Page 100 of Lord of Ruin

“My parents are from Crete, but this is the first time I’ve been to Greece in a little while. I do love Ireland though.”

I took another huge bite before realizing what he’d said. Suddenly, there was a strange taste in my mouth that matched the sickening feeling in my stomach. That’s when I noticed he hadn’t consumed a single bite of the delicacy. A sudden wash of fear crept over me, including because of the way he was staring at me. I tried to act casual, taking a couple sips of coffee.

“I’ve heard it’s beautiful.” I fingered my bracelet again, trying to figure out what to do. “Is Christos at the meeting with Stavros?”

“Not that I’m aware of. Eat your pastry.” His voice was more commanding than I’d heard before.

“I’m not that hungry. Please eat.”

He grinned and pushed the plate away, fingering the rim of the coffee cup as he took a deep breath.

The sickening feeling continued to pool in my stomach, my head suddenly a tiny bit fuzzy. Was I just overreacting because of all the warnings Stavros had issued?

“You know. They say that everyone has a price for betraying the people they thought they cared about.”

His statement was affirmation that something was very wrong. Unfortunately, the design of the kitchen was such that I had no way around him other than walking right by. I glanced toward the knife block, realizing he was watching everything I was doing.

“I don’t know if I believe that,” I said in return, trying to keep a smile on my face when I was now woozy. I certainly knew enough about sedatives to realize there were several drops that could be used on food products that tasted sweet, easily disguised by something like a pastry.

“Well, there are always good reasons, often threats involved. I know that’s been hard for Stavros to understand.”

In the few days I’d spent around Atlas, I’d never once heard him call his boss by his first name.

“I don’t think most decent people could. I think I’m going to go and rest for a little while. I didn’t have much sleep last night.” As soon as I moved closer to the space leading out of the kitchen, he rose from his chair, blocking my exit.

“There is no such thing as a decent person in our world, Ms. Kilborne. Just ask your mother.”

As a fog shifted in front of my eyes, my body starting to sway, I knew I had one chance at getting away from the bastard. I willed all my strength and resolve to grab the knife. As soon as I wrapped my hand around the handle, he backhanded me, sending me flying across the kitchen, the sharp blade flying from my hand.

“You shouldn’t have done that, Jenna.”

I did what I could to scramble toward him before the drug took full effect, managing to kick him in the gut. He was pitched backward just enough to allow me to race toward the front door. Yet everything had fallen into slow motion, my mind and body shutting down slowly. I had the door open when I felt his approach, the bastard jerking his arm around my neck, squeezing as he lifted me off my feet.

Even though it was muffled, I let off a scream, trying my best to get away from the man but he was too strong, and I was getting weaker by the second.

“Someone wants to see you,” he said gruffly in my ear. “You’ve become a very valuable commodity.” He laughed before throwing open the door. The light was fading from my eyes but not before I noticed a flash and heard the same kind of growl I’d heard from Stavros but for entirely different reasons.

Suddenly I was pitched to the floor as a fight broke out.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Christos had arrived, trying to protect me. When the two men started to speak in Greek, pitching each other around the room, I managed to crawl out the open door. I did everything I could to find my voice, trying to scream louder as a cry for help.

Just as I let out a ragged yelp, another sound caught my attention.

A gunshot. Another wave of terror skittered through my system and even as I fought to get away, I was fading fast.

Suddenly, I heard the screech of tires, the sound of doors being opened and footsteps just seconds before I was scooped up off the sidewalk like some ragdoll. And in the last full minute before I faded into unconsciousness, I noticed two men in dark suits right before I was dumped into a trunk, the door slammed.

As the car roared to life, pulling away, tears began to fall.

CHAPTER 27

Stavros

Eight. Fucking. Hours.

My Jenna, the woman I adored had been taken from me eight hours before. I roared back into my uncle’s driveway, Phoenix exhaling as soon as I cut the engine. I was so enraged that I remembered very little of those hours, except for almost beating a man to death and would have had my brother not stopped me.

My blood was boiling, my mind spinning. The fact our cousin had almost bled out and was lucky to be alive added to the layer of rage. My Capo had said very few words, going in and out of consciousness, but had insisted he talk with me before being taken away in an ambulance.