Page 28 of Lord of Ruin

“Yes. Isn’t there a hierarchy of who’s who inside a mafia organization?” I could easily tell my question amused the two men in front.

Even Stavros smiled as if I was making a joke. Oh, I hated the man more now than ever. “I’m considered the Underboss, next in line for all the illustrious perks and responsibilities bestowed upon a king.”

“So, you’re no king. You’re just a thug. Maybe I should talk to the real man in charge.”

One of the two men up front coughed, as if he was choking. He better get used to it. I’d been kidnapped, for God’s sake. I wasn’t going to be a lamb, even if I was likely headed to my slaughter.

“Maybe so but I am a very wealthy thug. My older brother is considered the boss or Don of the family, but he will tell you the exact same thing. You are required to be obedient.” Stavros lifted a single eyebrow.

He just had to be sexy as hell, didn’t he?

“Obedient. You obviously don’t know me very well. How lucky for you but money can’t buy humanity or take away the blood and filth from your action. I can see the monstrous side of you stays all in the family. Let me guess. You have other siblings, and your father was once the great leader, something you and your brother aspired to.” Sure, I still had some defiance in my voice but that was just me. He might try to break me but he could never break my spirit.

“Yes, my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all leaders of a powerful regime created in Greece decades ago. We are one big happy family. I have a younger brother and two wild sisters. Our mother and father are alive and currently enjoying retirement back in our home country. Does that answer your question? Or are you asking whether or not we eat our young with a dash of hot sauce.”

The two men up front laughed. I cringed, pushing harder. “Your sisters are killers?”

“Contrary to what you might think, Jenna Kilborne, we also have extremely legitimate businesses, including a winery in Washington State and one not too far from here, as well as casinos and resorts that have excellent reputations. My other sister is a doctor, which does come in handy from time to time. We are just like anyone else celebrating holidays, birthdays, weddings. Heck, we even get together for barbeques. Imagine that. Monsters gotta eat too lest they feed off naughty girls such as yourself.”

I glared at him with more hatred inside of me than I’d felt for anyone in my entire life. However, the fact he knew my name scared the hell out of me. “You know who I am.”

“Of course I do. I make it my business to know who’s staying in my very secure estate. You have a younger sister who is trying to make a run at being a model. Your parents are still married, still living in Boonville, a town with a population of about eight thousand. Small enough people know each other but large enough not to feel suffocated. Although once you left for college, you never went back, even though your father offered to take out a second mortgage on the family home to help you start a veterinary clinic back there. Where they desperately need one, I might add. You enjoy pizza, which happens to be one of my favorite foods, as evidenced by expenses noted on your checking account. Oh, and you really did put everything you’d saved from working three jobs while in college into the practice you just opened. I can tell you this. That bastard of a landlord overcharged you by almost one hundred percent. In other words, you’re getting shafted. I’m sorry to have to tell you that.”

The fact he’d been able to get into my bank account and knew my father had offered to pay for my clinic back home meant he’d read my emails too. I was horrified.

And frightened.

And furious.

“You bastard. You’ve been prying into my life.”

“When I share a bed with someone, I like to know if I’m sleeping with the enemy.”

Now I was repulsed. When he thought I was going to attempt to slap him again, he did nothing than cock his head and wag his finger.

“I wouldn’t sleep with you if you were the last man on earth. Don’t flatter yourself.”

Now, Christos coughed while Stavros laughed and leaned over way too close, so much so the electricity soared.

“Never say never, sweetheart.”

“Fuck you.” The nasty phrase just rolled past my lips. I stared out the window as the driver pulled down a wide street. The houses on either side were the kind seen in magazines for the rich and famous. What struck me was the fact the street was lined on both sides with pristine sidewalks, trees, and decorative-style lighting that I envisioned being in red and green at Christmas.

Every massive yard was well manicured, every tree perfectly coiffed. While there were various designs of estate-size homes, there was no doubt each one was worth millions. When I noticed a massive, ornate iron gate at the end of the dead-end street, I knew instantly it was where Stavros lived.

The gate was secure, the facial recognition software on the console flashing green almost instantly, the massive iron and steel sliding open. As the driver rolled down the long, aggregate curved driveway, I found myself sitting up in my seat, almost as if I was eager to see the style of home he’d selected.

My breath was taken by the choice, the nearly white stone with ornate porticos and small yet beautifully adorned balconies lined with colorful pots filled with flowers. I was also shocked at the mermaid-shaped fountain in the massive granite pool positioned in the middle of the circular driveway. The double front doors were bright red in color, a hue that couldn’t have surprised me any more than it did.

I could imagine seeing something like this in Greece nestled on a hill overlooking the turquoise blue ocean waters.

It was obvious I’d expressed my delight when I noticed he was smiling.

“Did you expect I lived in a cave, my enchanted one?”

“No, of course not,” I said honestly. “More like a dungeon for demons.”

There was no pretense other than the driver opened his door. Stavros seemed so formal when he stepped out, buttoning his jacket before heading around to my side of the SUV. I felt underdressed as he pulled me out by the hand, leading me to the glazed marble steps, also in beautiful colors.

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