Cruel Devils Read online

  “Your flight was late, Kiera. That, or you took your sweet time getting out of there, and I have a meeting I have to get back to, so let’s go.” He doesn’t offer to help me with my bags, so I grab them again and stumble after him. Without turning around, he keeps talking to me. “We’ll get to home now and then my wife will be by in a bit to see you. She’s volunteering all day and has a ladies’ luncheon, so you’ll need to fend for yourself in the kitchen.”

  “That’s no problem,” I volunteer, walking faster to try to catch up with him. “I love to cook, so I can easily get something whipped up.”

  When he doesn’t respond, I search my brain for something else to say. I’ve never met this man, but how different can he be from his brother?

  “Uncle Levi? I’m so sorry about what happened. I know that you and my dad weren’t close, but I’m sure that it was a shock to you when he was killed.” My uncle stops walking for the first time since we began our trek to the car, and I find that I’m holding my breath.

  “Kiera.” His voice sounds heavy and I feel a pit start to grow in my stomach. “Your father and I weren’t friends. We were barely brothers. Your aunt and I never wanted kids, but we agreed to open our doors to you because it’s the right thing to do. You are now our heir, and that’s something that we don’t take lightly. I don’t want your sympathy over me losing my brother, because I lost him when we were children, do you understand?”

  My tongue feels stuck to the roof of my mouth, and all I can do is nod.

  We’re standing at the edge of the parking lot, and I keep waiting for him to lead the way to the car or pull out car keys so that we can get in and leave here. Suddenly, the Hawaiian heat feels even hotter than before and my face starts to burn.

  Across the parking lot, a black car slowly noses its way towards us. My uncle visible relaxes and sighs as it pulls up to the curb where we’re standing.

  He reaches for the handle to the front seat and then stops, turning back to me. “I don’t want you to think that your aunt and I want to bond with you over your parents, Kiera. What happened was terrible, and we are happy to let you finish out your high school career with us. But one toe out of line, one bad grade, anything – and you’ll have to find somewhere else to live, do you understand? Serafina and I have worked hard to create a life here that we’re proud of, and we don’t want anyone coming in and upsetting that, even if she is family. Understand?”

  There’s literally nothing that I can say. He’s looking at me like I don’t have a choice in the matter, and I realize with a start that I don’t.

  “I understand,” I tell him, but I hate myself as the words leave my mouth. My parents wouldn’t have ever treated someone like he’s treating me, and they never would have allowed someone to speak to me like this. I don’t want to hate my uncle, but he’s making it really hard.

  “Good girl. You can put your bags in the back, or I can get Robert to help you, if you can’t handle them on your own.”

  I glance into the driver’s seat and realize that Robert must be the chauffeur. He’s got on gloves and a little black hat, and I have to stifle a giggle. Is that really how people dress around her? I expected more tie-die and bathing suits and fewer pearls and diamonds.

  “I’ve got them,” I tell him, setting my jaw. My arms are already sore from carrying everything on my own, but there’s no way that I’m going to ask for help. Uncle Levi doesn’t want me here, he’s made that abundantly clear already.

  All I have to do is figure out how to make it through the rest of my high school career without rocking the boat and I’ll be fine. I can go to college wherever I want and leave Hawaii and its stuck-up residents behind me.

  The thought makes me smile, even as I load my luggage into the trunk of the car by myself. By the time I get into the backseat, Uncle Levi is back on the phone, talking to someone about annuities and how to best shield the money from taxes.

  I wish I could remember exactly what he does for a living, but I don’t think that my parents ever told me, and if they did, it was probably so boring that my eyes glazed over and I fell asleep. Just listening to him talk now is enough to make my yawn, and I don’t even bother trying to stifle it.

  Instead, I block him out, which is something that I got good at when I was at my old school. It got me through long classes when I was bored and I’m sure that it will be a useful skill here.

