has been arrested, right?” Nikki said, wondering if she should start looking for Kay. Was Callia on any medication to keep her from these delusions? But then again there was a sense of sanity about her. But ghosts didn’t kill, even if one did believe in them. “Your uncle’s safe now.”
“No, she still haunts the place and will get her revenge.”
“Who?”
“Alana.”
“Why?”
“Callia!” a deep voice said.
Callia jumped like a scared child and turned to the door, where Lucian stood in the hallway. “Yes, Uncle Lucian?”
“Kay’s been frantically looking for you. Come here.”
Nikki held up her hand. “As you can see, she’s safe here with me. Kay can join us if she wants to, but we’re having an important conversation right now. You can talk to her when I’m finished.”
“I want to talk to her now.”
Nikki smiled. “Then you’re going to be disappointed.” She pointed at him. “Say one more word and my ten days start tomorrow.”
Lucian narrowed his eyes but didn’t reply and left.
“Now, what were you saying?” Nikki said, annoyed by Lucian’s interruption at such a key point.
Callia stared at her, wide-eyed.
“What?” Nikki wiped her cheek. “Is there something on my face?”
Callia slowly sank back into her seat. “No one has ever spoken to Uncle Lucian like that. I’m surprised he didn’t fire you.”
“He’s thinking about it, I’m sure,” Nikki said in a dry tone.
Callia tilted her head and studied the woman sitting beside her. “You’re different. You’re not afraid of him. Most people are—especially women.”
Basilio strolled in with his hands in his pockets. “What the hell just happened? Lucian’s laughing his head off.”
“Really?” Callia said, amazed. “I wish I could have seen that.”
“He wouldn’t tell me why, though.”
Callia gestured to Nikki. “It’s because of her.”
Basilio looked at Nikki with admiration. “How did you manage that?”
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” Nikki said, unwilling to take credit.
“You should have seen the way she spoke to him, like he was a servant,” Callia said, then imitated Nikki’s response to Lucian’s request.
Basilio burst into laughter.
Nikki shook her head, ashamed. “I wasn’t that bad.”
Callia lifted her nose and took on an affected tone. “If you say one more word, my ten days start tomorrow.”
Basilio laughed harder.
Nikki couldn’t help a grin. She’d been around the Seventh Avenue crowd too long. “I just lost my temper.”
“He has that effect on people,” Basilio said.
“And how do people respond to you?” Nikki asked.
He rested a hand on his chest with false modesty. “People love me.”
“When you’re gone,” Callia added.
“Be quiet, little girl.”
Callia made a face.
Basilio gently yanked her from the couch and took her place next to Nikki.
“Hey!” Callia cried.
He rested his arm along the back of the couch and ignored her. He grinned at Nikki. “How would you like to go out on the yacht tomorrow?”
“I’m not on vacation,” Nikki said, unsure if he was flirting or making a pass. Either way she was enjoying the attention.
“You can work if you want to, but I doubt you will,” he told her.
“It’s lovely being on the water,” Callia said.
Basilio sent her a look. “Who said you’re invited?”
“I’m coming, anyway.”
Before he could argue, Nikki said, “I’d love to.”
He winked. “I’ll see you then,” he said and left.
“You’d better go and find out what your uncle wants,” Nikki said.
Callia sighed, unwilling to leave. “He wants to give me a lecture for escaping from Kay’s watchful eyes.”
“Perhaps if you behave, he’ll discover that you don’t need her anymore.”
“Maybe.” Callia walked to the door, then stopped and turned. “Who do you like more? Basilio or Uncle Lucian?”
“I hardly know them yet,” Nikki said, surprised by the question. “I don’t know.”
“I do,”
“No, she still haunts the place and will get her revenge.”
“Who?”
“Alana.”
“Why?”
“Callia!” a deep voice said.
Callia jumped like a scared child and turned to the door, where Lucian stood in the hallway. “Yes, Uncle Lucian?”
“Kay’s been frantically looking for you. Come here.”
Nikki held up her hand. “As you can see, she’s safe here with me. Kay can join us if she wants to, but we’re having an important conversation right now. You can talk to her when I’m finished.”
“I want to talk to her now.”
Nikki smiled. “Then you’re going to be disappointed.” She pointed at him. “Say one more word and my ten days start tomorrow.”
Lucian narrowed his eyes but didn’t reply and left.
“Now, what were you saying?” Nikki said, annoyed by Lucian’s interruption at such a key point.
Callia stared at her, wide-eyed.
“What?” Nikki wiped her cheek. “Is there something on my face?”
Callia slowly sank back into her seat. “No one has ever spoken to Uncle Lucian like that. I’m surprised he didn’t fire you.”
“He’s thinking about it, I’m sure,” Nikki said in a dry tone.
Callia tilted her head and studied the woman sitting beside her. “You’re different. You’re not afraid of him. Most people are—especially women.”
Basilio strolled in with his hands in his pockets. “What the hell just happened? Lucian’s laughing his head off.”
“Really?” Callia said, amazed. “I wish I could have seen that.”
“He wouldn’t tell me why, though.”
Callia gestured to Nikki. “It’s because of her.”
Basilio looked at Nikki with admiration. “How did you manage that?”
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” Nikki said, unwilling to take credit.
“You should have seen the way she spoke to him, like he was a servant,” Callia said, then imitated Nikki’s response to Lucian’s request.
Basilio burst into laughter.
Nikki shook her head, ashamed. “I wasn’t that bad.”
Callia lifted her nose and took on an affected tone. “If you say one more word, my ten days start tomorrow.”
Basilio laughed harder.
Nikki couldn’t help a grin. She’d been around the Seventh Avenue crowd too long. “I just lost my temper.”
“He has that effect on people,” Basilio said.
“And how do people respond to you?” Nikki asked.
He rested a hand on his chest with false modesty. “People love me.”
“When you’re gone,” Callia added.
“Be quiet, little girl.”
Callia made a face.
Basilio gently yanked her from the couch and took her place next to Nikki.
“Hey!” Callia cried.
He rested his arm along the back of the couch and ignored her. He grinned at Nikki. “How would you like to go out on the yacht tomorrow?”
“I’m not on vacation,” Nikki said, unsure if he was flirting or making a pass. Either way she was enjoying the attention.
“You can work if you want to, but I doubt you will,” he told her.
“It’s lovely being on the water,” Callia said.
Basilio sent her a look. “Who said you’re invited?”
“I’m coming, anyway.”
Before he could argue, Nikki said, “I’d love to.”
He winked. “I’ll see you then,” he said and left.
“You’d better go and find out what your uncle wants,” Nikki said.
Callia sighed, unwilling to leave. “He wants to give me a lecture for escaping from Kay’s watchful eyes.”
“Perhaps if you behave, he’ll discover that you don’t need her anymore.”
“Maybe.” Callia walked to the door, then stopped and turned. “Who do you like more? Basilio or Uncle Lucian?”
“I hardly know them yet,” Nikki said, surprised by the question. “I don’t know.”
“I do,”
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