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“Niko Stavros; Elena Papadopoulos; Dimitri Anastasios; Sophia Markakis; Alexios Kouris.” With each name, Alexios’s voice dropped to a scary, soft level.

I shrugged. “Those people mean nothing to me.”

“Then I see no choice but to take you downstairs, put a bullet in your skull, and take Serena home with me,” Alexios jabbed.

My gun was out a second later, level with the table, and pointed at his heart. “I’ll kill you first.”

Serena flattened her palms on the tabletop. “You said Markos was reasonable. That you could negotiate with him and not the others.”

“That was before he insulted our dead,” Alexios menaced.

“Our family has dead too,” Serena murmured, voice holding no tremor of fear. “Don’t downplay our suffering.”

Alexios’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly. “We haven’t killed any of yours.”

In the space of a second, I saw it. The detail I would have otherwise missed in my killing rage. “And we haven’t killed any scorpions—not yet.”

In the silence that hung over the table like a thick, dark cloud, the realization settled between my enemy and me. But it was Serena who spoke the conclusion.

“Someone wants you to think otherwise,” she breathed. “You’re being set up.”

“It seems that way,” I muttered, thinking back to the conversation on the Shark’s Fin while we burned one of our own.

“I have your word you didn’t assassinate our people?” Alexios growled.

“I don’t kill women, and neither do my brothers- and sisters-in-arms,” I spat. What a disgusting thing to think. We had a code of honor.

“And I don’t steal wives, even if circumstances give me the opportunity.” Alexios flicked a glance at Serena. “Take her home, Black Tide. We’ll be in touch.”

I rose, but Serena leaned forward. “That favor. Is it still on the table?”

A cruel amusement flickered over the bastard’s face. “Naturally—unless you would like to pay for your sins, sweetMaria.”

Serena bristled. “It’s only fair.”

“No!” I barked. “You have my favor—”

“Markos!” Serena gasped.

“Call it in when you see fit,” I said with finality. Gripping her arm in a bruising hold, I hauled my wife to her feet. It was done. We were leaving.

Alexios’s cackle of victory followed us to the elevator, haunted the journey home, and nagged at my pitch-black soul.

Chapter 29 – Serena

Markos didn’t follow me upstairs. He removed his jacket and tie, handed me the keys, and walked under the condo to the beach beyond. I thought about following him, forcing him to see reason. Instead, I hurried to the condo, where I ripped the gown from my body and shoved both the designer garment and jewels in a trash bag. Then I took a scalding shower where I scrubbed my skin raw. An hour passed, and still the condo was empty.

Taking the trash out and dumping it in the shoot, I ventured down to the sand in search of my pirate. He’d had time to cool off, and I now knew what to say to make things right. It took a bit of searching, but he wasn’t far. A pillar of stone, he stood guard on the beach, staring at the waves while the surf washed over his feet.

“We need to talk,” I began, hating the tremor in my voice. I paused to clear it. “I messed up, and I’m sorry, Markos.”

There was no response. The wind whipped across the shore, wild and echoing our raging emotions. I stopped beside him, but I wasn’t brave enough to reach out and touch.

“Markos, come upstairs and let’s talk,” I insisted.

A muscle in his jaw flexed. His face, all harsh lines and hard edges, was a thing of terrible beauty. My heart ached to see the anger sketched over the otherwise perfect work of art.

“Please,” I whispered. “Forgive me.”