The Devil's Masquerade: The Remedy (The Devil's Eyes) (25 page)

“You are my grandmother’s father?” I ask, and he nods.

“My name is Kaori, your great grandfather. I am sorry I have not been able to speak to you before now, but your path was set, and I was not allowed to interfere as hard as it may have been. You were tested horribly but you excelled despite it all.” He looks over me with pride. “Come with me and let me explain some things to you.” He holds his hand out to me, and I take hold of it and go with him to a nearby park where we sit, away from the bustling city. I watch him in awe as he enjoys the breeze and the nature around him. He is calming and peaceful, that is until a man spots us and starts to walk towards us fast. He tenses slightly and lifts his head high with a subtle whisper, “Wrong decision.” The man stops dead in his tracks and then walks away. Kaori eases back and smiles at me.

“I don’t know much about my family. My mother didn’t speak about anyone, especially not to me, and I barely remember my grandmother, except that she was very kind to me.”

“She knew you were the one that would carry us on. I thought it would be your mother.” He shakes his head with a groan. “Nothing but disappointment there. She couldn’t be controlled by Savage, but she could be by alcohol. Amazing, the demons that carried her. Your heritage, Kayla, is of a different sort than most. You can control people in a much different way than your husband. Where Nicholas’s family seeks to control people with pain and demanding influence, you control people with a calming influence. Almost like a peaceful suggestion for them to do as you want them to. Your friend, Kamini, is a distant cousin.”

“So my family was punishers like her?” I ask.

“Yes, although we varied in our efforts. Sometimes we liked to prevent people from doing things before they made mistakes. It was more rewarding I found; however, Savage found it to be intrusive to his own interests. His father and I argued many times, but we maintained a respectful existence until he was killed by his sons. Dennis was so powerful and so overwhelmed by his greed, even more so than Rein, not that Rein has ever been that far behind him.”

“Rein is the Lord of the 8
^th
correct?”

“Yes, and he is not to be taken lightly. Just because he takes a back seat to his brother does not make him any less dangerous. The last time the two worked together was to get me. Little did they know that I had already started my family and hid them from everyone. Like you, I knew something was coming way before it did. I can’t help you other than tell you that you have what you need to get Nicholas … I mean, Nick, back, he says, grasping my hand and kissing my cheek before leaving me again.

Gazing out the window with thoughts overtaking my mind, I am suddenly snapped out of my daydream when I believe I see something in the trees. I move closer and closer until I find myself racing toward the tree line, hoping, somehow, Nick awaits me. When I see a shadow, I run even faster but stop dead in my tracks when she steps out.

“What are you doing here?”

“Please don’t alert anyone. I only want to talk to you,” Galena says.

“Where is Nick?”

“He’s fine. Don’t worry. Father has Ward watching his every move; Nick is not even allowed to sleep without eyes on him. I can see the distress that is going through him, and I feel for him. I feel for all of you. I wasn’t sure if he was seeing you, but as time went on, I could see him changing back to his old self, and the only way he could have done that … is with you.”

“Why are you here telling me this?”

She looks up at me with sadness. “I loved my brother, Kayla, but I convinced myself that he was a trader to us. Then, when Nick came back into our lives, I felt like I had my brother back, they are so much alike. Nick, just like Dante, protected me, he looked out for me, and even told Marius to stay away from me or else he would kill him. He knew he was cheating on me with my old, best friend Ria, but never told me. He just said stay away from him because he is no good. I thought he was being a jerk until I caught them together.” She breathes in deep. “Like I said, I loved my brother, and I wish I had stood up for him somehow, not that there was much I could do on my own. When Nick first came back to us, he would talk of you and the boys often. I have never seen such love, not from anyone in our … well, I have never seen it before and certainly had never experienced it before except … with my daughter. Kayla, I gave her to Dante.”

My eyes widen as she looks at me with pleading eyes. “Lena?” She nods. “Oh, Dante saved her for you.”

“I thought, when Father found him with only a son, that he had given her up and killed her like Father would have. It was what I was used to, what I would have expected. But, he was my only option for her survival, so I gave her up and hoped for the best. I still can’t believe he saved her, that he protected her. I have been spying on the woman that raised her. She is a very good woman. I don’t think he could have placed her in a better home. And my daughter, Lena, she is so beautiful.”

“And pregnant,” I say.

“Yes, I know. She doesn’t know of me does she?” I shake my head. “She is due anytime now. I really want to meet her and talk to her, but I am afraid if I do my father will find her.”

“I am sure she would want to meet you. I am willing to help you do that, if you want?” I offer.

“Why would you do that for me?”

“Because I see the pain in your eyes, and I can’t imagine someone taking my child away from me or having to give them up so they can be spared from a tyrant. I will help you, Galena.”

She sighs with tears and cringes with emotion. “I just want you to know Kayla, that he, Nick, is clearly fighting to remember. He is fighting to come back to you. I just hope he is able to in time.” I smile.

“I know he will. I know. Nick always finds a way, he always has a plan,” I laugh. She looks at me with disbelief, but I ignore her doubts and hold my head up with confidence. “For now, let’s arrange for you to see your daughter.” I call Lena and Brady and have them come to the house. Galena, understandably, is on edge about entering our house with all the opposition to her father gathered in one place. Tensions are high, but once I introduce Galena to her daughter and explain the history, tensions around them quickly ease. Lena, however, is in shock.

“You came to my house, why?” Lena asks her.

“I was sent to verify if you were Dante’s child,” Galena confesses.

“And if I was?” she asks but quickly realizes the answer. “You were going to kill me.” Brady tenses, protectively hovering in front of his pregnant wife.

