Kidnapped the Wrong Sister (2 page)

Diona
looked at him with surprise.  “No, you’ve made a mistake”, she began before he silenced her, by raising one hand, his look holding hers icily in a manner which made Diona’s eyes flash with annoyance.  “How much Miss Brown?”, he queried softly, his tone low and dangerous.  “For what?”, she asked in surprise, her blue eyes looking quizzically into his dark ones.  “To leave and never see him again”

Diona
began to get angry, losing patience with this overbearing man who, despite being so devastatingly handsome, was treating her with such disrespect, his arrogance so obvious from the way his eyes kept flicking over her, as though she was something unpleasant he was being forced to sit beside.

“Who the hell do you think you are
?”, she asked, seeing the cold glint enter his dark eyes.  “I am Alexis’ brother, Miss Brown”, he answered, “And I am going to make sure that no little gold digger gets her claws into him”  As she gasped in shock, he paused to look over her, admiring the woman before him despite himself, surprised at what he saw.  This one was different from the usual women his brother was attracted to; she was beautiful, that was true, but in a calm quiet way, not the usual loud and brash type which he had had to deal with in the past.

“If you think that you are going to marry yourself
a rich man, then you are mistaken…my brother works for me Miss Brown… The company is owned by me and only by me”  “Mr Dranias...”, she began, a hard edge to her tone, as he once more interrupted her, making her frown even harder with irritation.  “Miss Brown I am prepared to pay you to go…so given the fact that I will cut my brother off without a penny if he is stupid enough to marry such an obvious little schemer as yourself… you would be better to take my money and leave”

Diona
glared at the man before her, her voice stilted at the suggestion that her sister was nothing more than a gold digger, “It is nice to know that you think so little of your own brother”, she bit back, her blue eyes flashing haughtily at him.  Nikias Dranias stared back at the woman before him.  For some reason he found himself watching her with more than just the contempt he felt when he had first entered the restaurant.

Her long blonde hair
, which was held primly back in a ponytail, enabled her wonderful face to be seen clearly.  Her complexion, slightly flushed with anger, glowed; a perfect setting for her large blue eyes, so bright with a radiance which he could not help but stare at.  His voice was a little huskier than usual as he continued, “If you know what is good for you Miss Brown, you will be on the next plane home, or else I will be forced into taking further action”

Diona
looked coldly at the man before her.  “Don’t threaten me Mr Dranias”, she said softly, “I have never liked bullies who threaten people”, she continued, seeing the look of confusion as it entered his eyes.  Standing up, Nikias dropped an envelope in front of her.  “Do yourself a favour, and take what you can and leave”

Before she could speak further
, he moved away from her table and out of the restaurant leaving Diona shaking with the anger which filled her.  As he left, Daryle returned to the table, her eyes large and frightened.  “Was that Nikias?”, she asked, her voice full of fear.

“Alexis just phoned to say that his brother
found out about us.  He was warning me that he was looking for me…”  With a nervous giggle she looked at how angry her sister seemed. “Wow, he is gorgeous”, she added, her eyes looking warily at Diona.  Diona looked back grimly.  “Yes, Daryle it was Nikias and he thought I was you… What an arrogant insufferable man”, she bit out through gritted teeth.

Daryle
looked at her, her eyes full of questions.  “What did he say?”, she whispered.  “Well you are right…he is totally against your marriage... and I can’t say that I blame him”, she added angrily, before turning on Daryle, her voice hard and determined.  “This has to end... get your stuff Daryle, we are leaving”  “No”, her sister spoke firmly, her eyes full of pain.  “I love him, and I am not leaving him…please understand Diona… I love him”

Diona
saw the tears rising within her sister’s eyes.  This was new.  Normally she could make her sister see sense eventually, but she could see the grim determination in Daryle’s eyes, warning her that this was going to be even harder than she had first thought.  However, remembering Nikias she knew that she would have to make her see how inappropriate the marriage would be, if only because of the enemy they would be making by going ahead with their plans.

