Aria Graice - 48. Chapter 48

Even though it was December, the weather was perfect. The sky was a deep cerulean blue, broken by only an occasional dusting of clouds. The water was a few shades darker, stretching out to meet it at the horizon. A breeze tugged at Drew’s hair as he stood at the foot of the steps and stared down from their lofty vantage point at a sweeping, crescent-shaped bay. In the distance, waves lapped a startlingly white beach, and high overhead gulls screamed as they circled, swooping and skipping over the swell.

“Jesus,” Ceriann breathed. “Where the hell are we?”

“No idea,” Aria said cheerfully. “And I don’t care as long as we can stay here.”

“I second that,” Jay said.

The sound of approaching vehicles had them scurrying around to the back of the plane. The runway seemed terrifyingly short, although Drew noticed the plane had half turned already and was pretty sure that it had taxi’d as close as it could to the cliff for effect rather than necessity. A few hundred feet away, a tiny group of bright, white buildings had disgorged two vehicles which quickly resolved into roofless jeeps.

While they were waiting, Drew was joined by Jan and the pilot.

“Thank you,” Drew said.

“For anything in particular?” Captain Stewart asked, his deep voice rich with amusement.

“I’m guessing this wouldn’t have been your favourite place to stop.”

“Oh, I don’t know, I’ve stopped in places I’ve liked a lot less.”

Drew glanced at him. “Ex military?” The captain nodded. “Then I imagine you certainly have.”

“Trust me, this was nothing, and it was worth it to bring a little joy into their lives.”

Drew didn’t miss the fondness with which the captain spoke of the twins. He chuckled. “Do you know, when I started this job I really wanted to hate them. I come from nothing and to me all this…” He waved his hands vaguely. “This wealth and power seemed obscene. I was angry I had to be part of it. I don’t know why but I thought it gave you everything. I thought rich and powerful people never had to work for anything, never valued anything, had no right to be anything but happy.”

“You’re still right about some of them,” Jan said.

The captain chuckled. “For sure.”

“But not the twins.”

“No, not the twins.”

“Never the twins.”

“What is it about them?” Drew asked. “How do they make people love them so effortlessly?”

The captain laughed. “Damned if I know, but if you find out could you bottle some and send it to me.”

“Me too,” Jan said, laughing out loud.

“What are you laughing at?” Aria asked, appearing at Drew’s side. He laced their fingers together.

“We’re just laughing,” Drew said. “Because we’re happy and because you’re happy.”

For a moment, Aria seemed confused, then he shrugged and tugged on Drew’s hand.

“Come on, let get in the car and go.”

“Just like that.”

Drew planted his feet and Aria looked even more confused.

“What do you mean?”

“Do we know who are in those cars? Do we know exactly why they’re here? Do we know if they’re supposed to be here? They could be kidnappers, or press, or anyone at all.”

“Oh. Oh.” Aria’s eyes widened. “You don’t think—”

Drew could have kicked himself at the utter terror in Aria’s eyes. He could have handled that better. It was too soon. But the twins had to learn fast that surprises were nice but when you’re in a position like theirs they had to be handled with caution. Drew did not like the situation he found himself in and he would be having words with Lady Jane about it.

The jeeps halted about twenty feet away and one of the drivers got out. He was dressed immaculately in white slacks and shirt, his raven black hair oiled into ringlets. He grinned and held out his hand to Drew.

“Mr Chance. I am Alejandro Moustakas. I take care of the villa for Lady Jane and I am here to welcome you personally. I am entirely at your service for the entirety of your stay. The driver of the other car is Konstantin Cirillo, the head of security. No doubt you will want to speak to him in depth. Feel free to ask whatever you wish. He, too, is at your disposal.”

Alejandro’s grip was firm and his gaze appeared open and unguarded, but Drew owed his life to never accepting anything at face value. As if reading his mind, Alejandro flipped the flap of a messenger back he was wearing across his body and withdrew a folder which he handed to Drew.

Drew accepted the file curiously and opened it. The dossier held photographs of a beautiful Grecian villa set in its own grounds and surrounded by a high wall. It also contained photographs of all its staff, including Alejandro and Konstantin, each signed as original by Lady Jane. There was also a letter from Lady Jane to Drew personally apologizing for keeping him out of the loop with security and assuring him he could trust her staff. There seemed to be little choice but to do that right now. He was going to have a word with Lady Jane just as soon as they were settled.

