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  “Izzy, come and see this!” he yelled.

  She got up from her recliner and held her flat hand against her forehead, like a shade from the sweltering sun. Staring at him, she couldn’t help but admire the scenery. It was like a snapshot from a luxury holiday brochure.

  “Izzy! Look!” Jacob held up something she couldn’t make out.

  “I’m coming!”

  She got up and sauntered over, barefoot.

  “He’s not letting you have a moment’s peace, is he?” Savannah, in her two-piece brilliant blue bikini, looked up from her book.

  “He’s excited. I’m excited!” Izzy waved at him. Kawaya was a picture perfect paradise straight out of a movie. It was a world away from her lectures and the bustle and chaos that was New York.

  Even stepping foot into Tobias’s private plane had her spell-bound, and no matter how much she tried not to be dazzled by such wealth, she couldn’t hold back her amazement. The interior of the plane was fancier than anything she had ever seen in real life. It was luxurious, and stylish, with large cream leather seats, huge, shiny, TV screens, sleek wooden tables and vases of flowers.

  Vases full of flowers on a plane?

  They had arrived yesterday, and gone straight to bed, exhausted after the long flight, but this morning had been her chance to see exactly what Kawaya was like.

  “Look,” said Jacob, and gave her a map of the island. It was huge, with a sprawling huge main house where the immediate family stayed. Savannah had insisted that Izzy also have a room there, next to Jacob. For the rest of the guests, there were lots of small cabins dotted around, further along the beach.

  The island had a waterfall and in the main, it was unspoiled, still in a state of natural beauty.

  The bodyguards were discreet. Every now and then she caught sight of them in their black t-shirts and black trousers, and felt sorry for them, wondering how they kept so cool in the heat. Though a gentle wind kept the edge off.

  “What have you got there, Jacob?” He was squatting, in his Iron Man swim trunks, which he had put on soon after he’d woken up.

  “Seashells. Look.” He fished one out with his tiny hands and put a shell to his ear. “I can’t hear anything.” He made a disappointed face. “Lenny says you can hear the sea but I can’t hear nothing.”

  “Anything,” she said. “You can’t hear anything.”

  “I can’t,” he agreed. “You try.”

  She did, and couldn’t hear anything either. “I think we need to find a shell that has more curvature.” She looked around, until she found one. “See,” she said, “This one has more of a curve.” She put it to her ear and smiled. “I can hear something now.”

  “You try.” She knelt on the soft powdery sand, like sugar, but golden, and held the shell close to Jacob’s ear. “Listen,” she whispered. “It’s very, very, very quiet. Like a ‘sssssshhhhhhhhh’. Hear it?”

  He frowned, then his eyes opened wider. “Yeah … yeah, I do! I hear it!”

  She let him enjoy the moment. After a while, he put it into his plastic basket. “I’m collecting them,” he explained.

  “Shall we walk around the beach seeing how many we can find?”

  He shook his head.

  “Then what do you want to do? We could go for a swim or—”

  “Let’s go swim in the sea! Race you!” And he rushed off, into the water, before she could reply. She followed, and noticed that one of the bodyguards stepped forward. There were two of them—discreet, yet visible, and always around. Being here had given her a taste of what it was like, being part of Tobias Stone’s world, being constantly shadowed by men who never spoke. Men who were there to guard your life.

  The Shoemoneys were relatively normal compared to this.

  ~ ~ ~

  The next day, Tobias and Savannah were still lying in their hammocks and relaxing.

  With three days to go until the wedding, Izzy made sure to keep Jacob occupied. He was a bundle of energy, and while she didn’t have a hard time keeping an eye on him, she could see why Savannah had asked her to come along.

  They spent the rest of the morning building sandcastles and playing in the sea. After lunch, Tobias suggested they could explore the island.

  “Alone?” asked Savannah, looking horrified.

  “It’s safe enough, Savannah,” said Tobias, reassuring her.

  “But it’s so big. What if he gets lost?”

