Kidnapping His Bride Page 13

But that wasn’t very realistic or smart. So he needed to face their problems head on and solve them.

  First one up? Annalisa.

  The plane finally landed, Cat a little groggy from waking up not even twenty minutes prior and a lot nervous. Her mood agitated him, made him anxious and jumpy, and when they finally departed from the plane, he held her hand as they made their way toward the car he’d hired to take them to her family home.

  “Are you okay?” she asked under her breath, clutching his hand tight.

  Uneasiness washed over him, and he tried to ignore it. “I’ll be good once we get out of here,” he answered truthfully, releasing her hand so he could rest it at the small of her back. Something didn’t feel right, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

  “I don’t want to see Annalisa,” she admitted, her voice small. “I’m afraid of how she might react.”

  “I feel the same way,” he agreed. “But the two of us together should be able to handle her, don’t you think?”

  “Yes.” She sounded relieved as she sagged a little bit against him. “You don’t know how much I appreciate your support. I’ve been dealing with her alone for so long, I don’t know what it’s like to be able to rely on someone else.”

  “You can always rely on me, Cat. I can assure you that,” he said, turning his head to the right when he heard a strange, loud banging noise.

  And noticed the fleet of uniformed police officers headed in their direction.

  “Shit,” he muttered under his breath, earning Cat’s attention.

  “What? What’s wrong?” She turned to see what he was looking at and a sharp gasp escaped her. “Oh my God, what’s happening?”

  “I don’t know,” he murmured, stopping just in front of the car. Unease slipped down his spine and he breathed deep, wondering what the hell could they want.

  The police neared, their leader stepping out in front, a big hulk of a man with biceps the size of his head and dark sunglasses shading his eyes, expression unreasonable. “Are you Rafael Renaldi?”

  Rafe stepped away from Cat, wariness settling over him. “I am.”

  The policeman nodded. “I’m afraid we’re here to arrest you, Mr. Renaldi. I do hope you’ll be cooperative and not make a scene.”

  “Of course.” He stepped forward, filled with regret at having to leave Cat’s side. “May I ask what I’m under arrest for?”

  “Kidnapping.” He glanced at Cat. “Are you Catalina Campioni?”

  “I am.” She moved so she stood beside Rafe once again, her voice firm. “And I left the country with Mr. Renaldi of my own free will. There’s no reason you need to arrest him, sir. There’s no kidnapping involved in this situation whatsoever.”

  “According to your sister, a Ms. Annalisa Campioni, you haven’t been in the right mental state for years. She’s afraid for your safety. Both at your own hands and at Mr. Renaldi’s.”

  “That is the biggest pile of garbage I’ve ever heard.” Cat stepped in between the two men, her posture stiff, her expression wildly defiant. “I refuse to let you arrest him.”

  “That’s not up for you to decide, little lady,” the cop said, clearly irritated.

  But Rafe’s Kitty Cat was enraged on his behalf. Pride filled him at seeing her like this, despite the fact that she might be hurting his chances at making bail any time soon. “My sister is making all of this up, sir. I swear to you, she’s lying. There’s nothing wrong with me or my mental state. I wanted to leave with him. He’s my fiancé. We’re going to be married soon.”

  “I understand you’re upset, Miss Campioni, but I have legal documents in my car that declare you mentally unfit and that your sister is your temporary guardian.” The cop’s brow’s rose. “Do you want me to get them so I can show you?”

  “What? Yes!” Cat threw her arms up in the air. “This is ridiculous.”

  “Cat,” Rafe warned as the officer turned to one of his cohorts and asked him to grab the documents from his car. “Stop making a scene. Please.”

  She turned on him, her eyes blazing with fury. “She’s making everything up, Rafe. You know this. Now she’s somehow had documents drawn up that claim my mental state is unstable? Next thing we know, she’ll have me locked up in an institution and I’ll never be able to see you again!”

