Chapter 25
KNIGHT
It took a lot of organizing, but we managed to get everyone to Athens.
While I escort Cassia to the hotel, I’ve asked Davies and the team to go to her house and secure the place so she can go home at some point.
As we walk into the suite I booked, Cassia glances around before giving me a questioning look. “This suite must be expensive.”
I just shrug while I drop my duffle bag next to the sofa then glance at Tobias.
The fact that the fucker went down within the first few seconds of the attack tells me he’s a liability. Christ, Cassia was shot four times, and it only took one to drop his weak ass. The other injury can’t even be called a gunshot wound. It barely grazed him.
I want him gone. He’s like a fucking fly buzzing around us and annoying the shit out of me.
“Take the luggage to the bedroom, then head to the mansion and start cleaning the place. Report to Davies after that. You’re not needed here,” I mutter at him.
He glances at Cassia, and I’m not going to lie, it takes all my self-control not to shoot him.
“Knight gave you an order,” Cassia suddenly snaps. “I suggest you listen to him unless you want to end up like Michail.”
My woman knows me so well.
When Tobias hurries to the bedroom, I look at Cassia.
She waits until Tobias leaves the suite, then says, “During the flight, I was thinking about where we go from here.” She takes a seat on the sofa. “You’ll be at my side twenty-four-seven, and I’m all out of people who I can trust. At least not the way I trust you.” The corner of her mouth lifts. “If you’re willing to take orders from me, I’d love to offer you another position. It will pay ten percent of everything the organization makes.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “I’m listening.”
“I need a second-in-charge. I thought about Savvas, but he’s old school, and there’s a lot I want to change.”
“You want me to be your right-hand man?” I ask.
“Yes.”
I didn’t see that coming.
Cassia’s offer tells me how much she really trusts me and that she’s with me for the long haul.
“How will your people feel about that? I’m not Greek,” I state the obvious.
“I don’t care that you’re not Greek, and they have no say in who I choose. Just like they have no say in who I’ll marry one day.”
I stare at her for a moment, then ask, “Will you take advice from me without it turning into a fight?”
“Yes, but we’re going to argue at some point. It’s inevitable, but what happens at work stays at work. I don’t want it mixing with my home life. I’ve had enough of that with my father.”
I think for a moment, and coming up with an idea to make this really work in my favor, I demand, “On one condition. You have to promise yourself to me right now. I want to hear the words.”
Cassia stares at me as she thinks about my demand, then climbing to her feet, she comes to stand in front of me and lifts her chin. “I, Cassia Dimitrou, promise myself to you, Lincoln Knight. I will marry no other but you.” Then, she makes a demand of her own. “But the marriage has to take place as soon as possible. It will make me appear stronger to everyone if I’m married. The men in my world tend to think they can fuck with a woman if she’s single.”
I’ll marry her right now.
I nod. “I agree. The last thing I need is some fucking bastard sniffing around you.”
Her lips curve up as she wraps her arms around my neck. I take hold of her hips and tug her closer.
“So, do you accept my offer?” she asks.
I nod. “Definitely.”
When I lean down to kiss her, she pulls back. “One more thing.”
“What?”
“When I introduce you at a meeting, I’ll refer to you as my second-in-charge and never as my husband. It will strictly be business.”
“Got it.”
When I lean down again, she pulls even farther back. “Oh. Another thing.”
I just stare at her.
“Will you take my last name?” Before I can ask why, she explains, “My heir has to be a Dimitrou.”
“Everyone knows me as Knight.” I think for a moment, then ask, “How about a double-barrel last name?”
“Lincoln Knight-Dimitrou?”
“Just for me. We can give the children your last name,” I add.
“You’ll be okay with that?” she asks.
“Yes. For you, I’ll be okay with anything.”
She smiles again, and this time, I take hold of her jaw to keep her in place while I press a hard kiss to her mouth.
The phone I got for her starts to ring, and I let her go so she can take the call.
She digs the device out of her handbag, then answers, “Cassia speaking.” Her smile grows wider as she listens. “Aunt Marina! I was going to call you to give you my new number. I’m glad Santiago gave it to you.” She listens again, then asks, “Have you settled in okay?” She listens to whatever her aunt says before replying, “Okay. I’ll be careful.”
When she hangs up, I ask, “Is Marina going to stay on the island indefinitely?”
Cassia shakes her head. “I thought about having her stay with me, but I’ll let her return to New Zealand at some point.”
“Why did you change your mind?”
After putting the phone away, she turns to look at me. “Because I now have you, and my aunt was never part of this world. She might not be married or have any children, but her life is in New Zealand. I can’t just expect her to pick up her entire life and move to Greece.”
I nod, and glancing around the suite, I ask, “What’s next on the agenda?”
“My first order to you.” Her features turn deadly serious. “Get me Rodion Nikitin’s phone number.”
I frown slightly. “You’re going to call the head of the bratva? Wouldn’t it be better to plan an attack instead?”
