The Greek Tycoon Box Set: The Complete Serial: Books 1-10 (37 page)

“So have you really got a pal or is this an elaborate scheme so you can spend ten less minutes in jail?”

“There is a man, all right. Brian.”

“That’s Brian Kennedy, right?” Atreus said.

“Dunno.”
 

The man put on a stormy face and looked out of the window at his friends being led away to other police cars.

“Who is Brian Kennedy?” the policeman asked Atreus.

Atreus was so tired of hearing that name.
 

“Brian Kennedy is my fiancée’s ex-boyfriend. He has caused considerable trouble for us, both here and in the Bahamas. I was hoping we’d seen the last of him.”

The policeman reversed out of the police formation and got back on the road.
 

“Well, if he’s involved in this, you won’t see him for a good long time, I tell you. He won’t see freedom for ten years, I reckon.” He looked at the criminal in the back. “Was it worth it? What’s your name?”

“Bugs Bunny.”

“Oh, we have a comedian,” the policeman said. “You don’t have to tell me. We’ll run your fingerprints down at the station and I’m sure our system will light up like a Christmas tree. I can tell this isn’t your first offense.”

The criminal made a noise of annoyance, then said, “He’s at the service station on Junction 13. Or at least that’s where he got out.”

“Why did he get out?” Atreus asked.

“What does it matter?” the criminal said. “He was there all the time before that. He was the driver.”

At the next junction, the policeman came off the slip road, turned the roundabout and came back down the other side. He was in a much better mood, Atreus noticed, as he was tapping his fingers on the steering wheel and whistling a tune.
 

Atreus was in a much better mood, too. He texted Carla to tell her he was all right, the Swanson-Jessups had been freed, and that Brian was involved. His arrest was imminent if he had remained at the service station. All they could do now was hope.

Soon enough other police cars joined them, and by the time they pulled into the service station, they were seven strong.

“Stay here,” the policeman said sternly to the criminal. “And if you’re pulling a stupid joke, you’ll be charged with wasting police time as well.”

The criminal turned his head away and sniffed with contempt.
 

“He was here. I can’t say if he is now.”

Atreus raised his eyebrows and the policeman nodded, so Atreus got out of the car. He was relishing the prospect of coming face to face with Brian again. He was pumped with the energy of the chase and the thrill of the catch and had so much to say to him.

The police huddled together, excluding Atreus, talking in low voices. The policeman finally returned to the squad car and hauled the criminal out, still in his handcuffs. They walked toward the service station, quite casually—it was none of the storming Atreus had expected.

“You even try and escape and we’ll throw the book at you when we catch you,” the policeman said. “There’s nowhere to run anyway, except into a field or the motorway. The field, we’ll find you with a helicopter in half a minute. The motorway you’ll find yourself under a car.”

“I ain’t running,” the criminal said. “I ain’t running, all right? Just as long as we get this stupid pussy, I ain’t running.”

“You ain’t running whether we get him or not,” the policeman said. “And that’s an order.”
 

It was almost too easy.
 

There Brian was, sitting in McDonalds with a table littered with wrappers. He was slumped back in the chair, picking listlessly at fries, looking like life was passing him by completely.

“That’s him,” the criminal said, nodding.

Brian hadn’t noticed any of them. It looked to Atreus like his eyes were glazed over.

“Can I speak to him?” Atreus asked the policeman. “Just for a couple of minutes.”

“Once he’s under arrest,” the policeman replied.

They swarmed the table and Brian blinked back to life. He looked startled, then dejected, as they handcuffed him.

“There,” the policeman said. “Have your word if you like.”

The police hung back a little as Atreus sat opposite Brian at the table. Brian stared blankly back at him.
 

Atreus noticed that there was none of the arrogant malice in him that he had seen before. He looked like a broken man.

“It’s time to change your life,” Atreus said.

Brian nodded, slowly.
 

“Yes,” he said, in little more than a whisper.

“Move on.”

“Yes.”

There was silence as they both regarded each other. Though the past between them had happened and could never be changed, there was something new in their eyes, too. Maybe some kind of respect.

Brian strained toward his pocket, but could not manipulate his hands the way he wanted because of the cuffs. After bowing his head, he whispered, “Put your hand in my left pocket.”

Atreus did as Brian asked, reaching into his pocket. He found something small, metallic, cold. He drew it out and was astonished to see Carla’s engagement ring.

“Take it,” Brian said. “It’s not mine.”

Atreus turned it over in his hand, shocked. Though he’d bought Carla a new diamond, this was the one he had truly cherished. He wondered if Carla would accept it again.

“Thank you,” Atreus said, feeling like the world was beginning to make sense again.
 

He knew he did not have to be grateful—after all, it was Brian who stole the ring in the first place—but for some reason he was.
 

“Thank
you
,” Brian replied, his eyes down.

*****

Chapter 4

The next morning in the Gardener’s Cottage was so strange. Carla hadn’t been able to stand the feeling of being cooped in, so she flung open all the doors and windows. The scent of lavender drifted in and softened the air, but it still wasn’t enough. In the end, they’d taken the kitchen table outside and had their breakfast there.

Even though a disaster had been averted, Carla couldn’t help being on edge. She jumped every time the wind whistled the leaves too much, or when some far off noise interrupted her thoughts.

“It’s all right, babe,” Atreus said, putting his arm around her. “We’re safe. They’ve all been arrested.”

