Legacy of Olympus (In the Gods' Secret Service)

by Teri Gilbert

  All Alec could do was stare, aware that his mouth had dropped open. He’d seen the nasty gash. Now a scar took its place? His heart beat in slow, nauseating thumps against his chest.

  “You carried me away from the site of the explosion. Don’t you see?” Her eyes pleaded with him for understanding. “You healed me, Alec. Look.” She pointed at her chest again. “With a scar like this, the wound would have to have been close to my heart. You saved my life. And Stephanos’s.”

  Alec shook his head. None of this made any sense. “How can you be sure the note is from Stephanos?” Chances were, there could be countless explanations for what she claimed. He just couldn’t come up with one at the moment.

  “I used the email address Stephanos gave me in the event of an emergency. We all got separate ones, in case someone turned.”

  “So where is he?”

  “In an abandoned warehouse at the outskirts of town.” She rattled off a street address, then leaned across him for what had to be the millionth time, sending conflicting emotions soaring through his body, and tapped some keys on the computer.

  He gave her a challenging stare. “Ready to pay your friend Stephanos a little visit?”

  “Yes, but first we have to go to the Strathallen. Charissa, the cousin I told you about, is alive. She’s there. I told her we’d meet her in her room.”

  Whether Stephanos was alive or not remained to be seen, but he couldn’t stay holed up in the motel room any longer. The fact they were both itching to get moving, were both feeling fairly healthy after a near-death encounter, wasn’t something he wanted to explore too closely. “Let’s go see this cousin of yours.”

  Chapter 6

  Standing in the hallway just outside the bathroom, Alec watched as Eleni tucked the last strand of her blond hair beneath the unflattering brunette wig. She’d dug that monstrosity, along with a yellow sundress and white sweater, from her emergency bag. He didn’t have that option. He still wore the same navy slacks, blue-and-white-striped shirt, and uncomfortable dress shoes he’d had on the night before. What he wouldn’t give for a change of clothes, although Eleni’s were far from attractive.

  Except for her underwear that is. Judging from the lack of panty lines, Eleni had once again opted for a thong. An image of a strong gust catching the hem of Eleni’s skirt flashed into his mind, her delicious round butt and long legs revealed as the fabric fluttered in the wind. He fought against the sudden, painful rush of desire.

  Eleni tapped her fake hair. “What do you think?”

  “That you look utterly ridiculous.”

  Her face fell, and a stab of guilt needled his chest. “What I meant was your natural hair is gorgeous with all its different shades of blond. That wig is a piss poor substitute.”

  She threw him a skeptical glance, though her face had brightened a bit. He gestured toward the door. “Come on. Let’s get this show on the road.”

  Outside, the brisk, cool wind kept them moving. The day had turned to dusk, so they opted for the back streets. Thankfully, the walk to Charissa’s hotel was uneventful. No one following them, no one lurked in any of the rundown city alleys, yet Alec still felt rattled and apprehensive.

  As they entered the ornate elevator of the Strathallen, he was all too aware of the surveillance camera hidden somewhere in the confines. Standing next to Eleni, who looked like she was out of some spy flick, no one would believe him innocent.

  They silently made their way to Charissa’s room, where Eleni rapped lightly on the door. Almost immediately, a statuesque slender brunette answered, wearing a tailored red silk dress and matching red high-heeled pumps. A braided gold necklace highlighted the tops of her full, creamy breasts.

  Alec had to admit she’d created quite a dazzling effect. If he were in the market...

  A welcoming smile graced the brunette’s lips as she stepped back and ushered them in, like a hostess welcoming them to a formal dinner party. The light floral scent of expensive perfume filled the air.

  Alec closed and locked the door behind them. He’d had enough surprises for a while and didn’t want to add an unwelcome intrusion to his list.

  “You must be Alec Androulakis.” She extended a red-tipped, well-manicured hand to him. “I’m Eleni’s cousin, Charissa.”

  Should he shake her hand or kiss it? He decided on the former, but from the playful pout on her pretty lips she probably would have preferred the latter.

