“I’m sorry.” Kellie kicked off her shoes and flung herself across the bed before she remembered she needed to be more careful. Slowly she turned over on her back and tucked a pillow under her head. Once she got started talking with her best friend, everything came tumbling out, until Fran was completely caught up.
“Deep down I always thought she was unstable, but I never dreamed Frato was involved.”
“It’s very sad.”
“Hey, Kellie? What’s going on? Please tell me you didn’t believe Karmela’s claim that she’s carrying your husband’s child!”
She shuddered. “No, but you never heard such a convincing performance in your life.”
“Oh, Kellie... After everything that’s happened, did you tell Leandros you still believe her?”
“I told him just the opposite!”
“But you left him in doubt by not going house hunting with him.”
“I couldn’t right then,” she said defensively as tears scalded her cheeks.
“Then it sounds like she’s won and you’ve lost the greatest man you’ll ever meet on this earth. They don’t come any finer than Leandros. I love you, Kellie, but I’m sorry for you.”
Fran’s comment was like a stab through the heart. “I’m going to hang up now.”
“Don’t do that! Talk to me! Surely learning about Frato’s involvement with her explains everything. It should have made a new woman out of you! What’s going on with you?”
“Honestly, it has removed every doubt I ever had, but I’m terrified of what she’s going to do to him. The second Karmela left his office with Christos, Leandros acted like nothing traumatic had happened. After what she’d vowed to do, I couldn’t imagine going anywhere.”
“That’s your husband, Kellie. He seizes the moment, then moves on. It’s part of his brilliance.”
“But Karmela is going to come after him! It will cause terrible trouble in their families, just as Frato predicted. I know it.”
“Obviously Leandros isn’t worried about it. I’d say he’s much more concerned about where the four of you are going to live.”
“We’re not officially back together. We still have other issues to work through. After the way I left him earlier, I don’t know when he’ll speak to me again.”
“Just have faith that he will! You’re the one who wanted counseling and agreed to do it here in Athens. Since he gave up his apartment, it’s only natural he’s anxious to find a place for the new family coming. Hotel living gets old in a hurry, even in one as posh as the Cassandra.”
“I realize that, but I’m still reeling from what went on his office with Karmela. I don’t know how he puts one foot in front of the other. Oh, Fran, I know I’ve hurt him again. He probably won’t come back to the hotel until I’m asleep tonight.”
“Maybe that’s not a bad thing. It will give him time to cool off. Just remember he’s a big boy and will get over it. You can discuss it with him in front of Mrs. Lasko at your session tomorrow. That’s what marriage counseling is all about. What time do you have to be there?”
Kellie could hear little Demi making noises in the background. “At eleven. I think your daughter is getting hungry. I’ll hang up so you can feed her.”
“Okay. But before you go, you have no idea how thrilled I am that you’re going to be in Athens for your therapy. I’ve missed you.”
Kellie closed her eyes tightly. “Same here.”
“Why don’t we leave plans open for tomorrow? I’d love to have lunch with you, but depending on how things go at therapy, maybe the four of us could get together for a barbecue here at the apartment on the patio toward evening. Nik and I are dying to be with the two of you again. He told me to ask you to come over.”
“I’ll talk to Leandros and let you know. That is, if he’s still speaking to me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Give Demi a kiss from me. Goodbye for now.”
Kellie clicked off and rolled onto her stomach. The day’s events had drained her. Unfortunately, the relief of knowing the truth about Karmela was overshadowed by the ugliness of her threats.
Kellie was afraid Leandros wasn’t taking this seriously enough. Tomorrow she’d discuss this latest fear in front of their therapist. He would be forced to listen. If anything happened to him...
Tears crept out of the corners of her eyes before she knew nothing more.
CHAPTER SIX
AFTER SEEING KELLIE safely inside the hotel, Leandros drove over to his former apartment, feeling like a shellshocked victim. If his wife still harbored any doubts about him where Karmela was concerned, then their marriage truly was over. But until he calmed down, he wanted another talk with Frato.
Leandros didn’t know what to expect, but he knew his cousin was in deep trouble and needed help. In order not to embarrass Frato further, this was one visit he needed to make without Kellie.
En route, he contacted a Realtor he knew well and asked him to come up with some houses to show him and Kellie later on. After he’d finished that call, Leandros phoned his attorney and brought him up to speed about the situation with Frato and Karmela. “I want you prepared for anything that might happen in the next few hours or days. Let’s get some private detectives to put her under surveillance.”
With that accomplished, he drove into the underground parking. He spotted
Frato’s BMW, but it didn’t necessarily mean he was there. As for Karmela, she could be anywhere, drumming up trouble. She was impulsive, disturbed and furious. Leandros didn’t know what to expect.
The second the elevator door opened to the penthouse, he saw Frato dressed in a robe, sprawled on the couch in the living room. He had one foot on the floor and had been drinking. His cousin had been doing more and more of that over the past few years.
“Frato? Where’s Karmela?”
