Page 17

CHAPTER 17

H avros

“Mr. Nomikos, your guests are in the conference room.”

My assistant, Alisa, handed me my iPad, the handheld ready with the necessary information for the meeting. In my mind, this was nothing but a formality, although the officials didn’t seem to believe we had any right to purchase the land located in Thessaloniki for the purposes of turning it into an entertainment mecca.

As the second largest city in Greece, and a major economic, industrial, commercial, and political arena of over three million people, it was a perfect location to provide another sinful club.

Only they weren’t interested in our business. Today was all about… changing their minds.

My way.

“Thank you,” I told her and kept walking. The feel of having Kara behind me was more of an electric prod. She’d caught me completely off guard before and I’d lost my cool. I’d certainly never done so around a woman. Why her?

Because I craved everything about her. Hell, I admired her tenacity and spunk to the point I wanted to hire her almost as much as I wanted to fuck her. Did that make me some kind of barbarian? If you added in that I’d told her more than once she belonged to me, then you bet it did.

And I didn’t care.

Our fight had invigorated me. It felt as if I had fire under my feet. However, I was currently in the process of placing my desires in an appropriate box to be opened later after what I considered a victory. I stopped just outside the closed door.

“You are my assistant on this day. Do you understand me, Kara?”

“Yes.” Her voice still held the earlier defiance. She’d sat as far away from me in the car as I’d driven back to the office. She hadn’t said a single word.

“You can write notes, but you will not speak unless spoken to. This isn’t about your job. It’s about mine. Any discrepancies will be handled accordingly.”

She choked then laughed. “So barbaric of you. Yes, Master.”

Her voice was a soft purr, a subtle reminder she wouldn’t be so easy to tame. At least she’d confirmed I’d crossed over from being a man to a beast. So be it. That was what she did to me.

I opened the door, sweeping in without bothering to look the three men in the face. I couldn’t care less who they were or what their credentials were. I was running this meeting and they would simply listen and agree. If not, I would take every measure necessary to turn their lives into miserable hell.

“Gentlemen. This is my assistant, Kara. She will be joining us today. Let’s get started.” I pointed to a chair beside me, waiting until she sat down before yanking out the single one at the head of the table and slowly easing into it. My smile was genuine. To me, this was just a game, the fun part of the business.

Not one of them could carry a poker face. They were utterly terrified. Why? Because they knew from the crumbs my people had left that I’d found out every detail about them: their work, their families, and more important, their secrets. There wasn’t a rock anywhere in the world where they could go and I wouldn’t find them.

My advantage was necessary to keep the peace.

Or to keep from getting additional spots of blood on my shirt. I’d been more careless than I’d thought, deciding not to change after hearing of Theo’s death, going close enough to his house I’d managed to catch the investigators already working on the case. The press had snatched the piece of information quickly. From what I’d learned, Theo had been slaughtered and without a doubt, fingers would be pointed in my family’s direction. We’d be prepared, but we couldn’t allow it to impact the final authorization of our designs and intentions.

“Mr. Havros. We should talk about the situation.”

Their names were on my documentation, but quite frankly, I’d simply used their identities to get the dirt on them I needed. However, one man’s name I’d purposely remembered. Luke Galanis was the head of the Ministry of Environment, a powerful man who rarely attended permit meetings. He had a personal dislike for my father, something Luke was trying to use against us. “I’m certain you’re prepared to provide the required permits so we can move forward with our project.”

The other two men didn’t appear eager to open their mouths, leaving the tough work to their boss. He finally leaned forward, steepling his hands on the table. He spent too much time leering at Kara. I found myself shifting into unwanted emotions all over again.

No one fucked with what belonged to me.

“I’m afraid your permits have been denied.” Luke made the statement with absolute ease, as if his word was directly from God’s mouth.

I sat back, shifting my gaze from one to another man before responding. “I don’t think that’s a wise move, but first, I’ll ask you the reason.”

Why not offer him the opportunity to dig himself out of the hole?

“Because you and your family are criminals, Mr. Nomikos.”

The statement was made without reservation and honestly surprised me. His boldness was rare, which allowed him to falsely believe his power moved beyond ours. What was the saying I’d heard so many times? Ah, yes. All was fair in love and war. And this was definitely war.

“Not a wise move at all.” Ordinarily, most businesspeople would state our attorneys would be contacting theirs. I wasn’t in the mood for wasting any additional time on this project.

“How so?” Luke was amused with himself; meanwhile, the other two paled while sitting in their seats.

I took my time finding what I needed on my iPad while Kara leaned forward, attempting to look over my shoulder. Why not show her the ammunition I planned on using? I moved the iPad closer, curious as to her response.

She huffed loudly enough that attention was pulled in her direction and God love her, she rolled her eyes. “I think you should pay close attention to what Mr. Nomikos has to say.”

