The Devil's Dream: A Dark Romance (Dark Romance Novel Book 1) (9 page)

Chapter Eighteen—Stavros

“Dr. Kane, you have a visitor.”

He glanced up to see Marie peeking in. “Is it Ms. Taylor?”

“Er, no.”

He frowned. He didn’t have anyone scheduled for the next two hours. He had reserved the time for Kiana. “Who is it, Marie?”

She glanced over her shoulder nervously. “It’s the police,” she whispered. “What would the police want?”

“There’s only one way to find out,” he said softly. “Let them in.”

Two men dressed in cheap suits sauntered into his office. Their eyes darted around the room swiftly. Stavros rose from his chair and stepped out from behind his desk. “Good morning, gentlemen. How can I help you?” He inquired calmly, his eyes emotionless as they studied the two men.

“Dr. Stavros Kane?”

His lips curled into a smile. “That is what it says on the door.”

The shorter of the two stepped forward with a scowl. “I’m Detective Kristoff, this here is my partner, Detective Daley.”

“Pleasure, gentlemen.” Stavros looked at them expectantly, waiting to hear what they came for.

“We received word about suspicious activities taking place at your clinic.”

Stavros cocked a brow. “Is that so? What kind of suspicious activities?”

“Drug-related activity and kidnapping.”

An amused smile spread across Stavros’s face. “Well, officers, of course. Drug deals go on here every day, as a matter of fact. I am a doctor, and my patients sometimes require medication. As for the kidnapping, I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Officer Daley scowled, annoyed by Stavros’s smart-ass response.

Stavros sighed. “I am not sure who gave you such information, but I assure you, nothing happens here but psychiatry and licensed pharmaceutical dispensation. If your suspicion still stands, you will have to come with a lot more than frankly insulting accusations.” His gray eyes moved coldly over his unwanted guests.

“Dr. Kane—” Kiana abruptly halted. She glanced at the two men and then at Stavros. “Er, sorry.” She began to back away.

“Please, Ms. Taylor, come in. These men were just leaving,” Stavros announced. “Gentlemen if you will excuse me, I have a patient to see.” The detectives’ faces were sour as they turned to leave, not having accomplished much. Stavros was smug as he perched on his desk.

Kiana stood aside, watching the men leave. Her brows furrowed, wondering what had just taken place. Closing the door, she turned to the man sitting on the edge of his desk. Her heart jumped once, and then fluttered. He watched her with hooded eyes as she slowly approached him. Stopping in front of him, she asked, “What was that all about?”

Stavros’s eyes roved over her in a swift motion. Pulling her between his legs, he replied, “Nothing important.” Covering her mouth with his, his fingers bunched in her hair.

Kiana pried herself out of his hold, and he frowned. “They were police officers, weren’t they?” She stared at him worriedly.

“Yes, but they have nothing.”

“The fact they were here in the first place is cause to worry.”

“All they have is a report about suspicious activities at the clinic.”

She gasped. “Stavros, I didn’t tell—”

“I know you didn’t.” He was well aware of who the culprit was. He knew Kiana was not the only one snooping around during his study. He would deal with Kate Morrow shortly. Right now, he had more important matters to attend to. He gazed at Kiana and felt guilt pouring into him. She appeared weary and on edge. Her insomnia had returned, and she was experiencing extreme anxiety, all of which were effects of withdrawal from his drugs. He sighed. “You look like hell.”

With a snort, she plopped down in the couch, “Gee, thanks.”

“Are you ready to talk?”

“We should talk about the fact that the police have you under scrutiny and deal with that.”

He grinned, “Feeling protective of your lover, are you?”

Kiana grunted and folded her arms, but answered “Yes.”

“We talk about you first, and then we talk about that.”

“Okay,” she agreed averting her gaze. She wasn’t keen in talk about her own problems, but Stavros insisted that it might help. “It’s going to be uncomfortable, having you in my head.”

“I have already been in your head," he stated, taking a seat in front of her. "Now you just need to show me what's behind all of the doors you have locked in there. Letting everything out might take away the anxiety and help you sleep better.”

She sighed heavily. “Whatever you say, doc.”

He waited for her to begin.

“So, I haven’t spoken to my sister yet. I really don’t think I can go through confronting her. I mean, you saw the state I was in after out fight the other night. It isn’t easy, reliving the lowest points of one’s life, and that's exactly what's going to happen if I see her again.”

