The Greek's Green Card Bride - A Billionaire Romance

by Holly Rayner

  Chapter 19

  Dimitris

  Dimitris sat in his rented sports car and looked up at the front facade of the Four Columns Residences. Though many of the windows were lit up with warm, honey-colored interior lights, the windows to his penthouse were a reflective, stony black, like obsidian.

  Empty, he thought. The penthouse is empty.

  The thought of seeing the fake decor made him feel nauseated. He did not want to go inside.

  He looked away from the dark windows and back to his phone, which he’d just set down on the console.

  He’d tried to call Eva, but she had not picked up.

  Maybe it’s for the best, he thought. What would I say to her, anyway?

  Tension crawled along his muscles and made him shift restlessly. He didn’t know what he would say to Eva because he didn’t know how he felt.

  He was a master at negotiating business deals, being five steps ahead of the competition, and managing employees, but when it came to his own emotions, he had to admit that he sometimes felt lost—like a kindergartener who had just picked up a play by Shakespeare, and was trying to understand the plot.

  It can’t be that complex, he thought. I’m just upset.

  His body was filled with energy, and he noted that his jaw kept tightening and releasing as if he was chewing an invisible stick of gum.

  He reached a hand up and dragged it through his hair. He exhaled a frustrated breath, along with a few curses.

  In the past, when he’d felt upset, he’d always taken action.

  If he’d failed to close on a sale—which was rare but had happened once or twice—he would get to work on perfecting his next pitch so that the failure wouldn’t happen again. If a competitor put out a superior product, Dimitris would call a meeting with his design team and talk about strategies for moving forward. If there was a malfunction at one of the factories that manufactured his products, he would visit the factory himself, and make a plan for fixing the broken part.

  But no matter how he looked at his current situation with Eva, he couldn’t figure out how to move forward.

  He wanted to take massive action. In fact, his whole body buzzed with that need. Sitting idle in his parked car was driving him crazy. But he didn’t know what action to take.

  There was no sales pitch to perfect. No meeting to call. And no broken machine piece to replace.

  The desire to move overwhelmed him, and he got out of the car, slammed the door, and pocketed his keys. He didn’t want to face the empty penthouse, so he turned away from the Four Columns complex and walked at a brisk pace down the sidewalk.

  Streetlights bathed the sidewalk in pale yellow light. For the next hour, he walked. He didn’t think about where he was going; he simply moved forward, while lost in thought about Eva.

  It felt good to exert some of the energy that had been building up inside of him, ever since the federal agents had arrived at her apartment door that morning. He breathed in and out deeply, letting the stale air that had accumulated at the detention center escape from his lungs. It had been painful to see Eva in handcuffs.

  But she broke the law, he thought to himself. And she didn’t even tell me!

  He walked faster.

  Am I angry? Yes, of course I am!

  But at her?

  This question, posed by some deep part of himself, caught him off guard.

  He reached the end of a block and had to wait for the signal to change so that he could cross.

  He closed his eyes briefly and imagined Eva’s expression as she described fleeing from her past.

  No, he thought. I’m not angry at her. She did what she had to do to protect herself.

  If she’d told me about it, I would have called off the fake marriage. Then I never would have gotten to know her in the way that I did.

  The crossing signal lit up. Dimitris shoved his hands into his pockets and stepped off of the curb. His head was down as he crossed the street, and he was halfway down the next block before he recognized where he was.

  He’d walked to an area of the Penn Quarter neighborhood that he and Eva had visited together—on the night he proposed his plan to her. Up ahead, he could see the little cafe where he’d first mentioned the idea. He would soon pass by it.

  His thoughts continued to churn as he walked on. Something Eva had said, just a few hours prior, kept ringing through his mind: “We’re both worse off than when we met.”

  Was that true? It broke his heart to think that it might be.

  “Dimitris? Hey!”

  The sound of a deep, friendly voice broke through Dimitris’s thoughts, and he turned to see who was speaking.