Nothing about her surprised me any longer. Her statement was met with utter discomfort on the other side of the table. While she’d disobeyed me, this one I’d allow to slide.

“My assistant is correct, Luke. I think you’ll understand why you should reconsider.” I slid the handheld across the table, sitting back in my chair. My eyes never left his, other than noticing the two men he’d brought were doing their best to determine what filth I had on their boss. Perhaps they believed they were in the free and clear.

Luke paled initially, but turned bright red seconds later. “This is bullshit! A fucking lie. It’s AI generated. I can prove it.”

“Well, I’m certain you’ll try, but the facts and the photographs speak for themselves. And I do have others. I think the authorities will find it interesting money has been exchanged with several rather unscrupulous men. What’s wrong, Luke? Because we refused to pay you ransom, you weren’t inclined to bother with our permit? Shame on you.”

When one of the others made the mistake of cursing under his breath, I turned my attention and aggravation toward him. “Don’t laugh, Elias. I’ve documented your foray into illegal gambling. How sad you owe your bookie over twenty thousand euros.”

Angel, the youngest of the men, acted as if he wanted to race from the room. I didn’t blame him since his affair with a minor could cause him and his marriage serious trouble. I sensed he knew better than to confront me.

“Now that we’re all on the same page, I’ll ask you again, Mr. Galanis. Are you prepared with our permits?”

Luke was visibly shaken as well as furious. He yanked a paper file from his colleague’s hands, almost ripped off the cover before getting to the papers underneath.

I slid a pen across the table, a gift from my father the day I’d turned eighteen. I could feel the man’s glare as I turned my head toward Kara. “Often men hide behind their true personalities,” I told her.

She smiled and continued furiously writing. I couldn’t wait to read her notes. I was certain I’d find her take on the meeting fascinating.

“Yes, I can see that,” she answered. Our eyes locked and I couldn’t read her thoughts as I’d done before.

Luke and the others jerked up, the man tossing the pen back in my direction. “Don’t think this will be the last of our interference. You and your family should rot in jail.”

It was the second time I’d been told that today. A busy day it would seem.

I wasn’t necessarily taking his warning lightly. He had as many powerful friends as those controlled by our regime. What I’d learned about the man in doing research was that he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Right now, killing a public official wasn’t on my to-do list.

As soon as I stood, so did Kara. She appeared confident and professional, holding her own during the terse meeting. It was even more for me to admire about her.

Luke slammed the door on the way out, the sound and the vibrations reverberating with the force. I took a deep breath, yanking the paperwork into my hand. We’d fought for this for months, almost considering abandoning the project. However, the location was perfect for also handling other aspects of our business while providing a needed service in the community.

At least I’d continued to tell myself that.

“You’re quite cunning, Mr. Nomikos,” Kara said almost in passing. It was something she’d determined already, but she was happy coming face to face with my business tactics.

“How will you write about this in your article?”

“I don’t know yet. But I assure you, I won’t go easy. Your ruthless reputation will remain intact.”

“I’m sure it will. Come. I’ll take you to lunch.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

The knock on the door interrupting our conversation was beyond annoying. “Yes?”

My real assistant stuck her head in, her expression indicating there was a problem. “I’m sorry for the interruption, but the police are here and they’re insistent on talking with you.”

I didn’t need to shift any attention toward Kara. She was on edge.

“That’s fine, Alisa. Show them in. Please.” I didn’t bother returning to my seat. They wouldn’t be staying very long.

Two men walked in, both in poorly designed suits. I found it interesting since both men were from wealthy families. While they weren’t influenced by the power and influence of our family, they were also smart enough to learn years before challenging us wouldn’t be good for their careers.

They’d been the two detectives to question Dimitrios after Theo’s initial broadcast. While they’d come away with nothing, it was obvious they were continuing their investigation.

“What can I do for you?” I asked.

“We’d like to speak to you alone, Mr. Nomikos.”

“And you are?”

“Detective Costos. This is my partner, Detective Livas.”

“There’s nothing you’re about to say my assistant isn’t allowed to hear.” Kara’s expression marked her surprise. Maybe I should continue surprising her until I received exactly what I wanted.

Her full surrender.

“Very well,” Costos stated. “We’d like to ask you about your relationship with Theo Artino.”

“Relationship? We don’t have either a personal or professional relationship.”

“That’s not what we hear. It’s our understanding you spoke with Mr. Artino night before last,” Detective Livas added. There was a pause to gauge my reaction.

There was none.

Even if I was seething inside. The only person who could have said anything about our meeting was Marco. If he’d betrayed me, I’d carve my initials on every inch of his body.

“Yes, we had a conversation about his broadcast, which I’m certain you determined was the case. He was kind enough to let me know he was in the process of recanting his statement because of bad information he’d received.”