“When was your lowest? You never shared any of it with me.”

Taking a deep breath, she gazed at him sadly. “Well, here goes,” she murmured. “My father took off when I was very young. My mother remarried when I was eight. Everything was alright for a few years until my mother’s husband started to, um…” She inhaled deeply.

Stavros stiffened. He could already tell where she was going with her story. He wasn’t sure
he
could handle it. “Do you want to stop?”

"No," she answered. “I need to get it out. I’ve been keeping it inside me for too long now. I've never really shared it with anyone, not even Jasmine. She knew, of course, but we never talked about it.”

“Continue,” he said softly.

“He uh, used to come into my room at night when my mother was at work. He only tried to touch me at first. Jasmine was always there to stop him. Then she left me. When she turned eighteen, she just left me, and I was at his mercy for fucking years. I suffered until I was old enough to leave. I tried to tell my mother, but she called me a liar. Then one day, she said that if I was telling the truth, it was my fault.”

His jaw clenched. He was never one for getting emotional about anything, but the pain that was evident in her tone and that twisted her features, made him want to kill someone, particularly the man who was the cause of her pain. “How could something like that be your fault?”

“She said it was because I had matured too quickly, and I had the body of a woman, so I drew the attention of man.” She let out a bitter laugh, “What kind of mother says that to her thirteen year old when she tells her she's been getting raped by her husband?” Letting out a sob, she hung her head. “If Jasmine had stayed or taken me with her, I wouldn’t have gone through all of it. I blamed her for so long. I guess I still do. But I suppose she isn’t really the one to blame. She had no control over his actions.”

She looked up when the cushion dipped. Stavros sat beside her. “Is your stepfather still alive?”

She sniffed and frowned. “Yes.”

“Where is he now?”

Her eyes widened, “For god's sake, Stavros. You can’t just go and kill the man. Not that I would be sorry if he met his demise, but you can’t kill him.”

With a scowl, he pulled her into an embrace.
I can have him killed without you even knowing
, he mused. “I’m sorry all of that happened to you, baby.”

“That’s why I was so upset when you drugged me and touched me without my permission.”

He stiffened. “I—” He stopped, not knowing what to say. Sorry wouldn’t be enough. “Kiana, I—”

“It’s okay,” she whispered before taking a deep breath. “I feel lighter. Maybe I should have spoken to someone before, but I was ashamed. I didn’t want anyone to know how completely damaged I am.”

“You are
not
damaged. You are perfect, and you are mine.”

Lifting her head to gaze up at him, she smiled. “I think you are a bit biased.” She paused, “It’s weird, seeing this side of you. You were always so serious and intense.”

“I am not a complete monster, Kiana. I may push aside my emotions, but I have the capacity to feel.”

“I never said you were a monster.”

“You once thought so.”

“That was before I—” she stopped abruptly before she could blurt out that she had fallen in love with him. “Before I got to know you better,” she finished.

He peered into her eyes for what seem like forever, as if trying to read her thoughts. An unfamiliar feeling stirred inside of him. Blinking, he changed the subject. “Uh, about the police, I know where they have gotten their information.”

Kiana pulled out of his embrace and sat up. “And?”

“Kate Morrow, she was a part of the sleep study.”

“Yeah, I know who she is.”

“I caught her snooping around. I was suspicious, of course, and checked her out, but nothing came up.” He rubbed his chin contemplatively. “The DEA sent someone right into my house, and my guard was down the entire time. It was Kate.”

Kiana glanced at him, surprised. “How do you figure?”

“I have been doing this a long time, Kiana. The officer mentioned drugs and kidnapping. I began to lock Kate in her room after I discovered her wandering about. That no doubt pissed her off, and just like you were suspicious about the medication you were being given, she must have had her suspicions as well.” He stared at the floor, deep in thought. He had known there was something off about Ms. Morrow. He should have handled it. He scowled at the idea that he was getting soft. It was time to do what he did best and wipe out any threat to him and his business. Kiana’s voice penetrated his thoughts.

“She seemed watchful whenever I saw her. We had this weird confrontation one night. She asked me if I noticed anything strange going on. When I asked her what brought on the question, she mentioned that she felt strange after her first night, like she had been drugged with something other than sleeping pills.” She turned to glance at him, “I knew something was going on, but I lied.”

