Alex: Beauty and The Greek (BWWM) (The Wallflower's Series Book 5)

by T. C. Clark

  She’s mine, she always will be, and no one, not even God, can protect her from me. Alex, I’ll see you soon. I have special plans for you.

  Alex wrapped his arms around Tara and pulled her close. She was shaking so hard that her teeth were chattering. He held her for the rest of the night, only leaving her side when she’d finally cried herself to sleep.

  He called down to the precinct to talk to the Bryce one of the other officers who’d helped Tara before it was an official case.

  “You either need to get her somewhere safe or bring her back here so we can put her in protective custody,” Bryce said wearily. “He killed Dan and his killing usually happens right before he takes his victim.”

  “Okay, I can get her somewhere safe for now. I’ll have my brother Maks contact you soon and he will be who relays any messages we have. I’ll keep her away for a few weeks.”

  When they hung up he immediately called his brother Julian. He would make sure Bella told the rest of Tara’s family. Julian and Nikos would make sure all of them were safe. It was time to let everyone know what was going on so they could protect themselves. He knew a fight was coming with Tara. Now that Josh had killed someone, she would want to go home to her family. She was more than willing to trade her life for theirs. But he wasn’t going to let that happen. He’d promised to protect her and that meant from herself as well.

  His last call had been to Nisha.

  “So he killed Dan?” Nisha said sadly. She was still sitting in the clinic when three new security guys showed up and handed her a cell phone. She hadn’t been surprised when Tara’s sexy man was on the other end of the line.

  “Yes, he did. Now, I need you to shut down the clinic for a little while and get somewhere safe. I’m taking Tara to a secure location until I can get into contact with my investigator.”

  “Oh, that poor man,” Nisha said, taking a deep, steadying breath. “I’m not going anywhere. I read the profile on him- Josh typically kills his victim and the men who help them. Tara has already lost a few patients because of this mess, and I’m not going to let her lose anymore. That psycho doesn’t get to take everything from her.”

  “Nisha…” Alex started but she interrupted him.

  “I’m not leaving, Alex, no matter how nicely you ask. It’s you and Tara who need to be worried. He tends to escalate quickly after his first kill. I know you would feel better if I left but I can’t do that. I’ll make sure I’m careful,” she said as she thought about the last time she talked to Dan.

  He had called her yesterday to setup a date and she’d been charmed by his nervousness. She really liked him. He was a good guy. The world was worse without him. She could only imagine how Tara was taking the news. She was going to blame herself, even though it wasn’t her fault.

  “Nisha, if you’re determined to stay then those security guards are about to become a permanent fixture in your life. One will go home with you and check out the security of your place. Whatever needs updating to make your place more secure, I’ll pay for.”

  “Okay, just keep her safe and try to make her understand this is not her fault,” she said quietly.

  After Alex had contacted everyone he thought needed to know what was going on. He walked over and dumped both of their cell phones into a pitcher of water. Josh had a doctorate in cyber security and although they’d both gotten secure lines since this started, he didn’t want to take a chance on him tracking them down.

  He woke Tara up and told her they had to leave. Wearily, she gathered her things, still out of it from the news of Dan’s death. They were both quiet as they boarded the plane. Her dark brown eyes were bloodshot from all her crying and her brown skin was almost gray.

  When they got on the plane he immediately pulled out the couch and directed her to it. He wrapped a thick, soft blanket around her and watched as she drifted back into another fitful sleep. He pulled out a new laptop he’d had the concierge purchase for him and set it up. He was worried; Ben had gone silent a few days ago.

  At first it hadn’t bothered him, since that’s how Ben worked. He required complete control and hated people constantly checking in. But with Dan dead now he had reason to be worried. He’d destroyed their cell phones just to be safe, so he knew if Ben needed him he would automatically contact one of his brothers and Maks knew what to do from there.

  * * *

  Tara opened her eyes slowly as the plane descended in the air. She needed to pull herself together. Dan was a good man but he would be disappointed in her if she just fell apart. She sat up slowly. Alex was asleep on the chair.

  She needed to get away from him. Josh had made it clear that Alex was next. She needed to get him to leave her alone. She didn’t want someone else dying because they tried to protect her.

  She stood up and walked over to her bag to search for her cell phone. She needed to call Bella and Nisha and tell them what was going on. She didn’t know exactly what she should do next, but she knew she wasn’t going to run.

  “It’s not there,” Alex said from the chair. He stood up and picked up the telephone that connected him to the pilot. He spoke quietly into it and then turned to face her. He looked so tired. She tried to figure out the words to make him understand he needed to let her deal with this alone.

  “Why is that?” she asked.

  “Because I destroyed them. I couldn’t risk Josh figuring out how to track them,” he said, unapologetic.

  She started to ask another question but then she noticed the window. This wasn’t Illinois. It was nighttime, but she could make out the mountains in the distance. The moonlight highlighted the peaks and valleys.

  “Where are we?” she asked.

  “Colorado,” he answered, pulling his bag from the closet.

  “And why are we in Colorado?” she asked through gritted teeth. Tara already knew the answer but she wanted him to explain himself. He walked over to where she was standing and got her bag too.