  “It’s an island. He’s not going to go far, and it’s only us here.”

  Izzy listened, keenly aware of Savannah’s fear. She had forgotten that time, when she had found a scared looking Jacob in the shopping mall, but she realized that the fear was never going to leave Savannah.

  “Can we go there?” Jacob, pointed behind in the distance.

  Savannah gasped. “To the waterfall? No. No way. Unless we all go, and I’m not feeling up to it right now. Do you mind waiting, honey? We could go tomorrow?”

  “I can take him,” said Izzy, stepping forward. Jacob wasn’t the type of child to jump up and down and throw a tantrum. He listened to his mother and went along with anything she or Tobias said. His downcast face, and his silence, had been enough to move her. “I’d like to explore the island, and the waterfall doesn’t look so far away”

  “They can take the jeep,” Tobias offered. “But it’s not far. I’ll go with them, if it puts your mind at ease.”

  “We’ll be fine,” Izzy insisted, knowing that they needed time to unwind before their big day.

  “They will be, Savannah.” Tobias held his fiancée’s hand. “One of my men will go with them.” And that seemed to satisfy Savannah. “You’ll need to wear sneakers, Jacob. It’s rocky around the waterfall. Be careful.”

  They spent hours exploring the other end of the island, walking along the velvety, golden beaches fringed by palm trees and lush vegetation.

  She couldn’t wait to tell Cara and wished she had her cell phone with her, but one of Tobias’s bodyguards had taken it from her as soon as they had arrived.

  “Mommy wasn’t sure that you were going to come with us,” said Jacob as they walked along.

  “She wasn’t?” Izzy slipped her hands into the back pockets of her denim shorts.

  “Didn’t you want to look after me?”

  “Huh? No. That’s not the reason I wasn’t sure about coming here, Jacob.” She stopped, and turned to him, then bent down to his level, glad that they had both changed into their sneakers.

  “I have college, and I didn’t want to miss too many lessons, that’s all.”

  The boy looked up at her, his expression more relaxed now, as if the news had cleared some notion he’d had. “So it wasn’t because of me?”

  “No! Why would you think it’s because of you? You’re pretty cool, and I’m super excited to be here with you.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  They walked along the beach, and could see, set much further inland, lush vegetation—giant ferns and huge towering trees swaying majestically in the soft breeze. Jacob announced that they were mango, coconut and breadfruit trees.

  They talked about school, and his friends and his favorite Marvel movies and superheroes. Every so often, they would stop, while Jacob examined shells along the seashore, or chased after one of the tiny crabs which zig-zagged along the sand.

  “It is a cool place, isn’t it?” she said, looking around. “We have to make the most of it, before everyone else gets here.” It was going to be painful having to share the island with everyone.

  Savannah had told her that the wedding was small, around a hundred people.

  Small?

  Some guests would start arriving tomorrow, both of their families and a few close friends. It would mainly be the same people who had come to the engagement party. At least she knew what to expect.

  “It’s Tobias’s birthday tomorrow.” Jacob told her.

  “It’s his birthday?” Savannah hadn’t mentioned a word of it. “I didn’t know.�
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  “Mommy said Tobias doesn’t want to make a big deal of it. I don’t think old people like birthdays the way we do.”

  She laughed. “Old people? I guess they don’t. Do you think I’m old?”

  “Not as old as Tobias.”

  “Do you think your Mom is old?”

  “Mommies never get old.”

  She smiled.

  “So they’re having a celebration for Tobias’s birthday?” Probably a dinner, she assumed, and some cake, and drinks, under the stars. That was the thing that had amazed her. The stars were so clear, so sharp, so easy to see, and there were so many of them. It took her breath away looking at the sky. It was beautiful. Only last night, she and Jacob had gotten into the separate hammocks and tried to count stars.

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you know who’s coming tomorrow?”

  “Mommy said Grandma and Grandpa, and Tobias’s mom and dad and Xavier and Kay.” He counted off on his fingers.

