Chapter 11
THEO
Ileave the kitchen with my coffee and head straight to the office.
My pulse hasn't settled. Not since I touched her scar and she looked at me like that, with a half-guarded, half-exposed look. Like I might see everything she'd tried to bury.
When I get into the office, I vow to dive right into work. I've got a lot to do anyway, especially with the pickup. And thinking of creative ways to pull intel out of someone is better than whatever the fuck I felt in that kitchen, because I can control it. It's not unpredictable.
I settle into the leather chair behind my desk, the same one I've sat in a thousand times. The room feels colder today. Bigger. Or maybe I'm just too aware of how empty everything feels the second she's near and then gone again.
Work. You need fucking work, I think to myself.
The files on Xanos are spread across my desk. Last night I was sent his client list. It includes minor politicians, a few businessmen with questionable ties, some import-export companies that could be fronts, but overall it's standard shit for a lawyer in Athens.
Nothing screams, he's the middleman between God knows who and the Athenian Warriors.
I pull out the photos my men took. Xanos in his BMW. Xanos at a café with a blonde woman. Xanos entering a high-rise apartment building where he keeps a mistress. Boring, predictable, pathetic.
Today that changes. Today he's going to tell me every fucking thing he knows.
I text Ares letting him know I'm moving forward and I'll be in touch. I make three more calls about shipments coming into the port this week.
Work. Just work.
But my mind keeps circling back to her. To the scar. How'd she get it? Did someone hurt her?
I shake my head and force myself to read reports about fuel prices and customs officials.
Two hours pass. Three. My phone buzzes.
It’s my top man, Dio.
"We've got eyes on him," he says as I answer. "He's alone in his apartment, sitting on his couch watching something on his laptop."
I check my watch. "Any sign he knows he's being watched?"
"None. He ordered food twenty minutes ago. Seems completely relaxed."
Good. An uneventful capture is always preferred.
"Okay. Stick to the plan," I tell Dio. "Go in clean. No noise, no mess. I don't want his neighbors even knowing we were there."
"We've got the sedative ready. He won't feel a thing until he wakes up at the safe house."
I stand up, already reaching for my jacket. "I'll be there in two hours. Make sure he's secured properly. And Dio—" I pause. "Grab any flash drives, his laptop, papers nearby. Bring it all."
"You got it, boss."
I hang up and check myself in the mirror on the wall. I somehow look more tired than I did a few days ago.
Before she came back.
I straighten my tie, run a hand through my hair, and head for the door. As I step out, I nearly collide with Elena carrying a stack of fresh towels.
"Mr. Kastaris," she says, startled. "I was just coming to ask if you wanted lunch made today."
"No thank you. I'm heading out."
Elena nods.
"And for Anastasia? Should I prepare anything for her?"
I hesitate. "Yes. Make sure she eats."
"Okay, I will, Mr. Kastaris."
As I turn to go, Elena adds, "She was asking about you, you know. Earlier. Asking how you've been. I didn't give her much. She also wanted to know if you'd be around later. I did tell her that you're a busy man so who knows."
Something shifts in my chest. I ignore it.
"Tell her not to wait up."
I walk down the hallway, head for the garage through the side entrance to avoid any chance of running into Stassi. That incident in the kitchen earlier really got to me.
As I slide into the driver's seat, my phone buzzes again. Text from Dio.
We're moving in. ETA 10 minutes.
I start the engine, the familiar roar drowning out everything else.
This is what I need. Action. Purpose. The hunt.
Not memories of a woman who left me broken for a lot longer than I'd ever admit.
The gates open as I approach, and I gun the engine, feeling the car surge forward like it's as eager as I am to leave this place behind.
One hour to the safe house.
One hour to clear my fucking head.
One hour until I get some answers.
I go to turn on the radio, and my touch screen flashes. Dio's number pops up—my phone must have connected to Bluetooth.
I press the green button. "Damn. That was fast."
"Sir, sir—we have a problem." Dio's voice comes blaring out of my car speakers. He's out of breath and I can tell he's running.
"Shit. Is everyone okay?" I ask, pulling over because I can tell I'm not going to like this.
"Yes," he says, then yells out to others with him, "Just go, go."
"Dio, what the hell is going on?"
"Sorry, sorry. Yes, so we followed the plan. When we entered, he saw us and…" his voice trails off.
"Dio, you cut out. What?"
"He shot himself before we could get to him," Dio says, still breathing heavily.
I take a deep breath as anger, frustration, and rage rise in me. I hit the steering wheel. "FUCK!"
"Tell me exactly what happened," I say after composing myself, my yell doing nothing to contain the redness I see.
"When we came in, he was still on his couch with the laptop. When he saw me, he reached in between the cushions and pulled out a gun," Dio says and takes a breath. "He then said he was sorry, put the barrel in his mouth, and pulled the trigger."
I rub my face, trying to uncoil the tight pressure running through me.
"And then you guys left?"
"Yes, boss. I did grab the laptop that was on his lap, but we couldn't search his place. The gun was loud, neighbors were already popping their heads out. That's too fancy of an area for people to not be nosy. We already heard sirens when we fled."
I stare out of the windshield down the road at a stop sign. I focus on it so hard that it blurs as I think of what to do now.
"Okay, okay. I'm going to send you an address of a guy in Athens. Bring him the computer. He'll know what to do. After that, wait to hear from me."
"Okay, boss. We'll be waiting," Dio says.
I don't respond. I hit the red button ending the call and sink into my seat, covering my face with my hands.
This lawyer was the only real lead we had and he just fucking blew his brains out.
After a few moments to allow my mind to process the news, I sit up.
Wait.
You don't eat a bullet unless you're terrified of whoever's pulling the strings.
So, then, what the hell are we dealing with? Who the fuck are we chasing?
