by Angel Sefer
“Come in,” he said and walked over to her.
Jackie kept her walk steady and didn’t draw back in fear, as she felt the urge to. She felt his hand taking her by the arm and leading her to the sofa. She sat down and felt him sinking on the sofa next to her with his arm touching hers. She tried to shift, but there was no room to move and besides, she didn’t want to get him angry again.
He leaned towards her and whispered in her ear. “I have a feeling the two of us will become good friends.”
Jackie tensed, as his hand slid up her leg. She turned to him and forced a smile on her face. “I don’t see why we can’t,” she whispered back, cupping the side of his face with her right hand and rose fluidly to her feet.
She walked towards the window, her skin crawling where he had touched her.
***
Eric looked at the sexy figure with the long legs, the eye-catching curves, and the shiny hair that came down to her shoulders, hiding nothing from the open back of her dress. His eyes lingered on the exposed flawless skin of her back and licked his lips with lustful anticipation. He imagined her body naked and was immediately aroused. He leaned forward like a predator watching his prey.
He wasn’t fooled by her supposed cooperation. He had felt her tense when he touched her and her reaction had made him furious, but he was going to be patient. This one was worth fighting for.
Of course, he could throw her on the sofa and rape her right here and now. He was tempted to have his way with her and it made him feel powerful, knowing that there was nothing anyone could do to stop him.
But he wanted more. He wanted her as a mistress, to take her around the places he hung out and show her off. Everybody would die to see me with a knockout like this, he thought and smiled. Things were getting better by the minute. But he had to be patient and go easy with her, if he wanted to keep her around for a while—at least until he found the next knockout mistress to take around and show off.
He thought about Christina for a moment. She was pretty all right and ready to do anything for him. But she was stupid and had no spirit. Not like this one, he thought, and turned his gaze on the long, suntanned legs, wearing the soft white sandals.
He took a deep breath, enjoying this cunning game of power. He knew she could feel him stripping her with his gaze and there was nothing she could do about it. She was his to do with as he pleased. It was so exhilarating….
***
Michael walked for several hours, when he heard a helicopter right over his head. He hid and noticed the way it was going, until it disappeared from sight. Michael followed the direction in which the helicopter had flown, and a couple of hours later, he found the house.
It was almost dark by the time Michael reached the house. He noticed two guards in the yard and decided to remain hidden for a while, watching the house, before he would try to approach. He had no idea, how many were going to be there, but he was sure there were more than two.
At one time he even saw Alex, that low life who worked for Eric Manos, come outside and go over to the guards to say something to them. Then he walked back to the house, stopping for a few minutes at the front steps. He took a cautious look around, as if he had sensed that someone was watching.
Michael laid on the ground, hidden in the bushes and holding his breath, until Alex went back inside. Mobilizing his Special Forces training, he crawled towards the house, in order to remain invisible and not disturb the shrubbery with any of his movements. He was sure that bastard, Alex, was probably watching, hiding behind a window. And there were too many windows in this old house.
He got as close as he could without being spotted. He had to be very careful, as the moon was shining very brightly. He scanned the surroundings and made sure that there was nobody else out there besides the two guards he had spotted earlier.
After a while, he got to his feet and crept around the back of the house, keeping close to the woods to take advantage of the tree shadows. Some lights had come on inside the house and Michael noticed some shadows moving around right outside. More guards, he thought.
With the swift moves of a panther, he climbed a tree and tried to look through the balcony doors to what seemed to be a dining room. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Jackie sitting at the table, having dinner with Eric Manos. He felt a kick in his stomach and his heart started beating faster.
What on earth is going on? He had rushed over here, putting his life in danger to save her and there she was, sitting at the table with Eric Manos having a candlelight dinner. Michael was furious. He felt jealousy like a poisonous snake biting his heart. Jackie, his Jackie, was there with Eric Manos.
What if she’s held against her will? He dismissed the thought. There she was, stunning in a light blue dress, raising her glass, clinking it to his and not pulling back when he leaned towards her and their heads almost touched.
His rising temper and the tightening in his stomach made his movements abrupt and careless. The branch he was sitting on broke and Michael landed on the ground on his back. A curse left his lips and he immediately jumped to his feet grabbing his gun. He could hear voices and people running towards him and he turned and ran further inside the woods for shelter. The guards started shooting in his direction. Michael kept on running, keeping his head down and dodging bullets all around him.
***
Jackie jumped out of her seat, as soon as she heard the shots. She turned to look at Eric, who was already up and out the door. Someone is here…and that someone is probably Michael. Hope warmed her heart. She rushed to the balcony doors to look outside. She knew she was being careless. She needed to hide, to protect herself from all the shootings. But this might be her only chance to escape.
She took a deep breath and tried the balcony doors. They were unlocked. Thrilled, she walked outside on the veranda and flattened herself against the outside wall of the building. She carefully scanned the surroundings in the moonlight, trying to remain unnoticed. She could hear people running and shouting. She moved to the edge of the veranda and down the back steps, keeping as close as she could to the wall.