  A tall man wearing red-framed glasses was waving at him from a doorway. It took a moment for Dimitris to recall the man’s name. When he did he said, “Oh, hi. Tahj, right?”

  The man nodded and smiled. “Tahj Cutler,” he said. “What are you doing out so late? Did you swing by to see your wife’s artwork?”

  Dimitris realized with a start that he was just a few feet from the Cutler Gallery. He was so disoriented that it took him a moment to realize that Tahj was referring to Eva when he said “your wife.”

  “Oh, you mean you have some of Eva’s artwork up?” he said.

  Tahj laughed and shook his head. “You newlyweds crack me up. I guess it takes a while to get used to calling someone ‘wife’ or ‘husband,’ huh? Yeah, Eva. I talked her into letting me show a few of her newest pieces. You mean she didn’t tell you?”

  “No, I’ve been traveling, and we haven’t had a chance to talk much.”

  The excuse sounded lame to Dimitris, but Tahj didn’t seem to mind. He continued beaming.

  “Well come on in and check them out, man!” he said, as he stepped into his gallery and beckoned for Dimitris to follow.

  The gallery was brightly lit with white walls, which made Dimitris feel like he’d just stepped into broad daylight. He had to blink a few times as his eyes adjusted.

  A half dozen people wandered around the space, talking in low voices as they looked at various paintings that hung from the wall. Hip-hop music played through the speakers, and in the corner of the gallery by the front windows, there was a table set up with wine, water, and some light appetizers.

  “It’s the Penn Quarter Art Walk night,” Tahj explained when he saw Dimitris looking at the refreshments. “Can I get you a glass of wine? Or are you hungry?”

  Dimitris shook his head. “I’m okay,” he said with a wave of his hand. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten, but he didn’t have an appetite

  “You’re not okay,” Tahj said. His tone wasn’t judgmental, simply calm and compassionate. “I can tell when a person has something on their mind.” Tahj tapped the side of his head and gave Dimitris a wink.

  Dimitris remembered then that Tahj had a reputation for being perceptive. What had Eva called him? he wondered. Ah, yes. Doctor Tahj, the artist community’s psychiatrist.

  “You don’t have to tell me what’s worrying you,” Tahj said, as if he could guess that Dimitris wouldn’t want to open up. “I’m just saying, you don’t have to pretend everything’s okay when it’s not. I know how it is to be down sometimes, brother.” He put a hand on Dimitris’s shoulder and looked into his eyes. Then he brightened up and said, “Come on, let me show you Eva’s artwork.”

  Dimitris followed Tahj to a far wall in the room.

  There were four paintings hung on it, at varying heights. They were bright, bold, and beautiful. Each one was a unique scene in nature, created with patterns. The sight of them took Dimitris’s breath away. He realized, as he looked, that he’d never seen Eva’s artwork before.

  “Stunning, right?” Tahj said. He was standing a few feet away from the wall, gazing at the paintings with appreciation.

  Dimitris nodded. “Very,” he said.

  “To tell you the truth, man, these are the best paintings she’s ever done,” Tahj said. “Love has a way of doing that to an artist, you know what
I’m saying? It’s like it opens up new capabilities in them. I swear, it’s like a superpower or something.”

  He turned to Dimitris. “Hey, I don’t think I even had a chance to congratulate you yet. When I heard you and Eva had tied the knot, I was thrilled. I wish you two all the best.”

  “Thanks,” Dimitris said. He couldn’t meet Tahj’s eye. The man was so sincere and spoke with so much authenticity. Dimitris almost felt guilty about accepting his well-wishes.

  Tahj went on. “You’re a lucky guy, as I’m sure you know. She’s quite a woman. Did she tell you that I asked her out once?”

  “No,” Dimitris said, with a subtle shake of his head. He turned his eyes back to the paintings. The one right in front of him was of a tree, its branches spreading into the heavens. Two birds sat on a branch, facing each other. “She didn’t mention that.”