With a small sig
h, Diona lifted the envelope, opening it to see the contents.  Inside she found a business class ticket back home dated the next day, and a cheque for 20,000 pounds.  Passing it over to her sister, she watched as Daryle gasped, before ripping it up.  “He thinks that he can buy us off…well he is wrong, and so are you Diona…we love each other”  With a soft sigh Diona looked at her sister more softly, pausing for a few seconds, her eyes watching her impassioned face.  “OK Daryle…but I want to meet your boyfriend…and to talk to you both… do you understand?”

Daryle
smiled at her, her face full of warmth.  “Thank you Diona”, she cried in relief, “We’ll both be in touch with you tonight, I promise”  With a small frown, Diona looked at Daryle…”You told me you were staying at the hotel I booked into …but they have no record of you”, she said in confusion, “Where are you staying Daryle?”

Sighing gently
, Daryle replied, “Alexis booked my room under another name so that his brother couldn’t find me”  Looking sadly at the door she added ruefully, “It still didn’t stop him though”  With that she stood, moving over to hug her sister lovingly.  “You will see Diona… he is wonderful, and I know you will love him as much as l do”, her voice wistful, as her elder sister looked on.

As Daryle
left, Diona sighed deeply.  She would talk to Alexis herself and persuade the two of them to slow down on their plans.  She would point out to them that if they were serious then they should involve their families in their happiness.  Suddenly feeling once more so tired she ordered and drank a cup of tea, frowning as she remembered Nikias Dranias. 

She
had never seen such a handsome man.  He was tall, over six feet, and was dressed in a suit which accentuated his broad shoulders and long lean frame.  His handsome face held the darkest eyes she had ever seen, holding her transfixed as she felt the sheer power of the man.  She shivered, finding it hard to forget the raw sexuality he seemed to exude with just his presence. 

Diona
smiled gently.  If Alexis was anything like his brother then she could fully understand why her sister had been swept away, becoming so besotted with this man.  However, with a concerned look crossing her eyes, she hoped again for her sister’s sake that he was less arrogant, her eyes once more flashing angrily at the way he talked to her, as if she was less than nothing, unfit for his brother. Diona had dealt with men like Nikias Dranias before, arrogant insufferable men who demanded and expected everything their own way, and she grimaced realising that it was going to be a struggle for Alexis and Daryle.  She wondered if they cared enough about each other to see it through, instinctively knowing that Nikias Dranias was a force to be reckoned with.

From the restaurant Diona
returned to her hotel, stopping on the way to buy a magazine, on the front page of which Nikias Dranias’ face was splashed along with the headline: “Cruise Tycoon Tells All”  As she sat in her hotel room, she read the story of the 32 year old tycoon’s rise to fame and fortune, from the humble streets of Greece to multi-billionaire status.  The interviewer talked to him in his home and there was a picture of him standing, looking out to sea beside a picture window, the scene outside wild and wonderful, as craggy cliffs merged into the blue of the sea.  She thought for a second about the very different worlds they lived in, he on his island and she in her small flat, overlooking a main road.  His face was slightly turned from the camera and he looked to be deep in thought, and once more Diona shivered gently remembering his musky scent, frowning at the realisation that she picked up that much detail of the man. 

Reading on
, there were several other photographs of him, all showing him with different women, some she even recognised, and with a twist of her lovely mouth she thought him to be such a hypocrite.  He was clearly a man who enjoyed the good things in life, and that very much included women.  How dare he look down on her sister, when he was such a playboy himself?  With a sigh, she hoped that this would turn out to be nothing more than a crush for her sister, her head turned by the lifestyle which Alexis offered, and that soon she would realise just how wrong he was for her.  Diona did not relish having to deal with Alexis’ brother again, remembering the contempt in his eyes when he talked to her.

