Chapter 6
Six
N IKOLAS
Walking back to the house, I noticed the olive grove leaves rustling, creating a soothing melody. My mother had always reminded me to pause and appreciate nature’s music.
Listening revived my memories of her, much like the moments spent by the Dryad near my bedroom. Unlike my brothers, this place meant more to me than mere profit. The estate was filled with emotions; every stone and shadow held the love our parents once surrounded us with.
A scarf fluttered on the chair, and I immediately recognized it as the one Cali had worn this morning to cover her hair. She must have forgotten it.
Laya and Cali had been here for almost a week, and I had comfortably settled into a routine of days spent working on the estate and evenings enjoying Soti’s delicious dinners with them.
Having them around was an easy transition, except for one thing.
The craving to slip into Laya’s room at night became nearly unbearable and a relentless obsession. She remained completely unaware of the magnetic pull she exerted.
As soon as we parted each night and I sensed her just a door away, my resolve crumbled. I already knew I wouldn’t last. I tormented myself with thoughts of whether I could hold back until our wedding night before succumbing to the primal hunger to consume her completely.
Her attraction was evident, despite her efforts to conceal it. I frequently noticed her glancing in my direction. I understood how a woman’s body responded to my presence, and my soon-to-be wife was more than intrigued. Her intense gaze burned, leaving me painfully on edge, aching to claim her.
However, I had to tread carefully.
It was evident she was jittery about her own reactions.
Soon, I'd finally have her, indulging in every wicked fantasy she inspired.
I scrubbed a hand down my face. It was time to pull myself together.
I approached the house as Laya and Cali drove up the steep driveway in one of my sports cars.
Correction, one of our cars.
The windows were down, and Laya was behind the wheel of the Roma Spider.
They’d just gotten back from scouting wedding venues.
I smirked, recalling my discussion with Laya about our wedding plans. She had admitted she initially wanted to elope but knew her sisters would never forgive her for skipping a proper wedding.
If she’d mentioned it earlier, we could’ve skipped the circus and spared me a week of walking with a constant erection.
When I rounded the corner of the house, I anticipated seeing Laya’s convertible; however, I found two other cars next to hers.
My jaw clenched. “Fucking hell.”
Why were Markos and Stefano here? They still saw my instructions as mere suggestions. I hurried into the house, concerned about what I might find. If they’d said one harsh thing to Laya or Cali, I’d make sure they regretted it.
As soon as I entered, I realized my worst fears had come true. I rushed down the hallway toward the living room.
I could distinctly hear Laya’s rising anger cutting through the murmurs of Stefano and Markos as they unsuccessfully tried to calm her. I paused in the shadows just before the corner, straining to catch every nuance of the intense argument.
“Am I supposed to care what the two of you idiots think?” Laya snapped. “I’m not marrying either of you. What the hell do your opinions have to do with it?”
On the defensive, Stefano muttered, “Laya, come on—this isn’t the time for theatrics.”
But Laya shot him a fierce look. “Theatrics? Please, Stefano, tell me that’s the best you can do? I didn’t tie the knot with a pair of buffoons!” she thundered.
Well, well, well, my fiancée certainly had a temper.
Arousal surged through me, and my cock grew thick and hard like a lead pipe in my pants, desire and admiration blending into a heady mix.
Damn, that fiery, unyielding side of hers was hot as fuck.
Pushing that thought aside, I focused on my idiot brothers. The urge to step in needled me, but she was clearly handling them.
I’d wait and see how it played out.
“Yes, you should consider our perspective,” Stefano insisted. “We share the Galanis name. It doesn’t belong solely to Nikolas, despite his beliefs.”
“From what I understand, neither of you has a legal claim to this estate. Am I correct?”
A heavy silence fell between them until Laya resumed, unleashing brutal sarcasm. “Honestly, I’ve heard you two are nothing but insignificant losers who couldn’t tell Assyrtiko from Agiorgitiko.”
I almost laughed aloud at her cutting wit, but restrained myself, enthralled by how she effortlessly took down the jerks.
“How dare you speak to us with such disrespect!” Markos shouted, his face flushed with anger.
With a light chuckle, Laya replied, “In my culture, respect is not something you can demand. It’s something you must earn.”
“You and your whole family are nothing but failures,” Stefano said, full of malice, igniting a desire to strangle him. “You’ve squandered all the power your father amassed.”
“Maybe we did, but in the end, we proved we were our father’s daughters,” Laya said, calm and even, yet laced with pure hatred. “We returned, reclaimed what was rightfully ours, and even expanded our territory.”
“Good luck holding onto that,” Stefano retorted, but his crossed arms and tight jaw betrayed his doubt.
I cautiously edged closer, curious about how my fiancée navigated the tension.
Laya approached them confidently, stepping into Stefano’s personal space without a moment’s pause.
She tilted her head, her perfectly manicured finger gliding along her jawline. “Let me guess, you’re the second child, Stefano? Is that right?”
“Yes,” he answered, irritation clear.
“So am I.” She raised an eyebrow. “Look at us: completely different beings, wouldn’t you say?
