Strapped in her seat, Cassia drifted off to sleep as the plane left New York City.
When she woke up, she was on the massive bed in the room and Nikos was also sleeping beside her.
She jolted and then quickly sat up. Pain flared in her shoulder. She gasped and flopped back down on the bed in pain.
Nikos felt the bed dip and heard her groan of pain. He stretched his arms and pulled her closer.
She struggled and he opened his bloodshot eyes which stared at her in confusion. When the fog in his brain lifted, he quickly rolled off the bed and shook his head. Damn it, did he just snuggle with his wife?
To cover up his actions, he reached for her medicine on top of the drawer. He also opened the small refrigerator and handed Cassia a bottle of water.
“Here. It’s time you take your pain pills,” he said as he handed her the bottle and her medications.
Cassia took it and greedily drank down water.
“How am I here? And why are you here?” she hissed.
“I carried you here because you were out like a light the minute your back hit the cushion. I am here because I need to rest too. This is the only room here on this plane and it’s been one hell of a day. I am tired.”
Wow. She didn’t even wake up when he carried her?
“It’s a pretty large plane,” Cassia commented.
She hoped Nikos took the hint and left her alone.
“It’s a pretty large bed. Besides, I cannot fit on one of the couches. Don’t worry; injured women are not my type,” Nikos grinned and then rolled over on the other side of the bed.
She glared at his back and stopped herself from throwing one of the pillows at him.
After a few minutes, Nikos’ breathing evened and Cassia knew he was asleep. She relaxed and within a few minutes, also fell deeply asleep.
Nikos opened his eyes when he heard the intercom beside the bed ringing.
He took a deep breath and the tantalizing smell of vanilla made desire bubble in the pit of his stomach. His mind traveled back to the past when he last smelled that on Cassia’s skin during their wedding night. He was hit with an intense need for her as vivid images of that night flashed through his brain.
He lifted his head and sought out that delightful aroma.
Cassia’s hair was fanned out in the pillow and most of it was near his nose. Apart from that, as he came to alertness, he realized that his hand was resting on something soft—Cassia’s hip. His entire body was spooned around her and her legs were tangled in his. Nikos was hit with a larger bolt of lust and he felt himself hardening against her.
The moment was shattered by the shrill and incessant ringing of the intercom. He sat up with a curse and grabbed the receiver.
“Yes?” he answered.
“We will be landing in fifteen minutes, Mr. Demakis,” the pilot informed him.
He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and glanced at his watch. Then, he stilled with shock.
Damn, it’s been ten hours already?
He never slept that long. Usually it was only three or four hours, maximum. But now, he’d slept for more than double his usual time and there wasn’t even a hint of the nightmares that usually plagued him. He couldn’t remember the last time he slept like this.
Was it because of the events that happened this day?
His gut clenched and another voice spoke inside his head.
Maybe it’s because of her...
“Alright, we’ll strap ourselves in,” he replied and then set the receiver down.
He took a few more minutes to get his bearings and willed himself to be calm. He felt really rested and for the first time in a long time, he felt a great sense of well-being.
He sighed and reached across the bed.
“Cassia...wake-up, agape mou. We’re in Greece.”
It took a few more gentle shakes before Cassia roused.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“I think the sun’s just about to rise.”
“Where’s your home? Is it the one in Athens with your grandfather?” Cassia asked as they strapped themselves in. It seems as though sleep also took out her crankiness.
“No. I do not live with my grandfather anymore. I have my own home.”
Nikos clasped her seatbelt for her for she could not use her right hand.
“Where?Santorini? How are we going to go there?” she asked
“No. A private island.Skorpios.We’ll land at Athens first. Take a car towards the docks. And we’ll go there by riding my yacht.”
Cassia’s jaw fell again at that revelation.
“Skorpios?Seriously? Wow. I applaud you at the way you showed off all your shiny toys today, Nikos. I loved the way you topped it off with an island worth millions of dollars,” she half-mocked and half-groaned.