His brows went up. “Why?”

Letting out a mirthless laugh, she sat back and folded her arms. “To protect you.”

He searched her face. “You were angry with me at the time.”

“That didn’t stop my attraction to you, Stavros.” She sighed. “What do we do now?”

“We?”

She sent him a glare. “Yes, we. I’m already knee-deep in this shit. Why not go a little deeper?”

He smirked. “I’m glad you feel that way, because you are the perfect person for what I have in mind.”

Her gaze landed on his. “What did you have in mind?”

“I need you to pay Ms. Morrow a little visit.”

She inhaled, suddenly nervous. “To get information? Oh, god, I’m not sure if I can do it. I’ll get anxious and blow everything.”

“You’re just going to talk. Find out if she is a DEA agent, and find out exactly what she knows.” He paused. “You will have to drug her.”

Letting out a groan, she sprang to her feet, “I’m not the person to do this, Stavros.”

His palm rested on her shoulders. “You’re the perfect one to do it. I certainly can’t show up at her house myself.”

“Well, I’m sure she will get suspicious if I show up at her door, all the same. We didn’t exactly become best buds while she was here.”

“You can just run into her casually.”

She turned to face him, her expression uncertain. Could she do it? If it was what she had to do to get the police off his back, she would have to do it. Taking a deep breath, she murmured, “Alright, I’ll do it. I assume you know where she lives.”

Stavros grinned, “Good girl.” Lowering his head, he covered her mouth, delivering a heated kiss.

Chapter Nineteen—Kiana

Kiana watched Kate enter the supermarket. She huffed as she glanced around the block. There was no doubt that the Mercedes she sat in looked out-of-place. Stavros had insisted that she do away with her car that he referred to as the death trap, piece of metal. “Ok, just run into her casually. I can do that,” she murmured. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the vehicle.

In the supermarket, she threw random items into a shopping cart while keeping an eye on her target. She pretended to be in deep concentration, reading the label on a cereal box.
I totally suck at this detective thing
.

“Kiana?”

Crap
. She swung around. “Oh my God! Kate, right?” She plastered on a bright smile.

“Yeah. How are you?”

“I’m fine. What are the chances, huh? I’ve never seen you in here before.”

Kate frowned, “Yeah, I didn’t know you were from around here.”

“Er, I’m not. My mother lives close by. I usually do her shopping when I visit.”

“Oh, okay. So how is life after the study?” Kate was studying her keenly, making her uncomfortable. Kiana wondered if she could be convincing enough.

She blew out an exaggerated breath. “Terrible, to be honest.”

Kate frowned, “Really? Why is that?”

“Well, I still have trouble sleeping. But, when I do sleep, I have weird dreams that are so vivid. When I wake up, I can’t decide if they were real or not. I have dreams about myself in strange places.” She stopped and let out a laugh. “I know it’s ridiculous.”

Kate stepped closer, “No, not at all.” She glanced around, and then lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Something was going on at Dr. Kane’s clinic. I intend to find out, and I think you can help.”

Kiana bit her own lip to seem conflicted. “I’ve been having a nagging feeling that something isn’t right. I don’t want to talk about it here. Maybe we can meet up again sometime.”

Kate seemed to ponder for a few seconds. “Why don’t you come over to my place today? It will be safe to talk there.”

Bingo
. “Uh, well… alright, I really want to talk to someone about it. What’s your address?”

“You can just follow behind me when we leave here.”

“Ok, thank you, Kate.”

Kiana made a subtle study of Kate’s spacious living room. She was on edge. The dose of Neuro mixed with a sedative that Stavros had slipped her was burning a hole in her handbag. She clutched it tightly.
I can do this
, she told herself. She caught a glimpse of a photograph hidden behind a few decorative figurines. It showed Kate smiling broadly up at a man, and she wore a police uniform.
So she is definitely a cop
. The fierce need to protect Stavros forced away her anxiety. She would do whatever it took to keep him out of trouble.

“Would you like something to drink?” Kate asked.

“Yes, please. I think I need a stiff drink. It would be nice if you could join me. I’m so stressed.”

Kate laughed. “You shouldn’t drink and drive, Kiana.”

She sighed. “I know, but if what we both suspect about Dr. Kane is true, don’t you think we both deserve a little something? Even if it’s just a shot of wine.” She ran her fingers through her hair, feigning agitation.

