“I’ll be back shortly.” Ries left the room, took a quick shower and changed into fresh clothing before returning to Stephanie’s room.
He’d asked for a light snack to be prepared for both of them, but then he waylaid that order when he opened the door and found her curled up on the bed, a towel wrapped around her wet hair, sound asleep.
He retrieved a light blanket from the closet and then draped it over her, removing the wet towel from her head and replacing it gently with a dry one. He crawled onto the mattress with her, shared her blanket and spooned his chest against her back, his arm wrapping around her waist to keep her close and safe.
He closed his eyes and finally, relaxed in the knowledge that they were both safe and free to explore the future. Together.
They arrived in Thessaloniki a short time later and were ferried to the estate of the Moustakas brothers immediately. Stephanie looked around, wide-eyed, as though she were not quite used to being ferried around in high-end black cars just yet.
“Is this where you live?” Stephanie asked him as she surveyed the massive estate that drew nearer outside of their window.
“No. This is the home of our cousins who have agreed to help us fight the attack against our company. They are also in shipping.”
“I thought we were going to see your brothers?”
“Damon and Nicolai are here. They wanted us to meet them here, instead of Cyprus. I will take you to see my childhood home sometime in the future.”
“I would like that,” she murmured, thinking of the stories he’d told as the limo came to a stop and Chris opened the doors. She allowed him to help her out and then Ries was standing beside her, his arm around her waist as he escorted her up the steps to the house. She felt incredibly valuable as he accompanied her up the stairs, prepared to present her to his family.
Alexi Moustakas greeted them inside the cavernous main hall. “Ries. I’m glad to see that no further harm came to you.”
“Thank you, cousin. May I introduce Stephanie Harris from the United States.”
Alexi bowed slightly and smiled, “Welcome to Greece. I’m sorry my countrymen have been so inhospitable. I hope you will not color us all with that same brush?”
“I love your country. And trust me, I know that every country has scoundrels living in it.”
“A wise woman. Please, we are just sitting down to each a light brunch. Join us. Ries, your brothers arrived a short time ago and should be joining us as well.”
“Thank you for your hospitality. I hope we are not putting out?”
“Family takes care of family. As I told you and your brothers the first time you came to us, we are at your service. We’ve been on the receiving end of attacks that wanted to destroy us. Whatever we can do to help identify and stop these criminal activities…you have our full support.”
“Again, thanks.” Ries nodded respectfully.
“Now, come and meet my wife and the rest of the family. Stephanie, I believe you will find you have much in common with my wife and sisters-in-law.”
Stephanie glowed at this thought. Maybe she really could belong here, after all. “I look forward to meeting them.”
“And I look forward to getting you alone later today,” Ries whispered in her ear just as Alexi entered an elegant dining room, putting a becoming blush in her pale cheeks. Just as he intended.
God, I love this woman. No matter what happens with Damon, she’s mine and she’s going nowhere.
Chapter 23
Stephanie gripped Ries’ hand as they stepped into the dining room gilded with gold and rich, dark woods. He could feel the fear of the unknown setting her the tiniest bit on edge. Alexi took care of the introductions.
“Everyone, this is Ries Kafatos and Stephanie Harris.” Alexei announced their names as though they were supposed to be there. As though they were part of the family. “I’ll let you all introduce yourselves.” Alexi headed for the other end of the long table and sat down.
Stephanie watched as another man joined them, “I am Leonidis Moustakas, but my friends call me Leo.” He held out a hand to a gorgeous woman with auburn hair and smile that was warm and friendly. “This is my lovely wife, Gemma. Our son Damien will be joining us this evening.”
“Stephanie, is it?” Gemma asked, coming forward and taking Stephanie’s hands in hers. “It’s so good to meet you. I heard what happened, are you okay?” Stephanie realized with a start that she had an American accent, and she moved as though she and Stephanie were already friends.
“I’m fine,” Stephanie told her warmly, immediately liking this woman.
“Well, I have a feeling you and I are going to become very close. Come and meet the others. This is Aimee. If you’re looking to stir things up a bit, she’s your girl.”
“Nice to meet you,” Stephanie told the other woman, whose eyes sparkled up at her from her plush dining chair.
“Same. We’re all going swimming later at the beach. You should think about coming with us. Just us girls…”
“We’ll see about that,” Alexi told her with a soft reprimand in his voice. “None of us can be too careful these days.”
Aimee made a face at him and then carried on as if he hadn’t spoken, drawing knowing smiles from everyone at the table. “Don’t mind him. We’ll have adequate protection. Just as long as they stay out of my sight, I’m good.”
Gemma shook her head and then pulled Stephanie over to the last woman at the table. “This is Kassi. She is Alexi and Leo’s cousin and is married to Piotr.”
Piotr nodded at her and Kassi smiled broadly in her direction. “Welcome.”
“Thank you.”
“You must be famished and tired. I know your rooms are being prepared as we speak. Maybe after you eat you can rest for a bit. Being kidnapped and shot at takes a toll on a girl,” Gemma told her, as though this were a regular occurrence in the family.
This is going to take some getting used to, Stephanie thought. But not in a bad way.