“I apologize, Mr Chance. I can quite understand that it must be difficult for you, being asked to accept a stranger’s assurances that you and your family will be safe, and if there is anything I can do to help reassure you, I’d be happy to do so.”

Drew exchanged glances with Jeff, who gave a slight nod and went off to speak to Konstantin.

“You’ll forgive me if I’m reluctant to get into a car with a stranger, after a trip to a secret location I haven’t had a chance to survey in advance, arranged by someone I don’t trust.”

Alejandro choked back a laugh. “I would very much like to hear you say that to her.”

“Wish granted.” Drew turned to Aria who Drew had positioned a little behind him. “Can you give your grandmother a call for me please?”

Aria complied without comment, a sure indication he was still feeling nervous and out of sorts. “Hello, Robert. Is grandmother there? Yes, we’ve arrived. Drew wants to make sure we’re not going to be kidnapped again.” Aria’s voice shook and Drew kicked himself again for having put the idea into his head. They needed to be wary, but he didn’t need to scare the hell out of Aria every time they set foot outside the door.

When Aria handed the phone to him the first thing Lady Jane said compounded those concerns.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, frightening the boy out of his wits at a time like this?”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing sending us to the middle of nowhere and expecting us to get into a car with two strange men who could be anyone. I’m surprised at you, given how tight your own security is.”

“I provided a dossier.”

“Which could have been doctored. I remind you that the kidnapping attempt took place within your own house. No security arrangements can be entirely foolproof, but I would be a fool if I didn’t make sure they’re as tight as they can be. Stepping off a plane in an unknown location, faced with two unknown men and a paper dossier that could have been put together by anyone is not tight in anyone’s estimation.”

“Do you not trust me, Mr Chance?”

“No, Lady Jane, I don’t trust you. I don’t trust anyone when it comes to the safety of my charges, and even more so when it comes to the safety of my boyfriends.”

There was a very pregnant pause. “I understand. I commend you for a job well done. If you would be good enough to allow me to speak to Alejandro, I believe I can at least confirm my belief that he is genuine.”

Drew handed the phone to Alejandro, and after a brief conversation that made no sense to Drew, hearing only one side of it, Alejandro handed it back.

“I am prepared to stake my reputation that Alejandro is entirely genuine and has only my grandsons’ interests at heart.”

“Very well. I know how important your reputation is to you, so I suppose I won’t get anything better than that.”

“Very amusing, Mr Chance. Are you satisfied now?”

“Absolutely, Lady Jane. Oh”—he continued just before she hung up—“and thank you. This is just what they needed.”

“No, Drew, you are what they need, but I do what I can.”

Alejandro was not even trying to hide his grin. “You are a brave man, Mr Chance. Either that or a foolish one, I cannot tell. I have orders to do whatever you say, so I am entirely at your disposal.”

Drew glanced over at Jeff who, again, gave him a brief nod. “Then shall we get to wherever we’re going because I could do with a drink.”

“Drinking on duty, Mr Chance?”

Alejandro was teasing but Aria immediately leaped to Drew’s defence. “Drew’s not on duty. He’s not our bodyguard now—shit I suppose I should get a new one—he’s family.”

“When it comes to your safety, my love, I’m always on duty.” Drew kissed Aria’s head.

Aria tilted back his head and gazed up at him, squinting against the sun. “You’re an idiot,” he said, then raised himself on tiptoe and gave Drew a searing kiss that had him hotter than anything the sun could manage. When Drew thought he might explode, or at least show some serious signs that he was threatening to, Aria danced back and jumped lightly into the jeep Alejandro had been driving.

“Is the road bumpy,” he called back, “because Amara doesn’t do seatbelts very well.”

“It’s not far,” Alejandro said, “and not at all bumpy.”

Drew helped Amara settle in the back with Aria. Again, excitement seemed to be providing excellent pain relief and he only seemed to experience mild discomfort from the seatbelt, so Drew was confident to leave the twins together and sit in the front.

