Dante (Stone Society Book 3) (14 page)

There
was no change in Maria other than the guard placed at her door. Knowing the
hospital wouldn’t talk to anyone but family, Julian fabricated some documents
stating Dane was Maria’s brother. On the drive up to Tennessee, they agreed
Dane would be the one to stay in town and keep an eye on things. Rafael didn’t
like being in public more than he had to, and Kaya and Jasper could cover the
police work until Dane returned home.

Rafael
called in a couple of Goyles who lived in the New Nashville area so Maria would
have round-the-clock security by someone Rafe trusted. They would also be
notified immediately if there was any change in her status. Normally he would
stay behind the scenes and allow his Clan to take care of business, but this
was personal. In his gut, he knew Alistair was somewhere in Greece calling the
shots.

Rafe,
Kaya, and Dane met Corey and the New Columbia sheriff at Rico and Maria’s home.
The sun had long since set, but Corey and the sheriff had graciously agreed to
meet them. CSU had finished going over the house. The sheriff hesitated in
giving them any information until Corey pulled him aside, explaining the gravity
of the situation and how Dane was the missing boy’s uncle. New Columbia was a
small town and didn’t have as many resources as either New Nashville or New
Atlanta. He eventually gave in to the help from the big city Detective and
Chief.

Rafael
stood back and let his mate and Dane do what they did best. Even though the
crime lab had searched for clues, Dane and Kaya carefully went through the
house, looking for anything that could have been missed.

Forced
entry into the back door was evident; however, there were no signs of a
struggle. Both Rico and Maria had been stabbed multiple times. The only room in
the house that was disturbed was their bedroom, where the murder and attempted
murder took place. Their bed was a bloody mess on both sides. While Rico had
been found on the bed, Maria had been taken and dumped away from the house. A
trail of blood led from the bedroom, down the hall, and out the front door.
Maria’s body had been dragged.

Connor’s
bedroom did not look like a typical six year old’s room, not that Rafael would
know what one looked like. He imagined it would be filled with toys and games,
not books and art supplies. The desk in the corner was filled with various
drawings and paintings.

“Take
a look at this.” Dane was holding up one of the drawings.

Rafael
took the paper. “Holy hell, is that Dante?” The drawing wasn’t a crayon stick
figure family portrait. This was done with charcoals. The detail was stunning.
“Surely the kid didn’t draw this. I mean, how could he? He’s never met Dante.”

Kaya,
looking around Rafe’s arm, said, “There’s no doubt it is Dante. Are we sure
he’s never seen him, though? We don’t really know Isabelle. What if Connor has
visited New Atlanta and happened to see them together?”

“I
really don’t think so. The way Isabelle explained it to me, the kid never
leaves New Columbia. She’s very careful about visiting him here as well,” Dane
said, still staring at the drawing.

“I’m
going to send this to Dante, get his take on it.” Rafael took a picture of the
drawing with his phone and forwarded it to his brother.

After
about an hour, Kaya and Dane had searched every inch of the house, having found
no evidence to help find whoever kidnapped Connor. They thanked the sheriff,
and he left them to speak with Corey.

“So,
Abbott, what’s really going on here?” Corey asked, now that they were alone.

“It’s
a long story, but I’ll make it as short as possible. Isabelle is my sister. I
was put up for adoption as a baby, and she was sent to live with Rico and Maria
when she was a kid. She moved to Greece and got married, but her husband fell
overboard their boat and drowned. She moved back to the States after, pregnant
with her late husband’s kid. Her husband’s family is beyond rich, and we’re
afraid they’ve found out about the boy and are behind the kidnapping.”

“Whoa,
that’s some story. That would make sense why there has been no ransom demand.”

“Exactly.
All we have to go on at this point is the family lives on an island in Greece.
Isabelle is on her way there now, as are her ma… uh man and his brother.”

“Corey,
thank you again for meeting us here. I want to head back to the hospital.”
Rafael wasn’t in a hurry, he just wanted to have some privacy to speak freely.
They said their goodbyes, with Dane and Corey promising to keep in touch. Once
Corey had driven away, Rafe said, “I’ll be right back.” He let himself into the
house and made his way to Connor’s bedroom. He straightened the stack of
drawings on Connor’s desk and picked them up. He wanted to study them more
closely, hopefully to get a little insight into the mind of Isabelle’s child.

When
he reached the car, Kaya cocked an eyebrow and asked, “And just what are you
doing with those?”

He
grinned at his woman and kissed her. “Research.”

Turbulence
woke Isabelle, surprised she had fallen asleep. When she asked about Connor,
Kallisto assured her he was being well taken care of. Isabelle had vowed to
never step foot in Greece again, but she would walk through the Christian’s
hell if it meant getting her son back.

Isabelle’s
rumbling stomach reminded her she hadn’t eaten in hours. When Kallisto asked if
she wanted breakfast, she gave in. She would have to chance them drugging her.
They wouldn’t be in the air much longer, and Isabelle needed strength for
whatever she would find when they landed. If Kallisto was working for Stavros,
things were going to be bad. Very bad. The man hated her when he thought she
was responsible for Alexi’s death. The rage he had directed her way was still
alive in her mind, even six years later. She couldn’t imagine anyone else being
responsible.

Poor
Connor. Her son was smart and brave. Even so, he was only six years old. What
had he seen? Was he there when Rico was killed, when Maria was injured? Had he
been drugged to keep him compliant? Was he already in Greece at the Sarantos
Villa, or was he being held in a dark room? Was he scared? Her own stomach
rumbled again, and she felt guilty for eating when she didn’t know if her child
was hungry.