  “Kay and Xavier?” The way Jacob said it made her wonder if they were an item. Izzy had met Tobias’s brother at the party and had remembered him specifically because his girlfriend had bumped into her and spilled her drink all over Izzy’s jacket. And Savannah’s cousin Kay was hard to miss in that blood-red dress she had worn to the party in the summer.

  Izzy had been wary of going but Tobias had told her that Savannah was desperate to meet her, and that they both wanted to personally thank her for stepping in and rescuing Jacob from the clutches of that woman who was trying to take him away.

  “Are they together?” she asked, wondering if Jacob had intel that Cara and her magazines weren’t privy to.

  He looked up at her with a puzzled frown. “You mean ‘is she his girlfriend?’” He screwed up his nose as if the idea of a girlfriend was disgusting.

  Izzy glanced over her shoulder, wondering if the bodyguard could hear. For some reason, she felt as if she was being nosey, sticking her nose into other people’s business. She was curious. That’s all.

  “Dunno.” Jacob shrugged. “Tobias says Xavier has a new girlfriend every week, and Millicent said it was about time he stopped making wild toast.”

  “What did she say?” Izzy asked.

  “I dunno. Toast, or oats, or something like that.”

  She grinned. Sowing his wild oats, probably.

  As they approached a clump of trees and shrubs, the bodyguard took charge and led the way. They followed him down a flight of rickety wooden steps, then through a clump of trees and shrubs. The flowers blossoming around them had a sweet smell, like honey.

  She heard the loud gushing water as they edged out into a clearing.

  And there it was.

  A wall of blue silk threaded with crystal, surging and thundering down the mountain. Izzy put her hands on Jacob’s shoulders, not because he was in any danger of falling, but because she was cold, and thought he might be too. The temperature was cooler here.

  “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” she said, raising her voice.

  He nodded, and they watched the water swishing over the rocks and collecting into a bluish-green pool at the bottom. It was stunning. She inhaled deeply, admiring the view, feeling soothed by the sound of the water.

  She wanted to be still, and to make the most of this moment. It was amazing how calm and free she felt after a few days without her cell phone. Kawaya was such a huge contrast to her daily, normal life. There were no horns blaring, no sirens screaming, or traffic growling.

  The sound of nature was soothing in comparison.

  She had done the right thing by coming here, and now she wished Tobias and Savannah had come a few days earlier. Tomorrow, with the guests arriving a day before the wedding, the peace and calm of paradise would be lost forever and they would not know this calm again.

  Chapter 4

  “Take it easy, pal. You need to stay sober for tomorrow.”

  “I’m getting over my jetlag.” Xavier held the glass up to the midnight blue sky and the stars sparkled as a backdrop. “I’ll be sober tomorrow, I swear.”

  “Go and spend time with your family,” Luke urged. “You don’t have to hang around here.”

  “Nothing beats the bar area.” Besides, he was hiding. Tobias had glared at him when he’d stepped off the boat late. It wasn’t his fault Gisele had chosen yesterday of all days to split up with him. What was he supposed to say when she told him the producer had asked her to turn up for her casting in her bikini?

  “Who the fuck has an interview in a hot tub?” he’d argued. He was no prude, but even he could see that it didn’t seem right.

  “Why are you so jealous?” she’d screamed back. “It’s no big deal!”

  So they rowed, and patched up, and rowed some more—until he missed the plane and caught the next one out. He couldn’t wait to get out of New York fast enough.

  He nodded at the sky. “Kinda neat out here, isn’t it?”

  “I’ve been to many beautiful places,” agreed Luke, “And I’ve seen a few private islands in my time, but I’ve never seen anything like this place.”

  “That’s my brother for you,” Xavier murmured under his breath. “Trust Tobias to get the biggest and the best fucking island he could get his hands on.” He eyed Luke, again. “Come on over to this side, dude. When my brother told you to take care of the drinks, he didn’t mean for you to be working all night.”