When she reached the corner of the building, she looked around. Seeing nobody, she ran towards the woods, keeping as low as she could. Her heart thundered in her chest. She felt her strength deserting her, but she wasn’t going to stop. She had to try this. There was no way she would go back to the house and sit there, trying to avoid Eric’s advances. She was sure after he got tired of his game of cat and mouse, he would get frustrated and bluntly attack and rape her.
She heard someone calling her name but kept running without looking back. Bushes were scratching her arms and legs. She fell down a couple of times, but she got up and kept going.
Now, she was in the woods. She couldn’t see a thing and had no idea where she was going. She stopped and listened to what was going on around her. She bent down and turned to look at the house. She saw Eric running on the veranda and down the steps with a gun in his hands. Alex was running a few feet behind him. She heard more people running further away and more gunshots. She crouched behind a tree and kept hidden for a while until things got quiet. And still she remained hidden, holding her breath. Her mind was working double time, trying to figure out what to do. How would she find Michael? Was he the one out there? And what if he wasn’t? What if it was someone else? She had to be very careful and remain hidden. If only she could find her way out of there. Her best bet will be to get to the beach and follow the coastline. But how would she get there?
Hours later, or maybe it was just minutes, she got up and started walking towards the sound of the waves. It was better than nothing and, of course, a lot better than getting lost in the woods or getting caught and dragged back to the house.
She walked slowly through the woods, paying attention to where she stepped, trying to keep the noise to a minimum. She had traveled a few hundred feet, when someone grabbed her from behind and put his hand over her mouth.
Jackie fought to get free, w
hen she heard Michael’s voice whispering in her ear. “It’s me, Michael! Stop fighting!” Jackie’s arms fell to her side, breathing out in relief.
Trembling and exhausted, she lost her balance. His hand lifted from her mouth, and he grabbed her with both hands from behind to prevent her from falling.
Jackie turned around and threw herself in his arms, feeling tears running down her face. “Oh, Michael,” she whispered. “I was so scared.”
She raised her face, trying to see his in the darkness. She felt his hands releasing her body and sensed him stepping back from her. What is the matter with him?
“Michael…” she whispered and saw him turn his back to her.
A shiver crawled up her spine. She could tell there was something wrong with Michael. What now? What if another murder has taken place? What about little Aphrodite?
“Michael talk to me,” she pleaded and standing behind him, she put her hand on his shoulder.
Michael turned to face her, but his face was hidden in the shadows as the trees were blocking the moonlight from shining through. She heard him taking a deep breath and stood still, waiting for him to talk.
“I saw you,” he whispered accusingly. The bitterness in his voice left her speechless. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he continued after a moment of silence.
“What are you talking about?” she whispered finally and her voice was shaking from emotion. This was too much. She had been through hell and almost got raped and killed. And now she was here with Michael and instead of feeling happy and secure, she felt disappointed of being treated with suspicion and accusations.
“Come on, Jackie,” he said impatiently, raising the tone of his voice, even though, they had to be very careful and quiet. “I saw you with Eric.” He added, as this explained everything.
“What do you mean, you saw me?” she asked confused. “Of course, I was with Eric. He kidnapped me. Remember?” she added, ready to explode.
“I saw you in the dining room,” he added. She felt more than saw his eyes searching her face for her reaction.
Jackie looked at him confused for a moment and suddenly realized Michael had been watching them from outside. How long had he been out there? And what exactly did he think he saw? Jackie remembered the way Eric was acting and her playing along. She bitterly realized how their behavior must have looked to Michael.
“How could you think that about me?” Her temper rose. In his eyes, she was convicted without even giving her a chance to explain. So that’s what he thought of her…that she was the type to get involved with someone like Eric, or even worse, that she was working with Eric right from the start.
“Well?” Michael asked impatiently, waiting for her to deny his insinuations—maybe even hit him. Anything that would show him he was wrong. But nothing…no reaction whatsoever?
Jackie just stood there, facing him…silent. So she was admitting it. He grabbed her by the arm and started walking through the woods, dragging her behind him. He felt the urge to get this fiasco over with. He was going to take her back to town, and then come back and deal with Philip and Eric Manos once and for all. But in the meantime, Jackie would be in the hands of the Corfu police, to make sure she didn’t escape.
And to think her own cousin was murdered, he thought and felt his temper rising.
Jackie stumbled after him. “Michael, slow down. You’re hurting me.”
Michael loosened his grip on her arm but didn’t slow his pace. “We have no time to waste,” he said abruptly. “People are getting killed, while you’re having dinner with your boyfriend.” She could hear the fury in his voice.
Michael was out of control. He kept seeing Eric leaning towards her and clinking glasses with her. The flames of jealousy were ready to engulf him. How could he be so stupid to believe her? He’d found her snooping around the old mansion in the middle of the night, and she almost convinced him she was there trying to protect her uncle’s and cousin’s interests. What a hypocrite?
The sound of the waves was getting louder. They finally made it to the end of the cliff, overlooking the water.