Kate thought about it. Letting out a breath, she gave in. “You’re right. We might need a little liquid courage.”

She watched Kate walk away with contempt building in her heart. Did Kate really think she could bring Stavros down?
Over my dead body
. She reached into her bag and pulled out the small packet, opening it and hiding in her hand, waiting for Kate to return.

“Here you are. A little red wine, not too much that you can’t drive home.”

“Thanks.” Kiana eyed Kate as she rested the two glasses on the center table. She picked hers up and took a sip. “So you're a cop?” Kate seemed surprised. “I glimpsed a picture over there.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“That’s great. That means if we discover anything, you’re in the perfect position to take down Dr. Kane.”

She glanced at Kiana. “I’m not supposed to share any of this with you, but you seem like you can help. I have to say, I’m relieved you’re so enthusiastic about this. I’ve reached a snag, and I could use all the help I can get.”

Kiana nodded. “Are we alone here?”

“Don’t worry, we are and you’re safe with me.”

She took a deep breath, “What exactly do you think Dr. Kane has been doing?”

“I don’t think, I know—he drugged us with illegal substances during his study. I was able to pilfer a sample. It wasn’t just sleeping meds to help with insomnia; they were laced with the popular drug, Neuro.”

Kiana gasped, “Oh my god! I knew something was off about those meds. Why the hell would he do that? And where would he get so much Neuro from? I’ve heard of it. There's always something about it on the news.”

“I have my suspicions about why he would drug a group of women. Beyond that, I think he plays a part in the drug ring. He could possibly be the head of the operation.”

Kiana snorted, “Come on Kate, Dr. Kane is a psychiatrist
and
a drug lord?”

“I know it’s just speculation, but I can put two and two together. Besides, it's more common than you'd think for doctors. No one has ever seen the elusive drug lord behind the biggest drug operation in Miami. The police have no idea who the hell he is. What if he's been hiding in plain sight and using his position as a doctor to umbrella his activities?”

Kiana shot her an uncertain glance, “I don’t know. It’s possible. Did you go undercover as a patient?”

She cleared her throat, “I did. Kiana, you can’t mention anything that we discussed here to anyone.”

“I know. There’s no way I would open my mouth, I’m scared shitless right now.”

Kate gave her a reassuring smile, “You don’t have to be. Look, you can just walk away now; you’re not obligated to help me with anything.”

Shaking her head forcefully, Kiana stated, “There’s no way I’m backing out now. I want to help. Tell me everything you have, and I'll see if I can add to it. I keep having flashes of places and images, and I think they are memories trying to push through.”

“That’s good,” Kate said. “I was able to get a few snapshots of the place—I’ll show them to you and you can tell me if they jar any memories.” She got up and walked to her handbag resting on the dining room table. Kiana moved swiftly, dumping the contents of the packet into Kate’s glass. She watched it dissolve, making sure there was no trace. She sat back and sipped from her glass as Kate returned to her seat.

She handed Kiana a stack of photographs, “Take a look at these.”

Reaching for the pictures, Kiana swallowed a satisfied smile as Kate took a seat and lifted her glass to her lips, nearly downing the entire drink. She went through the photos. Lifting one, she commented, “This looks like my room.”

“Yes, I started to focus on you a bit because I noticed Dr. Kate spent a lot of time watching your room.”

Kiana grunted. “He was making sure I took my meds. I started to refuse them at one point because I suspected something was off. One night, he all but forced me to take them.”

Kate nodded, “That explains it, he was making sure you were drugged up, the bastard. He started locking
me
in my room.” Her words were becoming slurred. She blinked rapidly and shook her head from side to side.

“You ok, Kate?”

“Uh, yeah, just feeling a little…” Kiana watched with an evil grin as she slipped into unconsciousness.

“Got you,” she said, standing up. Hovering over Kate, she let out a satisfied sigh.
Oh, Kate, I’m sorry. You seem like a nice lady, but I can’t allow you to hurt the man I love.
She picked up the rest of the photos and sauntered to Kate’s handbag. Digging into the large bag, she pulled out a folder and flipped it open. She drew in a breath; it seemed to be a pile of evidence. She was building a case against Stavros. There was everything from information about his childhood to his daily activities at his office. “I’ll be taking this.”

