Kayla watched the police lead Nicu and his brother toward the squad car. Hopefully now Mercy would never have to worry about them again. She was finally free from the man who had tormented her not just physically, but emotionally as well. And while IFO’s program would ensure she continued to receive both the counseling and job training that she needed, Kayla also hoped that one day soon Mercy would be able to go back to Nigeria to see her family.
But where was her father?
Nicu’s cold gaze pierced right through her as he walked past.
“Tell me where my father is,” she said, catching up to him. “What did you do with him?”
Nicu shot her a smile, then spit at her.
A chill swept through her as she took a step backward.
“Ignore him,” the commissioner said. “We’re still searching the property, but all we’ve found so far is the guard’s dead body.”
A sick feeling washed through her. If Nicu had no qualms killing a man who’d worked for him, he’d certainly have no problem killing her father.
“I need to go to the house and help look for him,” she said, heading back toward Evi’s car, thankful the damage was minimal.
“Kayla, wait,” the commissioner said. “You need to leave the search to us. We will find him.”
Kayla spun around to face him. “It’s my father, Commissioner. I need to help.”
“I’m guessing you could use a couple extra people to help search the property,” Levi added, pulling the car keys out of his pocket.
“Fine.” The commissioner nodded, then started for his own car. “We’ll meet you there.”
The dogs were barking ferociously when they pulled through the open gate and up the long driveway of the house. Someone—presumably one of the officers—had tied the animals up outside the three-car garage, and they clearly weren’t happy.
“Do you think they just planned to leave the dogs here?”
“I think all Nicu was worried about was getting those girls out of here before the police showed up. He was probably planning to leave the country.”
And her father...what had they done with him?
One of the officers ran up to the commissioner’s car.
“Something’s going on,” Kayla said.
She opened her door as soon as Levi shifted the car into Park.
“What’s going on?” Kayla asked, hurrying toward the officers.
“They found your father,” the commissioner said, meeting them halfway across the drive. “They were keeping him in a small closet at the back of the house.”
“Please...please tell me he’s okay.” If Nicu had hurt him...
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know yet. Medics are here and are with him right now—”
“I need to see him.” Kayla pushed past the man and started sprinting across the lawn.
As she approached the house, two medics were wheeling her father out the front door on a stretcher
If anything had happened to him...
He was on an IV, and wrapped up with a heavy blanket around his shoulders and another one across his legs. She still didn’t know what he’d had to endure since yesterday, but at least he was alive.
“Daddy?”
The medic waved her back. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but—”
“It’s my father. Please. I need to see him. Is he okay?”
“We need to take him in for observation, but it looks as if he’s just dehydrated.” The medic glanced at his patient. “I can give you a minute with him.”
“Thank you.”
The medic moved back as Kayla ran her fingers across her father’s bruised face. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“Don’t be. They knocked me around a bit, but I’m going to be okay.” He squeezed her hand. “Besides, I have a feeling I look far worse than I feel.”
“I hope so, because I’m not sure I like the rainbow look you’ve got going for you across your cheek. It clashes with your plaid shirt.” Kayla laughed then gathered her father up in a hug. “But all that matters now is that you’re alive.”
“And what about you?” Her father pulled back and caught her gaze. “What did they do to you, Kayla? You look like you’ve been through your own nightmare.”
“It’s a long story, but I’m okay now that I know you’re okay. Besides, I had someone with me the whole time.”
“Who’s that?”
She looked up to where Levi stood at the edge of the grass, giving them their space. “You know Levi.”
“Levi Cummings?” Her father glanced up, noticing him for the first time. “What’s he doing here?”
“Like I said, it’s a long story.”
“One I’d like to hear. Though between you and me, he’s the only person in his family besides his mother who seems to have his head on straight. Of course, I’ve also always heard that he’s quite a ladies’ man, or at least that’s what the magazines claim.”
“More than likely a bunch of rumors, but even if it is true, I’m also not one of those swooning girls who falls for every handsome man who comes to my rescue.”
She glanced back at Levi. Except this time, she had.
“I’ll admit, you could do worse,” her father said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I remember telling your mother once that you were marrying the wrong brother.”
“The wrong brother?” She furrowed her brow and lowered her voice so Levi couldn’t overhear their conversation. “You never told me that.”
“Well, I am now.”
“Forget about that.” She tried to squeeze back the tears. “All this made me realize I don’t tell you I love you enough. I thought I was going to lose you, Daddy—”
“But you didn’t. What about you, though? What happened to your leg?” he asked. “I noticed it as you were walking over here. You’ve got quite a large cut.”