  “Well, I did,” Tahj said. He chuckled. “Back before we became friends. I don’t think I’ve ever been turned down so fast, or with so much grace. She gave me a polite and instant ‘no.’ Actually, I’ve heard the same story from quite a few guys that tried to get her to go on a date. We all figured she was waiting for ‘the one.’”

  Tahj grinned. “I’m glad that she found you, Dimitris. You two make quite the pair. I could tell the minute I saw you together.”

  His tone was warm and sincere. There was no jealousy evident. He reached a hand out and pointed to the birds in Eva’s painting. “See this?” he said. “Two birds. Not one, but two.”

  Dimitris examined the birds. They were plump, round little feathered creatures, painted in sunshine yellow. They looked happy, sitting on the branch, side by side.

  Tahj went on. “Before Eva met you, she painted animals in nature alone. See? Solo. I’ve got a beautiful one that she did of a fox sitting by a river. It’s hanging up in my den.”

  Tahj gestured to the painting again. “Paintings are like windows to the soul, don’t you think? I love that about art. I get to take a look into the inner landscape of some of the most interesting and unique people in the world.”

  Dimitris let his eyes move from the painting of the birds to the one at its side. In it, two wolves were curled up under a blanket of stars. In the painting beside that, two butterflies danced through a pattern of puffy clouds that spread across a bright blue sky. In the bottom corner of the fourth painting, two crows perched on a fence, watching a golden sunset together.

  As he took this in, he felt Tahj pat him on the shoulder. “So whatever’s bothering you, man, just remember—you’ve got a good woman at your side now, and you two can handle whatever life throws at you. Life’s pretty good at hurling those obstacles around, am I right? The universe is like some deranged softball player.”

  He laughed at his own joke, and then said, “I’ve got to go make sure the wine’s holding up. I swear, sometimes these art walks turn into booze walks. But hey, it gets people through the door, so I really shouldn’t be complaining. You hang in there, brother, all right?”

  “Thanks,” Dimitris said. Then he stood, staring at the paintings.

  She’s painting animals in pairs of two, he thought as he examined the yellow birds.

  Tahj said that Eva was waiting for the one.

  Am I the one for her?

  Is she the one for me?

  A feeling of lightness filled his body, and suddenly, as he looked at the two plump yellow birds, everything seemed so clear.

  This situation isn’t as complicated as I’m making it, he thought, with sudden clarity.

  I love her.

  The words filled his mind and his heart. He felt as though he wanted to shout it out loud so that his voice would fill the gallery. He wanted to hear the words echo off of the walls. I love Eva!

  He took one last long look at the painting of the birds, and then retreated to the gallery’s front door. His body hummed with energy as he stepped back out into the cool night air.

  I love her, he thought. How have I been so blind to that?

  It’s like Tahj said, Eva and I can handle whatever life throws at us.

  Right now, that happens to be one big, messy trial.

  He whipped out his phone and dialed Stavros. As he waited for his lawyer to pick up, he considered the fact that it was only six a.m. in Greece. While Dimitris had been living through one of the most challenging days of his life, his coworkers in Greece had probably been sleeping soundly in bed.

  The lawyer picked up on the second ring. “Dimitris! How are you?” he said in a chipper tone. “Good of you to call me back so early. I’m guessing Anna gave you my message?” Dimitris heard a soft slurp as Stavros sipped his morning cup of espresso.

  “No—well, I did see she called and left a voicemail, but I’ve been tied up all day and haven’t had a chance to listen to it,” Dimitris said.

  “Ah, well then, it’s lucky you called,” Stavros replied. “I have a few questions for you with regards to that new policy we’re instating for the engineers. You remember, about publishing papers in trade journals. Now, I know you want—”

  “Stavros,” Dimitris interrupted. “We have a bigger problem than that on our hands.”

  “Oh? What’s that?” Stavros asked, his voice dipping with concern.

  “It’s a problem here in the States,” Dimitris said. He started to walk. It felt good to move again. “I need you to gather up the best team of lawyers that you can come up with. Do whatever you have to do to get them—if they’re already working a case, pay them twice what they’re making if they’ll pass it off to someone else and come work for me. I want the best and brightest minds working on this. Of course, I’d like you to head up the team, if you’ll do me the honor. I’ll need you here in DC as soon as possible.”