Spotting Kate’s gun, a thought struck her. If she put a bullet in Kate’s head, she would no longer be a threat. Her heart pounded and her palms itched. She glanced at Kate’s sleeping form, then back to the gun. Her fingers twitched as temptation to reach for the weapon grew stronger.

She slowly backed away. Killing Kate wasn’t the best idea. She ran back to the living room and pulled the tape recorder out. She placed it beside Kate’s ear. Stavros was confident that Kate would show up at the destination, and his voice was lowly embedding in her subconscious. She moved to the couch and grabbed her handbag, along with the photos Kate had taken of Stavros’s clinic. Rushing to the door, she looked back. “My God, that was exhilarating,” she breathed. Who the hell had she become?

The potential to be so devious must have been buried deep in her nature. It had just been hidden, until a certain man pulled it to the surface. Her lips twitched, then lifted into a smile before she stepped outside and pulled the door closed. Glancing around, she flipped her hair and walked calmly to her car.

She sped through the streets, adrenaline still pumping through her veins. The anticipation to see Stavros was so overwhelming that she pressed the gas harder. The sound of her cell ringing forced her to slow down and reach for it. Her heart jumped, assuming that it was Stavros. To her disappointment, it wasn’t him.

“Kiana, hi,” Jasmine said hesitantly.

“Oh, hey Jasmine.”

“Uh, you probably don’t want to hear from me, but I haven’t heard from you in two weeks, and I was getting concerned.”

Kiana grinned, “No need, sis, I’m great. How are you?”

The brief silence indicated Jasmine’s surprise. “I’m okay. I was hoping we could meet.”

“Sure, when?”

“How about right now?”

Kiana rolled her eyes. She was anxious to get to Stavros, and her sister wanted to meet. “Aren’t you at work?”

“No, I was able to get the day off. I was going to stop by your place and force you to talk to me. I ran into Marcus last night at the bar and he expressed concern. He said he hasn’t heard from you in a while. I started going out of my mind with worry. Please, can I stop by? Just for a few minutes?”

Kiana sighed. Yeah, sure. Give me an hour.”

Jasmine let out a relieved breath. “Thanks, honey.”

Damn it
. Kiana would have to delay seeing Stavros for a few hours. She dialed his number. “Stavros.”

“Kiana. Did you do it?”

“Yes. I have to meet with my sister, though. It won’t take long. I’ll see you at home in a few hours.”

“Ah, you've finally accepted my place as your home.”

She scoffed, “Whatever.”  It had been a subject of debate for a few days. He insisted that she give up her crappy apartment and live in luxury with him. She still hadn’t given in, but she was warming up to the idea.

He chuckled, “I will see you later then.”

“Later.”

***
 

Kiana stepped into Stavros’s apartment feeling haggard. Her meeting with her sister had virtually sucked all life out of her. But at least she was finally free from every negative emotion she had kept inside. Her talk with Stavros had given her the courage she needed to hash things out with Jasmine.

She jumped when her gaze landed on Stavros lounging in a sofa. He held a cigar in the corner of his mouth. “Are you trying to scare the shit out of me?” she hissed.

He removed the cigar and grinned. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t wait to see you walk through the door. I have been waiting here for an hour.”

“Obsessed, much?” she grumbled.

“Yes, you are my obsession.”

Kiana shivered at his low, sure tone.
As you are mine
, she thought. Slowly approaching him, she held his gaze. “I got the job done.”

Pulling her down on to his lap, he said, “You first. Are you alright? After seeing your sister, I mean.”

“Um, yes, I suppose I’m okay.”

“You suppose?”

She shrugged, “I’m not sure what I’m feeling right now. My mind is just one big haze. But, I think it went well. I told her I forgive her and she cried. Then I cried and we hugged. That was the end of that. Now, let’s move on to more important matters.”

Stavros gave her a disapproving glare. “You
are
important.”

“More important than your business?” She asked with raised brows.

“I find that my priorities have shifted since I met you,” he admitted softly.

They stared at one another. Silence filled the room for what seemed like hours when it was only a few seconds. “I took everything that Kate had on you. It turns out that she is, in fact, a cop—a DEA agent, from what I gather,” Kiana announced, breaking the silence. “She reached into her bag and handed him the file. “She even found out that you purchased your club under a false name.”

“Sneaky little bitch,” he murmured, sounding more amused than upset.