“You don’t have any brothers or sisters?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No. It was just me and my dad.”
“That had to be kind of cool. You didn’t have to share him with anyone.” He grinned.
I fought back the urge to grimace and recoil. “No, I certainly didn’t.”
“What does your father do?”
“Whatever he can find,” I mumbled.
“Do you think he’ll ever come to Greece for a visit?” he continued.
“No.”
“You don’t like to talk about your family, do you?” he asked.
I didn’t really consider my father my family, but technically speaking, I supposed he was. “No, I don’t. I have a very strained relationship with him. It’s easier not to talk about it.”
“I understand. I won’t bring it up again.” He put a hand on my thigh.
“I guess I should probably do the same,” I said with a small laugh.
He smiled at me again. “Families are a part of who we are, but I think in our situation, it’s better to leave them out of the equation. They stir up bad memories and even worse feelings. I don’t like to give them space in my head. It brings me down. I prefer to lock them up in a quiet place and focus on the good things in my life.”
“That’s very smart,” I said. “Probably unhealthy, but I like it. I try to do the same. No more talk about our families. Except Alec. Can we still talk about him?”
Rand nodded. “Absolutely.”
“I used to think he had some sixth sense,” I commented after we’d been sitting in silence for several minutes.
“Who? My grandfather?”
“Yes. He could meet a person and decide whether they were good or bad. He was an excellent judge of character. Gretta hired a young maid once, not too long after I came on board. She was kind and sweet and was always smiling. I really liked her, but your grandfather warned me to stay away from her. I couldn’t understand what the problem was. The entire staff liked her, but not your grandfather. She wasn’t allowed in his room or the study. He demanded we never leave her alone in a room, which is ridiculous when you consider our jobs. Anyway, after she’d worked there about a month, the police showed up. She was wanted in Athens.”
“What’d she do?” he asked.
“She and her boyfriend were part of a theft ring. She got jobs with wealthy families and pilfered away money and goods while he sold it. I had been completely fooled by her sweet disposition, but not your grandfather. He knew. He warned me to never take anyone at face value.”
“That sounds like him.”
“It’s why I took a chance on you,” I said quietly.
He looked at me. “Took a chance? What do you mean?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “We didn’t have the best meeting. My first impression of you wasn’t so good. But I figured if your grandfather believed in you and trusted you with his estate, you couldn’t be all bad.” I let out a small laugh.
He chuckled. “Thanks, but I have to agree. I was using his judgment with you as well. I assumed that because he let you into his world, you must be good people.”
We both laughed before growing silent as both of us got lost in our own thoughts again. I sighed with contentment as we sat on the bench in the cool night, doing nothing more but being together. It was very satisfying. I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before taking his hand in mine.
“What was that for?” he asked.
“For tonight and the dress and for being a good person,” I said.
“I don’t know about the latter, but you’re welcome for the dress. Thank you for going to dinner with me tonight. It was nice not to be the third wheel.” He chuckled.
“I think they are both amazing, and I can see they really care for you.”
Rand laughed, shaking his head again. “I can tell you it didn’t start out that way. I was not fond of Bella, and the feeling was mutual. We had a bit of a rocky start, but once I saw how happy she made Adrian and how she truly cared about him, we became friends.”
I burst into laughter. “We’re going to have to work on your first impression skills. You tend to come off very unlikable.”
“That’s not an accident.”
I nodded, remembering what he had said about preferring to keep his distance from people. I wanted to tell him there were better, kinder ways to keep people at arm’s length, but who was I to lecture him about letting people in?
We were two peas in a pod in that respect.
Chapter 21
Rand
I scanned through emails, clicking delete on the ones I had no interest in reading, which was a lot. I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to what I was doing. My mind kept going back to the other night with Nicole. She had gotten under my skin. I found myself thinking about her several times an hour.
She’d stayed the night and then left on Saturday. For the first time in all my adult life, I would have been perfectly happy to have had her stay the entire weekend. We truly had a lot of fun together and not just in bed. There was so much more I wanted to know about her, so much more I wanted to show her and experience with her. I suddenly had the feeling life was too short. There didn’t seem to be enough time to do all the living I wanted to do while experiencing it with someone I cared about.
I cared about her. I’d barely known her for a couple weeks, and I cared about her. It was a novel feeling that I was still working through, trying to figure out the ins and outs of a relationship that was more than just sex.
“You look deep in thought,” Adrian said from my doorway.
I looked up and shrugged a shoulder. “I do have deep thoughts.”
“Not often,” he quipped, walking in and taking a seat in one of the chairs.
“What brings you by?” I asked him, a little surprised to see him in my office. It was usually the other way around.
“I wanted to tell you Bella and I really enjoyed meeting Nicole. She’s nice and not at all the woman I imagined you to be bringing,” he joked.
“I’m not sure if that was a compliment, but I’ll take it.”
“Seriously, Bella really liked her and wants to hang out again soon,” he said. “Maybe we can go out on the boat or something.”
