Master Of Games

by Sienna Snow

  The hope was because this was the first conversation I’d had with Collin where I’d felt no anger toward him. It was an interaction any grown man would have with his father.

  “Fuck,” I muttered, stepping off the elevator.

  I took a deep breath, braced myself for the conversation ahead of me, and knocked on Amelia’s door.

  The second it opened, I knew it was too late. There was utter devastation written all over Amelia’s face. She was pale and her normally bright, shiny eyes were red-rimmed and filled with defeat.

  I made my way in, taking her into my arms and holding her against me.

  “I just got word from the Thanos publicist. Astros…he…I hate the bastard.” She started crying. “He painted me as a whore, a gold-digger. He said this was my punishment for keeping Christopher from you.”

  I picked her up and carried her to the couch, cradling her body to mine. “No, baby. This is the work of a man who believes he can gain something from you.”

  “Oh, God.” She lifted her face and covered her mouth with her fingers. “That stupid promise Stavros made to Astros.”

  “What promise?”

  “Right after Stavros’s first wife Sara passed away, Stavros made an agreement with Astros to give his shares of Thanos International to Astros.”

  Why the fuck would he do that? There had to be more to this story.

  “That makes no sense. Why would he do this?”

  “Because Sara was the love of his life, and without her, he never planned to have children. Then after his illness, even if he changed his mind he couldn’t.”

  She hiccupped and continued, “Then, when I married him and Christopher became his heir, Stavros assumed Astros would understand his agreement was made in grief.”

  “Apparently not.”

  Dropping her head to my chest, she sighed.

  “I have spent the past ten years trying to prove everyone wrong. Do you know what it’s like to be an outsider in a family like that? If it wasn’t for Stavros’s grandmother and a few of his cousins, I’m not sure I could have handled staying in Greece after he died.”

  She always seemed so strong, so in control. It pissed me off to holy hell to know she felt like she hadn’t belonged.

  “Do you think he was behind Stavros’s death?”

  She stiffened for a second, confirming my suspicion.

  “I always wondered, but there was no proof. The drunk captain who hit Stavros’s boat had a history of intoxicated infractions. What does it matter, anyway? It won’t bring him back.”

  “If they prove Astros was involved, then he can be prosecuted.”

  “But the damage to me, Christopher, the family would be catastrophic. Things don’t work the same way in Greece as they do here.”

  “He’s dangerous.”

  “I know this. I’ve always known this. Do you really think I only have Mossad, MI6, Interpol, and CIA agents as my security detail for random visits from Draco Jackson?”

  Wait a second. She said Draco.

  “What?” I couldn’t hold back the roar in my voice. “You met with a mobster and didn’t think I should know?”

  She grimaced. “He’s not so bad. He’s kind of sweet.”

  “Amelia. Draco Jackson is not sweet. He is a cold-hearted bastard who fucked up my family.”

  “I’m not condoning his actions. I was just trying to—”

  I cut her off. “We’re going to discuss Draco at a later date. Right now, we need to figure out what to do about Astros.”

  “There is nothing to figure out.” She cocked a hand on her hip. “I know how to handle it.”

  That was when I noticed the carry-on luggage in the hallway.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To Greece.”

  My heart dropped.

  “What do you mean? You can’t just up and leave a week before the fight. You’re going to miss the weigh-in.”

  She ignored me and said, “I already had my luggage sent to the plane. We’re scheduled to leave around seven tonight. I arranged it so Mama and Papa will watch Christopher during the day and at night he’ll stay with you. It’ll give you a chance to get to know each other without me around. For you to see what it’s like to parent an almost-ten-year-old when it’s not all fun and games.”

  I listened to her ramble. She couldn’t be serious.

  “So let me get this right—you’re planning to combat the tabloids by going to Greece, where the media will swarm you like vultures?”

  “I have no choice. I need to face Yia Yia Syl. I need to do damage control for Thanos International.”

