This is sad. I have grown so fond of him as my teacher. I can’t imagine this wonderful, kind man not sharing all his knowledge and warmth with us in class.
“No!” I exclaim in frustration. My head is starting to ache, so I rub my temples.
Ever nods to Dimitris. “What’s this about?”
The light fades from Dimitris’s eyes as if there’s no life there for a moment. “Your mother, she’s horribly sick. We have to go to the hospital now.”
Ever sinks down into the backseat in silence. I watch his usual mask of overconfidence rapidly descend into vulnerability as he grapples with what is happening. It’s obvious how much his mother means to him. He loves her dearly. His face is filled with anguish, worry, and fear.
I remember feeling this way just a few weeks ago when the police officer told me the horrible news about my mother’s death. And now, even though I know she’s alive, I still feel it. It tears me up to see Ever like this. My heart goes out to him.
“Helene,” he says quietly. “Come with me. Please. I can’t do this alone.”
21 – The Syndicate
I can’t say no to Ever. He needs me.
“Of course,” I say as I sink down into the soft leather seat next to him. He grabs my hand, holding it tightly.
“Thank you,” he says softly, squeezing my hand.
He gazes out the car window. As we drive through the city at maximum speed, the bustling street life in Athens swirls by us as it quickly morphs into a gray, muddied canvas interspersed with splashes of color. The outside world seems so very far away from us right now.
Before we know it, we arrive at Evaggelismos Hospital and rush inside. Once there, we check in at the front desk and are quickly ushered to a special waiting area for friends and family.
As we step inside, Ever’s dad and his newly adopted brother, Thomas, are waiting for us. My heart rate goes haywire when it dawns on me that I’m here in the same room as the notorious Georgios Sarantos…the man who tried to kill me.
Both he and Thomas look exhausted and sad, but something about Thomas is different now. His skin and hair are noticeably darker, and his eyes appear to be light brown now instead of the silver-gray color from before. Strange.
While I try not to, I can’t help but stare at Georgios Sarantos. The pictures do not do him justice. He is just as ridiculously handsome as Ever but in a more sophisticated and mature way, appearing regal and powerful with his piercing brilliantly blue eyes; short, curly dark hair; and manicured beard. And while I know that now is not the time for it, I sense that before this day is done, I will have my chance to ask where my mom is. Georgios Sarantos will know the truth, and he’s going to tell me about it. I just know it.
At first, I’m a little nervous by the presence of the two bodyguards standing near the doorway, dressed in plain black suits and staring straight ahead as if they are mannequins. But I know better. One of them is Dimitris, and I know that he’s not a mannequin. At least I’m comforted that he’s here in case Sarantos decides to take me out here and now. Dimitris wouldn’t let that happen. Neither would Ever.
“Dad? This is my friend, Helene Crawford.”
I cringe at the word “friend,” my earlier suspicions now confirmed.
When Ever’s father looks up at me, his eyes open wide as if he’s just seen a ghost. “Oh,” he says, drawing in his breath. In the next second, his demeanor shifts back into almost perfect normalcy, as if I’m nothing special. But I know what I just saw in his eyes. He knows who I am.
“Kalispera,” he says politely, extending his enormous hand to shake mine. “Thanks for being here with us.”
Before I can respond, a doctor with a clipboard steps into the room. “Sarantos?” He makes eye contact with Ever’s dad, who nods. “Please step over to room two.”
The doctor steps aside as the nurse guides us into the room. Ever’s mother appears to be sleeping. Incredibly beautiful before, now her face is blotchy and sunken. Her shiny blond hair is pulled back, appearing in this light as a stark shade of white.
Ever rushes over to her side. “Mama…” Eyes wide and unblinking, he holds her hand almost desperately, as if he can heal her now with his love. Seeing him here so much like a child, so innocent, ignites my nurturing side. It makes my heart ache. I feel so overwhelmingly sad for him.
