The Greek Tycoon Box Set: The Complete Serial: Books 1-10 (17 page)

“What? Who? What bitch?” Brian asked.

“Carla.”

“You called the police on
Carla
?” Brian asked, getting in Sarah’s face. “What the hell for?”

“She was trashing the place and making a scene,” Sarah explained defensively.
 
“So, yes, I called the police on her.”

“And they took her to the station?”

“Yes, I suppose,” Sarah said. “They left with her in cuffs. They said something about following them but I didn’t want to leave in case you came home. Anyway, I’m sure they can handle it.”

“Right,” Brian said, deep in thought.

Suddenly the coffee maker was far too slow for him. He flung open a kitchen cupboard and retrieved three cans from his trusty stock of energy drinks.

“Later,” he said, heading out the door.

“You’re going again?”

“Don’t wait up.”

“I have work in the morning, you know,” she called after him. “I can’t just sit around all night waiting for you to come back.”

“Then don’t,” he said. “I’ll call you when I need you. How’s that?”

She folded her arms and screwed up her mouth in displeasure. Then he was gone.

*****

“Maybe now you’ll think twice about what you do in other people’s homes,” a policewoman said to Carla.
 

The policemen who’d arrested her had finished their shift and been replaced with a sturdy brunette woman and her colleague, a freckle-faced, snub-nosed young man.

“Of course,” said Carla. “If you knew the story you’d understand. I’ve never been to a police station in my life before, in any capacity. This is the first time I’ve ever been arrested.”

“Well, technically, you weren’t arrested since it wasn’t the homeowner who called us and he never showed up to press charges,” the woman explained. “A lucky break on your part. No charges on your record. In the end, you were simply brought in on suspicion and released into your own custody.”

Yeah, lucky.
Carla thought.

“Here’s your bag and your phone,” said the freckled officer.

Carla’s heart beat faster as she took her things. She longed to hear Atreus’ voice and all else was an irrelevant blur until she emerged into the biting London air and selected his name from her contacts. She held her breath as it rang.

“Carla?” he answered. “My love?”

“Atreus!” she said, her body flooded with relief. “Please tell me what’s going on. Is Dios safe? Is it really true that you’re back with Serene?”

“Oh my darling, I am so sorry,” Atreus said. “None of the things I said last night were true. I was forced to say them to keep Dios safe, but I have him here with me now.”

“Oh,” Carla breathed. “Thank God for that. Is Onella safe?”
 

“Yes,” Atreus said. “She’s fine; just worried about you. We all were.”

“I have an apology to give to her,” said Carla. “For running away.”

“That’s not important just now,” he said. “Where are you? I’ve been worried sick. No one has heard from you.”

“Notting Hill Police Station. It’s a long story,” she replied. “So ... you
do
still love me?”

“I will love you forever,” he said. “Even the hottest fires of hell could not change that, my love.”

“I love you, too,” Carla said. Tears fell down her cheeks in silent streams. “I wish you were here right now. Should I come to you?”

“I literally
just
landed, darling. I brought Dios home to safety while waiting to hear from you. But I am not sure we should remain here at the villa. I don’t know what’s going on but Brian managed to find us here before and somehow he found out our arrangements in England. I could face him head on, of course, but I worry about putting you and Dios in danger.”

Carla felt awful at the prospect of them all having to leave the villa on account of Brian. She was the one who had brought him into their lives. It was all her fault.

“I’ll stay here,” she said, though her heart broke as she did. “It’s me he wants, not you.”

“Never,” said Atreus. “I refuse to spend even one more day apart from you.”

“Then where will we go?”

“My island in the Bahamas.”

Carla could barely believe the turn her life was taking.

“I’m going to arrange a taxi to come and collect you now and take you to the private terminal at Heathrow. Brian met me at Gatwick and I’d rather keep you away from there. I’ll arrange a private plane right to the island. I’ll fly from here and by this evening we’ll be in each other’s arms.”

“Oh, God, I’ve missed you so much,” Carla said, her words catching on sobs in her throat.

“I’ve missed you, too,” Atreus said. “More than you will ever know. It feels like an eternity.”

“It does.”

“I love you,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion.

“And I love you,” she replied, squeezing her eyes tight to stop crying.

“I will see you soon, my love. I’ll send you a text of the taxi’s registration plate as soon as I book it. Please wait right there where the police can protect you and do not get into any vehicle unless you confirm that it is the one I send for you.”

“Alright.”

“Goodbye, my darling,” he whispered.

“Goodbye.”

As Carla hung up the phone, she realized that the cold air and concrete indifference of the buildings that surrounded her no longer mattered. She felt cocooned in the warmth of Atreus’ love, even though he was more than two thousand miles away.

She crossed the busy street and went into a cozy coffee shop. Within minutes she was sitting at the window, savoring a hot, sweet tea and an English muffin, waiting for the taxi that would deliver her to her bright future.

*****

Brian stood in the doorway of Notting Hill police station, his knife tucked into the waistband of his trousers. He scanned the busy street for the thick, blonde hair he had stroked so many times; the same hair he had used to pull Carla across the room when she had pissed him off. But he could not see her anywhere.

He crushed his empty can of energy drink and tossed it in the trash.

Where the hell is she?

Apart from the desperate determination pumping through his body, the chemicals in the drinks were all that were keeping him awake. He craved another, his own supplies now depleted, but there was not a corner shop in sight. Every storefront showcased expensive wares, from state of the art kitchens to luxury furnishings. He cursed the rich.

