Page 50 of Claimed Gem

Ries was quiet for several minutes and then he added, “You might be interested to know that the police officers you originally made your reports to, about the stolen artifacts, are going to be fully investigated. They’ve known there was collusion within the department for a while now, but they’ve never been able to prove it. Your testimony just gave them enough information to launch a full-scale investigation into those officers and the department here in Stavros.”

“Good,” Stephanie told him, relief flooding her. “They were an embarrassment to the badges they wear on their chests.”

“I agree. Now, I have already heard from Nicolai and Damon that they expect me to return home. Immediately. The family jet is currently being fueled and readied, and I expect you to come with me. We are a team now, and I’m not letting anything come between us again,” Ries spoke with a commanding voice, but looked cautiously at Stephanie, as though for permission.

“We are going to meet your brothers?” Stephanie asked. The ‘we’ was never in question. Whether she wanted to meet Damon in person, on the other hand...

“Yes. I want you to meet them and I want us to begin to put this behind us.”

“What about…Ries, I can’t just leave Stavros today. My things...”

“You can. Chris had the housekeeper pack up your belongings and they will be brought to us at the airport.”

“Wow. Does everyone do what you say?” she smiled a little.

“Everyone but you,” he told her, grinning, and kissed her again.

He kissed her until they reached the private airfield, and then he quickly escorted her up into the plane. After greeting the pilots and the steward who would be with them during the flight, he directed her back to the bedroom and attached bathroom.

“Take a shower and then you can rest until we arrive.”

“A shower? On a plane?” Stephanie looked at him dubiously.

Ries tapped her on the nose and opened up the door to the luxurious bathroom. “Money can buy all sorts of things. I never truly appreciated them before, but seeing them through your eyes, I realize how blessed I’ve been. Get used to being pampered, Stephanie.Kardiá tis kardiás mou.”

“What does that mean?” she whispered, staring at the marble bathroom fixtures.

“Heart of my heart. My heart belongs to you, now. It beats when your heart beats. It hurts and rejoices when yours does.”

Stephanie’s eyes filled with tears of love for him and they kissed once more before Ries gently pushed her toward the shower with a smile. “Clean up and then rest. I’ll shower in the other bathroom and then join you.”

She smiled at him and then suggested, “We could shower together.”

Ries nodded, “We could, but then neither one of us would get cleaned up nor would we get any rest.”

Stephanie nodded and then shrugged, “You’re probably right about that.”

“I know I am. There will be plenty of time for loving. Right now, you and I both need rest.”

Especially me,Ries thought.I’m going to have to face Damon once we arrive and I can’t say I’m looking forward to that. I need to be rested so that I can provide a buffer between Damon and Stephanie. She doesn’t deserve Damon’s censure or biased judgments.

“I’ll be back shortly.” Ries left the room, took a quick shower and changed into fresh clothing before returning to Stephanie’s room.

He’d asked for a light snack to be prepared for both of them, but then he waylaid that order when he opened the door and found her curled up on the bed, a towel wrapped around her wet hair, sound asleep.

He retrieved a light blanket from the closet and then draped it over her, removing the wet towel from her head and replacing it gently with a dry one. He crawled onto the mattress with her, shared her blanket and spooned his chest against her back, his arm wrapping around her waist to keep her close and safe.

He closed his eyes and finally, relaxed in the knowledge that they were both safe and free to explore the future. Together.

They arrived in Thessaloniki a short time later and were ferried to the estate of the Moustakas brothers immediately. Stephanie looked around, wide-eyed, as though she were not quite used to being ferried around in high-end black cars just yet.

“Is this where you live?” Stephanie asked him as she surveyed the massive estate that drew nearer outside of their window.

“No. This is the home of our cousins who have agreed to help us fight the attack against our company. They are also in shipping.”

“I thought we were going to see your brothers?”

“Damon and Nicolai are here. They wanted us to meet them here, instead of Cyprus. I will take you to see my childhood home sometime in the future.”