House of Leights (Secret Keepers, #3)(70)
“When we disembark,” Daniel told us, “a car will be waiting. We have government contacts in this airport. They’ll make sure we get through without any issue.”
I freaked for a second, because I had completely forgotten I didn’t have any identification on me. Really should have been something I thought about before this moment, but I guess no one had any on them, so it wasn’t like they were going to leave me behind. As the stairs lowered for us to exit, there were two dark SUVs waiting a dozen feet away. Their engines were running, and the drivers – wearing slacks and casual shirts – got out and opened the doors for us. I slid in the back seat next to Chase. Xander took the passenger seat, while Emma and Lexen got in the very back. The others got in the second car.
“Straight to the house,” Xander said, and the driver didn’t waste a second spinning the car around and getting out of the airport. There were some security personnel on the gates as we exited, but none of them stopped us. Being rich opened doors … or gates, apparently.
Once we were onto the road, I recognized where we were. Our plane had landed on a smaller airfield near Lanai Airport. I could see the bigger airfield just off to my right. So we were about four miles from the city.
“Why did your family choose this island to holiday?” Chase asked, while both of us stared out at the sights.
“Mostly because it’s quieter than the bigger islands,” I replied. “And it’s absolutely stunning here – sightseeing, swimming, day tours. We liked to stay active, but in between have really relaxed downtime, which was harder in the crowded areas. This was like … being off the grid for a short time.”
“There are no stoplights here,” the driver said, joining the conversation. “A lot of the roads require a 4-wheel drive vehicle.”
“Tommy is usually manning some of our businesses in Honolulu,” Chase explained, “but he always raves about Lanai. I think it’s his favorite.”
Tommy didn’t say anything, but if his grin was any indication, he was definitely a fan. As the car wove along the winding road, we ended up going past the main part of Lanai City toward some exclusive little alcoves where rich people built their beach houses.
Beach houses and private beaches.
“Who owns this property?” I asked.
Xander’s hand went up. “It’s mine. I have a house on each of the islands here. Surfing is kind of my thing.”
For a merman, that made sense.
Xander’s house was definitely not a house in any sense of the word. Okay, it did have walls and a roof. A lot of walls, if the size of the estate was any indication. It looked like a resort. We turned into the main drive and waited for the double fences to open. We were at the top of the land and had to wind our way down to the main residence. It was white, a sprawling square building. I caught a glimpse of multiple pools adjacent to a long stretch of stunning white-sand beach. You could swim in the pool and stare out into the ocean beyond.
Ah-Ma-Zing. “Could we maybe visit here another time? When we’re not saving the world?” Emma asked from the back seat. “Because I wouldn’t mind a few days swimming in that pool.”
Dream come true for sure.
Xander’s smile was crooked. “You’re all welcome here whenever you want, of course. This is my personal property, so you won’t run into any other Royales.”
He was much more personable when he wasn’t scowling and worrying about being forced into a romantic relationship. “Okay, let’s make a deal right now,” Emma piped up again. “Get rid of Laous quickly, no one else … dies…” She choked on the last word before recovering. “And then we all finally get a chance to enjoy the beauty here, and in Overworld…”
“Deal,” I said immediately.
The rest of the car, including Tommy, added their voices.
“Tommy, I’m going to need you to rustle up some clothing for everyone here,” Xander said as the car pulled up. “We have to start our search, but we’ll all need to clean up later and no one has a change of clothing.”
Tommy nodded. “I’ll just need your sizes and I can make that happen.”
He got out of the car, hurrying around to let the rest of us out. Once we were all in front of the vehicle, we told him our sizes and then he crossed to the other car. As the second group joined us, I didn’t miss the tension between Daniel and Fraizer. They stood as far apart as possible. It was only the withering looks Callie was shooting between them that connected the two at all.
“What’s the plan now?” Xander asked, his back to the magnificence that was his house. “Did you get any other details about her location, Maya?”
I thought for a moment of the glimpses of Lanai I’d seen when I surfaced. “I think she was near Hulopoe Bay – one of the main beaches. I also saw … the underwater cathedrals, I think. I’ve dived a few times there with my parents. We’re all big into water sports. Well, my dad is, my mom not so much. But the light streaming through the water reminded me of them.”
Callie shuddered. “I’m not a very good swimmer, so underwater exploring will have to be done by someone else.”
Xander rubbed a hand across his head, mussing the blond strands. “You all know that I can take anything underwater. I think she’s just moving around a lot. That’s why Maya saw more than one location.”