The two detectives looked at each other. Did they honestly believe they had any chance of ruffling my feathers?

“Are you suggesting someone is out to get you, Mr. Nomikos?” Livas seemed very interested in my answer.

“I’m merely stating a fact. Mr. Artino was provided with false details about incidents that never occurred. He was aware of this and was righting the wrong, so to speak. I told him how much I appreciated his candor.”

They weren’t happy with my answer.

“I need to ask you where you were last night between the hours of six and nine p.m.” Detective Costos was studying me as if I’d confess to the murder right here.

While no one in my organization had anything to do with Theo’s death, I wasn’t about to pull Kara into the drama to serve as an alibi.

“I had an engagement last night and was nowhere near Mr. Artino’s apartment.”

“Was this a public appearance?” Livas asked.

“It was private.”

“So no one can verify your whereabouts.” Costos’ slight smile indicated they were now certain they would be able to arrest me.

“I’m certain you can check with the security standing guard at my apartment building.”

“Are there cameras in your building?” Livas piped in.

Sighing, I turned my head toward him, more irritated than ever. “You’ll need to ask.”

Yes, there were a solid dozen cameras highlighting every angle of the entrances and street in front. While they’d certainly provide the truth about my whereabouts, the videos taken would also highlight I’d had a guest.

For a second time, the bastards looked at each other. “I think you should contact your attorney, Mr. Nomikos. I’m afraid I’m going to need to?—”

“I was with Mr. Nomikos the entire night.” Kara’s voice was crystal clear and more defiant than ever. She took a step forward, determined to provide me with assistance.

Admittedly, I felt a twinge of relief. That was followed by two entirely different needs: to punish her for disobeying me and to devour every inch of her. From what I’d been told of the carnage at Theo’s apartment along with information I’d gone to see him, an indictment was entirely possible.

“And you are?” Costos asked. I could immediately tell she didn’t like his caustic attitude.

“Ms. Kara Banning. I’m here on assignment with the New York Times writing a story on the powerful and very generous Nomikos family. As you well know, they’d provided millions of dollars to both local and international charities, many of their donations going directly to help the children in New York City. We were discussing the article and Mr. Nomikos was kind enough to make me dinner.”

“Please call me Havros, Ms. Banning,” I told her. Why not play the game?

“Havros,” she repeated with just the right amount of a light flush on her cheeks. She was a damn good actress.

“What time was your meeting?” Detective Livas asked while Costos continued to fume.

“We met promptly at four and before you ask, our conversations went late into the evening. If you’d like, you can speak with my agent who was well aware of my evening plans.” She’d placed her hand on her hip, lifting both eyebrows as she glanced from one to the other. She was daring them to challenge her.

Kara should win an Academy Award for her performance. Why did I have the feeling that if it was necessary, she’d describe our session in bed to the nth degree? The thought spurred my dark cravings all over again.

“You’re willing to sign an affidavit attesting to this meeting?” Costos had finally collected himself.

“Why shouldn’t I? I can also provide you with notes written regarding the meeting if necessary.” Kara smiled.

They were getting ready to back down, but I had no doubt they’d return after attempting to find additional evidence. They were on a witch hunt for me personally.

“Now, if there are no additional questions, gentlemen, I do have a very tight schedule today,” I told them, already moving toward the door.

Detective Costos acted as if he was going to comply when he scratched his head and appeared perplexed. “Just one question. Why did you call Ms. Banning your assistant?”

“Because the article is considered very special, private in fact. I hope you’ll keep what she’s told you to yourselves.” My answer felt trite, but decent enough Costos appeared deflated.

“We may have additional questions for you, Mr. Nomikos,” Detective Livas stated before walking toward the door.

“Of course. You’ll simply need to make an appointment.” I turned away from them on purpose, completely dismissing them.

And I stared into my lovely kitten’s eyes, waiting until the door was closed. “I thought nothing you did would surprise me any longer, my gatáki , but I was wrong. Why did you provide me with an alibi?”

“Why?” she asked. “Because it’s the truth.”

“That’s not the only reason though. Now, is it?” I crowded her space, longing for a stronger whiff of her perfume.

She smiled much like she’d done with the detectives. “How very astute of you, Havros. You’re right. The real reason is that while I still hate you for the man you’ve become, I won’t allow a man innocent of a crime to be found guilty if I can provide the truth. However, that doesn’t mean you aren’t guilty of dozens of atrocities. If I had to guess, I’d say you’ll find yourself in prison one day.”

Her steps purposeful, she walked around me and headed to the door. I twisted my body, staring after her, my cock throbbing.

Her testament of hatred only added to the dimension of darkness, the longing that much greater.

Her full surrender would be sweet.