Page 23 of Possessive Greek Chef

He tries to respond but can’t quite form the words. He simply makes a gargled noise and grabs his head.

“Listen to me, you shouldn’t be breathing right now. But since you are, there are a few things that you need to know. First, your ass is going to jail where I’m gonna make sure they keep you for a long, long, time. Second, I’m gonna destroy your reputation and bankrupt your business. Then, I’m gonna scoop your restaurant out from under you and make it what you never had the brains or the talent to do yourself. You might be alive but your life is over, and Aria and I are going to sit back and laugh about it over flutes of champagne before we make love on your old desk in your old office.”

The officers call an ambulance and cuff Bedros to the stretcher before sending him to the hospital. They take statements from both Aria and me separately and then leave.

“Grab some stuff and let’s get out of here, little one,” I tell Aria after they depart.

“Okay,” she nods and tries to retrieve her backpack but I can see that she’s in pain.

“Sit back down. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll pack it up for you.”

She sits on the edge of the bed, and I get her things together then pick her up and carry her out to my car. I start the engine and pull away from the curb then reach over and take her hand in mine.

“You saved me,” she tells me.

“That’s my job. You’re my girl,” I respond.

“I was so scared and stupid. You were right all along. If you hadn’t installed that alarm system, I’d probably be…”

“Stop. I don’t want you to think like that. You’re safe with me, and Bedros is going to jail where he belongs. It’s over, baby.”

She lays her head on my shoulder and whispers, “Thank you.”

We arrive at my place and I put Aria straight to bed. I intend to give her some time and privacy to recover from this trauma, but she sits up and holds her arms out to me.

“Don’t leave me, please. I need you to hold me.”

“Of course. I’m not going anywhere, ever.”

She falls asleep in my arms, not knowing the terror and rage that coursed through my veins when I thought that I had lost her. I stroke her hair and remind myself what a lucky man I am.

She sleeps in the next morning, but I receive a call from the detective handling the case.

“Mr. Adimos, you did some very real damage to our suspect. He has a broken nose, broken jaw, and four cracked ribs. The doctors have allowed us to transfer him to the prison infirmary where he’ll be held until he’s healthy enough to face the judge.”

“I’m not facing any charges, am I?”

“Given the circumstances, no, but I have to inform you that someone leaked the details of the arrest to the press. With the notoriety of your ongoing feud with Mr. Bedros, you’ll probably have to face a litany of reporters when you return to your restaurant. If they come to your residence, let us know. We can have them removed from your property.”

“Thank you, Sir. I appreciate the heads-up. What’s next for Aria?”

“Nothing for a while, but when Bedros goes to trial, you’ll both be expected to testify.”

“Absolutely. Thank you again for your call.”

I’ve spent enough time in the spotlight that I have no concerns about the press, but there’s no way I’ll allow them to pester Aria. She needs time away from the restaurant to recover anyway and it won’t take long for the vultures to lose interest and move on to the next big scandal.

Aria wakes up and comes downstairs.

“Hey, baby. How are you feeling?” I ask as I kiss her cheek.

“I feel like I got strangled by a maniac last night,” she replies.

I inspect the bruises on her throat and her bloodshot eyes.

“Do you need something for the pain? I have a very good doctor. We can go right now.”

“No, I think I’ll be alright.”

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