“You okay?” Mena asked.
“I am now,” Julian said, unhooking her seatbelt and pulling her into his arms.
“Good. Let’s get off this damn plane,” Mena said.
Leading the way, Julian stepped over the dead bodies piled up on the cabin floor and activated the emergency window exit. Pushing it open, the side of the plane was tilted, partially submerged in the beach, with about a three foot drop to the ground.
Jumping down, he turned and lifted Mena off the plane. The sounds of sirens filled the air. Coast guard and police boats raced across the waves, making their way to the wreckage.
“Julian … look behind you,” Mena said, a frown piercing her beautiful face.
Julian turned around and winced.
A mansion, burned and in ruins loomed in front of him. The same mansion he and Mena had escaped from a year ago. He’d landed the plane on Dumay’s private island. The place where all the mayhem had begun.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
“Was that Sunny? What did she say?” Mena asked.
Julian closed the hotel door behind him, then tossed his phone on the bedside table, before sliding across the bed and placing a decadent kiss on her mouth.
She savored the sweetness of his lips, the sexy scent he exuded. A feeling she thought she might not ever have again, yet here he was in bed next to her, put up in the Queen Palm Hotel in St. Killian, courtesy of Caleb’s boss at thePalmchat Gazette, Leo Bronson.
“Yeah, it was her. Enzo is back home and expected to make a full recovery,” Julian said, then stretched out on the bed next to Mena. “Tubeec Hirad survived being stabbed by Hakeem. He claims to have a copy of the evidence Okeyo Lagat had against Deputy President Rono and is trying to use it as a bargaining chip for his release.”
“Do they believe him? He has to be lying,” Mena said, flinching as she readjusted the sling on her arm.
“Maybe. Maybe not. ASF is taking his claims seriously and considering brokering a deal to see what he has,” Julian said.
“I can’t believe they would consider negotiating with a terrorist,” Mena said, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Why don’t we let Reggie figure out that mess.” Julian pulled her into his arms. “Is that okay? I’m not hurting your arm, am I?”
“It’s fine. I’m too doped up to feel any pain,” Mena lied, looking down at her heavily bandaged swollen right arm. The bullet had entered near the middle of her bicep and came out above her elbow without hitting bone or a major artery. It was the best prognosis considering the situation. The doctors at St. Killian General had cleaned the wound, stitched her up, bandaged and splinted her arm, and then sent her home with sobering warnings about the difficult recovery period and potential loss of normal use even with months of physical therapy she had ahead of her.
“Good, well not good that you’re a dope head right now, but I’m glad you’re not in pain,” Julian teased.
Mena slapped the back of his head.
“Ouch!” Julian said, then leaned over and kissed her again.
“Maybe ASF can get the evidence against Rono without having to set Tubeec free. Then, Rono can finally be held accountable for the countless attacks he orchestrated on innocent Kenyans who supported his political rivals,” Mena said.
“Arresting Rono would be a slam dunk. Conviction could be a lot tougher, given Rono’s well-connected friends, but his political career would be D.O.A. That’s if Tubeec actually has the evidence against him,” Julian said, twirling a strand of her dark hair around his finger. “But I’m sure Okeyo Lagat will do everything in his power to put Rono in jail, with or without Tubeec Hirad. It may take some time, but he should be able to gather the evidence he had before. Speaking of Okeyo, did you get a chance to talk to Wangari while I was out?”
Mena stroked his arm, lost in the memories of her conversation with the Director of the museum. “She was disappointed and offered a lot of concessions to entice me to finish out the fellowship. Private residence with a driver and a private TIDES bodyguard.”
“You already have a private TIDES bodyguard,” Julian said.
“I think she feels a lot of guilt about what happened and wants to make amends, but she doesn’t know the real truth behind it all. Dumay set all of this in motion and that had nothing to do with Wangari or Okeyo. None of this was her fault,” Mena said.
“Having second thoughts?” Julian asked.
“No. Even knowing that Priscilla wants us back in St. Basil for some reason, I can’t see myself going back to Nairobi to finish out the fellowship,” Mena admitted. After everything Priscilla had put her through, hiring an African terrorist to abduct her and bring her back to the Palmchat Islands, Mena was more convicted than ever to ensure Priscilla was found guilty of all of her crimes.
“If we’re not going back to Nairobi, then where to next? Do you want to stay here and be close to your dad?” Julian asked, a curious look in his eyes.
Mena cringed. Not that she didn’t love her father but being on the same island with him was going to be tough. She had a few more hours before her parents landed in the Bronson private jet. While she couldn’t wait to see them again, she was also dreading the smothering and overprotectiveness she knew was coming.