“No need to worry about me. I couldn’t do it when you were a baby, and I certainly can’t do it now. I only wanted to tell you that I would have never given you up if I had thought that there was any way that you could have been spared.” Lena looks down at her growing belly and sighs, burying herself into Brady’s arms.

“What does this mean? We were worried before when we thought she was Dante’s child, and now that she is yours and is supposed to already be dead? Savage will be furious and come at her with a vengeance. Why tell us this now? What do you expect to gain from this?” Brady looks up at Galena as do we all.

“You’re going to help us aren’t you?” Ryan says with hope in his voice.

Galena looks down at the floor, breathing in deeply before looking back up at Lena. “I am going to help you. I can’t do a lot, but I can get you in safely. I can get all of you in undetected. I don’t know what plans you have, but if you have your own invitations to the Masquerade, you will come in with the other guests and be able to blend in without a problem.” I look at Ryan, and he smiles back at me. “It’s your only chance. If it doesn’t work out, then we are all dead.”

“I need one of those invitations,” I say. Galena shakes her head, obviously recalling the viciousness towards me her father spoke of. “He won’t show any mercy towards you, Kayla. Please don’t come to the Masquerade. You and your children need to stay a safe distance away. Nick would want that,” she says to me.

“I won’t give up on him,” I say, not caring about any of the eyes that are focused in on me.

Galena sighs with worry before turning away. “I will do my best to keep you all informed and protected, but that’s about all I can promise right now.”

“Wait,” Lena says, suddenly standing and walking up to her mother. She hugs her, bringing a peaceful smile to Galena’s face. “I have had a wonderful and happy life thanks to you.”

Before she leaves, Galena hugs Brady too. She walks out of the house with such a smile that even Amery’s tense posture loosens up a bit. Ryan kept a close eye on him the whole time Galena was here, and Amery never took his eyes off her until she began to talk about giving up her child.

The group planning the attack will not allow me to be a part of the meetings anymore, out of fear that I might somehow figure out a way to get myself involved. No one trusts me to do what they want me to and that is to stay put. Amery’s deep bruise on his face is humorous, especially to Elijah, but it doesn’t help me and Amery’s relationship any or change his attitude about killing Nick. I warn Ryan to watch Amery carefully for betrayal; he will do whatever he has to accomplish his goal.

Even if I figure out a way to get into the Masquerade and to Nick, I still have to find a way to escape my own home. Gideon has been assigned Kayla-duty during the ball, and he is not to let me out of his sight for a second. I need one of them to trust me. I need one of them to help me. As the days go by, everyone I consider cuts me off before I can even speak
. Damn Ryan
. He has already warned everyone not to give me a chance to sway them; however, one does need me for her own concerns, and she is the one I need the most if I want to touch Nick’s handsome face at the Ball.

Chapter 28 – The Masquerade

Kayla

The day of the Masquerade, everyone wakes up on edge. However, I wake up ready to fight and cause a whole hell of lot of fucking trouble.
Now, where do I begin?

I smile at everyone as the day goes on, and not one of them smiles back. Elijah actually yells at me to quit smiling at him because it’s creeping him out. “Did you drink all the liquor or something? Stop looking at me like that or I will hide any alcohol that is left from you.”

When I smile at Ryan, he just rolls his eyes and moves on. Catriona, though, excitedly accompanies me to my room and allows me to help her prepare for the party.

“It’s hard to get too excited about getting dressed up for this ball, but I am anxious to see Eli’s expression the moment he sees me.”

“I understand how you could feel that way; you certainly have Eli’s attention now. I am sure he is just as excited about seeing you dressed up tonight,” I say, smiling at her and her dreamy-eyed expression. She nods happily. “I can see how he watches you. Eli tends to say dumb things sometimes to women, but be patient with him, and he will find a way to make up for it.”

“I would love to go on a real date with him, to have the opportunity to … have my first time be with him,” she sighs with sadness, and I feel for her.

“Yes, I can only imagine how he would take you out to the nicest restaurant and shower you with flowers. He would probably even wear a suit for the occasion and maybe even shave for you,” I say, causing her to laugh. “If Eli is willing to wait for you, then he is willing to do anything for you. I am sure he is upset about not being able to prove that to you,” I say, erasing her smile.

“I am sorry you have to stay here. I can’t imagine how nerve racking that would be, not knowing what is happening. And wondering about Nick, and if he …” She looks up at me, biting her lip.

“No, I can’t say I am excited about you being my husband’s new wife. And I will certainly be nervous, but not just about that. I’m concerned about everyone’s safety.” I pause, brushing out her hair. “Ryan is strong and strategic, but he is still impulsive, and I worry he won’t think before he acts, especially when it comes to his brother. And Elijah, he is smart and he typically acts intelligently when it comes to business and territory battles; however, it’s Nick, and all it will take is Amery aiming for him to cause Ryan and Elijah to forget and change their focus. I don’t care what they say, they won’t be able to kill Nick, and they won’t be able to stand by and let anyone else do it either. He is their family, and they are his, and nothing and no one is going to change that.” Catriona looks off silently. “Well, they are all strong and determined. I am sure they will find a way to survive, or at least try. I can’t imagine how Elijah is going to do it though. You might be better off focusing on being with Amery.” She looks up at me with wide eyes. “Oh please, you can’t tell me you haven’t considered the possibility. There is no way Eli is going to let you leave with Nick. He is going to run after you and do everything he can to keep you from being taken away. And, you know as well as I do, he doesn’t stand a chance against Nick. Nick will tear him apart right in front of you. I don’t envy you, watching someone you love die is the worst kind of pain.” Her eyes float down to the floor.