She looked down at her ripped pant leg where the blood had seeped through her pants before drying into a crusty patch of brownish red.
“It’s nothing.”
“Nothing?” Her father nodded toward the paramedics. “You need to get it checked out.”
“I will, as soon as they’ve taken care of you.”
“Promise?” he asked.
“I promise.”
“Everything’s going to be okay,” Max said, squeezing her hand. “Everything’s finally going to be okay.”
She moved aside as one of the medics checked his IV, then headed for the ambulance.
“Looks like he’s going to be okay,” the commissioner said, stepping up beside her.
Kayla wiped away a stray tear and nodded. “Thanks to you.”
“I certainly can’t take all the credit. While I’m anxious to get your official statements, I want you to know that the two of you saved a lot of lives today. Those girls, Mercy and now your father... And I plan to do everything in my power to ensure those men get locked up for the rest of their lives.”
* * *
Levi knocked on Kayla’s door at nine thirty the next morning with a bag of pastries from a bakery he’d found a block away from her apartment. He still found it hard to believe all that had happened since the first time he’d knocked on her door two days ago.
Once he’d given his statement to the police the night before it had been dark by the time he made it back to his hotel. But as exhausted as he’d been, he’d still found himself unable to sleep. He’d finally gone to sleep, then slept until eight. Something he never did.
And today he still had no idea what he was going to do about Kayla. He wasn’t sure his heart could handle simply walking away.
Kayla’s father opened the door.
“Mr. Brooks,” Levi said. “It’s good to see you again. How are you feeling?”
“Much better than I was yesterday, thanks, but please, why don’t you call me Max. Mr. Brooks seems too formal.”
“All right.” Levi shut the front door behind him, then followed Max into the small room that was neat and organized this time. Which didn’t surprise him.
“Looks as if you come bearing gifts,” Max said.
“Bagels, chocolate croissants and a couple fruit tarts.” Levi set the bag on the kitchen table. “I figured everyone should find something they like.”
“I think the biggest problem will be how to choose. Can I get you some coffee? Kayla’s getting dressed and will be out soon.”
“I’m still trying to wake up, so, yes, I’d love some.” Levi pulled back one of the chairs and sat down. “How did you sleep?”
“I’m not sure exactly what the doctor gave me to take, but I slept like a rock.”
“I’d say that after all that happened, you needed a good night’s sleep.”
Max set a cup of coffee on the table in front of Levi, then started putting the pastries he’d brought on a plate.
“I owe you my life, Levi. Both you and my daughter.”
Levi smiled. “I’m just thankful I could be here to help Kayla. This could have ended a whole lot worse.”
“For all of us.” Max’s gaze shifted to the door to the bathroom before turning back to Levi. “I am still curious as to why you came to Amsterdam.”
Levi grabbed one of the chocolate croissants and took a bite before answering. “Adam was released from prison last week. He’d made some threats toward Kayla, and I was worried about her.”
“So you flew halfway around the world to make sure she was safe?”
“It seemed like the right thing to do at the time.”
Max sat down in the chair across from him. “Kayla always looked up to you. It’s kind of ironic that you would be the one to help save both her and me.”
“Maybe, but your daughter’s a strong woman. I have a feeling she would have found a way to save Mercy without me.”
“But it’s always easier when you’ve got someone else at your side.” Max poured an inch of cream into his own coffee mug, then added a spoonful of sugar. “When Kayla’s mom died, I didn’t know how I was going to keep living. For months I haven’t known how to simply get out of bed in the morning and make it through the day. I’ve felt so alone, and if it weren’t for Kayla...I don’t know where I’d be right now. But you want to know what’s crazy?”
“What’s that?” Levi asked.
“I figured out early on what that man Nicu was involved in. And while I sat in the closet waiting for him to kill me, I thought about those girls who’ve had everything ripped away from them. Thought about how much I really have.”
“Those feelings are legitimate, but you need to remember that those girls’ losses don’t diminish your own. Bereavement can be one of the hardest things we as humans face. Add to that the guilt that often comes with it. You’re human. It’s okay to give yourself time to grieve and heal.”
“Maybe. I guess in the end, I just want Kayla to be safe. And to find what Maggie and I had.”
Levi took a sip of his coffee, not sure what the man was getting at.
“You’re in love with my daughter, aren’t you?” Max asked.
“With Kayla?”
He shot him a smile. “Who else do you think I’m talking about?”
Levi took another sip of his coffee, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. “Until this trip, I hadn’t seen her for years. We hardly know each other anymore.”