As promised, after a slightly bumpy ride to the terminal, the road was smooth and wide, climbing slowly and affording magnificent views of the sea, the small village spread along the shoreline and the faint blur of the mainland in the distance. It was clear and hot, and Alejandro was pleasant company, keeping up a steady chat, mainly about the island, that apparently boasted the last resting place of one of the sailors on the Argo. No one corrected him that the boat existed only in a story. The island was clearly a place of stories, of dreams and adventures, and Drew certainly did not want to burst that bubble.

After about half an hour the jeep paused before large, wrought iron gates set into a high, white wall. At the push of a button on Alejandro’s key fob the gates swung wide and the two jeeps drove into paradise. The drive wound past palm trees and lush, green vegetation before breaking out before a series of sloping terraces leading up to a house that literally took Drew’s breath away. It was white, two storied, with verandas on both floors. The bottom veranda sported solid archways, while the top was a frothy mass of spindly columns and lattice work.

They skirted a large pool with fountains that shot ten feet into the air and came to a stop between the veranda and a lush lawn. Aria leaped out of the jeep before it had properly stopped and raced down to the pool. “There are fish,” he yelled back to them as Drew helped Amara out of the jeep. For all his excitement, he was clearly sore and tired now. “Come and see. Come on Mara. Look. Can we go in?”

“Maybe later,” Amara called. “I need a drink and somewhere cool to sit.”

Aria immediately raced back. “I’m sorry,” he said, taking Amara’s hand. “I get over-excited.” He said it so matter-of-factly that everyone grinned. Jay snorted and Amara right out laughed.

“I know,” Amara said, freeing his hand and draping it over his brother’s shoulders, “that’s one of the reasons I love you so very, very much, but please be a little less excited about the fish and a little more excited about finding somewhere that has ice and something soft to sit on?”

“No problem. I shall make that my mission.”

They laughed again and moved toward the door, which opened as they climbed the two steps onto the veranda. A man in a white linen suit with greying hair and a wide, white smile stepped out.

“Welcome to the Villa Britannia. I am Georges and I am your steward. I make sure the villa runs smoothly. Please come inside.” He stepped back and they all filed in to a cool, spacious hall. “Let me take you to the sunroom. There are refreshments prepared.” He smiled again and led them to the back of the house. Passing through a set of carved doors, they entered a long room, that seemed to run the length of the villa. It was partly enclosed by tall, arched windows, and partly open onto a massive patio containing the biggest pool Drew had ever seen. Sun loungers dotted the patio as well as a cluster of tables, surrounded by padded chairs and topped by massive striped umbrellas. Close by, almost providing a separate wing to the house was what appeared to be a bar.

The sunroom itself was furnished with little clusters of sofas and chairs, with two long sideboards and a good sprinkling of low tables. The sideboards were filled with all kinds of good things, from overflowing bowls of fruit to jugs of iced tea and an intricate silver coffee urn. Aria took off his shoes and danced on the cool tiles. Jay and Ceriann joined him. Drew helped Amara settle into one of the lush sofas. A pretty young woman who had been standing near the sideboard, hurried over with a glass of iced water that Amara accepted with a smile that made her blush.

“Please take your time to get settled in,” Georges said. “Daria will take care of you and get you whatever you want. If you need anything at all either ask Daria or you can usually find me in my office, just next to the front door. I’ll have your luggage taken up to your rooms and when you’re ready to retire you can either make your own way up or Daria will arrange for someone to take you. If you need me at any time, please feel free. The villa is yours and the staff are completely at your disposal.” He smiled and there was something about him Drew liked instantly. “When you have a moment, Mr Chance perhaps you would be good enough to join me in my office so I can go over the security arrangements.”

“I’ll go,” Jeff said. “You get the boys settled. I’ll go over it with you later.”

“As you wish,” Georges said with another warm smile and led Jeff out of the room.

Drew wandered over to the sideboard and poured himself a coffee. It was thick, dark and fragrant and he closed his eyes, breathing it in. He sighed deeply, feeling the tension he’d barely been aware he was carrying begin to ease. He took his coffee back to the sofa and sat next to Amara.

“That looks disgusting,” Amara said, glancing into his cup, “but it smells like heaven.”

“You should try some later. It is heaven.”

Daria brought Amara some iced tea and he accepted it gratefully. Drew couldn’t help noticing that Daria blushed every time Amara so much as glanced at her, and when he smiled her eyes glazed over. Drew smiled to himself. This was going to be interesting.

Aria dropped down on Drew’s other side and plucked Amara’s tea out of his fingers.

