A Tangled Web (Dangerous Secrets) (7 page)

CHAPTER TWELVE

Kimberly looked around. She had no idea where he’d taken her—the place was completely unfamiliar, yet cozy.

“Damien, why did you bring me here?”

“Kimberly, we have everything we need here. I can give you any and everything you want.”

“Well can you start by taking me back home?”

“Kimberly, you’re such a kidder—you
are
home!”

“Place is all set up,” said a strange man with his face obscured coming out of one of the rooms, wiping his hands.

“Great! Hey tell Luke everything worked out. Thanks guys. I can take it from here.”

The man nodded and left, as another one seemingly came out of nowhere and left with him.

“Luke?”

“Yeah. You know, he’s actually not a bad guy that one—not as much as people say he is. He actually helped me set this whole thing up. He understood how important it was for me to be there for the birth of my child…”

“
Your
child? Damien where the hell did you get that idea? This is not your baby!”

“Oh Kimberly, you can drop the act now. It’s okay—I know. I know you were hiding the true paternity and understandably so…I guess. It’s just that, well, I wish you had told me. I mean, it
is
my baby…”

“Damien it’s
not
your baby—how many times do I have to say it?”

“Kimberly, look. I know it’s hard to think you’re having a baby with me because you believe I’m your brother but it’s not our fault. And we might not be related after all!”

“Damien, where on earth have you been getting your information?”

“Kent and Elliott talked about it a few months back. Elliott’s place has been in the family for decades—they don’t know Luke’s got
that
place rigged. Anyway, he let me in on the info and I’ve got to tell you, it was so hard for me to sit still on it, but I had to plan carefully.”

“Damien, you didn’t get the rest of the info. Yeah, I
thought
the baby was yours at first, but I found out when I first went to the hospital that I was wrong. Damien, I really am due weeks from now—do the math!”

Kimberly was starting to get angry.

“Look, I don’t know what the doctor told you…”

“Damien, the last time we slept together was when, huh? Kent and I were together a few weeks later…”

“I still can’t believe how quickly you jumped into bed with him…”

“That’s not the point! Yes, I slept with Kent soon after and I did think I was already pregnant, but I was wrong!
Kent
got me pregnant when we slept together and you know what? I couldn’t be happier.”

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Damien, I don’t want to have my brother’s baby! And guess what—even before I knew you were my brother and I thought I was pregnant by you, I didn’t want it!”

“Kimberly...” Damien said in a low voice.

“No, you listen Damien—I didn’t want your baby! I didn’t realize it till that moment I first thought I was pregnant with your child that I didn’t want to be with you anymore. And I certainly didn’t want something that would connect me to you forever like a child would.”

“Kimberly…” Damien said again, his voice barely above a whisper.

Kimberly went straight up to him.

“Damien, Kent is the best thing that has ever happened to me…”

Damien’s hand came down hard on her cheek, almost making her lose her balance and fall.

She held her hands to her stinging cheek in shock.

Damien came over to her.

“Aw Kim, see what you made me do…”

As he was about to hold her and help her, she narrowed her eyes at him in warning.

“Don’t you dare touch me,” she said.

“Kim I’m sorry. Let me help you…”

She laughed.

“Help me?” She laughed again.

Then she felt a sharp pain in her belly.

“Kimberly are you okay? You see, I knew that baby was mine—you should be due any day, any minute now…”

“Damien shut up! I’m fine.”

“Just let me help you over to the couch…”

“I can walk, thanks,” she said as dryly as she could, still in shock over Damien hitting her. She started trying to walk to the couch, bent over. Damien helped her anyway.

She sat down and looked around the place, studying it.

“I know what you’re thinking Kimberly. No one who would help you knows you’re here. No one’s been here in years. And Luke’s making sure no one comes here. We’ll stay here for a while, until after you’ve had the baby. Luke has staff members who can take care of our needs. A few of them even fixed up the place for us—added some furnishings, a baby room, stocked the cupboards…”

Kimberly watched him through the slit of her eyes as he went on and on. Never in her life did she want to physically hurt someone as she did right then.

“So Kimberly, where?”

“What?”

“Which country would you like to move to?”