  Luke shook his head, then was briefly interrupted by one of the waiters who had brought over a crate of clean glasses. “I don’t call this work,” he said, pulling the glasses out one by one.

  “Should you be doing that? Why not let your people take care of the glasses and you enjoy the party. Plenty of pussy to admire around here.”

  Luke finished emptying the crate. “Tobias hired me to take care of things, and I’m taking care of things.” He rested his hands on the countertop. “And tone down the vulgar talk. You’re not at The Oasis now, and Xavier-The-Stud-Stone doesn’t need to make an entrance.”

  “Besides, aren’t these people your close family and friends?”

  “Not my friends.” There were plenty of familiar faces, and a couple of guys he had met through the mastermind group that Tobias belonged to—a bunch of wealthy New York businessmen who met every other month to talk about how to make more money and play golf all day long. He had finally caved in and gone with his brother a few months ago. It hadn’t been his thing. The men he met here were a mixture of mostly old money, and a few, like Tobias, who were hotshot wonder boys who had made good.

  Xavier’s friends were more entrepreneurial—like Luke, more fly-by-the-seat of their pants, and all new money. They were the kind of guys who bought up companies, then sold them quickly at an inflated price, guys who dabbled in cryptocurrencies, and the stock market, and who believed that if you threw enough shit at the walls, eventually some of it would stick.

  Hell, no. He didn’t want to end up in a boring conversation with any of Tobias’s mastermind friends.

  At least he had Luke for company. He’d have been lost if he wasn’t here, especially now that Gisele hadn’t come along.

  By the time he had arrived, sometime after 7 o’clock, the island was already teeming with guests.

  At least he didn’t have to suffer the long-ass journey with his parents. They had already cut Tobias’s birthday cake by the time the boat dropped him off.

  “Why aren’t you spending time with your brother?” It was his mother’s voice behind him, and it had the ability to freeze the blood in his veins.

  “Dirty martini, please,” she said to Luke.

  “He looks busy,” Xavier replied. No way did he want to go anywhere near Tobias.

  His father sidled up on the other side. “It’s his birthday, son. Go and talk to him.”

  Xavier groaned inwardly, his head dropping down so that his chin touched his chest. “About what?” he asked, lifting his head. This was typical of their parents. They were always walking on eggshells around Tobias—the genius
, the son who became a billionaire, the apple of their mother’s eye.

  “About the wedding, about his feelings, and maybe even apologize for missing his birthday celebrations,” his mother said. “Was Petuna? Petroleum? Petris to blame?” She held the cocktail glass to her lips, taking great joy, it seemed, from mocking him on purpose.

  This was going to be a goddamn prison sentence. Four days on a remote island with his family. He couldn’t even swim to safety.

  “I believe her name was Petra, Milly, and they split up some months ago.” At least his father kept up with the latest.

  “It’s not like Mother doesn’t already know.” Xavier took a gulp from his bottle, then eyed his mother.

  “Who’s your latest girlfriend?” his mother asked, pointing a long, leathery finger at him.

  “Gisele.” His voice sounded like an echo.

  “Is she here?” His mother looked around; her head spinning round almost like an owl’s.

  “We split up.”

  “Already?” His father banged down his glass of scotch.

  “Wasn’t she the one you went to Miami with last month?”

  “Jeez,” he said, pushing off from his stool. “This is getting way too creepy.”

  “What’s getting creepy, son?”

  “This,” he swung the empty bottle, using it to point to both of them, “this unhealthy interest the two of you have in my love life.” He was going to go and mingle.

  “Is that Oliver Rothschild?” his mother asked, staring out towards the barbeque area. “Come on, Ellery. Let’s go and talk to him. I want to know how his mother got a write-up in August’s issue of Vogue.”

  He watched his parents leave, and let out a breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding. At the other end of the bar, Luke was serving a woman, and from the side profile of her, he recognized her at once. That chick had been eyeballing him ever since he’d gotten off the boat. The night was still young, and given the severe lack of hot babes on the guest list, he could do worse than end up with Savannah’s cousin.