  Charissa’s smile grew as she scanned him from head to toe, her heated gaze lingering in spots that made him want to squirm. Since when did a beautiful woman’s attention cause him discomfort? And Charissa was undeniably beautiful, in many of the same ways Eleni was. The only obvious difference was that, where Eleni was light, Charissa was dark. Both were extraordinary in their own right.

  So why did Charissa’a perusal make him want to head for the door? A strange, perplexed light, bordering on challenging, shined in Charissa’s eyes before she swung her gaze to Eleni.

  Since he was no longer the object of anyone’s attention, he made a beeline for the basket of fresh fruit sitting on a round wooden table. He grabbed an apple, tucked another in his pocket, and snagged a pear for Eleni. He took a bite, and watched Charissa hug Eleni tight, eyes closed. “I was so worried about you.”

  Eleni’s voice broke. “All our friends...”

  Something indefinable flickered across Charissa’s face before she took a step back, then focused her attention on him. “You were there?”

  He gave a curt nod, not offering more. The less he thought about the horrific scene, the better. “Nice room.” The difference in their rooms was striking. Unlike their dingy one, this room appeared spotless and smelled freshly cleaned.

  Charissa shrugged. “I figured I had 5K at my disposal. Why not live in style?” She turned to Eleni. “Where are you staying?”

  Eleni told her, and Charissa wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Why don’t you join me here? In your own room, of course.”

  “I’m, we’re, fine. I’m saving the money to go after Mallaki.”

  “So what’s the plan?”

  Before he could get the warning out not to say anything, Eleni started speaking. “We’re off to see Stephanos.”

  Charissa’s mouth dropped open. “But he’s dead...At least I assumed he was. The newspapers claimed there were no survivors.”

  “Didn’t you get his email?”

  “Once I got yours, I powered down the computer.” She slid a glance toward her desk, where the computer top was up. From this distance, it was impossible to tell if she were telling the truth or not.

  “Why don’t you come with us?”

  “I have a spa appointment. For the stress, you know.”

  “Then meet us there when you’re done.” Eleni shot off the address. “Alec and I are grabbing a bite to eat, then stopping at the station before meeting Stephanos. I’m sure he has some ideas on how to stop Dorian Mallaki and make him pay for the death of our friends.”

  “And if he doesn’t? Have you thought about what we should do? There are no factions in the area. We’ll have to relocate. I’ve been thinking of someplace warm.”

  Here they were in shit up to their knees, and Charissa was thinking of a tropical location? He cleared his throat. “I don’t know if you’ve been watching the news, but we’re the major suspects in what happened at your organization.”

  Charissa raised a perfectly arched brow in his direction. “You two?” She picked up a strand of Eleni’s wig, and ran the straw-like material between her fingers. “So that’s why the disguise.”

  They were wasting their time. “Eleni, I’m starving.” The apple had only served to whet his appetite.

  “We’ll see you at the warehouse.” Eleni gave her cousin another quick squeeze.

  “I’ll be there.”

  To Alec, the words sounded hollow, but Eleni seemed comforted.

  Outside, Alec guided Eleni to the main street. “It’s dark. I don’t feel safe retracing the way we came
. With your get-up, no one will recognize you.”

  “My cousin’s quite beautiful, isn’t she?” Eleni sounded wistful, as if she thought she couldn’t measure up.

  No, Eleni wasn’t like her cousin. She didn’t care about exclusive hotel rooms or wearing the latest designer fashions or owning expensive jewelry. Here she was dressed about as frumpy as he could imagine, trying to attain justice for her murdered friends. “Your cousin’s okay.”

  But that wasn’t quite true. Charissa was a strikingly beautiful woman. Then why wasn’t he at all attracted to Eleni’s cousin in any way, shape, or form?

  And, after all Eleni had put him through, why did he care if she felt hurt?

  Because, you moron, Eleni’s been telling the truth all along, hasn’t she? At least the truth as she understands it. She has “facts” to back up everything she’s claimed.

  Alec stared at Eleni’s profile. He’d been so wrong about her. When they got back to the motel tonight, he’d tell her, prove to her how sorry he was. He’d make love to her in such a way, she’d realize she should never feel weak for wanting him.

