Page 25 of The Boss

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 numberof 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 naïve. She also had a lust for life, a requirement to discover things for herself.

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