“Hey, get your own,” Amara protested.

“I don’t have time to get my own. I’m dying of thirst and I wouldn’t live long enough.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you another,” Daria said to Amara and scuttled off to the sideboard.

“She’s got a crush on you,” Aria said.

“She does not.”

“She does. If you smile at her too much, she’ll either wet herself or faint.”

“Aria.” Amara sounded outraged, but immediately started laughing, spoiling the effect.

Daria returned and handed Amara his fresh tea. Amara beamed at her and murmured, “thank you,” in a husky voice. It seemed for a moment as if Aria’s prediction was about to come true, then she giggled and fled back to her station.

“I could have fun with that,” Amara said, settling back, “except, you know, I’m not a complete arsehole.”

“Jack would so do that,” Aria said, referring to friend Drew had met only briefly and could not therefore assess how much of an arsehole he was with any real certainty.

“Father would probably do that.” That, Drew agreed with.

“I might do that,” Ceriann cut in, sitting in an adjacent chair.

“That’s because you’re a mean old woman,” Jay teased, taking another of the two remaining chairs.

Ceriann shrugged. “Eh.”

Aria’s phone startled them all by choosing that moment to ring. It was the phone he reserved only for close friends and family, so he scrambled to slide it out of his pocket. He chuckled. “It’s a good thing I didn’t go in the pool, huh? I forgot about my phone. Oh. It’s grandmother. I’ll put her on speaker so we can all say thank you.”

“Hello, my darling, how do you like your villa?”

“It’s beautiful. I love everything. The island, the house, the pool, especially the pool, and the people. Alejandro knows loads about the island and Daria has a crush on Amara.” Something clattered to the floor behind Drew and they all glanced over to find Daria crouching to pick up a silver tray that had fallen, scattering fruit. Drew motioned to everyone to ignore it.

Lady Jane laughed. “Well, I can see you’ve certainly got into the spirit. How is your brother after the journey, not too tired I hope.”

“I’m fine, grandmother,” Amara said. “Aria has us on speaker.”

“Oh, how wonderful, now I can talk to you all. Are you enjoying your present?”

“What present,” Aria asked. “Oh sorry, the holiday. I’m not ungrateful, honestly. It’s amazing.”

Lady Jane laughed again, the sound warmer than anything Drew had heard from her. “You are a wonder, my darling. How you managed to turn out so sweet I’ll never know, given the harridan who birthed you and that fool son of mine who hasn’t done a damn thing for you. I wasn’t talking about the trip though.”

“Oh. No? Is there another present?” Aria looked around as if a gift-wrapped box would suddenly appear from nowhere.

“I missed your birthday, and so many other birthdays, I wanted to give you a gift that would go some way toward making it up to you, something you could enjoy year after year, for yourselves and with your family and friends. Just something to show you how much you mean to me, that might bring some happiness into your lives. Lord knows you deserve it.”

“What is it?” Aria asked still looking around.

“It’s the villa,” Amara said quietly, his face solemn. “Isn’t it?”

“Yes, my dear. Georges will take care of the paperwork while you’re there but consider it yours from this very moment. I’ve set up a trust to take care of staff and maintenance, so you needn’t worry about any of that. Just come and go as you please.”

For once, Drew was able to witness both twins at a complete loss for words. There was absolute silence for a few moments, broken by Ceriann.

“Bloody hell. It’s about time we had someone rich in the family. Wait until Mam sees this. Damn. India can wait.” She bounced to her feet and raced for the pool, leaping in fully clothed, with a loud whoop.

“I’d guess that was Ceriann,” Lady Jane said. Surprisingly, during the times they’d spent together at the hospital, Lady Jane had developed quite a soft spot for Ceriann which was mind-blowing to Drew as they couldn’t have been more different.

“Of course,” Amara said. “She’s just jumped in the pool with all her clothes on.”

“I want to do that,” Aria said, his eyes on Ceriann, splashing in the water.

“Then I’ll let you go, my darlings. Have a wonderful time. Take lots of photographs.”

“Have you made an Instagram account yet?” Aria asked.

There was a moment’s silence. “Yes, I believe I have.”

“Then you’ll see lots and lots and lots of photographs and some very badly produced videos,” Aria said before he dropped the phone onto the table and ran for the pool.