Locked Away (Living With Lies Book 2) (3 page)

After almost a week, I’ve heard nothing from my father. Not a word. Even after I promised to make him proud, I’m still angry as hell that he sent me here of all places without even discussing it with me first.

I’m not sure if something went horribly wrong or if this was his plan from the beginning. I was under the impression that whatever happened was unexpected, but a written letter left with Sergio before my father left that night says otherwise.

After the cab driver helps me remove my suitcase and is paid, he quickly drives away before I have ensured anyone is home.

Crap.

Without a phone, I’ll be stuck here until someone shows up if that’s the case. After a deep breath, I walk to the front door then knock before I lose my courage.

Seconds later, the door opens, and I’m greeted with a gorgeous blonde with the same remarkable, green eyes—my father’s eyes.

Looking at her renders me speechless. I suddenly have no idea what I should say.

She tilts her head. “Can I help you?” I blink several times before shaking my head, clearing my thoughts.

“I was told to come here. That you’d help me.” My voice is barely a whisper. Kate’s eyes scrunch before she looks at me with an odd expression.

“Who are you?”
Who am I?
That seems to be an exceptional question these days.

I nervously bite my lip and look away. I hate that Damian has sprung me on her without any warning. I take a deep breath and glance back. “My father said it was dangerous for me right now and that I should come here and stay with you until I’m told otherwise.” Her mouth drops open. “I’m Belle.”

My announcement has startled her. She blinks several times with her mouth gaped open. Apparently, Damian has kept her in the dark as well.

“Belle? Belle Paasch?” Kate questions.

I nod my head in silence. “Oh, well...come in, please,” Kate nervously replies as she moves out of the doorway, allowing me to step inside.

I look around the entryway and see several boxes. “Sorry for the mess. We just moved in.” Kate peers at me without saying anything else. I hear a few voices and what sounds like water splashing.

“This is quite a surprise,” she adds, which brings my eyes back to hers. “Is Damian coming?” she politely asks as she steps into the living room.

I glance around her beautiful living room before I shake my head no. Kate’s eyes instantly darken. “Oh. I have to say this is very unexpected. I’m delighted to have you here, but you were the last person I was expecting when I answered my door.” An eerie feeling takes over as I watch her talk. There’s something about her—something that has nothing to do with the color of her eyes—that reminds me of Damian. Whatever it is, I know it’s something I’ll never be able to compete with.

Minutes pass as we stand here watching each other until voices from outside cause Kate to smile. “Let me introduce you to my boyfriend and his daughter. Oh, and his best friend, who’s living with us for the time being.” Without giving me time to react, Kate grabs my hand and pulls me into her beautiful home and outside to the backyard where I see two magnificent looking men and one adorable little girl, who are all swimming in a gorgeous pool.

“Hey,” Kate shouts, causing all three of them to stop and look at us. “This is Belle,” Kate announces as my eyes nervously dart between them.

Their easygoing smiles disappear the moment Kate says my name. Even the little girl who was being tossed between the two men acts displeased. Apparently, everyone here knows exactly who I am.

“The real Belle has brown hair like me, not yellow like Kate,” the little girl hollers. I have no clue as to what she’s referring.

Kate chuckles. “Callie, she’s not the Belle from
Beauty and the Beast
, but she does have the same name.” Her sweet, little face morphs from unhappy to infuriated in a matter of seconds.

“Daddy! You told me it’s against the law to name little girls after real princesses.” I can practically see the steam coming out of her ears, and it’s almost impossible not to laugh.

“I...I...that’s...what I was told,” the man who must be Kate’s boyfriend stumbles to reply.

“Elsa, let’s get out of the pool and dry off then we can visit with Belle,” Kate says. All three of them climb out of the pool, leaving me in a state of confusion. I’m unsure of what the girl’s name is or who she’s mad at. After they dry off, I follow them through another door that leads to a sublime kitchen. Boxes line the walls, but what I can see is impressive.

After my eyes finish scanning the room, I take in the four people before me. Kate is grinning as if she’s almost happy I’m here while the other three are staring at me as if I’m a heinous person sent here to corrupt their lives.

“I’m still in shock that you’re here. I had no idea that Damian planned for you to visit. I wished he would have told me. I would have put a little more effort into the spare bedroom,” Kate says with a smile in her voice.