  The ride through town is mercifully short, although Uncle Levi stays on his phone the entire time and doesn’t speak to me. I perk up and look harder out the window when we pull up to a gate and a guard waves us through.

  “Lemme just deal with my niece a moment, hang on,” he says to however he’s been talking to for the entire ride. When he twists around in the front seat to talk to me, I have to tear my eyes away from the outside to pay attention to him. My aunt and uncle must have a gardener, because this place is incredible. Of course, I’ve seen pictures of hibiscus and other gorgeous flowers, but seeing them in person is totally different.

  I can’t imagine my uncle out there in the garden weeding, but I’d love to get my hands into the dirt later if I have time.

  “Kiera, listen. I’m going to leave you here. You have a room at the top of the stairs that Serafina has already marked for you, so you shouldn’t be confused about which one it is, but you’ll only be sleeping here tonight. Get something to eat, but don’t make a mess. She left you a brochure on the kitchen counter for the school where you’ll be attending, it’s called Meyer’s Grove Preparatory Academy, and you’ll be moving in tomorrow, do you understand?”

  It takes a moment for what he’s saying to me to sink in. “I won’t be staying here the entire time? I’m going to be living at school?”

  His eyes flick up from his phone and he frowns at me. “Is that a problem? I wanted to drop you off there today, but Serafina insisted that we at least see you for one night. Lord knows why, though, it’s not like you talk very much.”

  I snap my mouth shut. He’s made it almost impossible for me to get a word in edgewise, but I have a good feeling that he won’t want to hear me argue with him.

  The car slows to a stop in front of the house and I have to crane my neck to look up at it. It’s huge, easily bigger than any home I’ve ever seen before, and looks more like a hotel than a private residence.

  “Don’t break anything, Kiera. We’ll know, and Serafina will not be happy. She’s taken great care to decorate the home with antiques and family heirlooms, and you don’t need to touch anything, you understand?”

  Using family heirlooms seems like a strange choice for people who wanted nothing to do with my family, but I know better than to mention this to him. instead, I nod and open the door to get out, but before I can shut the door behind me, Uncle Levi interrupts me one more time.

  “Listen, Kiera. Get comfortable tonight, but remember that you’re not going to be staying here, okay?”

  Oh, I understand. “You’ve made that clear,” I tell him, not even bothering to look at him while I talk to him. My aunt and uncle have opened their door for me, but that doesn’t mean that I’m actually welcome here. It takes me a moment to unload all of my luggage, and before I finish, Robert gets out to help me.

  I can hear Uncle Levi yelling at someone on the phone.

  “Sorry I’m taking so long,” I tell Robert, yanking harder on my backpack strap. The entire thing snaps in my hand and I fall backward, hitting the ground hard enough to make my teeth snap together.

  Robert regards me for a moment and then reaches down to pull me back up. “You’ll be fine, Kiera. Just keep your head down and remember that your aunt and uncle own this town. They don’t want you to do anything to damage their reputation, you understand?”

  Oh, I understand. I understand that their reputation is the most important thing to them, but what I don’t get is how in the hell someone could own a town. For a moment, I think about asking him to elaborate, but just then, my uncle starts yelling into the phone, and Robert frowns.<
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  “Good luck, Kiera. Just work hard and make sure that you don’t do anything to disappoint them and I’m sure that you’re going to be just fine.” He slams the trunk and quickly slips back into the driver’s seat, leaving me standing alone behind the car.

  For the first time in my life, I’m not wanted. I may not have had a lot of friends at my old school, but I knew how much my parents loved me. I’d found my own little group of friends in the acting club, even though I was much happier behind the scenes.

  But here? It doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to hide behind the scenes any longer. The only saving grace, as far as I can see, is that I wasn’t going to have to live with my aunt and uncle. They don’t want me, and I certainly don’t want to be here.

  At least on that, we can agree.

  Chapter 3

  “Helloooo?”