Eventually, he decided that the coffee shop across the street was his best bet for something to give him a boost. He pushed open the heavy door and felt an unpleasant rush of hot air as he stepped in. Turning to see where the oppressive heat was coming from, prepared to shout and complain to the first employee he could find, he froze. There was that beautiful, blonde hair he was craving; cascading down her back in such perfect waves that it made him furious.

How the hell could she live without me?

A plan formed in his head in an instant. She was sitting in the perfect place, the only customer at the bar that looked out over the street. He didn’t know how she had missed him as he entered and that pissed him off even more.

Am I really invisible to her?

He took a quick glance back at the other patrons as he approached her, then slowly eased his weapon from his waistband, holding its blade against his forearm to keep it out of sight. When he reached her, he embraced her from behind in what looked like a surprise hug. The only difference was the knife he had poking into her belly.

“Hi, baby!” he said loudly as she jumped with surprise. In an attempt to disarm the other customers, he added, “I’m sorry to startle you! It was all in fun.”

Then he lowered his voice to a hiss and whispered into her ear.

“If you move an inch or call out I will bury this fucking knife in your guts.”

Carla closed her eyes and took a deep breath, forcing calm upon herself.

“What do you
want
from me? Why can’t you just move on?” she pleaded quietly.

“Because I love you,” he said matter-of-factly.

“I hate you,” Carla snapped.
 
Then she repeated, “
Hate
.”

“It’s a love-hate relationship,” Brian returned, acting as if Carla had been joking.

“And you don’t love me,” Carla explained. “You just want to own me. There’s a big difference and you need to learn it.”

“You look like you’re waiting for someone,” Brian surmised. “It had better not be Atreus, unless you want that stupid little baby to die.”

Carla couldn’t believe she had ever loved this piece of garbage.

“I’m not waiting for anyone, Brian.”

At that exact moment a taxi pulled up outside the cafe. He watched as Carla’s eyes flicked onto it and away from it again.

“And that’s not yours, huh?”

“No,” she said.

“Hmm. Let’s see how this plays out then.”

Brian watched as the taxi driver waited for a few minutes, then made a call. All the while, he stroked Carla’s hair and kissed her neck from behind.

Are all of these people so self-absorbed that they really don’t see what’s happening here?
Carla thought.

Then, after a few moments, Carla’s phone buzzed to life.
Atreus
flashed across the screen.

“I think someone’s lying to me,” Brian hissed. “Now answer it. And, in case you get the urge to tell him anything, consider what this knife will feel like when I plunge it so deep it’ll slice your spinal cord in half. And then I’ll cut the eyes out of that annoying little brat.”

While she had always considered Brian to be all talk, his latest actions and the tension in his voice had her genuinely fearing for her life.

Her hands shook as she picked up the phone and accepted the call.

“Darling, where are you?” Atreus said. “The taxi driver is calling me saying he’s opposite the police station but can’t see you.”

Brian put more pressure on the knife when she didn’t answer Atreus right away.

“I’m here, darling,” she said. “I’m just about to get into the cab. See you soon.”

“Perfect,” he replied. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she replied, then hung up.

“That’s my girl,” Brian declared, squeezing her tighter. “Mmm, you feel so good against me.”

He paused and leaned into her, burying his face in her hair and inhaling deeply.
 
Then, as if revived, he continued.

“Now, we’re going to walk to the cab together like everything is just fine. You’re going to tell the driver that I’m your brother. I’ll take it from there.”

“Okay, Brian,” she agreed.

“Remember, any funny business and you’ll live to regret it,” he said. “That is, if you live
at all
.”

*****

The staff at the airport were not familiar with Atreus and who was allowed aboard his private jet, as he usually flew into Gatwick, so they did not question Brian’s presence as he and Carla passed through customs. He had dropped his knife through the sewer grate before he had even stepped into the cab and was now relying on pure threats to keep Carla in line. Considering he’d already gotten to Dios once, he was fairly confident that she’d comply.

As they reached the private gate at which Atreus had arranged the flight, Carla passed a WH Smith and remembered that her period was due.
 

“I have to go in there,” she said.

“To lose me?” Brian laughed. “Not a chance.”
 

“No,” she said. “For …
sanitary products
.”
 

“Oh, God,” he said, rolling his eyes as if periods were her own personal eccentricity. “I’ll be right here. Don’t get any ideas.”
 

It was blissful to have even one moment away from his oppressive presence but, while she was sure she could have found a way to escape him, she realized that delivering him right to Atreus may be the best way to get rid of him … for good. Even if she had to do so without warning.

She picked up a couple of chocolate bars and a pack of gum to chew on during take-off and landing. A cute little coloring book was on display at the end of one of the aisles and she chose it for Dios. And, when she got to the women’s products area to grab a box of tampons, for some reason an early response pregnancy test caught her eye. On a whim, she took one.

Thankfully, Brian didn’t ask to search her bag when she rejoined him. There’s no saying what trouble that could’ve led to.

*****

Without the usual rigmarole associated with boarding a commercial plane, Brian and Carla were seated and ready for take-off within minutes of leaving the store. And it didn’t take much longer for Brian to start telling Carla how much of a mistake she was making with Atreus, reminding her of all of the wonderful times they’d supposedly had together. He obviously had a revisionist’s view of the past. He truly did not seem to remember how miserable things had been between them.