  “Who’s Syl?” She couldn’t be referring to Sylvia Thanos.

  “Stavros’s grandmother. She has always been good to me and deserves an explanation. She loves Christopher more than you can imagine. I know it’s probably breaking her heart hearing all this. Stavros never wanted her to know.”

  Amelia had to know that the matriarch of the Thanos empire had a reputation for pure ruthlessness and cunning. From the research Adrian Kipos had given me, Sylvia liked to project a gentle nature, making the world believe she was a sweet lady who only wanted to cook and play with her great-grandchildren.

  But in fact, Sylvia was probably more dangerous than Draco. She’d become a widow at the age of thirty with two young children. Instead of mourning, she’d taken over her husband’s shipping empire in a world run by men. She’d used the same tactics as her male counterparts for contracts, which included some questionable dealings, to triple the size of her family’s fortune in ten years.

  And by the time she’d retired and handed her company to her sons, she’d amassed a corporation valued in the billions. There was nothing fragile or delicate about Sylvia Thanos.

  The fact Amelia seemed to have no clue this woman she respected had a reputation scarier than Draco’s boggled the mind.

  Fuck. The determination on Amelia’s face told me she wasn’t going to listen to reason.

  “What about us?”

  “What do you mean, what about us?”

  “Exactly what I said. You and me. Where do we stand?”

  “We’re a couple and parents to Christopher.”

  “I want more.”

  She closed her eyes, causing a tear to fall. “Pierce, everything is so fucked up.”

  “No, it’s pretty simple. I want you, me, and Christopher to be a family. It doesn’t matter if you do or don’t get pregnant again. I knew that first night I saw you at the gym when I was seventeen and you were barely sixteen, that I’d found the one person who was meant to be mine. It hasn’t changed.”

  Her phone beeped.

  “I have to go.” She stood, wiping her face with the back of her hand, and grabbed her carry-ons. “I promise we’ll talk about the future when I get back,” she said as she approached me, lifted up on tiptoes to kiss my lips, then moved to the door.

  “You don’t have to go. We can handle this from here.”

  “I don’t have a choice. I have to save some semblance of Stavros’s legacy. He deserved so much more than this scandal. He was a good man. He gave me a life after my world fell apart.”

  Her words were like a knife to the gut. I was always going to compete against a dead man.

  “Will you ever love me the way you loved Thanos, or am I kidding myself?”

  She froze at my question, her fingers flexing on the door. “That’s the thing. I never loved Stavros the way I loved you. The way I love you. You stole a part of my heart and I never got it back. Now I’m asking you to watch out for our son and wait for me.”

  Amelia

  * * *

  My hands shook as my helicopter approached the giant mansion that belonged to my grandmother-in-law. This property should have looked gaudy with its gargantuan size and Parthenon-styled pillars. But it fit with the island it sat atop as if it were designed with the cliffs and environment in mind. It also fit the larger-than-life woman who resided in the place.

  How was she goin
g to react when she saw me? Would she hate me for marrying Stavros with another man’s child in my belly? Would she shun Christopher?

  My boy adored his progiagiá. There wasn’t a time when he didn’t smile when he thought of her.

  I had to be sensible. How would I react if I learned in the tabloids that the boy I viewed as my great-grandson wasn’t in fact mine or any real relation?

  I waited for the all-clear and stepped out of the copter. The wind from the propellers blew my hair out of its braid, and I knew there was no hope of taming it. I should have remembered to wear a scarf.

  An attendant approached me, gesturing to follow him.

  We took the path leading to the house and entered through a side door. The second I stepped across the threshold, the rich scent of spices reached my nose.

  Sylvia was in the kitchen. No matter who the guest, she’d organize a feast not only for the taste buds but also for the senses.

  “Cara, I’m so happy you’re here,” said a cheery voice in Greek, a few seconds before a beautiful silver-haired woman dressed in a designer outfit covered by a large apron came out of a corner door.

