Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
D imitrios
I allowed Willow to race out the door. Perhaps a small part of me wanted her to try to escape. I needed to see what she was made of.
She was fire and brimstone, awakening something that shouldn’t exist. She was forbidden in more than one way. Reminding my mind of that was easy. But my body had other desires. The longing was more intense than could be allowed.
She’d taken the phone, which would mean I’d need to determine if she called anyone.
My cock was twitching as I walked to the door, taking my time. She was going nowhere, but it was something she needed to learn for herself. Eleni was at the bottom of the stairs, her face full of the same fear I’d caught earlier. The front door was open with no alarms going off. I sensed her shock and uncertainty as well.
“No need to worry, Eleni. I’ll handle this.”
“Yes, sir.”
I walked outside and Nico was immediately by my side. He nodded toward the right, which would take her into the garden with no way out. The entire property was surrounded by an eight-foot wall, something my parents had installed after an attack many years before. It was another reason I preferred the beach house. “Do you want me to go after her?”
“Not necessary. I could use the walk. Besides, how far is she going to get?” Granted, Willow was resourceful and that could cause a problem. If she did find a way out, hunting her down would take time.
But it would be enjoyable.
Still, there were too many risks involved, including the possibility she could have a price on her head. I couldn’t ignore the various possibilities, including the idea Shane had nothing to do with the murders. That didn’t suit either one of my brothers, but I’d been in business long enough to know there were two sides to every story.
In business and in pleasure.
I still required her help. She would give into my demands or learn to appreciate being locked away for an extended period.
If I could tolerate doing so.
He chuckled. “Be careful or that woman will be the destruction of you.”
He had no idea how true his words truly were. “Noted.”
The day was beautiful, even though the sun was already waning in the sky. Soon, there would be music coming from any number of establishments, every small restaurant catering to this time of year. The crape myrtles were in full bloom showering the curved, hilly streets and walkways with a fusion of fuchsia. Almost every business was adorned with colorful awnings, sidewalks sales attracting tourists in droves.
Athens was truly a beautiful place to be in the spring and summer months. The place for lovers. At least in my mind.
As I rounded the side of the house, I took a deep breath of the air and allowed the time before I found her to try to clear my head.
While Havros wasn’t convinced, I knew Frankie had been the target. The bastard had died because he’d been stupid enough to open his mouth. He knew shit about the Stalker, only whatever he’d overheard, which wouldn’t be much. No one knew enough about the person behind the proverbial mask.
Man. Woman.
Greek. Italian. Chinese.
There were as many rumors about the assassin as there were about JFK’s murder. I’d learned that during time spent in America.
There was no trace of her, but I had a good sense of where she’d end up, the location one of my mother’s favorites on the grounds.
Even with the wall surrounding the property, there was lush greenery everywhere. It had been a long time since I’d walked the grounds or admired the setting. It had been my mother’s hard work that had brought the estate to life. I followed the path leading to the gardens, still taking my time.
When I noticed her sitting by the fountain, I breathed a sigh of relief, although she was holding the phone to her ear.
Still, I didn’t rush. There was nothing that couldn’t be undone.
I did own the city.
I was also reminded that for all the advantages I’d had in my life, she was right to assume I was nothing but a savage. Humanity had embraced the darkness dwelling deep within all of us.
There wasn’t a person alive who didn’t harbor a seed that once planted could grow into something less than human. I’d seen that in my brothers. My father.
Maybe my friendship with Gregory had all been because he and his family had seemed like the light to that darkness. Good versus evil. Now I was beginning to wonder if there was such a thing in this world or if everyone would eventually cross that line.
But Willow was different. I felt it in my bones. She was innocent without being na?ve. She also had a lust for life, a requirement to discover things for herself.
The fact she’d turned into such a beauty nearly stripped me of the very humanity I was thinking of. I had never been this attracted to anyone and it was forcing me to think differently.
To handle her differently.
She could be nothing more than a black widow, although I continued denying it. As I approached, I could tell she was leaving a message, likely for her friend from the club. As soon as she saw me, she jerked up. At this point, there was nowhere to run.
I held out my hand as I closed the distance, providing her with the opportunity to hand over the phone herself.
Her defiance remained.
“There’s nowhere to run, Willow. I’m certain you’ve noticed that. Hand me your phone or I’ll need to take it from you.”
She smiled, but I sensed her duplicity. She didn’t try to run, but I caught her the second before she smashed the phone on the stone walkway. As soon as I thwarted her action, she reared back and punched me under the jaw. “You damn bastard.”
I shoved the phone into my pocket with one hand, grabbing her arm with the other. “That wasn’t something you should have done, Willow.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t follow your rules and in fact, I don’t follow anyone’s.”
“As I told you before. You’re wrong. I think providing you with a lesson in who’s keeping you alive is in order at this point.”