I think back to my conversation with George Zervas. Maybe he's right. With the accounts secured and inaccessible, and now this lawyer killing himself…
Could this lead back to a government official? But why target us after all these years?
I pull back out onto the road, more questions than answers swirling in my head.
I can't go home, not with her there. Maybe I could go…
no. Maybe I should call… Fuck, who am I kidding?
With Stassi back, other women have turned to black and white, and I can only see her in color.
Shit, I need to get a grip. Who knows how long she'll be there. Days? Weeks?
The gym. I'll go there. Then I can swing by our boutique hotel here to check on things, maybe have dinner there. Anything to keep me out and my mind preoccupied.
I don't know how, but I manage to keep myself away. It's almost 9 p.m. when I pull into my driveway. Just like before, her light's on, and I wonder what she's doing.
I shake my head and head inside, going right for the office.
I shut the door quietly, as to not alert her I'm home, and my phone starts pulsing in my pocket before I even manage to sit down.
I pull it out. It's Ares.
"How are you, brother?" I ask, answering.
"Why do you sound tired?"
"What? I'm fine, but I appreciate the concern."
Ares exhales on the other end. I hear a female voice in the background yelling.
"Is that Katerina?" I ask.
Ares laughs. "No, it's our lovely sister. Calli has decided to take up self-defense classes. Since the near death experience with her and Katerina at the restaurant, she feels she needs to be able to protect herself."
"Well, that's good I guess. Gives her something to do."
"Oh yeah, it's great. Except she likes to practice in one of the living rooms with her trainer, and he's got her yelling and grunting with every punch and kick," Ares says with a laugh. "Something about channeling your inner strength. I don't fucking know, but she's really gotten into it."
"Well, nothing like a hit to bring out your Bruce Lee."
"Yeah, let me head into my office. I forgot she was training this morning."
I take a seat during the few moments of silence.
"Okay, so update me on things."
I sigh.
"Well, good and bad."
"Start with the bad."
"You remember the lawyer we were after?"
"Yes. Did he talk?"
"In a way."
"What does that mean?"
"He shot himself in the head when our men entered his place."
"Seriously?"
"Yes, said something about being sorry and stuck a gun in his mouth he'd been hiding in his couch."
Ares takes a breath. "Shit. So that's a pretty big sign. Whoever he's working for—"
"Yeah," I cut him off, "Thinking the same thing. Hey, if I told you the government wanted Dad dead, what would be your initial reaction?"
Ares takes a moment to think.
"We can never rule out anything, but he's had good relationships with government men there for a long time. We always donate generously to campaigns, causes—which I'm sure are fronts for someone's yacht or second home—but we've been playing that game for years."
"You think someone could have tried to squeeze him?"
"No. He would have told us. Besides, half of those people serving, our father put in office."
"Yeah. It's just, the accounts where all the money is flowing from are closed off and restricted."
"You know what. Hold on."
A few moments later. "Check your email."
I wake up the computer and an image loads on the screen. It's of our dad meeting with someone. I remember it instantly. It's from a security feed right around the corner from where Dad was murdered.
"Did I show you this?" I ask.
"Yes, but maybe that man owns one of these restricted accounts. Since your lead is dead, focus on this. Find out who he is."
I nod. "Okay."
"Anything else? How are you doing out there alone? You know. Because..." Ares trails off.
"Because of Stassi?"
"Wow. I didn't expect you to say her name, but yes."
I take another breath, heavier this time.
"It's not like I'm expecting her to just show up out of nowhere, needing my help, and staying in our damn family's house."
Ares laughs. "Yeah, I doubt that'll happen, but—"
I cut him off. "It already did."
"What did?"
"Stassi. She showed up. Said she needed help. She's here. All of it. It happened."
"Are you fucking serious?"
"Yes, brother. And I haven't even begun to unpack what the hell it all means."
He's silent. I'm silent.
"Damn. She's your Achilles' heel, Theo. I can't believe this."
"It's fine. I'll take care of it and I'm sure she'll be out of here within a week."
"Did you ask her what happened? Where she went? What the hell she needs?"
"I'm working on it."
I can almost hear Ares going through it all in his head.
"Look, Theo. You've always been the level-headed one. You don't break. You don't bend. But she's the exception. She's the one who can throw you into chaos."
I grind my teeth.
"You tore through three cities looking for her. Sent men into places we'd blacklisted. Called in every favor you had. It became too personal."
"I know what I'm doing."
"I'm not so sure you do," Ares says. "Because the last time a woman got under your skin, she vanished and took pieces of you with her."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying you need to handle this first before you can handle anything else. If you're going to give her a room in our house, don't pretend she isn't already back inside your head."
I stare at the wall.
"You think I should cut her loose? Tell her to leave? That I'm just too fucking busy in my life? For the family, Ares, I'll do it."
"Brother. Even if you did, and I don't doubt it, it wouldn't be truthful. Other women? Sure. But her? Not a chance."
"What then?"
Ares pauses for another long moment. "First, I think Dimitri should come. I think you need a second set of eyes with you."
"Ares, I don’t need —"
"You need help and that's what family is for.
Nothing wrong with that. Besides, he's been bugging me every day about it.
And second, I think if you don't talk to her tonight, you're just going to keep waking up regretting it.
And not because of her secrets or whatever she's been doing the past four years, but because since you've let her in, you want her back, even if you don't want to admit it. "
I lean back in my chair, not speaking.
"Theo, you can't move on. You can't think clearly without speaking to her. Knowing. If it were me, I'd go right now, so I could process it, and get back to finding Dad's killer."
"Fuck. You're right. I'm going to go demand what I need," I say, standing. "And brother. Please keep this between us. Calli and Dimitri can hear it from me."
"Just handle it."
I hang up without another word and make my way across the house to Stassi's room.