A Reputation For Revenge(110)

His eyes became hooded, his face flushed with anger. “At the club last week you made me think differently.”

She took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. “I was going to ask for your help to get custody of my son. It was wrong of me. But then you were wrong to loan my parents millions of dollars at a thirty-five percent interest rate while claiming to be our friend.”

“Your father promised that you would be mine. When we were in business together he said he’d convince you—”

“He tried, but I refused. We’ve known each other for a long time, Victor. It is time for us to be honest. I will never be your wife, but I will pay back every dime we owe you. Can we at least part as friends?”

She held out her hand.

But Victor’s expression was hard as he looked from her outstretched hand to her face. He grabbed her arm roughly, causing her to cry out.

“I waited for you,” he said softly. “I’ve tried to be nice. But it seems there’s only one language you’ll understand. You’re mine, Anna. Mine.”

He drew back a fist. Sucking in her breath, she winced in anticipation.

Quick as a flash, Nikos stepped between them, grabbing the other man’s hand. He knocked him off balance with a hard right hook and shoved him to the ground.

“Don’t touch her,” Nikos shouted. “Not now. Not ever.”

His body was crying out for the man’s blood. He wanted to bash Victor Sinistyn into a pulp for threatening her. He wanted to kill the man for trying to hurt her.

Then he heard Anna’s soft moan.

Nikos realized that his own bodyguards were barely keeping Sinistyn’s men in check, and that at any moment a full brawl would break out in his own casino. They were already being watched by gamblers, gawkers and slack-jawed tourists, a couple of whom were holding cameras in anticipation of the coming action.

Breathing hard, Nikos jerked away from Sinistyn. “Get him out of here,” he ordered Cooper. Cooper nodded, and with a single gesture a phalanx of security guards appeared.

“Follow me, gentlemen,” Cooper said, holding out his arm in an ironic gesture.

One of Sinistyn’s bodyguards tried to help his boss to his feet, but the Russian jerked his arm away and rose slowly on his own.

“You’ll regret this, Stavrakis,” Sinistyn said, and then his eyes shifted to Anna. “You’ll both regret this.”

He stormed out, followed closely by his shamefaced bodyguards.

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t get back in,” Cooper said quietly. “And post extra guards on the night watch.” He said loudly to the crowd, “Show’s over, folks. The waitresses will be out to make sure everyone’s getting their drinks.”

Nikos felt Anna in his arms as she threw herself against his chest. “Oh, Nikos, I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.”

At her touch, he slowly came back to himself. He looked down at her, stroking her hair.

“Everything you said was right,” she said tearfully. “Everything. I should have trusted you. I’ve been a fool. A selfish, cowardly fool.” She pressed her face against his shirt with a sob, then looked up at him, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. “I ran away when you were only trying to protect us. Can you ever forgive me?”

* * *

Nikos had been right about Victor.

Anna’s stomach hurt. She’d known Victor was bad, but she’d never thought he’d actually want to hurt her. Natalie had also tried to tell her, but she wouldn’t listen.

Nikos had been right about everything. Maybe he’d been bossy and controlling, but at least his motives had been good. Strong and loyal and true, he’d put their new little family first in his life. Why hadn’t she done the same? Why hadn’t she been brave enough to stay and fight, rather than believe the worst of him?

“Forgive me,” she said again.

His dark eyes were unreadable as he softly touched her lips with his finger. “There is nothing to forgive.”

She was suddenly aware of the curious stares of onlookers and the noise of the slot machines. “Before you leave for Asia, I need to talk to you.”

“Let’s go upstairs.” He hugged her close to his body, guiding her gently toward the private elevator. His body felt warm against hers. She wrapped her hand around his muscular waist, enveloped in the scent of him—clean, but with a hint of something dangerous, as searing as the desert sun.

She knew the risk of reaching for the sun. Its heat and fire could consume her.

But she was suddenly so tired of feeling frozen inside.

Nikos had made it clear that he was done fighting with her. She’d been praying that she would have changed his mind by now, that she’d have proved she could both be a good mother and a good employee. But it was too late. He didn’t want her as his secretary. He wanted her to fulfill their deal.