Page 132 of In Love with a Cruel Billionaire

Damen

Chapter 1

THREE MONTHS EARLIER

Athens, Greece

Rage and despair turned Damen Leventis inside out as he stood alone in his home’s office, waiting for a call that he knew in his heart would not yield good news. Outside his window, Athens’ cityscape glowed like a jewel in the night, a mixture of historic sites and impressively modern structures. Its beauty, however, did not just leave him cold. He was also blind to it for memories of this morning were all he could see. It had started with another call, one he had not expected.

His phone had rung, and he had been wary when he saw it was Ioniko Vlahos, someone he never considered a friend and one who had turned into a rival when Ioniko made it plain he also wanted the woman who had captured Damen’s heart.

“Vlahos.” Years of etiquette drummed into Damen forbade him from being discourteous for no reason, although worry over Mairi and sheer jealousy made him want to snarl at the other man.

“I will not make this longer than it should be. I learned that Mairi is missing and that you are unable to find her.” A pause. “I have done my best to search for her as well without any success.”

Damen’s heart had withered a little more at that, but he told himself doggedly that it was nothing to be worried about. Her aunts were just damn good at hiding her, but there was nothing to worry about. Nothing had happened to Mairi Tanner. He would know if something did. He would know, dammit.

“However, in my efforts to look for her, I’ve found out about something that probably everyone indirectly involved had been terrified to tell you.” Vlahos’ voice had turned cold. “I believe that you have the right to decide what to do with...what I have uncovered.”

It had taken Damen only half an hour to meet Ioniko at his meeting place of choice, a newly built shipping yard that belonged to the Vlahos’ business empire. The place was curiously empty, with only a few men around. None of them were yard workers. All of them were part of Ioniko’s own security, and the fact made Damen grim. He did not have a good feeling about this.

Unlike Damen, who had been dressed in a business suit, Ioniko had been dressed much more casually. He was wearing faded jeans and a gray shirt that had specks of blood on it. It made his stomach churn in fear, but again Damen told himself it did not mean anything had happened to Mairi. He would know if something had gone wrong and Mairi was not in a good place. He would know.

Ioniko said without preamble, “I have taken certain precautions to ensure that the person inside the warehouse would not be thought of as missing by his family and colleagues. However, that excuse will only last until tomorrow.”

Damen only nodded.

The warehouse was just as abandoned as the rest of the shipyard, with only one utilitarian-styled pendant light switched on. Yellow light beamed down from it, centered on a fat middle-aged man, blindfolded and tied to a chair. More of Ioniko’s security surrounded the man, all their faces impassive.

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