  “Because it’s the safest place for you to be,” he said simply, as the door automatically opened.

  “Alex, take me back to Chicago now.” She closed her eyes and counted to ten. This was not the time to lose her temper. She needed to get home and make a plan to protect herself.

  “You’re not going back right now. Everyone agrees the safest place for you is far away from home. I’ve already told your family and Nisha. They know everything now.”

  “I don’t care what everyone else thinks. I want to go home,” she snapped, quickly forgetting about not losing her temper. She couldn’t believe he’d told them without her. He was taking over everything and she wasn’t going to have it.

  “No,” he said quietly.

  “What the fuck do you mean no?” Tara yelled as he calmly gathered the rest of their things. He was crazy if he thought she was going to get off this plane.

  He handed their bags to a burly man on the stairs. When she looked closer, she realized it was one of his brothers she’d met at Julian’s fight. Alex also removed his glasses and placed them on top of their bags. His brother took them without looking at her and went back to the truck.

  “Tara I’m not letting you go back. This is the best plan and you are getting off this plane even if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you off. Say I let you go back, you wouldn’t know what to do next and that is exactly what Josh wants. He needs to get you alone and that’s not going to happen. I promised to protect you and I meant that shit. So this is how it’s going to be.”

  He sighed when she tried to run past him. He used his leg to trip her and then used the momentum of her fall to flip her onto his shoulder. Crying out, she clawed at his back as he carried her down the stairs. She tried to kick but he held her legs still with the pressure of his arm. When they got to the car, she stopped and tried to appeal to his brother.

  “Maks, please you can’t let him do this…”

  “Stop trying to catch my eye, beautiful,” Maks said, starting the truck. “I agree with Alex, this is the
best place for you to be. Now that your family knows, your parents would go to your place to check on you, right? And Josh has a penchant for killing people who try to play hero. Unless you’ve got a solid plan, how can you risk that?” he asked his eyes still focused on the road.

  She went quiet after that, digesting his brutal words.

  They arrived at the cabin in good time. Alex got out first and she followed. They walked into the cabin and Tara grabbed her bag and disappeared into the house, clearly upset.

  “Are you two okay?” Maks asked as a door slammed somewhere deep in the home.

  “Yeah, we’ll be okay. Do you have another car here?” Alex asked, putting his glasses back on.

  “There’s one in the garage,” Maks said, checking the alarm.

  “Good. I need you to head back and watch over Leslie. She knows what’s going on but I need to be sure she’s safe, too.”

  “I will. I’ll call you when I get there. The secured cell is in the kitchen. There are two guns, one under the bed in the master bedroom and one in that cabinet in the living room,” he said, pointing to a wooden cabinet.

  “Thank you, Maks,” he said running his hand through his hair and taking a deep breath.

  “No problem. Stay safe, Alex. I’ll be in touch,” he said. Alex watched him go and then reset the alarm for the cabin. He turned to survey the home. He wondered how long it would take for Tara to talk to him. He knew she needed somewhere to place her anger and he was the nearest target.

  For two days they didn’t speak. He tried repeatedly to start a conversation but Tara merely ate with him and then returned to her room. He didn’t take it personally; he was sure she was trying to process everything that had happened.

  The silence of the cabin would wear her out. It was one of ten cabins Maks owned on the mountain. When he’d made his first chunk of money as a painter, Nikos had taken him aside and urged him to invest it. Maks had taken the advice to heart and built a line of cabins on this secluded mountain. He’d chosen his spot well and within a few years he’d earned enough money to do whatever he wanted. He’d chosen one of the cabins for himself and now he used it as his base when he traveled around the world.

  This location was difficult to get to for a well-seasoned traveler and made an excellent place for hiding out.

  Alex started lunch late, hoping to drive her out of her room. When Tara appeared she looked a lot better. She’d pulled her thick black hair up into a bun. She wore a thin cotton long-sleeve shirt and fitted light blue jeans that showed off her curves. He knew she was up to something by the way she looked at him.

  He wondered when she would change tactics. His body as always jumped to attention at the sight of her but he ignored his reaction; he knew a trap when he saw it.

  “I’m sorry about how I’ve been acting,” she said sweetly. “I know you’re just trying to keep me safe.” She sat down on one of the stools to watch him cook. He was making a simple soup. They were lucky Maks had thought to stock the pantry with food.

  “I’m glad you understand. I’m not keeping you here forever, I told the detective I could give him a few weeks, and I heard from Ben last night. They have enough evidence to put Josh away, at least for Dan’s murder. He’s getting sloppy.” He dumped in the chopped vegetables and measured out the seasonings. He watched her perk up as the smell coated the air.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” she snapped.

  “I tried to, sweetheart. You ignored me,” he answered, unwilling to take the blame for her not being in the loop.

  She sighed and rubbed her temple. “That’s true; I admit I haven’t been myself lately. I think Dan’s death hit me harder than I expected.”

  “I get it. I don’t want you to feel trapped here but this is the best plan right now. Us being here gives the police the best chance at catching him. Right now he’s too busy searching for us to focus on anything else.”