I nodded. “She’d probably like that.”
He frowned at me. “You’re being very hedgy. Is it already over between the two of you?”
“No, but I don’t know that is has begun,” I said, not sure how to explain what was happening between the two of us because I had no earthly idea what it was.
“It sure looked like it had begun. You were different around her.”
“How so?” I asked, truly interested in what he had to say.
“I don’t know. You seemed settled, not the usual anxious Rand that’s always got to talk or laugh or drink.”
I scowled at him. “Are you saying I’m obnoxious?”
“Not at all.” He grinned.
“I’ll talk to her and let her know Bella is interested in getting together again,” I said. “She liked her and had a good time.”
“Did you figure out the wine thing?” he asked, telling me he had definitely noticed her aversion to me drinking that third glass.
“Not really.”
“Did you get sloppy drunk around her in the past?” he questioned.
“No, I don’t get sloppy drunk,” I retorted.
“Not anymore,” he said with a laugh.
“She’s had some bad experiences. She didn’t give me details, and I didn’t press.”
There was a loud knock on my door. Not a knock, a banging sound. Adrian and I both looked to see who was being so rude. Demokritos was standing in the doorway, glowering at me. I inwardly groaned, not looking forward to a confrontation with him at all.
“Can you excuse us?” I asked Adrian quietly, not wanting him to witness what I could tell was going to be an ugly conversation. Any conversation between myself and Demokritos ended up being ugly. I didn’t need ev
eryone knowing my family business—not even Adrian.
As Adrian exited my office, I rose from my chair, walking behind Demokritos to close the door. “What do you want?” I asked, knowing there was no point in making small talk.
“Where’s the letter?” he snarled.
“What letter?” I asked innocently.
“Don’t play dumb with me. I know you were given a letter from grandfather. Where is it?”
“The letter was given to me because it was addressed to me. It’s none of your business where it is.”
He was glaring at me, anger flashing in his eyes. “I just left a meeting with grandfather’s attorney. He told me the estate was left to you. I want to see that proof. I don’t believe he would ever leave anything to you.”
“I don’t care what you believe,” I answered.
“Where is the letter?” he growled. “I want to see it. I want to know what his reasons were for leaving it to you.”
“It isn’t addressed to you,” I told him, refusing to let him get me fired up. “It’s none of your business. You have no right to see it, and you have no rights to the estate.”
He shook his head. “He was coerced. There is no way he would have given the house to you.”
I shrugged. “But he did.”
“Bullshit!” he shouted. “What did you do? You don’t deserve to hold his last name, and you certainly don’t deserve the house!”
I was sure the people outside my office would hear him. “Keep your voice down. You’re in my place of business.”
“I don’t care,” he fumed. “This place is only possible because you begged him for money, and as usual, he took pity on you. The estate isn’t yours. I will never let that happen.”
“I don’t think you have a say in the matter. You can posture all you want, but it’s already done. It won’t be long before it is all switched into my name.” I took a little too much pleasure in telling him the news.
He shook his head. “You disgust me. You get ahead by doing nothing. You are a worthless person, a waste of air. It should have been you.”
I flinched. I hated that he could still get to me. He knew exactly how to cut me to the core. “If that’s all you have to say, you can go. I am not above having security remove you from my office.”
“You’re going to hide behind someone else’s coattails now? I’m not surprised. I’m only happy to hear you’ve not impregnated a woman. The world does not need any more men like you on this planet. I hope you never have a child. No child deserves you for a father.”
I inhaled through my nose, keeping my cool, letting the words roll right past me. It was my invisible suit of armor, something I had developed a very long time ago when Demokritos had turned on me. His vile words hurt, like tiny barbs pricking my skin and embedding themselves, causing pain long after they’d been tossed my way.
“Duly noted,” I said. “Now, leave.”
“Don’t have a child. I would hate for history to repeat itself.” He curled his lip as he spoke. “You’re not a man. You deserve nothing, and I will make it my personal mission to see you have nothing. Our father will never let you have that property.” He shook his head. His animosity toward me was palpable in the room.
“Whatever. It’s time for you to leave.”
“This isn’t the last you’ve heard from me or the rest of the family,” he snarled, moving toward the door. “There is no way we’re going to let you get away with this.”
“I’m not getting away with anything. The estate was given to me. I never asked for it. Take it up with him if you’ve got a problem with it.”
“Funny, make jokes about the dead. Why am I not surprised?” He threw open the door with such ferociousness I thought he might rip it off the hinges.
He stomped away, leaving a huge void in the room. I walked to the door and quietly closed it behind him. My heart was beating fast. Seeing him had caused a rush of adrenaline. I was used to going on the defensive whenever I ran across him or any of the other members of my family. I rubbed a hand over my face, trying to scrub away the feeling of guilt and remorse I always felt whenever I had a conversation with him or the rest of them.