“It’s another thing I’ve been thinking about.” She shakes her head. “That’s what my father wanted to do. He kept making threats about attacking the bratva.” She shakes her head. “He only made threats, and the bratva wiped out half my people in a single coordinated attack. They’re impossibly strong. Can you imagine what they would do to my organization if I actually decided to go to war? Blood would flow down the streets. I might have the money for a war, but they have the manpower.” Again, she shakes her head before going quiet and thinking about whatever she’s planning. “Like I said, I plan to do things differently. I’m going to make them a deal they can’t refuse.”
I chose war, but then again, I had no one else I cared about after losing Ronnie. What Cassia is saying makes sense, especially for business.
But even if she brokers a deal with the bratva, she still has an enemy out there who wants everything she owns.
“What about the traitor?” I ask.
“I’m going to ask the bratva to give me his name,” she says.
“What if they don’t?”
“Then I’ll come up with another plan.”
Her phone makes a beeping sound, and while Cassia checks her messages, I take in every inch of her.
We’ve come a long way in a short amount of time. She’s mine, and once we have my high priestess sitting on her throne, I won’t allow anyone to knock her off it.
I’m hit square in the chest by a powerful emotion and lift my hand to rub the spot over my heart.
I never thought I’d love anyone again, but as I look at Cassia, I realize she’s the exception. And one day, our children will be too. She’s changing my entire life, and she’s not even noticing.
Before her, there was only death. Now, there’s light shining through the darkness that will always be a part of me.
Cassia’s eyebrows draw together, and the sorrow returns to her face.
“What does the text say?” I demand as I stalk closer to her.
“Santiago just sent me the address where my family is buried.”
She lifts her eyes to me, and seeing tears welling in them, I pull her to my chest and wrap my arms tightly around her.
I hold her for a couple of minutes before I ask, “Do you want to go?”
Cassia nods, then she tilts her head back so she can look up at me. “Can we go today?”
I pull my arm back and check the time on my wristwatch. “It’s almost seven pm. How about we have dinner while we wait for the cover of darkness? We can go then.”
She nods, and pulling away, she searches around the suite until she finds the in-room dining menu. “What do you want to eat?”
“Anything. Order for me while I use the restroom.”
She nods as I head to the bathroom. I’m only gone a minute or two, but when I walk back into the sitting room, there’s no sign of Cassia.
“Cassia,” I call out. When she doesn’t answer me, I rush through the entire suite, checking for her. “Baby!”
A cold sweat breaks out over my body as I run out of the suite and down the hallway. Impatiently, I slam the button to call the elevator while my mind starts conjuring up the worst possible scenarios.
Did someone come in? No, I didn’t hear her scream. She would’ve put up a fight and there was no sign of a struggle.
Fuck.
The doors slide open, and I rush inside, slamming at the button for the first floor.
Images of Cassia being tortured or killed fill my mind, and when the elevator finally opens, I burst out into the lobby with my hand resting on the hilt of my gun behind my back.
My eyes scan the area, and when I see Cassia standing by the concierge’s desk, intense relief and anger pour into my chest.
She’s okay.
No one took her.
I stalk toward her and hear her telling the concierge, “…and I’d like the lemon crème brulee.”
“Will that be everything, Miss Dimitrou? Maybe we could send up a bottle of wine as well?” the concierge says.
“No thanks. Just send extra bottles of water and two orange juices.”
I grab hold of her arm, and she startles while the concierge’s eyes dart to me.
“Oh, hey.” She starts to smile, but seeing the anger on my face, she quickly glances at the man behind the counter. “That will be all. And please remember to send someone up to fix the phone.”
“Will do.”
I pull her away from the counter and drag her ass to the elevators. I press the button and notice my body is shaking violently.
“Knight,” she says, using a soft tone, “what happened?”
I keep quiet so I don’t start shouting in the fucking lobby. The instant the doors open, I shove her inside, and as they slide shut behind me, I level her with a glare.
“You left the fucking room?” I suck in a harsh breath as I close the distance between us, cornering her against the back panel of the elevator.
Her eyes widen on my face as she realizes I’m pissed off with her. “The phone is broken, so I came down to report it and place the order for dinner.”
“I thought someone fucking grabbed you!” I shout. “Do you have any idea…”
The elevator stops on a different floor, and I suck in another harsh breath as a woman steps inside.
I keep my eyes locked with Cassia’s, and she gives me a pleading look while whispering, “I’m sorry.”
The elevator stops again, and the woman gets out. When the door shuts, and we’re alone, I growl, “Do you have any fucking idea how worried I was?”
“I thought it was okay because we’re in a hotel.”
The elevator finally stops on our floor, and grabbing her hand, I drag her ass down the hallway. I dig my keycard out of my pocket and shove the door open.
When I shut the door behind us, I let go of her hand and take a few steps away from her.
“I’m sorry, Lincoln. Please don’t be angry with me.”
I swing around and stalk back to her. Grabbing her by the throat, I lean in really fucking close. “If I lose you…If I...” My breathing starts to speed up even more, and my heart thunders in my chest.
The image of Ronnie’s body trapped beneath the bastard as he rapes her hits me.
I see the foam around her mouth.
I hear his grunts.
I see her body jerking with every thrust.
In a horrorstruck trance, I walk closer, and aiming at the man’s head, I pull the trigger. He falls over Ronnie, and I shove his body off hers. An unnatural sound tears from my soul as I look at my baby sister.