  “They’ve had months to catch him,” she said, clearly unconvinced that this time would be any different.

  “Tara,” he started but paused when she shook her head.

  “Let’s not talk about it right now. We’ll save that argument for another time. My mom and dad have a rule. They are only allowed to be angry at each other between the hours of 8am and 2pm, after that the anger has to be put on hold. I always thought it was a crazy rule. But I’m beginning to think there’s something to it.”

  He watched her as she walked over to him and placed a hand on his chest. She leaned forward and kissed him. At first he didn’t respond. He knew the game she was playing. But within seconds his body took over and he kissed her back.

  Hungrily, he devoured her mouth, forcing his tongue deep. He wanted to taste all of her. She ground her hips into his and he groaned. She pulled at his hand and led him to the couch. He went willingly. She pushed him back against it and straddled him. She didn’t meet his eyes and he knew something was off. When her hands slipped into his pants, he pulled back and pushed her off him.

  “It’s not going to work, Tara,” he said gruffly as he tried to control his mounting lust.

  “What are you talking about?” she asked, blinking hard. He smiled; she’d gotten carried away too.

  “This stupid seduction technique. Yes I will sleep with you but afterwards I’m still not going to take you back.” Casually, he stood up and walked over to the stove, ignoring the steel between his legs. He cut off the boiling pot.

  “Alex, you have no right to keep me here!”

  He could feel the rage emanating from her. But it only fueled his own. “You want to talk about rights. What about the fact that you just tried to manipulate me using sex. You know how much I want you. How hard I’ve fought to keep you safe. That was fucked up. The next time you try to seduce me you’re going to have to make me believe it honey, maybe even beg for it. We have nothing but time on this mountain. This is the perfect time for you to figure what you want. But don’t pull this shit again!”

  She turned on her heel and fled back to the safety of her room. He sighed as his anger disintegrated. She didn’t come out again for the rest of the night, but he wouldn’t cave. This lesson was too important.

  * * *

  The next morning, Alex sat at the dining room table waiting for Tara to join him. After his ultimatum yesterday he wasn’t sure if she would. He didn’t know what drove him right now. He only knew he was tired of waiting on her to wake up and figure out what was happening.

  She was his. He’d scoffed at Nikos a few months ago when he’d made a declaration about Stravanos men. He’d told all the brothers that the Stravanos men only loved once and it was the type of love that could either destroy or empower them.

  He’d taken his comment on the chin. Nikos had found the love of his life in Ada. She had turned their beast of a brother into a human. He loved her for that because it was what Nikos needed after years of fighting for his family.

  His older brother had done everything for them and all the brothers knew it. He wanted them to be as happy as he was and that happiness equated to the love of a good woman. But Alex hadn’t believed his claim. He’d been with a lot of women and most of them had been good. But he’d never felt even of fraction of what Nikos had described. He’d assumed he wasn’t the type of man to feel that way. It wasn’t an arrogant assumption; he was at his heart a rational man, and a rational man typically didn’t believe in things as flighty as love.

  But here he was waiting on a woman who didn’t want to depend on him. How had she crawled so far under his skin? It had taken every ounce of self control he had to leave her alone last night. He craved her touch but this was a crucial step for them. There had to be a balance of need in their relationship. He needed her to be sure of what she wanted with him.

  His eyes shot to the door when she walked in. As always she looked beautiful. He had no idea how she always remained so elegant no matter the time. His blood roared as she got closer.

  “Sleep well?” he taunted. His green eyes examined her
thoroughly. How long before she broke? How long would he have to wait to taste her again?

  “I did. How was your night?” she asked defiantly. Her eyes honed in on the overflowing plates of food as she sat down. He’d made toast, sausage, and scrambled eggs.

  “I slept like shit,” he said honestly.

  “This looks good and I’m so hungry,” she said, taking a bite of the sausage.

  “I’m really hungry too,” he said huskily. His tone brought her eyes to his face and her breath caught at the hunger she glimpsed there. So far he’d worked hard on controlling his reaction to this woman, but he wouldn’t any longer. He’d meant what he said; she would have to come to him, but he’d decided late last night to change his tactics. He would no longer play the gentleman. He would still have the words. He needed to know he wasn’t the only one feeling this way.

  He caught her staring at him and was surprised by the feelings she revealed in her eyes. He was filled with euphoria when he recognized her own very feminine need of him. He needed to know he wasn’t the only one feeling this way and Tara was the queen of keeping shit to herself. But he could tell he was affecting her.

  “I’m sorry about last night. I shouldn’t have done that. I know we have more than that between us,” she said, surprising him. “But, you saw what happened to Dan.”

  “I know and that was messed up, but it doesn’t change how I feel and you know what to do if you want me, too.” He took another sip of his coffee.

  “Alex…”

  “What do you want to do today?” he asked, changing the subject. His eyes warned her that they would have to agree to disagree for now.

  “I would like to check out the trails,” she said hesitantly, like she wanted to keep the peace.

  “Okay we’ll leave in thirty minutes then,” he said. He picked up his plate and went into the kitchen, leaving her alone with her thoughts.