to break you, then put you back together again,” She pours a glass of water for me.

  I realize that her black hair, all that time, was a wig.

  Her hair is the same shade of blonde as mine, maybe a few shades darker, twisted up into an intricate bun.

  Elizabeth approaches me with the water, and I take it.

  “I had to hurt your father, and the only way to do that was to get to you. I'm sorry it had to be this way, but he has debts to pay,” she announces coldly.

  “So, you used me,” It's a statement.

  I don't know what she's talking about.

  I don't even know who my father is.

  “I apologize for the inconvenience,” Elizabeth is still Isa, as much as ever, cold and calculating.

  She shows no emotion, and I realize gratefully I am nothing like her.

  “You know, I used to think of you as a mother, and now I realize I'm nothing like you,” I tell her out of spite.

  “I pity you, child,” She says.

  Then she brushes a piece of my hair behind my face, and I want to recoil but think better of it.

  “Always wanting to find your family, not knowing it was right under your nose, the whole time, and it still always has been. Tell me, how is your husband? What a fun little trip this turned out to be? Now I stand to make a lot more out of this you know? I get my freedom,” Elizabeth cackles at me.

  “You used me for freedom?” the snort comes with a laugh. “There are better ways; you could, you know, better yourself.”

  “That's rich coming from a whore,” She laughs at me. “Enjoy your breakfast. As soon as they pay up. I had my doctor look you over, give you an IV. I'm sure you'll be as good as new.”

  A shiver runs down my spine, and I realize just how weak I feel.

  The entire time in that little cell is a blur of cold, and wet, and nothingness, but it felt like… like forever.

  All I could think about the entire time was Corban, and that was what held me together.

  “Are they coming?” my voice is small, like a child.

  “Dear, I haven't even called them yet. I'm waiting for Corban and Noah to go to the Darlingtons, I want them extra desperate before they do anything,” Elizabeth’s venomous grin is in place.

  Corban has no idea where I am.

  Tears are streaming down my cheeks, and I have no desire to eat.

  “Feel free to get up, change, roam about. But the guards are armed, don’t try to escape or they will throw you back down there until your beloved Father comes to get you. I need you alive, but I won't promise to deliver you in good shape,” Elizabeth’s voice is sharp.

  Then there is a knock on the door.

  “Evan is on the phone,” One of her guards announces, then leers at me.

  “Evan?” Elizabeth smirks at me.

  “Yeah, where you want to take it?” He barks.

  “I'll take it right in here. Which line?” Her voice is suddenly so smooth.

  I’ve never seen Isa like this.

  “One,” the guard barks back.

  Elizabeth grins at me and removes an earring, then she moves to pick up the phone.

  “Did you know you have a brother? He looks quite like you. I must say, Noah and I make the most beautiful children. You did know that?” she pauses her diatribe to pick up the phone.

  “Or did he not mention that? Probably not,” Another cackle. “The old bastard never did like being straight with people.”

  Noah is my father?

  Evan my brother?

  What?

  Then she hits the speaker button before I can say anything.

  “Hello, Darling,” Elizabeth croons.

  “Mama, how nice it is to hear your voice,” Evan croons back, and I have no time to digest any of this because I hear Evan's voice.

  Evan. Noah. Family.

  “Don't play games with me child,” Elizabeth snorts.

  “You know very well I'm twenty-two, not a child,” Evan protests.

  “You'll always be my baby boy,” Elizabeth smirks at me. “You know I'm here with Ava; we're treating her extremely well. Say hello Ava.”

  I say nothing.

  “Ava!” I hear Corban's voice in the background.

  “Corban!” I scream, scrambling for the phone before Elizabeth pushes me backward on the bed, and I am too weak to fight her.

  “Say another word,” She lowers her voice. “And I will throw you back in that cell until you break.”

  There's shuffling, and I hear Corban yelp.

  Then Noah's deeper voice. “Sit the fuck down!”

  “So, it's a party then. I am correct when I assume, Tinsley is there as well?” Elizabeth croons.

  Evan is silent for a moment. “Let's get down to the point mother; I want to come visit, discuss terms, so we can, make sure Ava is okay.”

  “That would be lovely darling, but you don't expect me to trust my flesh and blood, do you?” Elizabeth sneers.

  “I'll come alone. You wouldn't hurt both of your children,” Evan laughs darkly.

  She would.

  “Not in one day,” Elizabeth's quip comes, and I shiver. “I assume, since you are calling, you've called your other family, and you've got funds to pay my demands?”

  “You would be correct, though they're asking questions. I'd rather not involve them. I'm sure you don't want your family coming down here either,” Evan’s voice is suggestive. “Considering you’re using their private island.”

  “Not particularly,” Elizabeth sounds miffed.

  “So, let me visit,” Evan insists.

  “You have three hours,” She announces.

  Elizabeth looks at me, with a smirk, before hurling the phone at me, I scream and duck before the line goes dead, because the phone has ripped right out of the wall.

  Her laughter echoes thr
ough my mind, long after she has left the room.

  Falling back into the mountain of pillows I sob.

  I sob for the first time in days because she's done exactly what she wanted: she's broken me.

  And then there's the fact that both my parents are the reason my life was such a mess, but I know deep down the only person I must blame, is myself.

  I feel like I let this happen.

  I should’ve been stronger, I fell for my mother’s tricks so easily.

  ***

  When the door opens Evan looks startlingly like me, only his appearance, a European speedo, and a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt are shocking.

  He's holding a glass of water as Elizabeth stands in the doorway, looking deeply unimpressed with her son.

  “If you didn't have the money, why are you here?” Elizabeth demands.

  “I'm not going to come with money if I don't have any proof that she's okay when the last thing we heard was Ava screaming,” Evan bites back.

  He glares at her, then comes towards me, where I’m sitting near the closed balcony doors.

  They are locked.

  Apparently trying to jump off the balcony to escape, is high on the list of Elizabeth's things that I shouldn't do.

  I am her ticket to freedom after all.

  “Are you okay?” He asks me. “You look thin, are you eating?”

  His barrage of questions is accompanied with a glass of water.

  “She won't eat anything I bring her,” Elizabeth's frustration bubbles over. “Okay? I bring her food; I watch her; she doesn't eat it.”

  “Well you've got her locked up, maybe that's why, mother!” Evan roars at her.

  “Evan I'm fine,” I shake my head before taking a long gulp of the water.

  “You need to eat, at least a little bit, if Corban sees you like this, it's going to be one hell of a party,” Evan shakes his head.

  “I'm okay,” I press my lips together. “Is he okay?”

  “He's better. He was a wreck,” Evan smiles.

  “Evan this isn't social hour, I let you see the girl, let's talk business,” Elizabeth's voice is cold.

  “What do you want then mother?” Evan sighs, scratching his head.

  “Her entire inheritance, and yours, in cash,” Elizabeth demands.