  Sylvia engulfed me in a tight hug, kissing both my cheeks and pulling back long enough to study my face.

  “Yia Yia, how are you?”

  “Better than you.” She rubbed the dark circles under my eyes and tsked. “Come. I want you to eat, and then you can clear up all the nonsense I’ve been hearing.”

  I cringed.

  The matriarch of the Thanos empire was stronger and had more life than any other ninety-year-old woman I’d ever known. Hell, she had more energy than women half her age. But she also was a force one should be wary of when riled.

  “I’m not sure where to begin.” It was the truth.

  She guided me toward the kitchen. “At the beginning.” She paused. “You didn’t bring Christopher?”

  Shaking my head, I said, “He stayed in the US with my parents and…” I paused, taking a deep breath, “…and Pierce.”

  “Good. He doesn’t need to be here. But I want to see him before school starts. Now let’s eat.”

  We spent the next few minutes filling our plates and settling on the terrace overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. For a woman who’d never known a life without exorbitant amounts of money at her disposal and servants to do her bidding, she was one of the most down-to-earth people I knew. She would rather do things herself than have people wait on her day and night.

  Maybe that was why I adored her so much. She knew I hadn’t come from money or affluence but had treated me as her equal from the second Stavros introduced us.

  We began to eat as we’d done countless times over the years, but instead of the comfortable silence we usually shared, I was anxious and just wanted to get the fallout over with.

  Setting my fork on my plate, I said, “I’m sorry.”

  “What are you apologizing for?” She tilted her head, studying me. “I should be the one begging for forgiveness. I allowed that horrible Astros to stay in our lives. I knew he only befriended Stavros for his money and connections. It only proves my belief that he would expose Christopher’s paternity in the tabloids. Trash is what he is. Good thing my friend Draco is going to take care of him.”

  I stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. I couldn’t have heard her correctly. Did she know about Christopher? Wait a second, had she just said Draco?

  “I’m not sure if I understand what’s going on. You know Draco Jackson?” I picked up a glass of water, bringing it to my lips for a sip.

  “Yes. Just as I know Collin Lykaios. He courted Tania, my sister’s eldest daughter, before he married Rhea. If Tania hadn’t run away with the gardener, I’m positive Collin would have married her. But then again, he wouldn’t have met Rhea and then we wouldn’t have my Christopher.” She waved her hand. “That’s a story for another day. Where was I?”

  “Draco.”

  I swore it was through her that Christopher got his short attention span and nonstop stream-of-consciousness talking. They may not share blood but all the time they spent together must have rubbed off on him.

  “Ah, yes. I’ve known Draco for the last ten years. I didn’t like him in the beginning. He thought to hurt you and Stavros by telling me you carried another man’s child. When he realized I was as mean as Draco thought he could be, especially when it came to my family, he decided it was better for us to be friends than adversaries. Now he helps me keep an eye on some of my interests in exchange for my influence in keeping the authorities from his door.”

  I was really having a hard time understanding what I was hearing. I searched the table and spotted the wine. I poured myself a large glass full and drank every drop down without thinking twice.

  As the alcohol began to calm my mind, I asked, “Yia Yia, are you telling me that you knew Stavros wasn’t Christopher’s father?”

  “Stavros was his father! My boy loved Christopher from the moment the doctor placed him in his arms.” She slammed her fist on the table, making me jump.

  “You’re right.” I set my hand over hers. “He was and will always be Christopher’s Papa.”

  “Now stay quiet, so I can tell you my story.”

  I kept my mouth shut and nodded my agreement.

  “I knew Stavros was sterile. Who do you think paid for his care in Thailand and kept his illness a secret? My money and power bought the silence of all who came in contact with him.”

  Holy shit. Who was this woman? And what had she done with the sweet Yia Yia I’d known for the last decade? It was like she was a mob queen in the guise of an internationally successful businesswoman and timid Thanos matriarch.

