Chapter 23
TWENTY-THREE
VIOLET
Iwas still reeling from Lykos’s touch when we entered the dining room where his children and Salvatore awaited us.
“Sorry we’re late, children.” Lykos strode to the head of the table and pulled out a chair for me, then took his spot at the opposite end. “Salvatore, I see you’re still here.”
His friend was grinning, watching our every move. “I am, and I’m so happy that I stayed.”
Aria’s head whipped back and forth between her dad and Salvatore. “Why’s that?”’
“Yes, why’s that?” Lykos’s son echoed.
“Because—”
“Ignore Salvatore,” Lykos cut his friend off. “He’s being—”
“Eros,” Salvatore chimed in, grinning like a fool. “I’m Eros, a fairy godmother, a matchmaker that guarantees a happily-ever-after. I’m—”
“Weird,” I muttered, then my eyes widened, realizing I had uttered the words out loud. Shit, Lykos was rattling my usually calm demeanor. It had to be, because in my professional life I’d never slipped.
Before mortification could settle, a roar of laughter broke free and the room filled with it.
“That was priceless,” Lykos said, the corners of his lips tipped up into a hint of a smile, and my heart shuddered in my chest. Holy shit! The man was breathtaking when he smiled and I couldn’t help but want to see it again.
Maybe that would have been my purpose in life if it hadn’t been so cruel.
Suddenly, visions of “what could have been” invaded my mind.
Family mornings while sipping coffee. Kissing my man and children before he’d head out.
Going to work, only to meet my man for lunch and maybe quick sex.
Coming home to a happy family. Discussing our day during dinner, only to fall into bed and spend nights loving and being loved.
Yet, none of it was meant for me.
For the past ten years, I’d worked on suppressing my memories, desires, and wishes.
I failed, of course, but I could at least bank on the other successes in my life driving me forward.
My years were filled with work, work, and more work, longing and loneliness filling the minutes and hours in between.
I took the cake on the therapist front, and it made me so hypocritical to advise others on how to deal with their trauma when I actively ignored my own.
Being here, so close to what I could have had, was both a blessing and a curse. Truth was, I was scared out of my damn mind. I was terrified of dealing with what had caused my sister’s demise, my father’s hate, and my role in it all.
“Violet.” Salvatore’s voice pulled me back to the present. “Tell us something about yourself.”
I forced a smile. “There isn’t much to tell.”
“I bet you have an exciting life,” Aria chimed in.
“Not really.” My smile felt off, but I kept it in place. “Are you Greek too, Salvatore?”
I needed to shift this conversation away from me, but judging by the men’s gazes, they saw right through me.
“No, I was born and raised in Malta.”
“Oh, that must be—”
“I’d rather hear about you,” Salvatore drawled. “Where are you originally from?”
Not wanting to appear cagey, I had no choice but to respond. “Boston.”
“Ah, that’s right,” Salvatore purred. “I’ve heard of the Freuds. Your family is quite influential there.”
I shrugged, aware of Lykos’s dark gaze on me. “I suppose.”
Our family’s money dated back to the Gilded Age when my ancestor decided to invest into railroad construction and expansion.
Unlike many others, my great-great-great-grandfather pulled out of it before its collapse and went on to invest in the next big thing.
When it came to making money, luck was always on the side of Freud’s family and its sons.
Until it came to my grandfather, who only had a daughter.
My mom.
Freud’s wealth had always been a topic of discussion in my parents’ home and in Boston society in general.
My father craved it, along with the power.
Now that I was older, I was convinced it was one of the main reasons he married my mother.
My grandfather must have thought the same because he ensured he couldn’t touch it.
Salvatore tapped his chin. “If I recall, your grandfather made quite the fuss, leaving you his entire fortune and effectively writing his daughter out of his will. Right?”
Dammit, how was he aware of that? He had to be the nosiest man on this planet. Besides, it was anyone’s guess, including my own, why my grandfather cut off his direct descendant and left everything to his only living granddaughter. Me.
I suspected it had something, if not everything, to do with my father, but I wasn’t going to discuss it with a random stranger.
“How did you two meet?” I asked instead.