“Damien, you’re out of your cotton-picking mind. I’m not moving anywhere with you! Kent and I…”

“Man shut the hell up about Kent all right? There will be no more Kent, get used to it. You’re lucky I won’t have him killed…”

Kimberly’s heart stopped.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. I thought about telling ‘grandfather’ to get rid of him…”

“What makes you think he’d do it? Kent is his grandson too.”

Damien laughed.

“We’re talking about Luke here—I’m pretty sure that man would kill his own daughter.”

“What makes you think he wouldn’t kill you? Us? This could be a whole setup right here, right now. Maybe this whole place is about to blow up with us in it.”

“To be honest, I think he’s getting something out of this. I really don’t know what, but I doubt he’d bother to ‘do away’ with me. Besides, you and I will be out of his hair soon. And he won’t have to worry about Kent dirtying up the Davenport line having children with you.”

Kimberly was half-listening—she couldn’t help it. She kept trying to think if it was really possible Luke or Damien would have Kent killed.

“Why would you even think about having Kent killed?”

“Isn’t it obvious? He’s in the way—I’d be eliminating the competition.”

“Damien, you’re sick, and you’re sickening. In more ways than one.”

Damien smiled deviously.

“Maybe I need some sexual healing…” he said, leaning towards her as if for a kiss. She put her hand out, covering his mouth.

She shook her head.

“Damien, no.”

“I get it,” he said, smiling, “no smooching till after I prove we’re not siblings right? I guess that’s fair.”

Kimberly could only shake her head. He was certifiable.

She rubbed her tummy.

“Hey, are you hungry?” he asked suddenly.

Kimberly looked at him.

He was unbelievable! Acting as if this whole thing was
normal
.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Now what do you want to eat? I know pregnant women can be picky but there’s quite a selection here.”

“Make whatever you want Damien.”

Anything to get him out of her face.

Damien smiled.

“You think you’re smart don’t you? As soon as I go in there, you’re gonna try to escape but guess what. I’m two steps ahead of you.”

He pulled out a gun.

“I shouldn’t have told those goons to leave but I can do this. You sit on that chair right there.”

Kimberly looked at the gun and although she was almost sure he wouldn’t hurt her, every thought and instinct fled but self-perseverance; she had to protect herself and Kent’s baby.

She obediently went to the chair and sat still as Damien got some ropes and tied her up.

“I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do this,” he said sadly as he finished. “I’ll be right back okay? I’ll see if I can fix you something.”

“Since when can
you
cook,” she said quietly, not really caring for an answer but wanting to distract herself a little from her terror and sadness.

“Well, I said I’ll try. You see? I’ll do anything for you baby. Be right back.”

***

Damien bumped his way around the kitchen, trying his best to make a good meal.

He had cookbooks there to help him, but just couldn’t get it right. He decided to stop trying his hand at making chicken after overcooking the outside and realizing the inside was raw, then ultimately burning the pieces. He ended up just making some macaroni and cheese. He’d ask Luke about hiring a chef for them later.

He shared out Kimberly’s portion, poured a glass of water for her, then headed back out to the living room where she was being kept.

“Well the chicken didn’t come out quite right…” he began, but was stopped dead in his tracks by the murderous look in Kent’s eyes.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Kent had already untied Kimberly.

Damien was so shocked to see him there that it took him a few moments to take action, and it was a few moments too late. Before he knew what hit him, Kent had charged him and slammed him into the wall, pinning him against it. The plate of food and glass of water fell out of his hand and shattered against the ground. Kent briefly looked at the broken pieces.

“You know I have half a mind to pick up one of those pieces and slice your throat right here. ‘Cept I don’t want anything of yours touching Kimberly ever again—even if it
is
your blood.”

Damien started struggling against his grip, but the adrenalin rush from his fear was no match for the strength that came with Kent’s apparent rage.

“Damien,” Kent said calmly, conversationally after taking a breath and looking away for a brief moment, “before I ask the obvious, why the
fuck
is Kimberly’s cheek red?”

Damien didn’t know what to say. He knew that anything he said would be the wrong answer, so he just looked into Kent’s bruised face blankly wondering what had happened once Luke’s goons got to him. Eventually he focused on a sliver of dried blood on the side of Kent’s mouth.

He was snapped out of it as Kent pulled him forward then slammed him backwards, banging his head against the wall.

Damien tried to fight against him again, even attempting some blows, swinging at him fruitlessly.

