Page 107 of Beneath Scarred Vows
Ares looks at me. "You have. I got a few cases when I got married."
I look away as the men and Dimitri scan the room, checking locked doors and peeking inside rooms.
I can tell just from Ares's demeanor that he's not here to talk. He's here to end something.
The thought makes me scared, but I just tell myself, If George were guilty, why meet us here?
Suddenly, headlights appear in the driveway.
Through the window, I see him stepping out of the car.
George Zervas has arrived.
He walks in flanked by a group of his own men.
"Katerina," he calls out as soon as he sees me.
"Uncle George," I say and walk over to him, giving him a hug.
He hugs me tightly, like nothing's changed. But something has. And it's not just Ares watching us, it's the part of me that wonders if I'm being played.
"Look at you. You're a spitting image of your mother," he says. "She'd be proud."
"Thank you. It's been a while," I say, stepping back and glancing over at Ares, who looks like he's going to explode.
"Yes, five or six years now. Sorry I wasn't at the wedding. I, uh…it doesn't matter anyhow."
"That's alright. I know things get hectic here."
George nods and looks over to see Ares, his brothers on either side of him.
"Yeah, so about this meeting," I say before George starts to laugh.
"Oh, Katerina, I knew it wasn't about a meet and greet. Ares and I have some things to discuss, don't we?" he asks, looking over at Ares.
"I'd say so," Ares says and walks over to us, his brothers never leaving his side.
The men George came with and the ones with us take a few steps forward, almost surrounding us.
"First, let me offer you my condolences about your father. He was a good man. I was sad to hear about him," George says and touches his heart.
"Were you?" Ares asks sternly. "Is that why you took our port in Nafplio? Because you were distraught at my father's murder?"
George smirks. "You've got the edge of your father, kid. I'll give you that."
"Answer the fucking question," Dimitri spits out.
"Dimitri!" Ares says. "Enough."
"What the fuck is this?" George asks, he himself starting to get aggressive. "I figured when I got the call from Katerina, it wasyou, Ares, who should have been making it. So if you've got something to say, fucking say it."
In that moment, I feel as if the air got sucked out of the room. George's comment sets all the men surrounding us on edge, some even brandishing their guns, which makes the others follow.
I take a step back—not that it would do me any good if someone started shooting. I look at George and Ares. Neither moves or blinks, just deadly focus.
"We've been looking into my father's murder. Everything we find, even one of your own men, says it was you," Ares says and steps forward. He's inches taller than George and much more in shape, but George doesn't back down. Doesn't falter.
"So," Ares continues, "Did you murder my father?"