“Uncle Salvatore was in Greece for the summer when he was a kid, and he and Dad clicked. They ran the streets and caused trouble,” Dimitros said with an eye roll. “So the story goes.”
Aria chimed in. “Papa saved Salvatore from a stalker girl.”
“And the rest is history,” Dimitros said.
“Now it’s my turn to return the favor and save him.
” Salvatore beamed. “You’ll help me, Violet, won’t you?
” The man was not subtle at all, and I couldn’t decide whether it was refreshing or not.
Thankfully, he didn’t seem to be waiting for an answer, because he continued, “I’ll be here as a free babysitter, both to Aria and Dimitros, so you can help this subject in his early forties who desperately needs a second chance. ”
The realization dawned on me, and I stammered, “You!”
Those were almost the same words in the note-slash-file that awaited me at the hotel when I arrived.
“Subject in early forties. Needs a second chance.”
“Yes. Me.” A slow, satisfied smile spread across Salvatore’s face. The man wasn’t even apologetic about his deceit.
“How did you even get Dr. Franklin into it?”
He shrugged. “It wasn’t hard, but to his defense, he had no idea it was a faux.”
“Jesus,” I muttered under my breath.
“Don’t mind him,” Lykos chimed in. “Salvatore likes to stir trouble.”
“That’s why you love me,” his friend retorted unperturbed. “Besides, I’m your best friend. It’s on me to help you.”
My brows furrowed. “Help him?” I inquired. “I don’t get it.”
Salvatore waved me off with his hand. “You’ll figure it out eventually.”
Was the man playing matchmaker? No, it couldn’t be. Right? After all, he was aware of Lykos’s wife still roaming this earth and nobody decent would support cheating.
My eyes locked on Salvatore. I studied the man.
I was too shocked at seeing Lykos when I first came to really take this guy in, but now I could see how good-looking he was.
His dark hair and peekaboo tattoo below his collar gave off a strong don’t fuck with me vibe.
Yet, my body remained indifferent to him.
“Seriously though, why would we need a babysitter?” Dimitros inquired, his eyes narrowed on his father’s friend. “And what does Uncle Salvatore mean when he says he’s helping?”
“You don’t need a babysitter. Salvatore is trying and failing to rile us all up,” Lykos answered through gritted teeth.
My gaze flicked to him, only to find him watching me. Unfortunately, just his glance was enough to spread heat through me like lava. I almost wished I could remain indifferent to him, like I was to his friend. How much easier that would be.
“Uncle Salvatore is a jester.” Aria smiled sweetly, oblivious to the tension. “He says it’s part of being a family. Is your family like that too, Dr. Freud?”
“Violet,” I murmured. “Just call me Violet, please.”
Aria smiled like I’d given her the biggest prize, and I was back to thinking how differently this would go if—when, should I be brave enough—she learned the truth about me, her father, and the whole cursed triangle.
The door opened and dishes piled high with lamb, moussaka, souvlaki, roasted potatoes, peas, and spanakopita were distributed across the table. The air mingled with aromas of warm pastry, herbs, and something citrusy I couldn’t quite place.
There was enough food to feed a small battalion, never mind five of us.
“Thank you,” Lykos acknowledged, and the staff disappeared.
Our conversation was replaced with the clatter of dishes being passed around and contented sighs as we took our first few bites while I watched the table and ease with which dinner chatter resumed.
It was painfully obvious they’d made a habit of sharing meals, and the knot in my chest pulled tight, thinking back to all the lonely dinners I’d had no matter where I was in the world.
Occasional dinners with friends and blind dates I’d had over the years were the only times I wouldn’t eat alone, but those were so few and far in between.
Most of my dinners were lonely affairs while seated at the work desk or on the couch, watching TV.
A ceramic platter reached me, and I shoved the thoughts away, forcing a small, polite smile as I slid a single piece of spanakopita onto my plate, its flaky layers cracking beneath the serving spoon.
I kept my eyes on the pastry, as if staring long enough might ground me. But the unease lingered, coiled and stubborn, making the idea of a full meal feel impossibly heavy.