  At first, I swear that the sound is a part of my dream. I’m back at home, hanging out in the back yard with Rufus while my dad grills. They’re still alive, and everything is still fine. There wasn’t a murder.

  And I’m certainly not in Hawaii.

  “Kiera? Are you here?”

  Nope. Not at home. I sit up with a start and realize in a panic that I fell asleep on the overstuffed sofa in the living room. At least I had the forethought to kick off my shoes before I curled up, because I don’t think that my Aunt Serafina would stand with me getting mud on her white sofa.

  Who the hell has a white sofa, anyway?

  Before I can even wipe the sleep from my eyes or check the pillow for drool, she sweeps into the living room, stopping in the doorway to frown at me. She’s got on a long dress that skims the floor when she walks and her dark chestnut hair is swept up into a sleek chiffon on the back of her head.

  Her face is perfectly made up and she’s wearing more jewelry than I’ve ever seen before in my life. She looks larger than life, and also like a character from a movie. Is this really my aunt? She could be anyone since I’ve never actually seen a photo of her, but the way she’s staring at me tells me that she’s definitely the lady of the house and not some poor staff they have working for them.

  I stand up quickly and wipe my hands on my jeans. My sandwich plate is still on the coffee table in front of the sofa, and I notice how her eyes flick over it before landing back on my face. “Hi, Aunt Serafina, I’m Kiera,” I tell her, taking a step towards her.

  Before I can even get out from behind the coffee table, though, she sweeps towards me in a cloud of perfume and grabs my hand, pulling me back down to sit with her. I can’t help but stare at the giant rings on her fingers as she gently strokes my hand.

  “We were so sorry to hear about your parents, my dear,” she tells me, leaning forward a bit to get a better look at me. “And I told Levi that you simply must stay with us for a bit to get your legs under you, so that’s why you’ll be here tonight.”

  “Thank you,” I manage, although my voice sounds weak when compared to hers. She definitely commands a room, and I have no doubt that she’s used to getting her way. Even though it’s just the two of us talking in the living room, I have the distinct feeling that she’s putting on a show. I’m quickly realizing that although my aunt looks like a pushover, there must be a lot more to her than I first thought.

  She nods quickly, like she’s pleased that I would appreciate her kindness, no matter how small. Then I realize with a start that she thinks she’s doing something huge for me. We may share the same last name, but there’s nothing about this woman that makes me feel like she’s my family.

  “Have you had enough to eat? I want to get going before the stores get too busy.” She frowns at me, or at least I think that she does, but her forehead doesn’t wrinkle at all. How much botox has she had?

  “Stores? Don’t feel like you need to take me anywhere if you have errands to go. I’m perfectly happy staying here and reading if you want to go.” I am, really. In fact, the more she looks at me like I’m a science experiment, the more I want her to go and leave me here, but she just laughs and squeezes my hand.

  “Kiera, I think that you’re probably a beautiful girl, but there’s no real way to tell with how you’re dressed. There’s just no way that Levi and I are going to send you off to Meyer’s Grove looking like that. You’d be eaten alive, and we just can’t have reflect poorly on us, now can we?” She tilts her head to the side and I get the distinct feeling that she’s sizing me up.

  “Um, thank you?” There may have been a complement hiding in there somewhere, if I look for it. She grins at me like I’m slow and she’s just realizing that she may need to dumb it down for me.

  “Good. Let’s go then. Levi has the driver, but that’s okay. I just picked up a new Range Rover.” She turns to me like I’m an afterthought. “Do you have your license? Any money? What exactly are we working with here?”

  “Um, no license.” I had been about to go get it with my dad before he was killed, but there’s no way that I want to tell her that. “And we really didn’t have a lot of money, I’m sorry. I’m selling the house, but it’s mostly going to be used to pay off the mortgage, and it’s probably going to be on the market for a while. Nobody wants to buy a house where people were violently murdered, you know.”