They stopped for a moment, and Jackie tried to catch her breath. She felt a cloth going around her mouth, gagging her. The pressure of the material hurt her bruised cheek.
She tried to pull it off, but he was a lot stronger than she and he held her arms still. “Don’t move,” he ordered in a low, dangerous voice.
Jackie blinked in surprise. What did he think? That she was going to call out for Eric? She felt tears running down her face. She prayed they were from frustration and pain and not from disappointment of how easily he condemned her.
Michael grabbed her arm again and led her down the narrow path, leading to a small pebble beach. When they got to the beach, they started walking close to the rocks, trying to keep out of sight.
Jackie felt numb inside. I would have followed him anywhere. All he had to do was ask, she thought bitterly and bit her lower lip to keep from bursting into tears again.
A noise somewhere behind them on the top of the hill made Michael stop abruptly. Jackie ran right into him and was thrown off balance. Michael’s strong hands grabbed her and pinned her against his rock-hard body, preventing her from falling.
They stood there for a few seconds, facing each other. Jackie kept her head low. There were no trees on the beach and the moonlight would allow her to see the look on his face. She couldn’t handle the hurt and accusing look she knew she’d see in his eyes.
Michael’s hand slid up her cheek, caressing it softly. He raised her chin to face him. “Why?” he asked softly and pulled the cloth from her mouth.
Jackie started sobbing uncontrollably. “I was scared,” she whispered and grabbed his shoulders for support. “I was so scared that he was going to rape me and kill me.”
Michael pulled her in his arms and started smooth her hair, trying to calm her down.
“His father threatened to torture me,” she continued in a broken voice. “And then, Eric turned up and tried to seduce me. I had no choice,” she said and pulled back to look at him. “Maybe it was stupid of me. But I had no choice. I tried to play along, to buy some time and find a way to escape. Why do you think I ran out here in the middle of the night, as soon as I heard gunshots and realized you must be somewhere near?”
Michael looked at her tear-streaked face and got lost in her lovely, big eyes. He realized what a fool he’d been. He had let his jealousy cloud his judgment.
He pulled her against his chest and saw a livid bruise on her left cheek. “What’s that?” he asked angrily. “Did he hurt you?”
“It’s okay,” Jackie tried to reassure him.
“What do you mean it’s okay?” he asked furiously. “You’re hurt!” he raised his voice.
“Michael, it’s okay,” she repeated. “I’m fine now that you’re here.”
He pulled her against his chest again and squeezed her tightly, cursing silently. He was going to make sure that Manos and the rest of them paid for what they had done to so many people, but especially to Jackie.
Jackie relaxed into Michael’s arms and felt relieved and secure. She closed her eyes, listening to his heart beating fast.
They heard another noise, and Michael pulled her closer to the rocks surrounding the beach and waited.
Jackie’s knees trembled from fear. She couldn’t handle being captured again. And what about Michael? They would kill him for sure. No, she couldn’t allow that. They had to get out of here. They had to make it back safe and make sure these people were put behind bars. Even if they couldn’t prove they were behind the murders, they could still get convicted for abducting her and almost getting her raped and killed.
Michael started walking very carefully, tugging Jackie behind him with one hand and holding his gun in the other. They moved slowly down the beach. After a while, the hill ended, and the trees reached all the way to the beach. Now they had more cover and could move a little faster.
Jackie lost track of time, for ho
w long they’d walked along the beach. Eric and his gangsters were surely still after them, so she kept going, even though she felt like collapsing from exhaustion.
They heard a helicopter approaching, and within seconds, saw it flying over their heads, shining a bright spotlight over the area.
Michael pulled her further inside the woods and down on the ground behind some thick bushes. “We’ll stay here for a while,” he whispered. They remained hidden, waiting for the helicopter to complete its sweep and continue down along the beach.
When the helicopter was at a safe distance, Michael pulled her to her feet and started walking again. “I have no idea how far it is to the town,” he admitted frustrated. “I have never been on this side of the island before. All I know is that we’re heading the right way.”
“It’s okay,” Jackie whispered and squeezed his arm, trying to sound reassuring. “We’ll make it,” she added, and this time, she sounded even more convincing.
Michael looked at her admiringly. “You’re so brave,” he said and pulled her into his arms.
“No, I’m not,” Jackie confessed. “I’m scared to death.” She started shivering, remembering the moments she spent in the basement and later on with Eric.
“It’s only natural to be afraid,” he reassured her. “Being brave doesn’t mean that you’re not afraid. It just means that you have the guts to do the right thing, even when you know that your life might be at stake.”
Jackie looked at him and their lips locked in a passionate kiss that took their breath away. His arms squeezed her tightly, and his hungry mouth moved to the side of her neck to the base of her throat.
Jackie breathed heavily. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled his head even closer.
Suddenly, Michael pulled back and looked around him uneasily. He always trusted his instincts, and now his instincts were telling him to move on. “We have to move on,” he said and had just taken a few steps, when the light of the helicopter appeared out of nowhere and shone right over them.
Michael grabbed her by the arm and started running through the trees dodging right and left, but the helicopter chased after them.