The hotel
room was warm, and still feeling sticky from the heat and her journey, she slipped into the tiny washroom to have a shower.  Diona enjoyed the water as it moved down her slim body, her whole being looking forward to finally being able to lie on the bed which offered her the chance to sleep and to sort out her thoughts. However as she moved back into the small standard basic room, with its lumpy bed and small uncomfortable two-seater chair she saw the envelope which had been pushed under the door.

Moving over to lift it she
smiled reading the letter inside:
  Please come and stay on the island.  This would be more convenient for everybody.  A car will be outside the hotel at 5:00 to bring you here, please bring your luggage with you.  I look forward to welcoming you to my home.

With a soft sigh, she
smiled, before dressing in a silky baby blue halter neck summer dress which swished around her knees, showing off her lovely figure in a manner which Diona was not even aware of, before repacking her suitcase as she waited for the car.  Looking at the time, which read 4:30 she sighed again, knowing that sleep would have to wait.  At exactly 5:00, a large limousine arrived at the door of the hotel and the driver opened the door to help her in before ensuring that her case was put in the large trunk.

They
drove about half an hour before she found herself at a small pier where a luxury boat was waiting for her.  The polite and smiling skipper took her luggage and helped her on board before moving from the picturesque Greek pier towards a small island only just visible from the mainland.  As she watched it become bigger the closer they got, she could not help but gasp at how beautiful it looked.  The lush green vegetation against the golden sand which contrasted with the aqua waters took her breath away.  With a soft frown Diona thought about just how rich the Dranias' were, uncomfortable with the level of wealth she was seeing.  Daryle was in many ways an innocent, trusting people far more than she should.  She wondered how seriously a man like Alexis could take her 21 year old sister, not wanting to see her hurt, knowing just how far out of her own sphere of wealth Daryle was.

As they docked at the pier, the skipper
once more lifted her bag before politely helping her down onto the wooden jetty.  He walked with her to the waiting car, which then took her the short distance to the large modern building she could see at the top of the island.  The back of the building seemed to be built into the cliff which it perched onto as though it belonged there, blending into the rocky wall seamlessly.  Diona held her breath, completely awe-struck at the beauty and wildness of it.  She admired the wall-to-wall windows looking out, which she found herself thinking must be a perfect canvas for the sea below.  As they turned the bend bringing them around to the front of the house she could see the softer side.  Here the building was grand, with pillars beside the large entrance, which was surrounded by perfectly manicured gardens.  Diona moaned gently, once more feeling so out of place, thinking of her small two-bedroom flat which she and Daryle shared.

The driver
opened her door, helping her out of the large car before smiling politely at her and driving away, leaving Diona to ring the large doorbell on the very impressive wooden door.  Very quickly it was opened by an older woman who looked at her politely and proceeded to beckon her to come in with a warm smile.

Smiling back
, Diona moved into the wonderful area.  The large foyer was luxurious from the ground up, from its opulent marble floor which echoed as her small heels moved on it, to the large chandelier which hung from the ceiling high above her.  She could see the ornate stairs which led to the second story and she sighed softly in wonder, her eyes wide in awe.

The housekeeper was smiling at her, directing her to one of the many wooden doors off the foyer
.  “Mr Dranias”, she said, her head nodding as she repeated his name.  Diona smiled warmly back, quickly realising that the woman spoke no English.  With a nod of her own head, she moved over to the door, knocking on it gently before she moved inside.

As she moved into the large
room she gasped with shock. Nikias stood looking out of the large window, leaning against the wall, still wearing the suit she saw him wear earlier that day; his jacket now thrown over one of the many leather seats which covered the large area.  His hands were pushed into his trousers and his tie was pulled down with his top button undone giving him a sensual look, which caused her to swallow a small lump in her throat, not understanding the sharp jolt she felt in the pit of her stomach.  “Mr Dranias, I...I didn’t expect you here”, she said, with a look of surprise on her face, “Where is Alexis?”