Page 24 of The Boss

Dimitrios was still a merciless man who undoubtedly had dozens of enemies.

When he stood, I resisted backing away. With me in my tennis shoes, he appeared huge, dwarfing my five-foot six-inch body. Every step he took seemed methodical or maybe calculated. I could tell he was trying to determine how to handle me or maybe what to say.

I inhaled sharply and his scent reminded me of the exotic place where I’d first met him, a beautiful island setting where the Aegean Sea had formed a perfectly blue arc around the perimeter. His eyes were suddenly hooded, his electrified gazeslowly sliding down from my face to my chest where they remained for a few seconds. But he continued down to my tennis shoes, now stained from the blood I’d stepped into.

When he returned his eyes to mine, his look was deeper, searching my very soul with a clear indication he wanted to devour me. I was thrown into a haze, blindsided not only by the life-altering horror but the intense attraction that seemed to fuel itself.

I reminded myself I had to think of him not as the kind, handsome man I’d remembered, but as the devil dressed in debonaire attire.

There were few options left, but he was right about the police. I was in a foreign country. I had limited rights and without a passport, I’d never get back home. But if I could get help then maybe I could sort this out.

Athena.

When he reached out, gently touching my cheek, I took a deep breath and held it. His touch was tender, so much so I almost found myself lured into a web for which there would never be any freedom.

“Eísai ómorfi gynaíka, peristeráki mou.”

“What did you say to me?”

“I said you are a beautiful woman, my little dove. Now, I need you to do something for me.”

“What? What do you want?”

When he pulled my phone from his pocket, I cringed. “Contact your brother. Right now. I know you have his number saved.”

“Why should I do that? You’re so certain he’s the reason your brother is dead that you’re going to kill him. Aren’t you?” When he didn’t answer, I pummeled my fists against him. “Aren’t you?”

“I must do what’s necessary to protect my family both alive and in memory.”

“You bastard.” I shifted my hate-filled gaze to the wound on his face. “Why do you think I’d follow your fucking orders? That’s my brother.”

He smiled. “Because you have no other choice.”

“Oh, you don’t know me and what I’m capable of. You are the reason my parents are dead. I will never forgive you. For as long as I live. May you rot in hell.”

I had to try. I needed to escape before it was too late. When I backed away, he didn’t try to stop me, but for those intense seconds, I could feel his pain.

Undaunted, I lifted my chin in another act of defiance. The man wouldn’t break me. But I snatched the phone from his hand, toying with the screen.

“Good girl,” he told me.

I’d never liked that term. It was childish and implied the other person was so much better at everything, but hearing him say the words affected me differently.

I was thrown into another crazy haze where for a split second I wanted to be his very good girl. No. This wasn’t right. I couldn’t trust him.

Breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat. You got this, girl.

Only I wasn’t certain I did.

With the phone firmly clutched in my hand, I turned and fled the room.

No one was going to stop me from finding out what happened to my parents as well as saving my brother’s life.

CHAPTER 8

Dimitrios

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.

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