Chapter 17
Kassi waited until everyone had finally left her room before she rolled over in the big bed and gave way to the tears she’d been holding back. For the last few hours she’d been examined by the doctor, examined by her cousins, and then she’d had to endure the third degree questioning that only another woman could so successfully pull off. Gemma and Aimee had been relentless in their questioning, but Kassi had managed to give everyone the impression that she was just feeling a bit off.
Leo and Alexi hadn’t believed a word she’d said and she’d heard their whispered promise to extract the full situation from Piotr as they’d left the room. She didn’t feel bad for Piotr, although based upon the way Leo and Alexi were acting, he probably needed protection of his own.
Gemma and Aimee were a different story. They’d known right away that she was upset over Piotr and had been intent on getting the full story from her. Kassi had downplayed her interaction with Piotr, making it sound as if they’d just had a slight infatuation with one another and decided that it wouldn’t work out. She pretended to be more upset with herself than anything and embarrassed for acting so silly and not eating.
Gemma and Aimee had immediately ordered up a plate of finger foods which she had promised to eat after she took a shower and a small nap. They’d finally left with promises to return in a few hours to see if she was feeling up to talking some more.
Kassi wouldn’t and she was already planning her escape before they left her suite. Now if she could only figure out where to go. Last time she ran away, yeah, Dr. Schwartz had called it correctly, she fled to the States. She could do that again, but she’d be on her own once she got off the plane as Tyler was in Greece now.
She knew Leo and Alexi didn’t think she was capable of taking care of herself, neither did Piotr when it came right down to it, but she was beyond caring. She just didn’t want to hurt any more.
She took a quick shower and then sat down with the plate of sandwiches the kitchen had sent up. She pulled out her laptop and started looking for someplace she could go. Someplace she could get to on her own and once Leo found out where she was, he would see that she was safe enough to stay there. She needed someplace secluded and yet, the thought of being entirely alone wasn’t appealing at all.
She could visit an island resort, or maybe a spa in Switzerland, but neither seemed appealing. She could return to the United States and disappear in some remote mountain location, but the only places Leo would ever think acceptable would be full of the world’s social elite and with them came paparazzi – the last thing she needed. That would definitely send Leo into retrieval mode and she’d find herself in worse shape than she was now. Under lock and key, no doubt.
She toyed with the idea of putting in a call to Dr. Schwartz, but the time difference wasn’t right and she knew the woman would probably try to cheer her up and look at things from a different perspective. Kassi didn’t really want to go down that road again. Every time she did, she let down her guard and tried to trust someone – Piotr – again only to end up hurting worse than before. She’d call Dr. Schwartz after her wounds had healed a bit more and she could fake her way through a cheer up session. Just like she was going to fake her next sister talk with Gemma and Aimee later today.
She kept searching but nothing seemed to fit the bill. She finally closed her laptop and gave into the exhaustion that was pulling at her. Her heart hurt and convincing herself that she could live without Piotr in her life was going to take some time. It was plain to see that he was never going to let her in and she couldn’t be with him knowing that she didn’t measure up in his eyes. She wasn’t sure why, but it really didn’t matter. It was what it was, and she just needed to move on.
*****
In the library, Piotr was wishing he was someplace else as well. Leo and Alexi had walked in a few minutes earlier and neither one seemed to be in a good frame of mind.
“Is she okay?” Piotr asked, gaining a scowl from both of them.
“She’s hurting. Want to tell me what in the hell happened? You promised me you were going to protect her, not seduce her and then break her heart,” Leo reminded him.
Piotr thrust his hands through his hair and paced to the windows. “I tried. Kassi is…what we have is difficult.”
“We gathered that. Just answer one question for me,” Leo told him, steepling his hands atop his desk. “Do you truly care for her?”
Piotr stared out the window for a long moment and then turned around with a bleak look on his face. “God, yes. But…it’s impossible right now. You two don’t know…”
“What don’t we know?” Alexi asked him. “Kassi said something about finding pictures of your uncle and newspaper articles about the mafia.”
Piotr had already resigned himself to the fact that he needed to come clean with the brothers. He nodded, “My father had a brother, Cyrus. When I was very young, I believed he had died. I remember seeing his grave marker at the cemetery, but his name was rarely mentioned whilst I was growing up.”
“What does that have to do with the mafia and what Kassi saw?” Leo asked.
“I’m getting to that. My father was an astute businessman, but I never enjoyed sitting behind a desk or negotiating deals. I never wanted to take over my father’s empire and never dreamed it would ever become a problem that I didn’t. Then my parents died.
“The lawyers and board of directors for the various businesses tried to get me involved, but I just told them to handle things. I wasn’t interested. My lawyer contacted me just before the wedding to tell me that was no longer an option and I needed to stand up and become the Greek son my father had always thought I could be.”
“No pressure there,” Alexi commented.