He squinted up at Leandros. “It’s a cinch she’s not here with me. I haven’t seen her since all hell broke loose after I got back from Andros yesterday.”
“For your information, more broke loose in the office this morning after I let her go. She threw out some expected and unexpected threats before I asked Christos to escort her off the premises.”
At that news, Frato struggled to his feet with a groan. “You went in to work?”
“Someone needs to be running the Petralia Corporation, don’t you think? Don’t worry. I covered for you and told Mrs. Kostas I was still on vacation. We’re family, Frato, and we have to stick together. The last thing I’m going to do is fire you, but I need you sober. Go take a shower and get dressed for work while I fix you some coffee so we can talk.”
While he waited, he phoned his electronics technician and asked him to come over and remove all codes except Frato’s from the elevator security system. As Leandros clicked off, Frato reappeared. His cousin had done his best to disguise the fact that he was hungover.
“Who was that?”
“Not Karmela.” After telling him he’d called the security technician to come, Leandros handed him a mug of coffee. “I’ll explain why in a minute. Tell me the truth. Is Karmela pregnant with your baby? Is that why the rush to get married?”
The shocked look on Frato’s face was all the explanation Leandros needed. With that question answered, he pulled out his cell phone. “I recorded everything the second Karmela walked through the door to my office.” He turned it on and they both listened.
By the time they’d heard the door close behind Christos, Frato’s tanned complexion had faded several degrees. With a trembling hand, he set down his empty mug.
Leandros switched off the recording. “I’m sorry you had to hear that, but it was necessary. She’s got a serious problem, Frato. For a long time she’s been using our weaknesses to play all of us against each other.
“You need to know I’ve already alerted my attorney. If you and I join forces, then whatever she tries to do to discredit us to the media or the families, we’ll be a step ahead of her until she gets the help she ne
eds.”
He had never seen his cousin’s brown eyes water like that before. “I can’t believe what I just heard.” Frato sank down on one of the bar stools. “What a damn fool I’ve been all these years.”
Leandros patted him on the shoulder. “You don’t want to hear what a damn fool I’ve been since I listened to Petra and gave Karmela carte blanche to do what she wanted. In my desire to placate Petra, I enabled Karmela in a way that has brought my marriage to Kellie to the brink of disaster. But we’ve started marriage counseling to try to save us.”
“You’re kidding....”
“No. Naturally it was Kellie’s idea, because I’ve been too impossible to deal with.”
“So that’s what brought her back?”
Leandros shook his head. “She flew here to tell me in person that we’re expecting twins next March.”
Frato let out a long whistle that reverberated throughout the penthouse. “Twins? I’m beyond happy for you, Leandros.”
His cousin sounded so genuine, it brought a lump to Leandros’s throat. “I’m ecstatic myself. Kellie said I deserved to hear the news in person, but she still expected the divorce to go through. I told her I’d just made arrangements with you so I could fly to Pennsylvania, where we could go to counseling. After talking it over, we decided to do our counseling here. We’ve had one session already, with another one scheduled for tomorrow.”
Frato’s head jerked back. “Does Karmela know about this?”
“Not her or anyone. I want to keep it that way for the time being.”
“Understood. Do you want the penthouse back?”
“It’s yours, Frato, with my blessing. I found out Kellie never wanted to live here.”
“Why not?”
“Because Petra lived here with me. Kellie wanted a place of our own, but I was too caught up in my desires to ask her what she wanted. Right now we’re looking for a house.”
“Incredible.”
“Are you with me?”
“Yes!”
“Good. Together we can withstand any storm. When the families start calling you, pretend you know nothing. I suggest you get to the office so no one will suspect anything’s wrong. Mrs. Kostas knows Karmela has been fired. She’ll send her final check to her parents. While you dig into work, I’m going to enjoy my vacation.”
Frato nodded. “I’m leaving now.”
“One more thing. The technician is on his way over to delete Karmela’s code from the elevator. When she calls because it’s on the blink, tell her to find herself a good attorney, and assure her you’ll have her things shipped to her parents.”
As Leandros started to leave, Frato grabbed him and gave him a bear hug, the kind they used to share before their lives got complicated. “I swear I’m going to do better.”
“I’ll make you the same promise.” He knew his cousin would hurt for a long time, but at least Frato’s blinders had come off for good.
With everything taken care of for the time being, Leandros felt an enormous weight had been lifted. He left for the hotel, eager to talk to Kellie and explain why he’d thought it was wise she remain there until he got back. His Realtor had called and left the message that he had some wonderful prospects for them, whenever they wanted to see them.
It was midafternoon when Leandros found her in her bedroom, sound asleep on top of the bed, resting on her side. She was still dressed in the skirt and top she’d worn to the office. Her shimmering gold hair was splayed across the pillow. There was no sign that she’d eaten lunch.
He stood in the doorway while his eyes devoured the sight lying before him. She was his whole world. Inside her delectable body their children were growing. They had a glorious future ahead of them. As badly as he wanted to lie down on that bed with her, he didn’t dare. For once in his life he needed to practice patience and restraint in order to win back her trust.