  “Don’t look at me like that. You think only mobsters can be ruthless. I will slit a man’s throat without thinking twice if he threatens anyone I love.

  “Now back to what I was saying. When Stavros met and married you, I knew Draco had forced Collin Lykaios to orchestrate the demise of your relationship with his son. Collin would do anything to protect his family, even become the enemy if it meant they were safe. He is truly a better man than the world believes. I’m so happy you forgave him.” She patted my hand. “He deserves some happiness. First, his wife betrays him, and then he has to pay for protecting the child she had with the ones who were his.”

  Dear God. I had to be in a parallel universe.

  “How do you know all this?” I couldn’t help but ask.

  “Collin and I stayed in touch over the years. In fact, I was the one to give him the money to move to America and start his casinos. Just because Tania was an idiot didn’t mean I was. I saw potential in the boy. He’d come from nothing and made something of himself.”

  “What does any of this have to do with Stavros and me?”

  “Collin and I arranged for you to meet Stavros. Well, actually I was the one who gave him the push. He was coming up on the anniversary of Sara’s passing, and I wanted to distract him, so I arranged for tickets to your taekwondo fight. He was a big fan of anything martial arts, and since the games were in Europe that year, he was more than happy to go. The events that occurred afterward transpired better than whatever I could have planned.”

  I couldn’t help but sound defensive when I said, “Nothing happened between us at the Olympics. It wasn’t until a month later that we met again and we eloped.”

  “I know this. You aren’t the type of woman to sleep with two men. Though your relationship with Collin’s son wasn’t one I would approve of a teenager engaging in.” She gave me a disapproving shake of her head.

  Oh hell. Someone kill me now. She knew what Pierce and I were into and I wasn’t going to ask what source told her. She apparently was very resourceful, in ways I could never have imagined.

  “Yia Yia, where do we go from here? Because of me, the press is questioning Christopher’s and my place in the Thanos family.”

  “Who cares what anyone thinks? You two belong to me, and I dare anyone to say otherwise. Especially that weasel Astros. I sho
uld have gotten rid of him years ago when he first started sniffing around Stavros. That idiot probably thought I’d honor that stupid agreement he made with Stavros after he lost Sara and my newborn diséngonos. The bastard took advantage of a grieving man. He’s a coward.” She clenched her jaw and raised her fist. “If I ever see him again, I will gut him with my own hands.”

  “Please don’t get worked up. Remember your blood pressure.” I tried to soothe her, but I knew it was a moot point.

  “Stop coddling me. Now tell me, are you going to address the press or not?”

  “What am I supposed to say?”

  “That your boy is lucky enough to have two fathers who love him. One who is watching over him from heaven and another who will be the type of father every boy wishes he had. You can also add in that Lykaios loves you.”

  My lips trembled at her words. “He does love me.”

  “Does he know you love him?”

  I looked away, staring at the sky blue water and said, “No. Umm. Yes. It’s just that I don’t think he believes me.”

  “Then you need to convince him. Stop trying to fit into this mold you’ve created in your head of what the perfect Thanos wife is supposed to resemble. You were always perfect the way you were. If only the other granddaughters-in-law were half of what you are, I’d be more inclined to invite them here.”

  My heart swelled. I so loved this woman. She knew exactly my insecurities and what to say to assuage them.

  “I want you happy, Amelia. You gave my Stavros some of the happiest years of his life. The least I could want is the same for you. Don’t lose your second chance. I’ve investigated Collin’s boy. He’s a bit hot-tempered, but he’s a good man. And not bad to look at, if I do say so myself.”

  I laughed. I couldn’t help it.

  “I love you, Yia Yia.”

  “Of course you do. Now promise this one thing.”

  I waited for her to continue.

  “Once you marry Collin’s son, you will visit me at least twice a year from America. And your wedding better be here on the island.”

  “Anything you ask, Yia Yia.”