“Yeah, none,” Piotr agreed sarcastically. “I was ready to tell him to just sell the companies and I’d give the money away to charity or whatever. I don’t need it and frankly I saw it all as one huge burden. But then…”
“Then what?” Leo prodded him when he stopped speaking.
“The lawyer handed me an envelope with a letter written by my father. A letter that has forever changed my world and has inadvertently dragged you into it as well. It seems that my father’s brother did not really die. It was all a cleverly crafted ruse so that Cyrus could become someone else.”
Piotr looked at the two men he considered his closest friends and hoped they would be able to forgive him. “I should have told you weeks ago, but I was urged to keep quiet and was hoping there was another way...” He blew out his breath and then just threw the facts out there for them to digest. “Andronicus is really my Uncle Cyrus.”
One could have heard a pin drop on the thick carpeting it became so quiet in the small office. After almost five minutes, Leo stood up from his desk and walked around to lean against the front edge. “Andronicus, the same man who has been threatening us, is your uncle?”
Piotr nodded. “I think the only reason he’s targeting you is because of me. Because of my connection to you. Because of my connection to Kassi’s father.”
“What does Kassi’s father have to do with this?” Alexi asked, confusion on his face.
“We had been dating for over a year when he came to me one day and begged me to leave her alone. He promised me that if I didn’t agree he would ruin my life. He never told me what information he had, but he made a convincing argument that she was too young to be tied down and dragged into my world. He told me I needed to give her some space to explore being a young adult and I owed it to her to make sure she lived a long and healthy life.”
Piotr looked at them. “I wanted to tell you, but…”
Leo shook his head to stop his speech. “Don’t. While I’m not happy about it, I can also understand why you felt you needed to keep this to yourself. No one knows the identity of Andronicus and revealing that you did and then sharing that information could have put everyone in even greater jeopardy.”
“But now you do know and…”
“And
we’re going to get the women to a safe place and then deal with this. Do you know what your uncle wants?”
“The lawyer said he wants to bring me into his organization and use the business empire my father created to legitimize himself and his activities.”
“So, Andronicus wants to come out into the light and become an upstanding citizen?”
“Something like that,” Piotr nodded. “So, how do we keep the women safe?”
“Send them back to the island with Tyler,” Alexi suggested.
“That’s not a bad idea,” Leo nodded. “It has more security than any place else and can be watched from all angles via the crow’s nest. We can send a few men with them from here and have more arrive separately so as not to draw attention.”
“I’ll talk to Kassi…”
“Not going to happen, my friend. Kassi has already stated that if you try to talk to her she’s going to take off. We cannot let that happen.”
“But I need to explain…”
“And you will have plenty of time to do so after we deal with your uncle.”
Piotr knew they were right and nodded. “Fine.”
“We’ll get the women where they need to go, separately, and they can all get to the island via separate conveyances. Gemma, Tyler and Damien can pretend to leave for an afternoon of fishing and boating. Aimee will head towards the center of town and then her driver can backtrack to the marina and she’ll meet up with Gemma on the water.”
“What about Kassi?” Piotr asked.
“She’s a bit tougher, but we’ll get some new guards assigned to her and they can drive her around until they are sure they aren’t being followed. We’ll fly her out to the island via the helicopter.”
“That will work. I hate knowing that someone else is going to be in charge of her safety.”
“We agree so the sooner we get this situation with your uncle handled, the sooner we can all get back to the business of protecting our wives ourselves.”
“Now that we have the women’s safety planned out, what are we going to do about Piotr’s uncle?” Alexi asked.
Leo looked at Piotr and then grinned. “We’re going to make another plan. Tell me everything you know about him and your father’s businesses. There’s got to be a weakness in there somewhere we can capitalize on.”
Chapter 18
“Are you okay with this arrangement?” Aimee asked as Leo and Alexi left Kassi’s suite to make the proper arrangements.
“Sure,” Kassi shrugged her shoulders. Everyone had descended upon her room just before dinner to announce the women were being sent to the island for their safety. They had unknowingly provided her with the escape she’d been looking for, and when they’d assured her Piotr was not going to be on her security detail, she’d only felt a moment of sadness.
Aimee and Gemma looked like they didn’t believe her, but Kassi just pushed that aside. “I should probably get packed. I guess I’m leaving tonight and you all are joining me tomorrow?”
“We should be there by noon. Tyler and Damien and I are going on a pretend fishing trip first thing in the morning.”
“And Alexi said I would join them on the ocean a few hours later.”
“Okay. See you guys tomorrow then.” The girls both left and Kassi set about packing a few days’ worth of clothing that would be appropriate for the island. She was excited to know that she would be getting there first and already looking forward to a long leisurely walk along the rocky north shore around dusk this evening.
She packed her bags and then headed down to the garages. Leo had told her there would be a minimum of two new security guards waiting for her and they were going to drive her into the city and then she would slip out and meet them and head towards the helipad. The one on the docks would draw the least attention and that was where she would be taken when she left the downtown area.
Kassi normally would have appreciated all of the machinations and clandestine activity associated with her leaving Thessaloniki, but somehow she just couldn’t seem to work up anything but a weak appreciation for everything.