“So, is it, Violet?” Aria asked, shoveling a forkful of peas into her mouth.
“Is it what?” I asked, taking a sip of my water, not quite ready to dig into the meal.
“Is your family like ours?” she asked. “Or are American families different?”
“Every family is different.” I forced a fake smile. “Especially in the States.”
“Are you close with your papa?”
A bitter laugh escaped me before I could reel it in. All eyes and attention were zeroed in on me.
“I sense the answer is no,” Salvatore stated matter-of-factly.
I took a shuddering breath in and slowly exhaled before I said, “Correct.”
My heart squeezed in my chest. I had never experienced the love I could feel between Lykos and his children. My mom’s affections were offered when he wasn’t around, and my father had none for me.
But while I had failed to protect my sister, I hadn’t failed at protecting my daughter, and that was the most important thing to me right now. She was safe and would live to grow up never feeling the emptiness of a loveless home like I had.
I hated my father, and a part of me wanted to make him pay. I wanted to hurt him like he’d hurt me. The perfect opportunity came when my grandfather left me his fortune. I refrained, because I knew there was no way to punish him without punishing my mom. And that I couldn’t do.
“Are you close with your mom?” Dimitros asked, surprising me. “Or is she more like… our mother?”
God, I didn’t want to have this conversation. I didn’t want to be vulnerable in front of all of them. Yet, I sensed the importance of answering the question directly, at least for Dimitros’s and Aria’s sake.
I took a deep breath.
“My mom and I have a complicated relationship.”
“She doesn’t love you?” Aria breathed, her eyes shimmering sadly.
“She loves me,” I answered, my voice cracking slightly. “In fact, I believe she loves me very much, even though we’re not very close.”
My father was always in the way, I thought to myself silently.
Until Lily’s kidnapping. After that, I suspected she was reminded of that loss and my role in it every time she saw me.
“Do you talk to her a lot?” Aria asked.
“No.”
“Why not?” Dimitros asked, studying me. I had a feeling the boy saw way too much.
“Something that happened when I was your age, Dimitros,” I started, reaching for the pendant hanging around my neck and twisting it nervously.
“I was told to stay home and watch my sister when my parents went out for the night. She was two years younger than me. But there was a high school dance I was dying to go to.” God, what I wouldn’t give to go back and make different choices… “Lily Elora, my sister—”
“Hey, that’s my middle name!” exclaimed Aria, and I froze. “Wow, I’ve never heard anyone with my same middle name before.”
I cleared my throat and rushed to say, “It’s a pretty name,” hoping she would drop the subject.
Aria smiled happily, but shattered my temporary relief when she added, “I want to meet your sister.”
My shoulders slumped. “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
“Aria, let her finish the story.” Lykos’s voice sounded distant. “Please, Violet.”
I didn’t look at him as I continued in a quiet voice.
“Lily knew about this dance. I talked about it for months. Anyhow, she convinced me she’d be fine.
All I had to do was slip out of the house and be back before our parents returned from a fundraiser.
” A single tear rolled down my cheek, and I wiped it with the back of my hand.
The air stilled, the clanking of silver stopped, and I stared at my pita, recalling the past with a clarity I wished weren’t there.
“I was so excited to go. I’d had a dress for weeks.
So I got dressed and kissed my fourteen-year-old sister goodbye and gave her my necklace she’d always loved, tasking her with keeping it safe until I returned.
I went to the dance, never even dreaming it would be the last time I’d see her. ”
“What happened?” Aria whispered, and I raised my head to meet her wide eyes. God, she looked so much like Lily it hurt.
“When I got back, she was gone.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “There was a… break-in. She was kidnapped, but no ransom note was left.”
“Did you find her?” Dimitros’s voice was soft.
I shook my head. “No. I came home to the blood stains on the carpet and no sign of her. All that was left was this pendant the police found five years later, so my parents decided it was time to bury her on that cold winter day.”
And that same week, I flew to DC and met your father. But those words I kept to myself.
Salvatore spoke up for the first time and asked, “How old were you when you buried your sister?”
“Twenty-one.”
Two frown lines showed on Lykos’s handsome face, and I saw the moment he figured it all out.