“Maybe, but while you might need to do a bit of catching up, it isn’t hard for me to see how you feel.”
Levi shifted in his seat, wishing Kayla would appear and put an end to this conversation. “I’m still not sure I understand, sir.”
“Besides the fact that you flew all the way here to make sure she was okay, there’s something about your demeanor that changes when you talk about her. I was in love once. That look is hard to miss.”
“She’s just a friend, sir. Nothing more. And besides...things would never work out between us even if I did feel something toward her.”
“Why? Because of your brother?”
“Yes.”
“You want to know what I think?”
Levi nodded even though he was pretty sure Max was going to tell him anyway.
“Even if your brother hadn’t gone to prison, I don’t think things would have worked between them. She was always too good for him. She needs someone like you. Someone who’s motivated, who’s a leader and who is willing to put his life on the line for someone else. That’s who she is. And from what I’ve always seen in you, that’s who you are as well.”
As much as he wanted to believe the older man, he’d seen Kayla’s reaction on the tram when he’d kissed her. There was simply too much baggage between them. Adam. His own father. Not to mention a few thousand miles.
“Even if I did care about her,” he said, “I’m not sure she sees it that way.”
“You’re as stubborn as your father, Levi Cummings. Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure she feels the same way you do. Trust me. Give her some time. Maybe stick around a few days longer.”
Levi’s phone rang, pulling him away from the conversation. He glanced at the caller ID. Adam was calling.
“I’m sorry, but I need to take this call. It’s my brother.”
He stepped to the other side of the room, then answered the call.
“Levi, where are you? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.”
“I’ve been out of town the past few days,” he said, grateful the police had found his phone while going through Nicu’s house. “Where are you?”
“At a hotel in downtown Chicago.”
“Chicago?” Levi caught his brother’s slurred words. Was his brother drunk? “I thought you were going to Amsterdam to see Kayla.”
“I was.” There was a long pause on the line before he continued. “I wanted so much to get back at her. I’d even come up with half a dozen plans that would make her feel as miserable as I have the past two years. But in the end, I couldn’t get on that plane. I was afraid I’d do or say something I’d regret. Instead I jumped in my car and started driving north.”
“You sound drunk.”
“I might have had a few drinks, but don’t worry. I have no plans of doing anything stupid. I’ve learned my lesson.”
He hoped so, but he wasn’t convinced.
“Where are you?” Adam asked. “The connection’s terrible.”
“I’m in Amsterdam, actually.”
“What? Have you seen Kayla?”
“I’m here with her now.”
“Why in the world would you go to Holland to see Kayla?”
“I was worried about what you might do to her.”
“So I say a bunch of stupid things, and you think you need to clean up another one of my messes.”
“What did you expect me to do?”
Adam had ended up in prison, threatened Kayla... Was this how it was always going to be from now on? Him always trying to clean up the messes his brother had left behind?
“What happened to you, Adam? You had everything. A good job. An incredible fiancée...and you threw it all away for what?”
“We all know the answer to that one, now don’t we?”
“Adam, I just want to help—”
“Leave me alone, Levi. I’m not even sure why I called. You’ve always been too self-righteous for my tastes.”
Levi ignored the insult, shifting his attention instead to Kayla, who had just walked into the room.
“Listen, Adam...” Nothing he said was going to change for the moment. There were simply some things he couldn’t fix. “We’ll talk when I get back, but I’ve got to go for now.”
She’d pulled her hair back in a ponytail and was wearing an oversize sweater, jeans and a pair of boots. Max was right. He’d totally fallen for her. But that didn’t mean she felt the same way, no matter what her father said. Still...maybe it wouldn’t hurt if he stayed a few days longer.
“Hey,” he said, shoving the phone into his pocket.
“Hey, yourself,” she said. “You almost look like a new man.”
“And you...you look rested.”
And beautiful.
“Levi brought breakfast,” Max said. “But I was thinking that the two of you should go out for a while. Get some fresh air.” He grabbed one of the fruit tarts.
“I can’t leave you here alone, Daddy.”
“Why not? You’ve been hovering over me ever since we got back. The doctor says I’m fine, and besides that, I could really use some quiet.”
“Daddy...are you sure you’re okay?”
“Perfectly fine. And while you’re out, would you mind picking up some of those Chinese spring roll things for lunch?”
“Loempia?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Well, at least you’ve got your appetite back,” she said, kissing him on the forehead before turning to Levi. “What do you say? Are you up to giving my dad some space and going out for a while? It’s cold, but I could use some fresh air.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “I think I can handle that.”
And maybe in the process, he’d find the courage to tell her the truth about how he felt.