  He took Eleni’s hand and spoke in as neutral voice as he could manage. “You’re far more attractive than Charissa could ever hope to be.”

  Relief seeped through Eleni at Alec’s words. She knew Charissa well enough to know she’d been flirting with him. Seriously flirting. She’d wanted to take her cousin by the shoulders and shake her, make her understand that this was not the time to try and steal her man.

  Heart pounding in slow heavy thumps against her chest, Eleni realized that’s exactly how she thought of Alec, not just as the key to their mission.

  Her throat constricted, and she had to swallow several times to dislodge the uncomfortable knot. Somewhere along the way, she’d started to consider him as hers.

  They were about a block from the motel when a lanky man no more than nineteen or twenty with short, multi-colored hair rounded the corner from a side street.

  Alec tensed, and the tiny pores along his arms prickled to life. The youth stepped to the center of the uneven sidewalk, blocking their path.

  Alec scanned the area. They were on their own.

  The young man’s gaze traveled up and down the length of Eleni’s body, his mouth widening into a cocky grin as he nodded his approval.

  Eleni’s face went white. She tugged the edges of her sweater tighter and took a step backward.

  Alec’s pulse spiked at the obvious intimidation. But he couldn’t afford an altercation. They didn’t need anymore unwanted attention.

  He took Eleni firmly by the hand and started past the punk. They weren’t in some dark alley in the inner city. The street was well lit. Surely he wouldn’t try anything here. The kid darted to the side, brushing Alec’s upper back in his attempt to get by. As he slid past, Alec spotted a sort of sling bag hooked over one of the kid’s shoulders.

  His heart slammed against his chest in slow steady thumps. A weapon? As much as he hated to flee, he had Eleni to worry about. Alec did an abrupt about face and, shielding Eleni with his body, crossed the street, not glancing back to see if the young man followed. As they neared the edge of a parking area about a block from their motel, Alec’s heart sank. The lot was empty. They were truly on their own.

  Footsteps sounded on the asphalt behind them. Alec’s heartbeat quickened. This was no chance encounter. Punk probably had a routine. Lie in wait for some poor unsuspecting souls, then launch an attack. Or had he followed them from the Strathallen? Didn’t matter, did it? Punk was here now, and after everything else, he was in no mood to deal with this.

  Alec turned slowly, keeping Eleni safely tucked behind him, then tugged out his wallet, thankful he’d left the bulk of his money locked in the glove box. He held out a stack of bills, around a hundred dollars, to the punk, whose eyes lit in amusement.

  “I must say I’m offended. Is that any way to greet your cousin?”

  Cousin? What was he talking about? He’d never seen the man before in his life.

  Alec glanced behind him, in the direction of the motel, nerves twitching. There was still no one in sight. “Who sent you?”

  “I think you know. The real question is, are we going to have to get physical?” With raised brows and a knowing smirk, the punk’s gaze fixed on Eleni.

  How dare he look at her like that? Alec’s hand convulsed, itching to wipe the gleam out of the asshole’s eyes.

  The punk shot him a challenging stare. “I know you want to get physical with her. I saw you.”

  A surge of anger flashed through Alec, quickening his heart, tensing his muscles. He made a fist and stepped toward the punk. “You’re spying on us?”

  The kid gave a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes. “The drama. Mallaki said you were new, but geez. Don’t you have visions, cuz? They run in the family.”

  The only vision he had now was of his hands around the punk’s neck and him pleading for mercy. Alec felt Eleni stir behind him. “Get lost and I won’t report this to the police.”

  The kid laughed, a cocky sound that raised the hair on his arms. “As if I’m afraid of any man.”

  Alec made a half turn so Eleni could hear him. “Run.”

  “I’m not leaving you.”

  Through the stubborn tone, he could hear the underlying fear in her voice. Damn it. She wasn’t safe. “Go.” The word came out on a snarl, but she didn’t budge.

  “Let us pass.” Her voice deepened to a seductive pitch.