Ever sniffles, and then he’s sobbing. As he looks up at me with a puffy, tear-streaked face, I pull him close into a warm embrace. He holds me tight, his fear and anguish so deep. I find myself stunned to see him like this, so vulnerable and different from the person who I thought he was. The extreme confidence he normally shows to the world is completely gone. He is so distraught, he doesn’t even try to hide his raw sadness from me. After a moment, his body slows, the sobbing stops, and his tears dry.
I pull back and gaze into Ever’s eyes. “I only met your mom that one time, but if she’s as strong-willed as you, she’ll pull through this.” After crying, his irises appear almost liquid, assuming an incredible shade of vibrant turquoise. While always some shade of blue, it’s as if the color of his eyes adapts to how he’s feeling. Just like mine. A chameleon. He nods solemnly, forming a half smile. Maybe it’s helping at least a little bit for me to be here with him.
Just then, an attractive brunette woman abruptly rushes in and wraps her arms around Ever’s dad. “Georgios, I came as fast as I could.”
Georgios stands to his full height, which must be over six and a half feet, takes the woman’s hand, and pulls her in close. It’s disturbingly obvious that something romantic is going on between these two.
All of a sudden, monitors go off, beeping like crazy, and I notice that Ever’s mother is awake. Her eyes are filled with pain and alarm as she struggles, almost convulsing as she shakes her head, trying to sit up. Even as sick as she is, she’s going crazy. It’s not hard to guess why.
Ever’s eyes light up at the sight of her awake. “Mom!”
A nurse yells, “Sedate her!” A team of people rush into the room and inject something into her IV. Ever’s mother instantly falls back deep into sleep.
“No!!” Ever yells at the nurses as he slams his hand hard on the table next to the bed.
His dad rushes over to him. “Ever, calm down. It’s probably just a severe case of the flu. All she needs is rest. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
Ever whips around to face his dad, anger boiling over to irate, heated fury. “This is all your fault, Dad!” He points over to the brunette woman, standing there with her mouth hanging open. “You brought her here! How could you do that? And right in front of Mom while she’s sick?” The tears start to fall down his cheeks again. “How could you?”
Georgios is not taking this treatment from his son. “I said calm down, Ever. Now!” He gestures to the brunette woman and Thomas. “Nadia, can you take Thomas outside and wait for me in the car? I need to sort this out.”
The woman, Nadia, is clearly concerned, but she nods. The stoic bodyguard who is not Dimitris leads her and Thomas out the door.
“Please excuse us for a moment,” Georgios says to me as he and Ever step to the other side of the room.
It’s as if a super-volcano just exploded. Their argument goes back and forth. They glare at each other in stubborn silence until finally Ever slumps down into a chair, presumably in defeat. My heart aches for him.
Georgios Sarantos strides over and turns his attention to me.
“I know…I mean I knew your mother. You look so much like her.” He appears sad but then grins with a nostalgic look in his intelligent blue eyes. “Diana was one heck of a woman, that’s for sure. She will be missed.”
What? I am stunned. This isn’t what I would expect t
o hear from a major crime boss, and most definitely not from the one who is responsible for my mother’s disappearance and for hiring the gunman who tried to kill me.
Ever is silent. His eyes dart first to me, then back to his dad. Clearly, he’s as surprised by his dad’s fond recollection of my mother as I am.
Despite this, I’m convinced that Georgios must know where she is. Since I need to find out, the fear of his killing me now doesn’t seem to matter. I can’t stop myself from blurting out, “I know she’s not dead.”
“You think so? Well, then, perhaps there is hope after all. Best of luck with that.” He turns to leave, but I’m not finished with this conversation yet. He’s not getting off the hook that easily.
“I heard that this group like the mafia in Greece was behind her disappearance. The Syndicate. Would you happen to know anything about that?”
He says nothing.
Anxiety about my mom threatens to overwhelm me. Fueled by the angst generated earlier from the conflict between Ever and his dad, I feel totally uninhibited, free to finally ask whatever I need to ask.