“Keeping me alive?” she countered. “You mean keeping me prisoner. Don’t you?”
“In this case, little dove, they are one and the same.” I didn’t want to hurt her, but the incessant bickering needed to stop at least for now. Hating me was one thing. Attempting to escape was costing valuable time; that wasn’t acceptable.
“Let go of me.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
“I contacted my friend. She will come and get me.”
As I dragged her close to the fountain, she almost freed herself. “Your friend won’t be effective in freeing you.”
“Yes, she will.”
“Were they the ones with you at the club last night?”
She seemed shocked. “What did you do to them?”
“Nothing, Willow. I don’t hurt women. No matter what you think of me, that’s not going to happen unless I am pushed past the point of no return. I’m certain they told you who I was.”
“They mentioned you were mafia. That means you kill people for a living.”
The girl could make me smile with her spunk and the kind of verve I’d missed in my life, which suddenly seemed like drudgery. As I pulled her as close to my body as possible, her eyes opened wide. Her scent was as lovely as she was, fresh and clean.
“You’ve been watching too much television, my little dove.”
“Let me guess. You’re nothing but a businessman.”
I laughed. “Exactly.” Her closeness was difficult, the lure of her feminine wiles far too captivating. It would be easy to lose control with her, but that wasn’t going to do either one of us any justice. She knew me as the man she’d once thought kind, not as the one she feared would hurt her brother.
“It doesn’t matter. I know what you are deep inside. I can read your soul like a book. And it’s all black.” Her voice was suddenly nothing more than a sweet whisper.
But not of innocence or vulnerability.
She would do everything in her power to crucify me.
Willow
“Be careful, peristeráki . As you said, I have no soul, which means I won’t hesitate to do what’s necessary to keep my family safe and alive.”
“So will I,” I told him.
I had no idea what he was going to do and the craziest thing about being around him was that I’d wanted him to kiss me. My mind was obviously fractured.
He exhaled, his long, dark eyelashes skimming against his cheeks. I was suddenly very aware that he was in full control of me.
After sitting down on the stone surrounding the fountain, he rubbed my arms then jerked me over his lap.
There was no understanding of what he was doing until he yanked down my shorts and thong, peppering my bottom with savage strikes of his hand. One came right after the other, stunning me and leaving me lost of breath.
The pain was there, but the shock was more out of humiliation. I was out in his yard and he was disciplining me? Were there cameras everywhere? Would the men I’d noticed while trying to find an exit enjoy the entertainment later?
I wiggled and punched his leg as I tried to get away. He was simply too strong for me, bringing down his hand over and over again.
When I shifted back and forth, I felt his hardness and shuddered. Was he attracted to me, or did he just get off by disciplining helpless women?
My mind whirled from lurid possibilities, my hunger the only thing I could concentrate on. It was crazy. I hated myself, but there was no denying my feelings. My uncle would be incensed, maybe even hating the man he’d called his best friend. How could Dimitrios betray him this way?
Three additional hard cracks finally brought a cry of despair. I tried my best to numb my mind as the spanking continued, but I was failing.
Badly.
He’d been so close, his lips appearing so soft. I dragged my tongue across my lower lip before being forced to bite it to keep from crying out again.
Every muscle twitched and I had difficulty breathing normally because my throat felt as if it was closing.
He said nothing. Not a single word, just continued the childish spanking as if he knew I accepted the punishment.
Like a good girl.
My mind was still blown, but my body reacted not just from the hint of agony but from the same desire I’d felt before. How could my attraction explode from having my bare bottom spanked over his knee? This wasn’t just about lust, but about how much I enjoyed being around him.
I always had. He’d taught me about butterflies and different tropical fish when we’d gone snorkeling. He’d taken the time to teach me about food and never seemed to mind my endless questions.
Maybe I remembered too many amazing things, which kept me from hating him as much as I should. He brought his hand down several additional times, keeping the heat building in my bottom.
I heard his breathing changing, becoming more labored just like mine. The swats came slower, but every one was emphatic, drawing a gasp from me as I squeezed his sturdy leg. When he pulled his hand away, he exhaled but kept me on his lap for another full minute.
“You’ve had enough.” He helped me stand, slowly rising to his feet. The look he was giving me had changed; maybe everything had because of his actions. He reached out as if to cup my face as he’d done before, but curled his fingers as an afterthought.
He let me go and I was more embarrassed than before, fighting to yank up my shorts. My face was flushed and the shame was pulling tears to the surface all over again. I turned slightly, rubbing them away. Damn him for doing this to me.
Damn the world for taking everything away from me.
What was I going to do? What choices did I possibly have? He’d taken them all away from me.
He never blinked as he gazed into my eyes, and I was fearful he was looking through me. He was still under the belief my brother was behind all of this. Even worse, I could tell he was questioning my motives as well.