  The young man pretended to yawn. “I have Aphrodite’s blood too, sweetie. That shit won’t work on me. Look, I haven’t got all day. I don’t care about the chick, but you’re coming with me.” His “cousin” reached behind him and withdrew a wooden arrow from his strange-looking sack.

  Alec stared in morbid fascination before realizing the punk’s intent. “You’re threatening us with that?”

  Eleni stepped between them, facing the punk. “Put it away.”

  “Weren’t you paying attention, bitch? That voice shit don’t work on me. Now get the hell out of the way.” He shoved Eleni, forcing her to take several wobbly steps before falling to the pavement.

  Pulse pounding in his ears, Alec lunged. The punk’s mouth dropped open in surprise as Alec’s shoulder struck his chest. Pain spiraled through Alec’s arm.

  He felt the punk’s arrow knocking harmlessly against his back. Ignoring the annoying taps, Alec hooked his leg behind the kid’s in a schoolyard maneuver, then planted his hands on the punk’s chest and shoved, jerking his leg forward at the same time.

  The kid grabbed the front of his shirt, and they both tumbled to the asphalt with a series of grunts. Alec heard the arrow clatter to the pavement a few feet away.

  The kid landed a hard punch on his solar plexus. Alec panted, then tried to draw a deep breath. Mistake. Nausea bubbled to the surface. Alec lashed out again and struck the side of the kid’s face. They were evenly matched, blow for blow.

  They staggered to their feet, fists raised. Alec tasted blood at the corner of his mouth, and his cheek felt swollen. At least he wasn’t the only one hurting. The kid’s face was starting to turn a myriad of shades of blues and purples.

  “Alec.”

  At the sound of Eleni’s voice, he thrust his head in her direction. “Dammit, Eleni. Go.”

  The kid threw another punch toward his head.

  Alec ducked. A brief swell of satisfaction filled his chest. Punk got nothing but air. Not bad for an old guy. He swung again, then felt the satisfying crunch of bone as his fist made contact with the kid’s cheek. Pain radiated across his knuckles. The kid’s jaw dropped open, and he clamped a hand over the injured area, swayed for a few seconds, then toppled backward.

  Time to end this. Alec snatched the arrow, turned it tip- side-down, then stabbed the end into his “cousin’s” calf, just below his Achilles tendon.

  The kid let out a wild cry, and his eyes rolled back in his head.

  Still on his haunches, Alec did a slow sweep of t
he area, his gaze immediately honing in on Eleni standing a few feet away. Her lips had formed an almost perfect oval, while fear and admiration played in quick succession across her face.

  He tore his gaze from her and scanned the horizon. Still no one else in sight.

  Using the kid’s abdomen to brace himself, Alec leaned forward, close enough to smell the punk’s sour breath. “Stay away from us, cuz, if you know what’s best for you.”

  The punk nodded rapidly, fear and pain fixed on his face.

  Alec shoved himself to his feet, fighting the temptation to use the arrow embedded in the kid’s thigh as leverage.

  His pulse slowed as he focused on Eleni, who stared at their attacker. He wanted to pull her into his arms and reassure her that he wasn’t a fighter. Never had been.

  But the truth was, putting an end to the punk’s attack had felt great.

  Chapter 7

  “Hey, what’s going on here?”

  What now? Alec turned to find a man wearing a Yankees baseball cap striding toward them.

  Eleni flashed the stranger a bright smile, then nodded toward the punk. “He’s just had a bit too much to drink. You can go on your way now.” Her voice was deep, mesmerizing, the same tone she’d used with the punk.

  The man returned her smile with a silly grin, then continued past them, whistling a light tune.

  Adrenaline coursing through his body, Alec led Eleni to his Mustang, parked a few yards from their room. “What is it, some kind of hypnosis?”

  “I’ve always been able to do it, except with those from the same bloodline. That guy didn’t actually want to be a Good Samaritan, so it was easy.”

  How many times had she used it on him? Before he could ask, his phone vibrated. He retrieved it from his pocket and checked the screen. Restricted number. He flipped the cell open and held it to his ear.