Carla watched Dios as he toddled through the lavender and herbs and wanted to burst into tears.

“It’s all my fault,” she said, her voice cracking. “If I had never come into your lives none of this would have ever happened. I should just go back to my job with Onella and leave you all in peace.”

Atreus rushed over to her, kneeling in front of her and touching her face.
 

“You’re right. None of this would have ever happened. Dios wouldn’t have a mother. I wouldn’t be trying a new career. I’m about to be a father once again. I wouldn’t be so happy, so fulfilled. Carla, I couldn’t live a day without you.”

That made Carla burst into tears. She felt just the same way about Atreus.

“I love you so much,” she said through her sobs.

“Anyways,” Atreus continued. “Serene and Nikolas have caused us just as many problems. We both have pasts.”

Carla took his hands in hers.
 

“I know. I know. I just wish that we could be happy and that everyone would leave us alone.”

“Me too,” said Atreus. He turned one of his hands loose to reach up and wipe away her tears. “I know just how you feel. Trust me.”

“So what can we do?” she said. “It feels like everywhere we go they can find us. Anywhere in the world, they’re waiting for us.”

Atreus went back to his seat.
 

“Well, I don’t think Brian is going to be much of a problem anymore. He’ll be in jail.”

“Let’s hope.”

“He said he wanted to change his ways.”

Carla crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair.
 

“I’ve heard that before.”

“He looked sincere to me.”

“And what about Nikolas and Serene?”

“Well, they’re not together anymore, I don’t think.”

Carla agreed. “Not after that scene in the restaurant. Not if either of them has any self-respect.”

Atreus looked into the bright blue sky and thought about what Carla had said.
 

“I’ve burned Serene’s love letter to me,” he said. “I don’t know what’s become of Nikolas. Probably sunning himself on Little Ekali.”

“I hope he burns,” Carla giggled.

“He can have the island,” Atreus said. “That place had too much history with Serene, anyways. I prefer we start anew. I want us to have things that are
ours
. Always ours.”

Carla beamed at him, wondering what she had done so right to be blessed with such an amazing man.
 

“So, maybe…” she said, daring to get her hopes up. “Just
maybe
, we might be left alone?”

“We can hope,” said Atreus. “And pray.”

“And will we continue with the hotel?”

“I want to, very much, but do you?”

“Yes,” Carla said. “And Mrs. Mayes made us promise we’d take care of.”

Atreus took her hand across the table.
 

“We’re not people who break promises.”

A grin spread across Carla’s face.
 

“On that note, I think we owe Dios—”

“Picnic, picnic!” Dios interrupted.
 

Since they’d arrived at Westling House, they’d enjoyed venturing off through the flower gardens and lawns and woodland to find the perfect spot to picnic, carrying with them a basket packed with traditional British favorites. And the day before had been no different. Before all the horrible happenings, which now seemed like a long time ago, Dios had sat in his high chair for lunch and shouted out, “Picnic!”

Carla and Atreus had laughed proudly and told him they would go for a picnic the next day.

Now, Atreus grinned back at his son.
 

“A picnic.”

Dios clapped his hands together with glee.
 

“Picnic!”
 

And before long they were strolling across the lawn, Dios in the middle and his beloved parents on either side of him.

“Picnic, picnic, picnic!” he continued, dancing as he walked; so full of excitement that it was infectious.

They strolled through Carla’s favorite place, a gorgeous flower garden where the vines climbed up high over stone arches and bore beautiful flowers of cream and peach and gentle pink. The whole place bloomed wildly, in stark contrast to the rest of the gardens—like the gardeners had specifically been told to let it mostly alone. Carla felt so serene walking through it like nothing could ever go wrong in the world. She felt so far away from all the worries and troubles they’d had.

They planned to go through and out onto the lawns at the other side, but Carla felt so drawn to the place.
 

“How about we have our picnic here?” she said.

Atreus smiled.
 

“Great idea.”

So they spread out the tartan blanket on a spare patch of grass and sat down, dwarfed by the flowers that bloomed all around them. Much of the ground was strewn with petals, giving the place beautiful coloring and scent.

“Picnic!” Dios said again.

Carla felt so full of love. She grabbed the little boy and squeezed him in a hug.
 

“Yes, you clever, clever boy. Picnic!”

Dios squealed with joy and squeezed her cheeks together with the palm of his hands, which made him laugh.
 

Atreus joined in.
 

“You look so cute like that,” he said. “Like a little duck or something.”

Carla laughed and shook her head. She pried Dios away from her face and set him on the rug.
 

“Okay, my big boy, and my little boy,” she said with a wink at Atreus. “What are we going to have today?”

“Picnic!”

“Picnic!” Atreus said, just like Dios, making Carla laugh.

First, she took Dios’ favorite, jam sandwiches cut into tiny squares and handed them to him.
 

“Jam! Jam!” the little boy squealed.
 

“That’s right,” Carla said. “Jam.”

“Thank you, Mama,” Dios said, and Carla froze. She and Atreus looked at each other, open-mouthed.

“Wow!” Carla said, her heart feeling so big. “He is growing so fast.”

Dios chomped into his jam sandwich quite happily While Carla and Atreus sat for a moment, taking in the little boy. It was so good to hear him learn to talk. And Carla couldn’t get enough of him calling her Mama. What more could she want than that?

When Carla recovered, she leaned into the basket and drew out a bottle of champagne.