It was why I hadn’t gone to the funeral. I didn’t want to see them. I knew they sure as hell didn’t want to see me, but it didn’t stop him from seeking me out. It pissed me off that he thought he was more entitled to the estate than I was. I had been closer to our grandfather than he was. My own father had essentially disowned Alec after they had cast me out when I was just a little boy.
There was a soft knock on the door. I sighed with resignation, preparing myself for round two. I wouldn’t be surprised to find my mother standing on the other side of the door. They were relentless, and they stuck together.
I opened the door and saw Adrian. He didn’t ask if he could come in. He pushed by me. I closed the door behind him, knowing he would have a lot of questions. Demokritos was loud and had probably made quite a scene on his way out.
“I’m sorry,” I told him, my voice devoid of any emotion. “I had no idea he was going to come here.”
“What was that about?”
“He’s mad.”
Adrian smirked. “I think he’s been mad for ten years.”
“Twenty actually,” I replied.
He nodded. “Is everything okay? Do you need anything from me?”
“Nope, not unless you have a way of giving me a different family,” I said, reverting back to joking to deal with the pain.
“I wish I could,” he said seriously. “You know you can talk to me.”
“I do. Thanks. I’m fine. It’s old family drama that he insists on bringing up. I don’t think he’ll be back. If he does, I’ll have security throw him out.”
“Okay, works for me. Think about what I said earlier. I’d love to tell Bella we’ve come up with a plan.”
“I’ll talk to Nicole,” I told him, my mind elsewhere. “I’m not sure when, but I’m sure I’ll see her this week.”
He gave me a puzzled look. “You think you’ll see her?” he questioned.
“I told you, I don’t know how to explain us. We’re seeing each other. We’re not married or committed.” I shrugged, not in the mood for questions or assumptions about my relationship with her.
I was already wondering if Demokritos would go to the house again. I didn’t want him there. I made a note to myself to have the locks changed. I didn’t trust him not to try something sneaky.
“All right. I’ll check in with you later. I’ll be in Athens the next couple of days taking care of some clients. Call me if something comes up.” He left the office.
I felt deflated and collapsed in my chair. It seemed as if my mistakes were destined to haunt me for the rest of my days. There was no way my family would ever let me escape my past. They were always there to remind me. The only way out of the bad memory was to get away. The island wasn’t far enough away. I needed a full ocean between us. It was the only way I could ever live, really live. Moving and leaving everything I knew behind did not appeal to me. I didn’t want to leave Nicole behind.
Maybe I could convince her to run away with me, I mused, a smile spreading across my face as I imagined us on a deserted island with nothing but the fish and seagulls to keep us company. We could be naked all day, and there would be no one to judge us. No one to look at us and tell us all the horrible things wrong with each of us.
The idea had real appeal.
Chapter 22
Nicole
Gretta walked into the kitchen, a huge smile on her face. “Thank you!”
I looked at her. “For-r-r?” I asked, dragging out the word, not sure what I had done and whether or not I deserved credit for the deed.
She held up an envelope. “Paychecks. This week, last week, and a bonus to make up for the lapse.”
I smiled, full of relief. “Good, but don’t thank me. Thank Mr. Mattas.”
“Which one?” she asked with a wink.
I shook my he
ad. “All I did was pass along Alec’s wishes. He made it very clear about what he wanted for the house. It’s the least I could do.”
“We all thank you. I don’t think anyone else could have gotten through to the new owner.”
“He’s a reasonable man,” I said. “I expect he’ll want to carry out his grandfather’s wishes. Are you still looking for other employment?”
“I’m keeping my ears open,” she said a little sorrowfully. “Honestly, there is no need for a full staff. Mr. Mattas gave us all glowing recommendation letters before he passed. It’s the foothold we all needed to find another good job. I don’t think he’d want us sticking around just for the sake of sticking around.”
I nodded. “I do understand.”
“I’ve written a letter to the new owner, recommending he keep you on as the head of the staff and maybe the groundskeeper,” she said. “There’s truly no need for all of us.”
“You wrote a letter?” I asked, surprised Rand hadn’t mentioned it.
“I did.”
“Thank you. I wish you luck, but I hope you’ll be around for a while.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Are you done for the day?”
She nodded. “It’s just you. I’m giving Maribel a ride into the city. Will you be okay?”
I giggled softly. “It’ll just be me and the ghosts. I’ll be fine.”
I grabbed the basket of cleaning supplies and headed upstairs to take care of the dusting and mopping. I put in my earbuds, turned on my favorite playlist, and began to sing while I cleaned. I knew it wouldn’t be long before I would have to start looking for another job.
I doubted I would ever find one I liked as much as the one I had now. What wasn’t to like? I was essentially free to do my own thing, listen to my music, and think. I thought about Rand a lot. I thought about Alec, and I thought about my life back home and wondered how my dad was. I didn’t know if I actually cared, but I did wonder what his life was like without me in it. Was he happy?
A tap on my shoulder nearly gave me heart failure. I spun around, pulling the earbuds from my ears with one hand and the other with my dust rag ready to do what I could to defend myself against my attacker.
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