Whatever I do, I need to tread lightly. If this is the real Kate, then it might take some work on my part to actually hate her, and for the time being...I have nowhere else to go.

I nervously clear my throat. “I don’t think he meant for me to visit you without him, but knowing Daddy, anything is possible.”

Both men chuckle under their breath and then it hits me. I called him Daddy...again.

Damn, this might be a harder habit to break than I thought. Kate, however, glares at the two of them, and they quickly straighten up. I feel a tug on my arm and look down to the little girl.

“My daddy told me real girls aren’t named after princesses. How come you are?” My eyes scrunch at her odd question. I glance over my shoulder, wondering what I should say, only to see Kate’s boyfriend struggling to come up with an answer.

“I live in Mexico,” I tell her before anyone else has the chance to speak. “The rules there are different from here in the United States. But my daddy always said he took one look at me and knew I was Belle.”

The little girl’s face lights up. “My name is Callie, but I like it when people call me Elsa,” she says with a sense of innocence.

“Nice to meet you, Elsa,” I reply with the first genuine smile I’ve worn in a very long time.

Callie starts jumping up and down and clapping. “Now we have two princesses in the house!”

I look away from Callie, and my smile starts to dim. The men standing by Kate share an annoyed expression, one that appears to be aimed at me.

“How long are you staying?” Kate questions.

I shrug. I don’t want to be here, and the urge to leave is getting stronger by the minute.

Kate tries again. “What’s going on? I can’t believe Damian actually allowed you to come here, especially without him.”

“I have no idea how long I’ll be here. Damian said something about taking a trip, and then after we left home, he mentioned the possibility of seeing you, but something happened, and I ended up here...alone.”

“What happened?” the delectable looking man who isn’t Kate’s boyfriend asks.

“Oh, sorry. Belle, this is my boyfriend, Gavin Loman,” Kate says pointing to the dark haired man. “And this is Gavin’s best friend, Kiran Clark.” Kate points to the dreamy blond standing on the other side of Gavin.

Gavin is without a doubt an appealing man, but Kiran is fascinating on a whole other level. Maybe it’s the fact that I know Gavin belongs to Kate. Whatever the reason, my heart speeds up when my eyes lock with Kiran’s.

Kiran is tall, probably well over six feet, with sandy blond hair, and radiant blue eyes. His arms are huge, like he works out regularly. Pair all of that with the stubble on his face and some of the sexiest tattoos I’ve ever seen and he is utterly irresistible.

“Hello? Belle? What happened?” Kate asks. I blink a few times, trying to snap out of my ogling. However, when I glance at Kiran, I can tell he noticed exactly what I was doing.

I take a deep breath, willing my longing thoughts away before glancing back at Kate. “We were in Tijuana. Damian left with a few of his men, I have no idea where Dad—” I stop myself from saying Daddy. “Damian never tells me where he’s going or why, and if it involves his business, then I prefer it that way.” I nervously glance around in time to see both Gavin and Kiran exchange a look.

“I was with one of Damian’s men when he received a phone call. I’m not sure what he was told, but he became anxious and insisted that we leave. Next thing I know, I’m boarding a plane in San Diego.”

“You thought it would be a good idea to come here?” Gavin harshly questions.

I’m already shaking my head. “No, I didn’t,” I clarify.

“Elsa, why don’t you go put a movie on and we’ll eat dinner soon.” Callie was already looking bored with our conversation so she gladly takes Kate’s suggestion and leaves the room.

“Then where did you go?” Kate asks with concern once Callie is out of earshot.

“A few places. I left Tijuana a week ago. Damian might be many things, but stupid isn’t one of them. He wanted me to come here, but he also wanted to ensure I wasn’t being followed.”

Kiran laughs without humor. “I love it. Every awesome story starts out with
‘We were in Tijuana?’
Fuck, I need to go there and create my own memories.” There’s an edge to his voice and his blue eyes appear furious.

Tijuana is nowhere near my hometown. I actually hate that city, but I understand his comment. I’m the daughter of a drug lord, and I brought my problems to their doorstep.

“Cut it out, Kiran,” Kate says with a harsh tone of her own before looking back at me. “You have no idea if Damian is okay?” The fear in her voice is clear.