Kent slammed him against the wall once more and said in a low voice:

“I’ve got a gun on me that says you won’t be trying that shit again. Now I will ask you one more time: why does my fiancé have a mark on her face?”

Damien glanced over at Kimberly and saw a look of joy come over her face.

“You...” Kent chuckled and shook his head. “You didn’t hit her did you? Kimberly, did he hit you?”

Kimberly didn’t answer and looked frightened again.

Damien decided he’d go ahead and answer the question.

“Kent…brother—I didn’t mean to…”

Damien was unable to finish. Kent rained into him with so many blows to the gut he thought he was going to die.

It was like Kent was seeing the punching bag he had when they lived together and he was working out, practicing as usual.

Kent then drew back and punched Damien across the face. Damien fell to the ground.

“Get up you sick freak! Get up!” Kent shouted.

“Kent!” Kimberly called out.

Kent grabbed Damien, pulling him up only to knock him down again.

“Kent wait!”

“You know, Kimberly,” he said, as Damien squirmed on the ground, “I would honestly be able to tell you I have no qualms about killing him, right here, right now. Except I do—I wouldn’t want to do it in front of you.”

“Kent, you wouldn’t really kill him?” she asked, and Damien was glad to hear some concern in her voice.

“Are you kidding me? Lucky for him, he’s your brother and
Ms
. Jordan’s son. I don’t care he’s my half-brother too—I only care I’d be hurting you and your mom.”

Damien was getting relieved. It seemed as if Kent’s anger had waned a bit and the fists of fury had stopped.

But then he heard Kent say:

“Of course that doesn’t mean I won’t beat him to within an inch of his life.”

“No! Kent!” Kimberly shouted on deaf ears.

***

Damien wasn’t moving.

Kent stood over him, as if waiting for him to regain consciousness only to hit him again.

Kimberly panicked at what looked like Damien’s lifeless body.

“Oh God Kent—you didn’t have to kill him!”

“He’s not dead honey. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for me, he’ll make it to another round.”

“No Kent!”

Kimberly started crying, her head in her hands.

Kent rushed to her side.

She hadn’t moved from her chair even though she had been untied long ago.

“Honey, I’m sorry about this, but he has to pay.”

“Hasn’t he paid enough already? God, he probably won’t ever be able to reproduce after what you did to him!”

Kent grinned.

“I did the world a favor then.” Then his face went grim again. “Kimberly, don’t be afraid to say honey—what did he do to you? How did this whole thing happen?”

She continued crying softly into her hands, speaking through her fingers.

“He called me up and said he wanted my advice on some girl he was interested in. He promised to have me back home in twenty minutes, but he brought me here instead.”

“And then…”

“Then he…” She decided to downplay what happened. “He was just saying he suspected we weren’t siblings so he thought we could still be together. And he thought the baby was his.”

“Did he try anything Kimberly?” Kent asked. “Besides…hitting you.”

Kent looked like he was struggling with himself. His face went from gentle askance to anger, then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Kimberly thought about the intended kiss, and removing her hands from her face, thought about whether to mention it or not.

She realized as she moved her hands that Damien had made his way over and was about to swing a vase at Kent’s head.

Kent managed to duck to the side, just missing the full impact of it, yet not completely dodging it.

Kimberly screamed as she saw the vase connect with Kent’s head.

That swing seemed to take all of Damien’s strength, and in no time, he was again the victim of Kent’s blows, not willing or able to fight back. He fell to his knees then on all fours.

Kent still lunged at him, flipping him over kneeing him in the groin.

Then he punched him across the face.

Damien was still again.

“Come on Damien! Give me something here!”

“Kent please stop!” Kimberly called out.

“No Kimberly—he deserves to die for this! How
dare
he kidnap and hit
my pregnant fiancé? The woman about to have my child, the woman going to be my wife! Swing at me Damien,
please
!”

“Kent…!”

She paused, marveling at Kent’s words—so he knew the truth about the baby?

She barely noticed Damien trying his best to get up.

“Yes, that’s right
brother
, that’s right. You can do it…”

“Kent…” Kimberly said more softly.

“Damien I don’t believe you man, what the hell were you thinking?” Kent shouted.

“Kent!”

This time, both men turn toward her. Her dilemma was clear.

“I think my water just broke,” she said needlessly.