“Leandros?” she murmured, after he’d turned to walk down the hall. “Is that you?”
He came back. “Who else?”
She sat up, trying to arrange her disheveled hair. His wife reminded him of a tantalizing mermaid. “When did you get back?”
“Just now.”
“It’s four o’clock. I can’t believe I slept this long.”
“Jet lag has finally caught up with you. Did you eat in the restaurant?”
“No.” She slid off the bed, causing her skirt to ride up her thighs before she stood. Kellie had no idea how desirable she was to him. “After I got off the phone with Fran, I fell asleep. Have you eaten?”
“Not yet.”
“Then you must be starving, too. I’ll order something from the kitchen for both of us.”
“While you do that, I’ll check my voice mail.” He went into the sitting room, curious to see if there were any developments that needed immediate attention.
Dionne and Zera had both called. No surprise there. They wanted to know why Karmela had been fired. He moved on to the next call, from his Realtor.
“I’ve got a property in Mets. It’s a taste of old Athens, with a tiled roof and a charming courtyard. Lots of flowering trees and shrubs of jasmine and bougainvillea. It’s in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods and won’t stay on the market long. If you’re interested, I’ll show it to you this evening, along with a couple of others.”
Nothing could have pleased Leandros more. The last message came from his father, asking him to call him as soon as possible. As he clicked off, Kellie joined him. “Anything important?”
“I’ll let you be the judge. From here on out, you and I are going to do everything together, so there won’t be any more misunderstandings that could start another war.” He replayed the messages for her.
Kellie looked shattered by his cousins’ calls. “Karmela didn’t waste any time, did she? It appears her family has already gotten to your father.”
“I’ll call him back after I’ve heard from my attorney. That might not be for another day or two. I want to be in possession of more facts before I touch base with him. He’ll know how to calm down my mother.”
“He’s good at that.”
A knock on the door alerted them that their dinner had arrived. Once the waiter had come and gone, they sat down to eat. “Shall I let the Realtor know we’d like to see those houses he phoned about?”
“Yes,” she said unexpectedly. “This is a lovely hotel, but it’s not a home. I’m sure you’re anxious to get settled in something permanent.”
Meaning she wasn’t?
Her response left him feeling raw, but for once he wasn’t going to erupt. Instead, he pulled out his phone and made arrangements with the Realtor that would keep them occupied for the evening.
Tomorrow would be their second therapy session. It couldn’t come soon enough for him.
* * *
Olympia was already in her chair when Kellie walked into the room with Leandros at eleven. “Good morning, Mrs. Lasko.”
“Good morning to you. Thank you for being on time.”
Kellie gave the credit to Leandros, who had seemed equally anxious to get on with the therapy once breakfast was over. After they’d looked at four different houses the evening before—all of which she found had something wrong with them—he was up early on the phone with the Realtor, getting another list of houses for them to look at after their session.
“Please sit down.”
Leandros helped her into the chair before he took his seat.
“Anything to report since our last session, before we get started?”
“Quite a lot, actually,” Kellie blurted. She looked at Leandros. “Shall I tell her?”
“Go ahead.”
Kellie explained about their meetings with Karmela and Frato. When she’d finished, Olympia eyed her in surprise. “I had no idea the results of our first session would produce anything as dramatic as what you’ve just described. Indeed, Karmela Paulos needs professional help.
“What’s more important is that you’ve taken steps to
remove the hornets’ nest from your lives. It’s an impressive start. I wish all my clients had results like yours within a forty-eight-hour period. Are you prepared to face what might come if she goes to the media in her rage?”
“My attorney is already working on it,” Leandros stated with his usual confidence.
“In that case, why don’t we begin with you. I’d like you to give me a picture of your life growing up on Andros. The mention of cousins came up in the last session. What part do they play in the family dynamic that has brought grief and makes them stand out?”
Since Olympia wrote no notes and didn’t use a tape recorder, Kellie marveled at her photographic memory.
“We’re a big family and all work in the Petralia Corporation. I have two living grandparents, but they’ve long since retired. My parents are semiretired. Though I’m an only child, I have five uncles and aunts, all married with children. I also have two great-
uncles and aunts still alive with family.
“Of all the cousins, I’m closest to Frato. He’s acting as CEO in my place while I’m on vacation right now. I have five boy cousins and six girl cousins, some older, some younger, two of whom have always been friendly with Karmela Paulos.”
“So the joining of the Petralia and Paulos families at the time of your first wedding brought you all together even more intimately.”
“Yes.”
“All are well married, wealthy?”
“Yes.”
“Including the Paulos family?”
“Yes.”
“Except for Karmela, who’s still single and delusional.”
“Yes.”
The older woman’s gaze swerved to Kellie. “Now I want to hear about your upbringing.” Olympia moved from subject to subject with a swiftness that made it hard to keep up.
Kellie cleared her throat. “My parents died when I was a baby, so I was raised by my mother’s sister and her husband in Philadelphia. They weren’t blessed with children, so it was the three of us. They’re still alive.”
“What does your uncle do for a living?”
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