  Stavros didn’t answer immediately, and Dimitris had been in enough meetings with the man to know that meant he was scribbling down notes on his trusty yellow legal pad.

  After a moment Stavros said, “Trouble with the US government sale?”

  “Yes, but that’s not what I need the lawyers for,” Dimitris said.

  “Oh?” Stavros sounded puzzled.

  Dimitris spoke. “The sale to the US government is going to fall through, but that doesn’t worry me.”

  “Doesn’t worry you?” Stavros repeated with shock. His voice took on a joking tone. “Whoever this is, hand the phone over to Dimitris Atheos. I need to talk to my friend.”

  “Stavros, I’m being completely honest with you,” Dimitris said. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, either, but I’m not worried about that sale anymore. It doesn’t matter to me.”

  “But you’ve gone to so much trouble to secure it,” Stavros said. “Of course it matters to you!”

  Dimitris shook his head. “No, it doesn’t,” he said. He stopped his brisk walk and looked into the park that he was passing. The massive oak trees that lined the entryway stood like sentries, guarding the shadow-covered, grassy expanse beyond.

  The trees were so beautiful—works of art in their own right. He felt as if he was seeing the curving branches and thousands of leaves that adorned them for the first time.

  “I have so much clarity right now,” he said.

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Stavros said, “but to me, it sounds like you’ve lost your mind. That sale was going to net the company millions! It was going to put Atheos Propulsion Systems ahead of the competition and make you stand out in the market. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

  “I thought that was what I wanted,” Dimitris said. “But I was wrong.”

  “I’ve never heard a man sound so happy about being wrong,” Stavros said. Slurp, he took in a sip of his drink. “I don’t understand. You need a whole team of lawyers, but not with regard to your sale. What do you need them for?”

  “Eva,” Dimitris said. The word tasted sweet on his tongue. It felt like a relief to speak about her out loud. “She’s in trouble, and I need to help her. That’s all that matters to me now. I just want her to be safe and happy.”

/>   He remembered the way it had felt to get down on one knee and propose to her, in that little coffee shop. He’d felt so energized and so happy, and now he knew why. Some deep part of him had been in love with her all along. He was so terrified of opening up to another soul that he’d denied it, with every fiber of his being. Now, with his newfound clarity, he could see it all so plainly.

  She was special. She was unique. She was the one.

  He spoke again, and the strong emotions he was feeling made his tone rise and fall with animation. “I won’t rest until she’s safe, Stavros. Forget about sales. Forget about my company! It doesn’t matter. Eva matters.”

  Stavros chuckled. “Ah, I understand.” He sounded like he was smiling. “Dimitris, you finally have your priorities straight. Katerina has been saying that it would happen soon. I think she hoped you would fall in love with one of our daughters, but c’est la vie. No one can control who they fall in love with. I’ll get a team together. Give me a few hours. I’ll call you with an update as soon as I’ve got one.”

  “Thank you,” Dimitris said. “I mean that, Stavros. Thank you for everything.”

  Chapter 20

  Eva

  “I’m so nervous,” Eva said as she got out of Nikki’s car and slammed the passenger door shut.

  She stepped up onto the sidewalk, shielding her eyes so that she could look up at the Meridian Courthouse building without being blinded by the mid-morning sun. It was a bright, hot day, perfect for a walk by the wharf or a trip to the park. Eva wished fervently that she was on her way to do any activity besides sit in a courtroom to be judged for mistakes from her past.

  She’d not been able to eat that morning, due to nerves, and she regretted this now as she looked up at the building, feeling weak and lightheaded. Her appetite had been off for the past few days, ever since the FBI had showed up at her door.

  The last food she remembered actually enjoying was the first few bites of the blueberry muffin she’d baked. Now, every time she tried to eat, she couldn’t help but think about what the food might taste like in prison.