  “Calm down.” He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into him, giving her a brief, tight hug. “You keep this up and they really will think you’re mentally unstable. I need you to remain calm and quiet. Don’t get in the policeman’s face. He doesn’t like it. You’ll only prove Annalisa right. And you don’t want to do that, do you?” He gave her shoulders a little shake. “Can you do that for me?”

  “Absolutely.” A shaky breath escaped her and she nodded once. “I’ll be calm. I promise.”

  “I need you to, love. This is important. I’m about to be arrested for kidnapping you, though this charge won’t stand. You’re a grown woman who left on your own accord.” Whose sister somehow had declared her sister mentally incompetent. Who did she know to make that happen? Why would she go to such lengths to ruin everything between him and Cat? He didn’t understand it. He’d hardly paid attention to Annalisa over the years. Since the moment he knew Cat was meant for him, he’d focused on her.

  Maybe that was where the problem lay. Had Annalisa secretly wanted him? He’d never been given that indication until that one moment over a year ago. And it had been so non-momentous, he’d promptly forgotten all about it.

  Funny, that. From everything Cat had told him, Annalisa received most of the attention from family, business associates, friends. Not that she’d had many men in her life—both women were the typical, sheltered Italian daughters. The only one who seemed to pay any attention to Cat was him.

  Seemed that Annalisa didn’t like that. She wanted all the limelight. She wanted everything, even what little Cat could lay claim to.

  That the woman would go so far as to have him arrested for kidnapping displayed how far over the edge she’d fallen. He still couldn’t quite wrap his head around it.

  Especially when he saw the legal documents regarding Cat. The devastation and anger when she read said documents, how she kissed him one last time before they handcuffed him and led him to a car. She’d cried for him, tears streaming down her cheeks, and the sight of those tears had nearly done him in.

  But he remained calm. He couldn’t believe how damn calm he felt. Maybe because he knew he hadn’t done anything wrong. Or maybe because he knew he was dealing with a crazy woman.

  And her name wasn’t Catalina Campioni. She was the best thing that ever happened to him.

  No, the crazy woman he referred to was Annalisa.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Why?” Cat strode into the living room where her sister sat with her mother and walked right up to her, towering over her big sister with her finger pointed in Annalisa’s face. “Why did you do this to us?”

  Annalisa remained poised while, beside her, their mother silently wept as usual. “I warned you not to leave with him.”

  “So you have him arrested for kidnapping me? And make up lies that I’m a mental case and that you’re now my temporary legal guardian? How dare you take it this far?”

  “How dare you leave us with that good-for-nothing jerk who’ll do nothing but hurt you? I already warned you about him. I’ve been warning you for years!” Annalisa’s eyes grew wild, her mouth tight.

  Cat backed away from her and started pacing. Her mind raced with everything that had happened in the last few hours. She’d followed Rafe and the police cars down to the local station, but they refused to let her see him while he was in the booking process. Frustrated, she’d left, demanded that the car take her to her home so she could confront her sister and find out exactly how and why she put together this elaborate scheme.

  But of course, her sister reacted as if she’d done nothing wrong, which frustrated Cat further. She refused to reveal her irritation, though. That would only be giving Annalisa t
he upper hand, and that was the last thing Cat wanted to do.

  She needed to remember Rafe’s advice and remain calm. It was the only way she could figure out exactly what happened. And how she could make this all right.

  Cat needed to make this right. She needed to get her fiancé out of jail and the charges dropped so they could move on with their lives and marry quickly, just as they’d planned.

  “After spending these last few days with Rafe, I believe I know what sort of man he is,” Cat finally said as she continued to pace the wide living room. “He has no plans on hurting me. He’s grown to care for me just as much as I care for him.”

  Annalisa burst out laughing, the sound harsh. Ugly. “If you believe that sort of drivel, then maybe you do need me as your guardian.”

  Cat stopped, glaring at her sister as her heart cracked in two. Who was this person who sat before her? She’d had her trials with her sister since she could remember, but nothing as cruel and malicious as this. “What happened to you? When did you become so…callous and mean?”