“Where is she? You must know.”
Ever looks up in alarm, staring at both of us in shock, as if I’ve betrayed him by not telling him about my mom before. It pains him; I can tell.
Georgios runs his fingers nervously through his hair, then looks at me…and laughs loudly. Not just a regular laugh, but a hearty, deep, throaty laugh. “You are so much like your mother…so much fire, passion.” He smiles wistfully. “It was part of what I loved about her so much. Of course, she was not the least bit interested in me, though.”
I stammer, “You…you loved my mother?”
“Bloody hell!” Ever scoffs loudly.
Georgios explains how he had courted Diana many years ago, way before my time and his marriage to Ever’s mother, Elizabeth. Diana was his first love. But it wasn’t meant to be, as she did not return his affections.
“So…the mafia?” he says, smirking. Then he laughs again. “Most of the Greek mafia is gone, as everyone of such influence has been arrested. And the way that you said the word Syndicate…sorry, it’s just so funny to hear it said with so much venom, as if it is hell and I am the devil who rules it.”
Ever hides his head in his hands, clearly upset.
“But you tried to kill me!”
Sarantos is shocked. “What?!” He seems offended, but then he starts to chuckle. “I don’t kill people!” A mask of seriousness falls over his features. “While I dabble in the black market here in Greece, I assure you that the government is intimately aware of my business operations and activities, legal or not. In fact, the government relies on me to do my part to keep the markets rolling. It is not my fault that they can’t collect their tax payments. No one wants to see the funds going to pay down the ridiculous amount of debt this country is in. I am just a necessary cog in a broken system.”
Ever cuts in. “Sweet Jesus, Dad…really?”
Georgios ignores him, still focusing on me. “Believe it or not, I’m not the bad guy here. My mission is to help the hardworking people of Greece, especially those from the now nonexistent middle class, who are the victims of a broken system. My wealth is anonymously funneled into nonprofit efforts such as setting up refugee camps or providing food and shelter for those who need it. I work extraordinarily hard to allow the lower classes to keep as much of their hard-earned money as possible. I give them work, the kind of work that feeds their families and allows them to avoid these ridiculous taxes so they can survive in these hard times. You may call it the black market or the Syndicate…but I call it survival.”
Georgios watches the nurses and hospital personnel scurry by. “I’m just as curious about your mother’s whereabouts as you are. One thing I know for sure, though, is that if Diana doesn’t want to be found, you won’t find her.”
It so deflating to finally be here talking to the one man who I was so sure could help me, now only to find out nothing. He doesn’t seem to know any more than I do. But one thing is for certain…finally someone besides Hal Avery is admitting that my mother might be alive somewhere and not dead, that she may have willingly disappeared. But why? Why would she leave her only daughter – me – behind like that?
Georgios breaks my train of thought. “Well, my car awaits. Nice to finally meet you, Helene. Perhaps you will let me know when you find your mother. I would really love to see her again.” He turns on his heel to head outside, but just as he reaches the door, he looks my way one last time. “A few words of caution. If you are anything like your mother, you’re stubborn and reckless.” His tone is terse and abrupt. “Don’t do anything foolish. Stay put and out of trouble. Understand?”
22 – Rock Star
Stubborn and reckless? Is that what he thinks of my mother? If so, he’s all wrong. Adaptable and vigilant are much better words to describe her. He obviously doesn’t know her as well as he thinks.
Something is gnawing at the back of my mind. For Sarantos to know that my mom is still alive, he must have either seen her recently or heard affirmation from someone else. There’s more to this story than he’s told me.
Ever sits next to me, his dark hair disheveled and spiked out in several directions. He stares straight ahead in awkward silence. His eyes are tired and red rimmed, but even in this dire state, somehow, he’s even more attractive to me.
We are both in shock, but I know already that I’m in big trouble with Ever. I can only imagine how this whole thing looked to him, like I used him. Maybe I did.