I returned, reclaimed what belonged to me, and created a life.
And you? What have you accomplished? Snorted cocaine?
Overdosed on ecstasy? Squandered cash on drugs and fleeting pleasures until you’ve become just a shadow of your older brother?
Or have you genuinely achieved something? ”
Every one of her retorts struck like a dagger, and I couldn’t believe he hadn’t collapsed into a heap of shattered ego. Instead, his glare darkened as he stepped forward in a weak attempt to intimidate her.
“Oh, come on, Stefano,” Laya said lightly, almost with a chuckle. “Do you think you can scare me?”
My adrenaline surged alongside my heartbeat. Here was my fiancée, standing her ground like a warrior.
She got into a fighting stance. I was certain that if Stefano attempted to make another move, she would take care of it before I could even consider stepping in.
Stefano growled, but his show of aggression was feeble and unconvincing. Laya just laughed, exuding confidence, unconcerned and completely unfazed.
Just when the tension seemed unbearable, Cali swung open the door to the terrace, accompanied by my three guard dogs. Immediately on high alert, Artemis escaped Cali’s hold and lunged at Stefano, sinking her teeth into his leg.
Stefano’s scream pierced the air, high-pitched and filled with terror, causing him to crumple to the ground in a heap of pure agony.
The other dogs barked and growled furiously, their leashes tugging as Cali desperately tried to regain control. Amid all the chaos, Laya’s commanding presence remained steadfast, leaving no doubt that while words could wound, actions had their own brutal way of settling scores.
I burst into the room, and immediately, chaos engulfed me.
The dogs barked and snapped; Cali shouted at Artemis to calm down, while Markos yelled at the top of his lungs.
Yet, nothing compared to Stefano’s furious screams. “Hey, what the hell?” I shouted as I noticed Markos reaching into his jacket.
The sunlight glinted off the barrel of his handgun, reflecting ominously as he swiftly aimed it at Artemis and clicked off the safety.
“Markos, no!” I ordered, instantly cursing myself for having hesitated for far too long. Everything spiraled out of control in an instant.
I was rounding the massive sofa when Laya, deadly calm, drew a gun and pressed it firmly against Markos’s temple.
The room fell silent except for the ongoing scuffle between Stefano and Artemis on the floor.
Laya sneered, her gaze sharp and piercing, chilling the air around her. “Go ahead, asshole. Keep giving me reasons to shoot your ugly fucking face off.”
Markos, his eyes blazing with anger, spat back, “Get your fucking woman off me, Niko!”
“His what?” Laya released the safety on her pistol and pressed the barrel deeper against his flesh.
Then, as if on cue, my men charged down the hallway like a small army.
“What do you want us to do?” one of them asked as they closed in, weapons ready.
“Remove these buffoons from my property!” I demanded. “Artemis, heel!”
Artemis quickly released Stefano and rushed to my side, sitting down. Stefano screamed in agony while clutching his leg, blood pouring from the wound.
My men surged forward to subdue both of them. Realizing he was in over his head, Markos reluctantly released his grip on the gun and allowed my men to escort him out.
As he was led away, he shouted back, “We’ll be back, you prick! How dare you choose a Vitalis over your flesh and blood, your brothers!”
I glared at him and retorted, “Think twice about returning—my guards won’t allow you back!”
I turned back to the women and shook my head in disbelief and exasperation. “Ladies, I apologize for the deeply offensive behavior of those two imbeciles. I’m ashamed to be related to them.”
Laya shrugged coolly. “It’s not your fault, Niko. Besides, I can handle myself.”
“Clearly.”
Cali, still trying to catch her breath, knelt beside Artemis, who had tiny droplets of blood trailing from her mouth but sat obediently.
“It was these beautiful babies who saved the day.” Cali reached down to pet Artemis, who happily wagged her tail. “You’re such a good girl, Artemis. Let’s go get you a treat.”
Cali stood up, and immediately all three dogs perked up, moving to her side and following her out of the room.
Laya stood there, the cold steel of the gun still clutched in her hand, her presence a shadowy force in the dimly lit room. I approached her, prying her fingers from their viselike grip. The gun clinked against the table, the sound sharp and final.
“You didn’t flinch.”
Her eyes gleamed with fierce, unyielding intensity. “When it comes to protecting myself and my family, yes.”
The tension between us crackled—visible, electric, and alive. Her boldness sparked a primal instinct in me—a dark, simmering urge that tugged at my self-control, threatening to break the promise I’d sworn to uphold: to keep my hands to myself until marriage’s sacred bond.
In that instant, she became a goddess of fury and allure, a powerful force poised to destroy anyone threatening her haven. The doubt I once felt was shattered, giving way to a fierce warrior spirit rising from the depths of her past.
In a quick movement, she seized my shirt collar and drew me near, her resolve unmistakable.
Her emerald gaze locked onto mine with a force that reflected the storm inside, poised to engulf us both.
Our breaths intertwined, each pulse amplifying the undeniable attraction between us.
Chaos thickened in the air—a fierce energy igniting between us that embodied our unsaid feelings, until nothing else existed but us.