She turned and looked for Ries. He was standing near the doorway with Nicolai and Damon, both of whom had joined them while she was meeting the others. His stance was very rigid, and she could tell he wasn’t very happy. “If you’ll excuse me for a minute?” she flashed a gracious smile at the other women and turned to walk toward Ries.
She walked over to the three brothers, ignoring Damon’s glare as she slipped her arm around Ries’ waist. When he smiled down at her, she returned it and then leaned up on her tiptoes and whispered. “I missed you. Is everything okay?”
Ries kissed her on the nose and nodded once. “Damon and Nicolai, I’d like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Stephanie. Stephanie, this is my oldest brother Damon, and Nicolai, whom you’ve already met.”
“Nice to see you again,” she murmured.
“I’m glad to see you suffered no harm at Angelo’s hands,” Nicolai told her.
“I’m fine,” she said, for what felt like the thirty-fifth time today.
“Brother, I was under the impression after speaking with Miss Harris that she was going to return to the States,” Damon inquired quietly.
“I never said that,” Stephanie told him, daring him to continue putting words into her mouth. “And I don’t find your argument persuasive.”
Damon had the good grace to purse his lips and nod once, “Well, you’re welcome to prove me wrong.”
“I would appreciate it if you stopped trying to figure out the future on behalf of everyone else,” Ries told him. “Stephanie is not going anywhere, so you might as well get used to the idea.”
Ries was angry in Damon’s presence, and Stephanie could see why. His brother seemed to think that he was in control of everything and that it was okay for him to pass judgment on everyone else around him.
Nicolai was totally different, and as Ries led her over to join the others, Nicolai stepped to her other side and kept up a lively conversation about everything from the weather, to the latest shopping trends.
Step
hanie was grateful that Ries had at least one brother who seemed to be supportive of him and she decided that Ries needed a little help in being more confident around his brothers. Damon was going to be no help, but Nicolai seemed like an ally.
Stephanie began to think of ways they could both help Ries become the man he wanted to be.
After eating, Ries and Stephanie were shown to their luxurious, separate rooms. Upon seeing how far apart they were, Ries stepped in and informed the maid that they would both be utilizing his room and asked that Stephanie’s belongings be moved.
“Is this going to cause problems with your brother?” Stephanie asked as they soaked in a hot tub of water half an hour later.
Ries shrugged. “I could care less. Damon doesn’t approve of anything I do, but that doesn’t matter to me anymore. If he doesn’t want to trust me, fine. I will make my own decisions.”
“Well, I for one, like the way you were thinking today. Thank you for coming to save me,” she said softly, “in case I didn’t make that clear earlier.”
“You were exhausted and a bit distraught.” Ries told her, grinning. “I will always come to rescue you.” He tipped her head to the side and sealed his vow with a kiss. “Ready to get out of the tub?”
Stephanie tingled at the thought of what might come next. “Yes.”
“Good, I’ll leave you to it then,” Ries told her, standing up and quickly drying himself off. Stephanie couldn’t take her eyes off him as he moved.
“I would love to stay and chat, but Damon has requested a meeting with the Moustakas brothers to devise a plan to save our company. He didn’t command my presence, but if we want to be kept in the loop, I had better attend.””
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Stephanie said. Her hopes of intimacy could wait. “The other women invited me to go to the beach with them…” she trailed off, looking to Ries for approval. She wasn’t going anywhere without his opinion of the security of the situation, for a while.
“Then you should go,” Ries told her, handing her a towel. His eyes lit up as she stood up and water sluiced off her body. “God, I wish I could stay here with you, but…”
“No, it’s okay. You don’t mind me going with them?”
“Stephanie, Angelo is dead and can’t hurt us. Dmitrius has left Greece, although we’re all sure he will return or find another way to get to us.
“We will have to be vigilant, but I can assure you that no one takes their wives’ safety more serious than the Moustakas brothers. They are not new to this game. You will be perfectly safe with them, no matter where you go.”
Stephanie finished drying herself off as Ries went to dress. She liked this new version of Ries where he was confident and no longer bothered by his brothers’ opinions.
Now, she just needed to help his brothers recognize that Ries had a lot to offer. Just because he didn’t do things exactly like Damon would, didn’t mean they were wrong or inefficient.
Ries deserved his brother’s respect, and she was determined to see that he got it.
Chapter 24
Ries followed the sound of the men’s voices to the small boardroom, adorned with lush carpets and a dark wood table. He was pleased to see that he wasn’t the last one to arrive: Damon was. Nicolai didn’t seem surprised to see him there, but when Damon arrived a few minutes later, he clearly was.
“I thought you would have been celebrating with your girlfriend?” Damon murmured as he took a seat between Ries and Nicolai.
“There will be plenty of time for that later.” Ries smiled, anticipating. “Right now, we need to get our hands around this security threat.”
Damon’s eyebrows went up, and he glanced more carefully at Ries.
“I’ve heard about your problems. I’ve spoken to Alexi and our father, and we are willing to help. What do you need from us?” Leo asked, leaning forward seriously.