Skorpios was one of the most exclusive islands in Greece. It used to belong to an old Greek Tycoon before Nikos managed to get his hands on it. People said it was so beautiful that it was likened to Paradise on Earth. The fact that it was a private island meant that there were no overexcited tourists, no busy establishments, nothing to interrupt a perfect vacation.
“Yes. Our home’s beautiful. By the way, it’s not millions of dollars. It’s millions of euros,” Nikos bragged.
Cassia snorted.
She knew she would love the island.
She knew it was very beautiful.
But what she hated about it was that Nikos called it their home.
She had no intention of sharing any home with him even if he was the King of England and they were to live in the Buckingham Palace itself.
CHAPTER 16 - CAPTURED
“What did you do?!” Sebastian roared.
“We couldn’t get hold of Nikos Demakis. He was simply too slippery. But we knew we needed a source of money so we tried to capture his wife instead.”
A muscle in Sebastian’s jaw ticked with anger at his men’s incompetence. Also, another emotion assailed him but he tried to push it away.
“What happened?” he asked in a deadly whisper.
“We failed because the mercenary, that bastard Smith showed up. It seems as if he was watching her and he knows of us already.”
This time, his hands itched to draw his weapon. Alex Smith had been too much of a nuisance to him already.
“Many of our men died and they escaped. Now we’ve lost them.”
The man flinched after he delivered his report. He waited for his boss’ burst of anger but he seemed deep in thought.
Sebastian’s phone rang and he moved away from his men when he saw who was calling. It took him several minutes before he returned to them with a smile on his face.
“They’re in Greece. If my guess is correct, they’d be heading to Demakis’ private island. Get them there.”
“Right away, boss!”
“And Kristoff? Do not fail me this time.”
November 19, 2013
The Amphitrite (Nikos’ Yacht)
Somewhere in the Greek Coast
“It’s going to be a thirty minute ride to the island. Make yourself comfortable,” Nikos told Cassia and gestured towards the deck where there were several plush chairs. “The sun will rise in a couple of minutes. It’s a beautiful sight to watch up deck,” he added.
Cassia quickly climbed and settled herself on one of the sofas. She chose one near the railing of the boat and closed her eyes as she savored the cool air against her cheeks. She looked excitedly to the horizon. It had been a long time since she enjoyed life’s simple pleasures like looking at the beauty of the sun as it rose.
While waiting, she found herself dozing off but she instantly awoke when she was picked up from the sofa and cradled into a hard male body.
“Wha--?”
“Shh. There are people following us. We have to go below deck where it’s safer,” Nikos whispered.
Cassia craned her neck to catch a view of what was happening before they went to hide. She noticed three smaller vessels behind theirs. She also saw their bodyguards with their weapons drawn. Two of them were behind Nikos, quickly ushering him below deck.
Fear took hold of her once more and she tightened her grip on Nikos. The moment he closed the door to their bunker below deck, the unmistakable sound of gunshots were heard.
“What’s happening?” she hissed.
“Get down!” Nikos shoved her on the floor.
He covered her body with his and Cassia lifted her hand to cover her ears. The sound of heavy gunfire was followed by the shouts of her guards and their assailants. Cassia’s fear increased with every minute that passed. Nikos continued to hold her against his body to protect her but when she looked up she saw that he was pale and that his body was clenched tightly.
The two guards who were with them in the room crawled towards the door. When the sounds of mayhem stopped, they quickly dragged one of the tables towards the door as a buffer. Then, they reached for the radio behind them and tried to communicate with the others.
No one answered.
Their guards tried to radio the tower near the docks. Cassia sighed with relief when she heard another voice. Her guards quickly relayed their situation and asked for backup. Nikos also added that they should call Alex Smith for he was his head of security and gave them the number. Now, all they could do was wait.
“Nikos—“
“Shh. It isn’t over,” he whispered in her ear.
Cassia shivered at the thought. She saw the fear in Nikos’ eyes and it made her panic. He was a calm and composed man and if there was something that caused him to be like this, then their situation was really grave.
Suddenly, the door was kicked open.