Page 52 of Her Greek Protector
Chapter 16
”Kapani Vlali Market…
“How long have we been here?” Aimee’s arms were growing numb from the ropes and she really needed to use a bathroom. “Hey! Is anybody out there?”
“What are you doing?” Kassi hissed. “Quiet down.”
Aimee ignored her. “Hey! I need to talk to you.” The metal door to their prison opened with a loud creak and the man in charge entered the room.
“You had something to say?” Drossos stopped several feet away from them.
“Yeah! How long are you planning to keep us here?” Aimee demanded.
“That all depends.” He smirked. “Did you have a pressing engagement this evening?”
“No, I have a pressing need to pee!”
The man scowled. “Such vulgar language from such a beautiful mouth.”
Aimee’s glare deepened. “I don’t see any reason to pretty it up for you. You’re not likely to appreciate it as is evidenced by our current accommodations.” She knew she was playing with fire, but this entire situation made her furious. “Why do you want Leo anyway? What did he ever do to you?”
“Personally, nothing. But by virtue of his birth, he stole my future. His father’s actions destroyed my family and since I can no longer get my revenge through Vasil, I intend to get it from Leo—the only Moustakas twin still alive with the power to give me what I want.”
Aimee and Kassi shared a look as the man paced away from them.Keep him talking,Kassi mouthed.
Aimee nodded. “What future are we talking about here? What exactly is it you want?” she asked Drossos.
“Do you know what it’s like to grow up, knowing that everything your father did for you was for naught?” he demanded with venom in his voice. “To watch your mother die daily because her husband was humiliated? To know your father died alone in a cold, dark cell?” He stopped talking for a moment, his face contorted in pain. “To watch the court system reward those who caused so much pain and sorrow in your life, keeping you from ever knowing the glow of success because your last name is synonymous with a criminal?”
Aimee swallowed. “No, I can’t say that I do.”
The man paced towards them, his expression filled with hate. “Well, I have personal experience with all of that. I watched my father work three hundred and sixty-five days a year to build his future, only to watch him hauled away to the prison cell where he died. I watched my mother sink into a depression so deep she ended up being shut away in an institution.”
“I’m sorry about your father and mother, but what does that have to do with Leo or us?”
“Leo is just a pawn in a game his father set up years ago. Vasil thought himself smarter than everyone else. Then Alexi came along, growing the shipping company rapidly. But their success is only a mirage. They paid the courts to side with them. Vasil honestly thought he could buy my silence. I couldn’t get to Vasil while he was still holding the reigns of the company, but that all changed when Alexi fought me in court. Alexi had no qualms about using his power and influence to make things turn out in his favor. He didn’t care about justice or doing the right thing. The courts didn’t either. I decided if they didn’t have to play by the rules, then neither did I.”
“But I don’t understand what you get by killing first Alexi and then Leo.” Aimee’s confusion showed on her face.
Drossos paced the floor. “I didn’t count on Leo stepping in and taking over the company. I thought Vasil would come out of retirement and I’d finally get my full revenge.”
Aimee swallowed. “But Vasil didn’t come out of retirement.”
“Okhi, he didn’t. I decided the only way to completely avenge my father’s humiliation was to kill them all.” He looked at Kassi and Aimee and then shook his head. “A pity really, such beautiful women paying the price for one man’s actions.” Drossos looked at his watch. “You have a little over an hour left. If you feel the need to bear your souls to anyone, you should do so before I return.” He turned and walked towards the metal door.
Aimee shivered. “What happens when you return?”
“You’ll be out of time.” Drossos laughed and then left, slamming the metal door behind him.
Aimee took a deep breath, fighting back the fear she felt. She looked at Kassi. “We need to get out of these ropes. Now.”
Kassi nodded and the two women went to work. There had to be a way to save themselves—and they only had one hour to find it.
*****
Alexi paced the floor, his hands clenching as his frustration grew. He wanted to be in the market, helping to find Aimee and his cousin. Standing on the sidelines, only listening to what was actually taking place was unbearable.
The radio crackled as Piotr and his men reported back their findings. “We’ve narrowed it down to several buildings in the area. All of them are abandoned, and several of them match the description of the windows seen in the video.”