  “I’m not mean. I’m trying my best to protect you. Can’t you see that? Can’t you see how he’s charming you now, convincing you that marrying him is the right thing to do? Once he traps you, he’ll treat you like dirt. Just like our father treats our mother.” Annalisa waved a hand in their mother’s direction as the poor woman used a tissue to dry the tears that stained her cheeks. “He’s worthless, Cat. Run now while you still can. I bought you time, having him tossed in jail. You should be thanking me, not yelling at me.”

  Clearly, trying to rationalize with her sister was like talking to a crazy person. Totally ironic…

  “Listen, I understand you’re upset.” Annalisa stood, a serene smile on her face. But something about that smile, about Annalisa’s demeanor, was off. “Why don’t we have something to eat and we can discuss the matter more thoroughly? Perhaps you can help me better understand what happened between you and Rafe.”

  Wariness crept over Cat. “You want to help us? Why?”

  “I didn’t say I wanted to help you. More like I want to know why you ran away with him when you’d already decided you didn’t want to be with him. Of course, if you want to marry him, who am I to stop you?” The smile remained frozen in place as Annalisa waved at their mother. “Let’s all three go to the kitchen and have a little snack. Food always helps me think better. Don’t you agree, Mama?”

  “I do, I do,” their mother said, her voice raspy and still clogged with tears.

  Cat followed them in the kitchen and sat at the table in the breakfast nook, talking with her mother while Annalisa bustled around the kitchen. Cat told her mother about her trip to New York, how much time she spent with Rafe and how she met his sister. Her mother nodded and didn’t say much, her expression growing more and more sorrowful with every word Cat said until finally her mother reached out and settled her hand over Cat’s, her expression full of warning.

  “I love you, my daughter. And I want you to be happy. I’m not sure if this is the man who will bring you true happiness.”

  “But why would you agree with Father to have us involved in an arranged marriage?” All her life she’d believed everyone wanted her to marry Rafe. Now they all said she shouldn’t.

  She was so confused.

  “Bah. I never agreed to that silly arrangement.” Her mother waved her hand, the light catching the diamonds on her useless wedding band. “That was your father’s idea, and Renaldi’s idea. I always thought it was stupid.”

  “So why did you let it happen?”

  “I wasn’t sure if anything else would come along for you. Annalisa is the one who’s so strong, so resilient. You were always such a meek little thing. Like me. You still are.”

  Anger stiffened Cat’s spine. She wanted so desperately to yell at her mother for thinking so little of her, but she held it in. There wasn’t any use in getting her mother upset.

  Cat had never seen a more miserable person in all her life.

  “You two both need to calm down.” Annalisa came to the table, cups of steaming hot tea in either hand. She set one cup in front of Mama’s place, the other in front of Cat. “Green tea is very soothing. Have a few sips and then we can discuss what’s going to happen next with Rafe.”

  Annalisa grabbed her own cup from the kitchen counter and drank from it, smiling at Cat after she swallowed. “Drink up. I promise, you’ll feel much better. The warmth soothes the soul.”

  She sounded straight out of a television ad, but Cat was too tired to protest. She sipped from her cup, and reluctantly found Annalisa was right. The warm liquid did soothe as it slid down her throat and settled in her stomach. She’d been in knots ever since they’d encountered the police at the airport. Maybe it would do her some good to finish the tea, clear her head and forge on with a plan to help Rafe.

  “I’m going to take my tea to bed,” Mama said, pushing back her chair so she could stand. She reached for her cup of tea and walked out of the kitchen without another word.

  “Is she all right?” Cat asked after their mother left.

  Annalisa shook her head. “Is she ever really all right? Father called while you were gone and they argued over the phone. She hasn’t stopped crying since.”

  Cat remained silent. Her mother always cried. That was nothing new. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “She was also upset when you left. She thought you were abandoning us for good.”

  Blinking, Cat stared at her cup, her vision all of a sudden hazy. “I wish you wouldn’t say those sorts of things.”