“No,” I state as Gavin shakes his head and Kiran sighs in annoyance. Coming here wasn’t a good idea. I don’t want to bond with my
sister
, and I hate what these two men already think of me.

“I text Damian the other day, and it was the first time he didn’t respond immediately. I just thought it was a fluke, but now that I think about it, he still hasn’t text me back.”

I cast my eyes down to avoid anyone noticing my fragile emotions. I text Damian all the time, and sometimes he answers me in a reasonable amount of time, but often that’s not the case. His darling, Kate, however, is a different story.

“If you would rather I not stay here, I can call a cab and go to a hotel.” I square my shoulders and try to project more confidence than I’m actually feeling.

Gavin perks up and starts to nod his head yes when Kate speaks up. “Damian wants you here with me, correct?”

The note I was given when I landed in San Francisco was clear. I was to board the next flight then continue traveling until I was told otherwise. When I left the last hotel in Memphis, the note the hotel clerk gave me said I was to go to Denver and then take multiple cabs until I arrived here, at my sister, Kate’s, home. I’m supposed to stay put until Damian or one of his men tells me otherwise.

“Yes.” My voice is weaker than I intended.

Kate nods her head. “Then you’re staying here. End of,” she firmly adds, looking between the two men. She sighs before taking my hand and walking us toward the staircase. “I’m sorry, but right now all we have is an air mattress. We’ll go out and get you a real bed tomorrow.”

My heart plummets to my stomach. This is the moment where my hate—or maybe it’s only anger—becomes evident. I need to stop directing it at Kate, who in reality is just as much of a victim of this horrible scenario as I am, and keep it directed at my father. I’m sure Kate wasn’t excited to find out Damian was her father, and she can’t control his reaction to her.

“An air mattress is fine. Please don’t go to any trouble just for me,” I quietly say.

“Nonsense. We’re family. Oh, speaking of that, is it okay if I call Alex and tell him you’re here?” My eyes dart to hers.

Alex?
Thankfully, I keep that thought to myself. She’s talking about David and Shelley Johnson’s son, technically...my brother.

I have no idea how to answer that. I read the article that stated that the Johnsons had a three-year-old son at the time of my abduction, but reading the article online, I felt very removed from the situation.

“Um,” I respond as I gather my thoughts. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” Kate stiffens but holds my stare. “Can I be honest with you?” I wait until Kate nods before I continue.

“I know Alex is technically my brother, but that’s not how I see him.” Kate’s eyes thin as she processes my statement. “I’m Damian’s daughter, not Alex’s sister. The two worlds colliding doesn’t feel right.” I nervously swallow. “It could be very dangerous.”

Kate blinks several times before nodding her head in agreement. “I understand what you’re saying. I don’t think I really grasp how powerful—in the wrong ways—Damian really is. Hopefully, I never will. I can tell you I’ve met Alex a few times and he’s always wondered about you. He’s more than wondered, and seeing you might lay some of his demons to rest.”

I never anticipated meeting Alex Johnson. Then again, I never anticipated Damian not being my real father. “Still...I don’t know. I get what you’re trying to say, but...let me think about it,” I nervously add.

“Absolutely. I’m going to head back downstairs and fix dinner. There’s a bathroom right down the hallway that you’ll share with Kiran and Callie. Feel free to freshen up then I would love it if you’d come join us.”

Hesitantly, I nod my head yes. “Great. I’ll see you in a few.”

With a small smile, she turns and leaves me alone in my new room. Boxes line the walls and there is a desk in the corner, but it’s otherwise bare. In a way, it’s perfect. I open my suitcase as the thought of staying here suddenly becomes real, which sends more panic racing through me. I can’t stop thinking about Damian and why he sent me here, and I can’t help but wonder if I’ll ever see him again.

****

I take a hot shower and wash the long day of travel off my skin. If I were at home—where I wouldn’t be sharing a meal with a beautiful man that I’m positive I’m attracted to—I wouldn’t waste make-up this late in the day. However, I’m not about to head downstairs without looking my best.

When I make it to the bottom of the stairs, the area opens up into a large living room that leads into the kitchen. I’m about to round the couch when I overhear Gavin and Kiran talking, making me pause.