I try to explain. “I’m sorry, I—”
He cuts me off. “No. It’s just…” He pauses, taking a moment to study his hands. When he looks up again, his eyes are alive with fire. He’s angry. His hands shake as he struggles to find the words he wants to say.
“Why didn’t you tell me the truth about your mom?!”
I knew he was upset, but not like this. An aura of fury fills the space between us.
The truth is that I can’t remember why I didn’t tell him. I’m still so dazed from that talk with his dad, the illustrious Georgios Sarantos, that I can’t even think straight. What a bizarre and surreal experience.
He raises his voice. “You don’t trust me!”
“No, that’s not it.” Then I remember something. “Okay, well, actually, I’m not sure how to say this without you getting mad at me…”
“I’m already mad!” Ever exclaims.
“Okay, fine!” I take a deep breath. “You’re right. I don’t trust you. I barely know you.”
“What?!” He’s totally dumbfounded, as if no one has said this to him before.
“I…I just moved here – to a new country where I have no one – because I thought that my mom died in a fire, and then, some mafia hit man tried to kill me!”
“But my dad’s not with the mafia!!” Ever shouts.
“How would I have known that?!” I raise my voice. Tears well up in my eyes, but I won’t let myself cry. Not now. “When I found out there’s a chance that she could be alive, that she might be here in Athens, perhaps held captive by the mafia, or the Syndicate, I did what I had to. I won’t stop until I find her, even if it means you won’t like me anymore!”
I can see the turmoil of feelings stir as the tension slowly leaves his face. I feel my heart rate slow as I catch my breath. Some unspoken understanding passes between us.
His voice is sweet and somber as he breaks the quiet. “I will always understand when it comes to family. You know what mine means to me. I can’t bear to think about life without my mom.” His voice cracks as the liquid turquoise consumes his eyes once more. He looks over to the window where his mother is sleeping peacefully. “I can only imag
ine how horrible it has been for you to be without her, to not know where she is and go through all that craziness by yourself.”
All the angst I felt only a moment ago crumbles. I stare at Ever, eyes wide, brimming with tears. I’m about to break down and cry for real when he pulls me in close to a tight hug. Warmth fills me as I inhale his sweet scent. For a moment, I wish that I could rest here in his arms like this forever.
I draw in a breath as he steps back and looks in my eyes. I see something new in his. It’s as if all that anger tore us apart, only to bring us back now closer.
I don’t know why, but my stomach flutters as if a million butterflies swarm there. It makes me want to run somewhere far, far away and hide. My mind is a messy jumble.
I feel raw and exposed here with Ever now, so instead of enjoying the sweetness of this moment, I say something stupid. “How could you possibly understand anything about my life when you have it so easy?”
His eyes grow wide in shock, incredulous. “Why would you say that?” He shakes his head and sighs loudly before his eyes lock onto mine again. “Unbelievable!” He slams his hand on the table, making me jump out of my seat.
“Why does everyone think that I’m just some spoiled rich kid? Like my life is so perfect?” He stands and begins to pace. “I’ve been working since I was twelve for my dad’s company, which everyone thinks is mostly a front for the Syndicate, doing grunt work that I hate because he has this crazy vision that I will someday take over his empire, which I have absolutely zero interest in. In fact, I really feel sorry for the girl who wants to be with me for my money.”
“I don’t care about your money!” I say, but it’s as if he doesn’t hear. He’s on a roll. Clearly, I’ve hit his emotional hot button. “Because after this shithole economy eats up all the profit from my dad’s business or whenever he gets shot dead by one of the street gangs, I will be left with nothing. Heck, maybe they will shoot me too. But none of that matters anyway, because…” – he stops for a moment to catch his breath and collect his thoughts, then continues a little more slowly now – “…because my plan after high school is to move away to Los Angeles with my band where we can jam, go to the beach, and play volleyball.” His eyes light up in excitement. “And maybe someday I’ll be a famous rock star!”
Protogenesis: Before the Beginning Page 20