  “Why, because they’re true? We all know what’s going to happen if you marry Rafe. That’s why I’m going to put a stop to it.”

  Cat blinked again, her vision blurry, her head spinning. She lifted it to look at her sister and it felt so heavy, she thought she might fall over. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that you’re a stupid little bitch and I’m not going to let you marry Rafael Renaldi. Ever.” Annalisa smiled and sipped from her tea. “What do you think about that?”

  She could hardly think at all, her head was so fuzzy. Her eyelids felt as if one-ton bricks sat on top of them, and she closed her eyes, felt the room spin, and she immediately tried to open them again.

  But she could hardly focus.

  “Feeling a little tired, sister? I wonder why.”

  Oh no. Had Annalisa somehow put something in her tea? Was that why she felt so loopy? She parted her lips, tried to speak, but the words just wouldn’t come out.

  “Come on, let’s take you to bed.” Annalisa was suddenly at her side, wrapping her arm around her and hauling her to her feet with a grunt. “For such a little thing, you certainly are solid.”

  Cat leaned against Annalisa heavily, her feet dragging since she couldn’t seem to make them work. Fear raced over her skin and she whimpered, her mouth literally unable to form words.

  “You’ll be out in no time. You’ll give me enough time to take care of everything. You won’t need to see Rafe ever again. It’s for the best, Catalina. Trust me.”

  Ha, Cat thought. Annalisa was the last person she could trust.

  And that was the last thought she had before she slipped into blank, dark, nothingness.

  “Miss Campioni is here to see you,” the deputy announced, grabbing Rafe by the arm and leading him to the visitor area, a small, dingy, windowless room that had a battered table and a chair on either side of it. “Stay on your side of the table and you won’t have any trouble.”

  “I can’t touch her?” God, he wanted to touch her. Cat was the only thing that was real in his life. The last few hours at the jail felt surreal. As if his life had turned into some sort of strange movie and he was watching it unfold.

  He’d called Matteo and had him arrange for a lawyer. Thank God he was still in the country. He and his wife should’ve followed right behind Rafe and Cat when they left, but Paige had come down with something and they’d decided to wait until she felt better befo
re they flew back home to New York.

  Matteo had promised him he would come to the police station as soon as possible with the lawyer in tow and whatever else was needed to get him out of there. Rafe was confident he would be out of this hellhole in a matter of hours.

  “No touching allowed,” the man said, his voice firm, his gaze hard. He shoved Rafe into the chair. “Wait here.”

  Anger simmered in Rafe’s blood, but he kept it in check. Wouldn’t do to have him make an ass of himself and make his situation worse. He was in jail, for God’s sake. He’d love nothing more but to throw a punch at the asshole officer for treating him so poorly, but he couldn’t.

  He knew his limits.

  The door swung open and Rafe held his breath, anxious for Cat to walk in so he could at least inhale in her scent. See her beautiful face…

  But it wasn’t Cat who entered the room. Annalisa strode in, a cunning smile curving her lips as she sat at the table across from him.

  “What the hell are you doing here? Where’s Cat?” He glared at her, disgust filling him at seeing her. He hated her. Hated what she did to her sister, what she’d done to them both. He was in jail because of this woman, brought in on false charges that she made because of some crazy grudge she held against him.

  “Nice to see you too, Rafael.” The smile never left her face as she flicked her gaze toward the officer who stood in far the corner of the room. Most likely he wouldn’t be able to hear them. “A shame we have to be chaperoned, hmm? But I’m glad he’s there. Not too sure how you’ll react with only me in the room. Better safe than sorry.”

  He seethed. What the hell was she implying? That he’d attack her with violence because of what she’d done? Or was she meaning that he’d jump her in a sexual manner?

  As if.

  “Where is my fiancée?” he asked again, trying his best to keep calm.

  “She’s at home. Sleeping.”

  Sleeping? How could she sleep at a time like this? The Cat he knew would most likely be pacing and plotting how to get him out of this place. He was surprised she hadn’t come by now. “Why? Is she not feeling well?”