  She sniffs at me like she’s disappointed, but then brightens again. “No matter. You’re a blank slate, and I’m here to make sure that you look and feel your best tomorrow when you start school, so let’s go.”

  I grab my plate and follow her into the kitchen, where I set it in the sink before racing to meet her in the garage. She wasn’t kidding about her Range Rover being brand new, and I can’t help that my jaw drops open when I see it. It’s parked right next to a little convertible and a hummer.

  I’m racking my brain, trying my best to remember what my dad had said that his brother does, but I can’t seem to come up with it. No matter what it is, he has more money than anyone I’ve ever met. I can’t be related to these people, can I?

  Maybe Robert was telling the truth when he made the comment about my uncle owning the town. He certainly acted like he was the most important person in the world when we met earlier.

  “Kiera, let’s go! We have a lot of work to do to make sure that you fit in.” Aunt Serafina waits until I climb into the seat next to her. “So, besides a new wardrobe, what do you need?”

  Wardrobe? Glancing down at myself, I can see what she means. My old jeans and t-shirts may have been perfect for East High, but they won’t do me any favors at my new snotty prep school. “Um, I broke my backpack strap, so unless you can fix it, I’d appreciate a new one,” I tell her.

  She laughs and backs out of the garage. “My tailor is out of town, dear. We’ll just get you a new one. We want to make sure that you have a great first day tomorrow.” She reaches out and pats my knee. “It’s the first day of the rest of your life, you know, and we want to make sure that everything is as perfect as possible for you.”

  ***

  By the time we finally get back home late in the afternoon, I’m exhausted, starving, and worn out from trying on more outfits than I’d ever worn in my life. Aunt Serafina was convinced that the only way that I’d be able to be happy at Meyer’s Grove is if I dressed like I’d grown up here and had all the money in the world.

  My eyes still bug out when I think about the receipt at the first store. The saleswoman had grabbed it and handed it to my aunt, but I’d managed to catch a look at the final price. $459. And that was just one of many stops. I hope that she doesn’t ask me to pay her back, because there’s no way that I’ll ever be able to come up with the money.

  Even though it would be nice to think that there would be something left over after I sell my parent’s house, chances are good that it will all be eaten up by the mortgage and credit card companies. At least I don’t think she’s going to ask me to pay her back, and for that I’m grateful.

  The only thing she’d asked? That I’d change for dinner and show her and Levi that I wouldn’t embarrass the
m tomorrow when I got dropped off at the campus. How everyone in town perceives them really matters, and I don’t want to get on their bad side.

  I can’t afford the clothes they just bought me, and a quick online search shows me that I can’t afford the school, either. The tuition is more than my mom made working at the bakery down the street, and I feel a little sick.

  Before I can worry too much about that, though, I twirl in front of my mirror to check myself out. I’m feeling self-conscious as I head down the stairs, my hand trailing along the worn wood rail. Everything about this place screams money, from the huge oil paintings that hang in the living room to the ornate furniture in my bedroom.

  This will never be my home, no matter the fact that Uncle Levi is my dad’s brother. In fact, if you didn’t know that they were related, you’d never be able to tell from looking around the house. There aren’t any pictures from Levi when he was younger, and there certainly aren’t any of my dad.

  It’s eerie and I almost feel like I’m dishonoring the memory of my parents by being here. I know that that’s not true, but I have an uneasy feeling as I turn into the dining room.

  Both my aunt and uncle are already waiting for me and sitting at opposite ends of a long oval table. It’s been set for just the three of us, although there’s enough space around it to easily seat a dozen or more people. Nervously, I slide into my chair.

  “Glad you could make it, Kiera,” Uncle Levi says dryly, flipping his napkin off of his plate and settling it on his lap. “We were beginning to wonder if you were going to join us before dinner got cold.” His voice is hard and biting, and I swallow, trying not to look ashamed. “It seems like being slow is just in your nature, if you leaving the airport and coming to dinner just now are any indications.”