Kallisto’s
partner in crime, Sergei, rolled a breakfast cart down the aisle. Instead of
separate plates of food, there were platters of eggs, bacon, toast, and bagels.
It was obvious he prepared the meal this way for her benefit. If they all ate
from the same platters, she would be assured they weren’t drugging her. Guilt
stabbed at her heart as Isabelle dished food onto a plate, assuring herself she
was eating to keep her strength up. She poured herself a cup of coffee, adding
cream to it.

Once
breakfast was finished, Sergei piled their dishes on the cart, pushing it to
the back of the plane. Instead of returning, he called out to Kallisto, “Phone
for you.” Kallisto headed to the rear compartment, closing the door behind her.
Even with her shifter hearing, Isabelle could only make out a few words. None
that gave any indication of exactly where they were taking her. She leaned back
against the seat and closed her eyes. All night her thoughts had ping-ponged
between Dante and Connor. Was her son okay? Was he being taken care of? Was
Dante in an airplane, flying toward her? Was he angry with her? Would he really
save her and Connor as he said he would?

 During
the course of the flight, Isabelle watched and listened as her two hosts
interacted. It was clear Kallisto was in charge, but she didn’t treat Sergei as
a lackey. There was an affection between them, more platonic than sexual, but
it was evident they were fond of each other. When Kallisto gave Sergei an
order, it was done with a please and thank you. Now, the two sat side by side
in companionable silence. Neither tried to engage Isabelle in conversation, and
for that she was grateful. When her own questions had gone unanswered, she
clammed up and settled into herself. She picked up a book to have something to
keep her hands still.

Sergei
disappeared to the rear of the plane for a while. When he reappeared, he sat
across from her and informed them both, “Buckle up. We will be landing soon.”

Isabelle’s
stomach rolled, and nausea climbed her throat. She took a deep breath, calming
herself. She would not show weakness in front of this woman. It was bad enough
Kallisto looked as fresh now as she had when they first met. Isabelle had gone
to the restroom a couple of hours ago and retightened her ponytail. Using a
paper towel and water, she attempted to unsmudge the mascara under her eyes.
Her clothes were wrinkled from sitting so long. Good thing for her she wasn’t
trying to impress anyone. Her stomach jerked again as the plane touched down.
“Here goes nothing,” she thought to herself as she waited for the jet to stop
rolling.

When
they were given the all clear, Kallisto told her, “Please follow me.” As
Isabelle stood, Kallisto handed her purse to her.

“Where
are we?” she asked, not expecting an honest answer. At some point during the
flight they had stopped to refuel, but there was no indication as to where they
landed. She had watched as the plane flew over the blue waters of the Mediterranean.
The outline of Italy clued her in they were nearing the islands. There were so
many small islands, it was impossible to know which one they landed on.

Kallisto’s
face was blank and her answer cryptic. “We’re home.”

Isabelle
rose from her seat and followed. They descended the stairs, stepping out into
the Greek sun. There were no other planes around, no workers securing the jet,
no one coming to gather luggage. The hangar was deserted except for Isabelle,
Kallisto, and Sergei. As they neared the building, Isabelle caught sight of a
limo. Was Connor in there? Could she possibly see her son this soon? She
received her answer when Sergei opened the back door, allowing the women to
climb inside. The door closed behind them, and Sergei took his place in the
driver’s seat.

Isabelle’s
heart sank. “When do I get to see my son?”

Ignoring
her question, Kallisto instead said, “I do apologize, Isabelle, but I’m going
to need to blindfold you.” She was holding a strip of black cloth in her hands,
waiting for Isabelle to comply.

“Why?
It’s not like I know where I am anyway.” Isabelle had a sinking feeling her
life was about to go from bad to worse.

“I
understand, and if it were up to me, I would allow you to enjoy the scenery.
But I have my orders, so please…” Kallisto held out the blindfold, still
waiting for Isabelle to turn around.

Sighing,
Isabelle did as she was asked. When Kallisto had tied the material around her
head, she slid her hands under Isabelle’s hair, moving it over her shoulders.
“There. That’s not too tight, is it?”

Isabelle
just shook her head. Her body shivered at the soft touch. She didn’t want
anyone touching her, only Dante.

“Do
you want something to drink? We have water, juice, and champagne. I’m having a
Mimosa. Would you care for one?”

Maybe
a little alcohol wasn’t such a bad idea. It would calm her nerves and give her
a little courage. “Mimosa would be great, thanks.”

The
sound of the cork popping and the liquids being poured into the glasses filled
Isabelle’s ears. Kallisto placed her hand in Isabelle’s, rubbing her thumb
along her knuckles before placing the stem of the glass in her fingers. Not
wanting to think about the goose bumps Kallisto’s touch caused, Isabelle downed
the entire glass of fruit juice and champagne. The bubbles from the alcohol
caused gas in her throat, and Isabelle puffed out a burp. “Excuse me.” The
glass was taken from her hand.

A
hand touched her cheek, fingers caressing her skin. “I’m really sorry,
Isabelle.” 

“Sorry
for what?” she asked, just before everything faded to black.

The
first thing Isabelle noticed was the pounding inside her skull. She rubbed her
temple with her fingertips, but the motion did nothing to alleviate the pain.
Her stomach rolled. She was getting really tired of feeling nauseous. She
parted her eyelids, allowing a little light to stream in. When she noticed very
little light in the room, Isabelle opened her eyes all the way. She found
herself lying on a bed, the duvet filled with down. The furnishings in the room
were sparse yet elegant. No pictures or other accoutrements adorned the walls.
There were no windows, only a door leading… Where was she? Last thing she
remembered was getting in the limo with Kallisto. Ah, the Mimosa. The bitch
drugged her after all.