“Our shipments keep getting waylaid or going missing completely. We’ve lost over thirty shipments of freight in the last eighteen months, and three ships. The ships just disappeared.
“There were no signs of bad weather or catastrophic failures, they simply never arrived at their destinations. No distress calls, no nothing.”
“We have contracts to move and deliver freight, and these are seriously impacting our ability to meet those requirements.” Damon took a breath and then asked: “Have you enough shipping vessels that we could move our freight on Moustakas ships while we find and bring whoever is targeting us to justice?”
“Of course,” Leo assured him. The Moustakas fleet has a few ships to spare. “Do you have any leads on who might be behind these attacks against your family?”
Damon shook his head, “Not really…”
“That’s not entirely true,” Ries spoke up. “We believe a man named Dmitrius Yttrios is the one who hired Angelo to kill first me, and then my brothers. He also has ties to international smuggling, and a record of using stolen ships and inside men to do the jobs.
“The police in Stavros were following him, but shortly after Stephanie was kidnapped, the man boarded his yacht and fled Greek waters. They have a bulletin out for all ports in Greece to report in when his yacht comes ashore the next time.”
“Yttrios?” Damon queried sharply. “Why I wasn’t informed of this?”
“You didn’t ask, and we’ve not had the time for a chat. Anyway, the man has been smuggling all manner of things all over Europe and Eurasia.
“We believe he’s been using Kafatos Freight to do so, for years, and it’s only recently that we’ve become aware of the situation and tried to stop him. With us out of the way, the company would go to the highest stockholder, as none of us have wives or children.”
Alexi and Leo shared a look and then Leo asked, “Do you have a name for the largest individual shareholder?”
“You already know who it is. Dmitrius has been purchasing every piece of our stock put up for sale for years. If he owned the shipping company, he could smuggle whatever he liked without fear of getting caught.”
“With those kinds of rewards available, I doubt he will stop,” Alexi informed them. “You must all remain vigilant and be cautious about any new ventures you undertake. Even if a new buyer begins to invest in your company – investigate them thoroughly. Dmitrius may move his activities to a false alias, or an ally, now that he knows he is under suspicion.”
“We know,” Ries nodded “My fear is that he might start targeting others as well. Your company could be next.”
“Then we need to find this man and take him out,” Alexi announced, drawing nonverbal agreement from everyone at the table.
“For now, we need to salvage our company and our client relations,” Ries surmised the situation. “My security team is already working with Nicolai and the Greek authorities to track down Dmitrius. They’ll let us know when he resurfaces, and then we can hopefully catch him and put an end to this situation.”
“In the meantime, you will use Moustakas shipping vessels,” Leo asserted, “and we’ll all increase the security around our businesses, our families, and our homes. If this Yttrios fellow can target one set of billionaires, what’s to stop him from targeting the rest of us?”
“I’ll speak with Piotr this afternoon,” he continued, “and he and your security personnel can meet and get things sorted out. In the meantime, please stay as long as you like and enjoy everything Thessaloniki has to offer. Our home is your home.” He spread his hands wide, as though to encompass the rich estate.
“Thank you.” Nicolai stood up and shook both Leo and Alexi’s hands. “I’ll go and find Piotr now. Gentleman, we cannot thank you enough.”
“No thanks are necessary,” Leo informed him. “We may be distant cousins, but we are still family. And families look out for one another.”
*****
Ries left the boardroom with Nicolai and they headed off to find Piotr, who at one time had been Leo’s head of security. They found him in the garden conversing with Chris and Ste
phanie.
Ries immediately pulled Stephanie into his arms and kissed her soundly, despite having an audience. He felt her blush with pleasure and embarrassment under him.
“What was that for?” she asked in a whisper, her face suffused with heat as she turned bright red.
“Because I felt like it,” he told her.
“Okay,” she told him, liking how things were going between them. “Chris was just making sure it was going to be safe for me to go to the beach with the other women.”
Ries frowned at Chris, who simply shrugged and explained, “You told me it was my job to keep her safe at all times. I’m just doing my due diligence.”
“I actually prefer it that way,” Piotr interjected. “I have assured him that while the women may think they are alone, they will in fact be completely surrounded by my security team. It is a private beach with a high fence separating it from the rest of the world, but we take no chances. Stephanie will be perfectly fine.”
“Go have fun. Don’t forget your sunscreen,” Ries told her, giving her a little push toward the house. It was such a relief to be able to let her go – knowing she would be secure and well-guarded.
Once she was gone, Piotr and Nicolai began to talk security with Chris interjecting wherever he could. Ries didn’t have much to offer, but he listened intently and asked questions where appropriate.
They talked for almost two hours before finalizing a plan to keep everyone and the ships safe. More men would be needed, and Nicolai authorized Piotr to find them as Chris didn’t know many people on the mainland. Since Carlos had been one of Chris’s hires, he was reluctant to bring any more people he didn’t personally know into the fold.
Ries was in agreement with that, although he made sure Chris knew there was no blame to be had over Carlos’s defection. Carlos was simply a greedy man, and it had ended up costing him his life.
Protected By Him (The Greek Brothers Book 4) Page 14