She didn’t see anyone as she walked through the lower part of the estate house and she made her way to the garages. Two men dressed in black suits were stationed there and she smiled at them.
“Waiting for me?”
“Yes, Miss Kassi. Let me take your bags,” one of the men spoke up. They didn’t introduce themselves and that was fine with her. If she didn’t know their names, then she wouldn’t have to worry about their conversations going beyond the professional.
The other man opened up the door and she slid into the chauffeured car, settling in for the short ride into the downtown area. The sun was already beginning to set, but once she boarded the helicopter, the trip to the island would take less than thirty minutes. She’d still have plenty of time for that solitary walk.
“Miss Kassi, if you’ll get out here and wander around the stores. When you reach the end of the first floor, take the elevator up to the rooftop and one of us will be waiting for you there to escort you to a second vehicle.”
“My bags…”
“We’ll transfer them over for you. No worries. We’ll meet you at the roof entrance in about fifteen minutes.”
“Fine.” Kassi exited the vehicle when it came to a stop and then headed into the large shopping center. She wandered like she normally would, taking Alexi’s advice to make this trip seem as normal as possible. Both of her cousins had been sure everyone leaving the estate was being followed and surveyed. Kassi did her part to look like a spoiled rich girl bored with her life.
She reached the elevator and waited until there was a throng of people moving about the area before she slipped inside and pushed the button for the roof access. The younger security guard who’d first spoken to her was waiting there and she smiled at him, relieved that the plan seemed to be working so well.
“This way, Miss Kassi.”
“Thank you,” she told him as he walked her across the roof and through a second access door. “Does this elevator lead towards the garages?”
“It leads to the second vehicle.”
Kassi allowed him to lead her to where another unmarked car stood waiting. She noticed the other guard wasn’t present. “Where’s the other guard?”
“He’s going to meet us at the docks. Someone needed to take care of the first vehicle so that it doesn’t draw suspicion this evening after the shops close.”
That sounded logical enough and Kassi settled back once more, just along for the drive. She let her mind wander and wasn’t really paying much attention to the circuitous route the driver was taking until the vehicle drove over some rough ground and she bounced in the seat.
She looked out the window and frowned when she saw they were headed for the shipping yard and not the private dock and helipad.
“Where are we going?” she asked through the intercom, seeing that at some point the driver had put up the privacy glass. “Hello?” she depressed the button again but got no response.
She changed seats and rapped her knuckles on the glass, but the driver still ignored her. Kassi felt a sense of dread fill her belly as she realized that all of Leo and Alexi’s precautions hadn’t been enough. She’d been abducted.
The vehicle was driven into a large warehouse and it wasn’t until the door was again closed that the driver opened her locked door and gestured for her to exit the vehicle. “Follow me.”
“Where are we?” she asked, following him even though she really wanted to run the other direction. She looked closely at her surroundings and noticed they were not alone as she’d first believed. At least a dozen other men stood in the shadows and Kassi felt a shiver of dread.
Chapter 19
She was led deep into the warehouse and then into an office area where a man sat completely hidden in the shadows. She could make out his silhouette but not his features.
“Miss Kassi. Welcome. My name is Andronicus and I’m sorry we had to meet under such stressf
ul circumstances, but it seems my nephew is in need of some persuasion.”
“Your nephew? Piotr?” Kassi asked for verification. A chair was produced, and she sat down because she didn’t know what else to do and her knees were knocking together.
“Yes, Piotr is my nephew. For many years I have watched him mature and while he wanted nothing to do with his father’s empire, I very much would like a chance to intertwine our organizations.”
Kassi was quiet for a moment and then asked, “I’m sorry, I really don’t mean to be rude, but aren’t most of your organizations dealings a little on the…”
“Sketchy side?” Andronicus asked. “Illegal, even? Is that what you were trying to ask in a nice way?”
“Please don’t be offended…”
“Miss Kassi…”
“Just Kassi is fine.”
“Very well. Kassi…let us make a promise to one another right now. We will both tell one another the truth and neither of us will take offense or get upset with the other because of it. Deal?”
Kassi couldn’t believe the head of the Greek mafia and she were having this conversation.
“Do I have your agreement?” he asked when she failed to answer.
“I…okay.”
“Good. Now, as for the reason you are here. Piotr needs to step up and take over his father’s business empire. I have waited for him to do so but he seems content to just let them go whichever way the wind blows. That is unacceptable and if he would simply think about the future, he would see his decision is in error. I, unfortunately, find myself in a position where I cannot wait for him any longer.”
“Are you going to hurt me?” Kassi asked, clenching her fingers together.
“Are you going to give me or my men trouble?” Andronicus asked, lowering his voice.
“No. I won’t, I just don’t want to see Piotr hurt. Please…he’s a good man. He’s only trying to do the right thing.”
Her Greek Bodyguard (The Greek Brothers Book 3) Page 9
