Chapter 17

Welcome to Villa Altamira

POV: Karol Kensington

Stay in the car, and keep your head down," Mateo ordered.

The rain fell so hard I could barely see. The storm had finally hit the island. The wind howled like an angry animal and shook the car.

Mateo and three guards jumped out into the cold rain. They pulled out their guns.

Some went inside first to make sure the house was safe. They had to find the stranger from the speed boat.

Ten minutes passed. Finally, the huge front doors opened. A guard waved for us to come inside.

Ciro opened the car door, with the support of his staff, we ran through the rain, up the stone steps and went inside the house.

As heavy doors slammed shut behind, The loud noise of the storm instantly went away.

I stopped and stared. Villa Altamira was beautiful, but it was scary.

The floors were shiny black stone. The ceilings were very high. One whole wall was made of glass. Through the glass, I could see dark, angry waves crashing against the rocks far below. Everything in the room was black, gray, and dark wood. It did not look like a warm home. It looked like a beautiful, expensive cage.

"Do you like your new house l, princess?"

Ciro's deep voice echoed in the quiet room.

"It is very big," I said. My voice was flat. "And very lonely."

"It is safe," Ciro said. He slowly sat on his wheelchair by the side and pushed the wheels of his chair. He rolled closer to me. "No reporters. No lying mothers. No mean sisters. Just you and me."

My heart did a fast flip in my chest. Just you and me.

He stopped right in front of me. I had to look down at him, but his bronze eyes still trapped me. His body heat chased away the cold rain. I hated how much I wanted to step closer to him. It was a dark, strong pull.

"Dont worry, Mateo will find the man from the boat?" I wrapped my arms around myself

"Come with me," Ciro ordered. "I want to show you where you can change and will work for the next six months ."

I followed him down a long hallway. We stopped in front of two glass doors. Ciro pushed a button, and the doors slid open.

I stepped inside, and it was massive.

It was a clinic room. But it was huge. It was perfectly clean and bright white. There were brand-new therapy tables, expensive lasers, and a giant water tub.

I looked closer and gasped. The heavy weights and testing computers were the exact same brands I used at my old clinic.

"You built this?" I whispered. I touched a cold metal table.

"My people built it in three days," Ciro said. He rolled into the room behind me. "I bought the best machines in the world. I bought everything you liked to use. I protect what is mine."

I turned to look at him. "This cost millions of dollars."

"Money is nothing to me," Ciro said. His voice got very low. He wheeled closer, stopping just inches from my legs. "But you are everything right now. If my knee does not heal, my career is over. So, I bought you the perfect room. But there is a catch."

"What catch?"

Ciro looked up at me. His eyes burned with a dark fire. "There is no hospital boss here, Karol.

In this house, you answer only to me. You work when I say work. You sleep when I say sleep. I own your time."

His arrogant words made my blood run hot. I wanted to yell at him. I wanted to tell him I was not a slave. But before I could speak, a loud crash echoed from the hallway.

We both spun around.

Mateo ran into the room. He was soaking wet and breathing hard. His gun was out. He did not look calm anymore. He looked terrified.

"Ciro," Mateo gasped. "We found the speed boat hidden in the rocks."

"And?" Ciro demanded. His voice was deadly. "Where is the driver?"

"The man is gone," Mateo said. His voice shook. He stepped into the bright light.

My stomach dropped.

Mateo lifted his hand. His fingers were covered in fresh, red blood. He was holding a small piece of white plastic.

"He left this on the boat seat for us to find," Mateo whispered.

He held it out. I stopped breathing.

It was my white and gold Kensington ID badge.

The giant man from the runway had not followed us to the island. He was just a distraction. The real killer was already here, hiding in the dark storm, and he knew exactly who I was and where i will be.