My God, I was tearing up again. I tried to hide it, holding my breath so I didn’t blubber like a child.
I noticed the change in his pupils, both becoming dilated. When he lifted his hand, brushing a tear from my cheek, I trembled visibly, and I knew he could tell how nervous I was.
Because of him.
The thoughts of kissing him was right there, refusing to go away. The desire was so strange yet so vibrant, his scent wafting over me like the warmest cashmere blanket.
But could he also see the hunger that had already formed? Could he ever care about a girl he barely knew but one he’d promised to protect?
I suddenly felt awkward, uncertain of myself. Uncertain of my horrid thoughts.
That was the instant I could tell he shut down his feelings. Back to business.
Back to hunting for my brother.
“Contact your brother, Willow. If he is innocent, then I will find the person responsible with his help. He is not who you think he is, little dove.”
“And if I don’t help?”
“Then you will place yourself in extreme danger and I can’t and won’t allow that to happen.”
His stare was nearly as harsh before, but I continued to notice a softness about him, a demeanor that suggested he wouldn’t hurt me. “This is your parents’ house. Isn’t it? I was here before.”
I wasn’t certain he wanted to be reminded of the past, but by doing so, I hoped to get through to him. Maybe he’d remember how kind he’d been. His hard, cold demeanor told me otherwise.
“Yes, on the first trip you made with your family. My mother and father were still living here.”
“I remember how much I adored every room.”
“You told me once you’d find a way to live in the house when you grew up.”
The laugh came easily. “How old was I?”
“Nine. Maybe close to ten.”
“The time when all children believe they can do anything and that there isn’t any evil in the world. Then you learn otherwise.”
“Unfortunately, most people do.”
“Which is so sad. There was so much love here. I felt it. Every book and picture exuded the joy your family shared. I’ll never forget that.”
“And my parents will never forget you.”
Why was he telling me this? Why did it matter?
“Does my uncle know what happened?”
Dimitrios’ jaw immediately clenched. “Not unless the police have contacted him.”
“He deserves to know.”
“Yes, he does.”
“What do you plan on telling him about me?”
He took a deep breath and tilted his head back. “That you’re here so I can protect you.”
“He won’t believe you.”
His smile was engaging as I’d seen, yet a cold chill trickled down my spine. “Gregory will believe what he needs to believe.”
“He loves you like a brother.”
“He is a brother. Maybe now you understand why I need to avenge Leandro’s death.”
Was my brother really capable of such heinous deeds? I didn’t buy it. Sadly, a nagging little voice inside my head reminded me how little I knew about Shane or the life he’d created away from our childhood home. After a few seconds of reflection, I held out my hand. “I’ll make the call. I cannot and will not promise anything as he hasn’t answered a single one of my attempts to contact him.”
“Understood.” He pulled out my phone, his gaze darkening. “I don’t need to remind you that your life may be at stake. Do not do anything stupid.”
“What could I possibly do? Isn’t that what you’ve already told me more than once?” I yanked the phone from his hand, standing right in front of him as I pressed in my passcode, finding Shane’s number a few seconds later.
As I stared down at the phone, a different number popped up as having called with no voicemail attached. With the + before it, that meant the call had come from another country.
“What is it?” he asked.
“A call from a foreign location. I don’t know the number. No message.”
He gently took it from my hand briefly, barely glancing down at the screen. “It’s a call from a location in Greece.”
I bit my lip. Shane still had his old American number, although I also knew he had a business phone, the number not provided to me or my parents. “The police?”
His sigh was heavier than before as he handed it back to me. “Possibly. You are closest of kin. Make the call to Shane. If your parents had his number listed for an emergency with the person who rented the house, he will be contacted as well.”
“I have no idea if they did, but my mother knew Shane’s number. She tried to call him as well.” I glanced away, the knot in my stomach shifting into a gut instinct. Shane was involved with something more nefarious. Why? What? So many questions raced through my mind that only he could answer.
So I made the call as directed.
The phone rang only twice before going to voicemail. I held it out so Dimitrios would know I wasn’t lying. Maybe all I needed was time to figure out what was the best thing to do.
He nodded, his body tensing.
“Shane. It’s Willow. You need to return my call. Something has happened. I must speak with you. It’s urgent. Please. You’re my brother. I need you.” I ended the call and handed him back the phone. “I assume if he calls, you’ll answer?”
“Yes, I will.”
“Don’t kill him, Dimitrios. He might be the only link to finding out who really did kill my parents.”
“As I already told you, I plan on talking with him.”
“Fine. If it’s alright with you, I’m going back to my prison.”
“Remain in your room, Willow. I don’t like the thought of treating you like a prisoner so don’t challenge to me do so.”
“Why, yes, sir.”