A Perfect Love: International Billionaires VI: The Greeks (18 page)

Tam clenched her jaw. What other choice did she have?

The question had been whirling in her mind for the past fourteen hours. Ever since Haimon had left her with the warning.

Do it. Or you’ll lose everything you love.

If she didn’t send him something tonight, she put her boys at risk. If she didn’t send him a quote, he’d expose her dealings with him to Rafe.

She couldn’t chance it. She had to text Haimon something. She had to betray her lover to protect her brothers. And the fragile love fighting for life. Because texting him what he wanted bought her some time. Bought her boys their health. Bought the concealment of her dealing with her stepfather. Bought her time to build on the love she hoped grew between Rafe and her.

The ugliness of her choice ran like poison through her veins. She shouldn’t do this. She should confront Rafe and let things fall where they may. But then she’d lose. Lose him and lose the boys. Lose herself.

Lost. She’d be lost without her loves.

Maybe Haimon would keep his promise and leave Greece. Rafe might never figure out why he’d lost this one contract. She’d be able to live with the secret knowledge she’d given his enemy a way to steal from him, couldn’t she?

A sick slide of self-loathing coated her throat.

Yet what else could she do? She only had maybes and desperate hopes to cling to in order to keep everything she so desperately wanted.

She took a sip of the wine, trying to wipe away the taste of what she had to do.

Betraying her love. Again.

Clamping down on the thought, Tam slipped into Rafe’s leather chair and lifted the laptop’s cover. The computer whirred; the screen lit up. With a grumble, Titus walked back to his bed and sank down, laying his head on his paws, his dark gaze pinned on her.

Perhaps she wouldn’t find anything. A surge of powerful hope swept through her. Still, this wouldn’t let her off the hook. She had to find something for Haimon or he’d come after everyone she loved. The realization crushed all hope until the only thing she had to hold onto was despair.

She had no choice.

She tapped into Rafe’s email and started to scan the hundreds of emails. The antique grandfather clock tick-tocked in the background.

Staff meeting Thursday noon

P&L report – June

Final proposal - Nanodevice patent #122

Her finger stopped. This couldn’t be that easy, could it? She’d half-hoped, half-dreaded she’d find it. Was this it? The dynamite email that might destroy her life?

She tapped open the email. Clicked on the attachment.

Final bid proposal

This had to be it. Peering at the clock, she noted the time of the email. Less than four hours ago.

Please confirm, Mr. Vounó, that this is the final number you wish to go with.

The email was signed by someone with a long string of degrees. The main scientist? Another name. Rafe’s VP of acquisitions was listed below.

Had Rafe seen this? Scrolling through his send box, she found his confirmation.

This was it. The final bid. The bid amount stunned her. If Hamion were only getting a tiny portion of this, she could understand why his wheeling-and-dealing impulses were on high-alert.

Understand. However, she’d never forgive.

Tam leaned back in the chair. She could be overblowing this situation—misreading the feral emotion in her stepfather’s eyes. Maybe she should cling to the belief that this would all go away.

A flash of memory ran through her brain. The way Haimon’s grey eyes had glittered. With madness, certainly. Yet also with some sort of strange drive for revenge. As if it had become his life’s calling to steal something from Rafe.

Like he thought Rafe had stolen the twins from him?

Her mouth twisted. Haimon hadn’t seemed upset about not being the boys’ father, but there’d been that something. That something more that told her this was personal to the old man. He wasn’t going to let this go. He wasn’t going to walk away.

She knew it in her gut.

The clock ticked. Tocked. Titus rolled over on his bed, his eyes blurry with sleep, yet still watching, waiting.

A sudden crazy idea smashed into her mind like a comet.

Crazy. Foolhardy. Risky.

But the idea offered her something she needed right now. More than anything.

She wouldn’t have to betray her lover.

Also, the idea gave her another thing she needed right now—more time. This crazy, fool-hardy, risky idea gave her that. If she did it right. With nervous, fearful concentration, she clicked onto the internet. How long did a medical bid process take? The whole deal couldn’t happen overnight, could it?

The deep, low chime of the clock tolled out the late hour. Tamsin frantically scanned dozens of internet pages. Typing in a variety of words, she finally sighed and leaned back in Rafe’s chair once more. It could be months before the final decision was made. Still, given Haimon’s confidence, and his circumstances, she probably had a mere few weeks.

Weeks. Time. Hope.

Weeks she could use to solidify her relationship with Rafe. Time to ease into telling him what was going on without setting him off. Hope that somehow, together, they could evaluate how to protect the boys from Haimon’s inevitable wrath.

She clicked on the bid letter. Printing it, she placed it aside and then on an empty email she typed the new numbers, matching the font to the letter.

Within a few minutes, she’d altered the letter to her satisfaction. Running into the kitchen, she found her phone. The photo came out perfectly. The Viper logo prominent, the language the same. Only the final bid different.

Lower by several hundred thousand dollars.

Tam stared down at her mobile phone. She didn’t know how many companies were bidding on the device. Possibly dozens. However, by the way Rafe had talked about it and the way Haimon had discussed it, it seemed likely there was only Viper and this other company in a bidding war.

Haimon’s cronies were going to lose.

Yet not for several weeks and that bought her time. And hope.

Click
.

The bid letter disappeared.

With it, her last loyalty to an old man who’d never been her father dissolved.

“
T
he deal looks good
, really good, Rafe.”

Rafe gazed across his desk to his CFO. Savas Pagonis had been with him since the early days. One of the first men he’d hired—not for his resume, but for his instincts. He’d never regretted it. “You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.” Savas leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “You should know, there’ve been some whispers about Tobba having an inside edge. Still, I’m inclined to discount those.”

Rafe frowned and rubbed his hand across his forehead. He should be excited about obtaining this patent. The product would skyrocket their profits. Yet the only thing he felt was intense irritation that one of his oldest rivals was making a last minute play for a device they hadn’t spent any time going after until weeks ago. “I don’t understand it. Tobba specializes in pharmaceuticals, not devices.”

“Who knows?” The CFO shrugged, bushy eyebrows drawing down. “Even if they do bid, they don’t have enough knowledge of the product and what it’s capable of doing to put in a bid that will win over ours.”

Irritation mixed with sudden frustration. He didn’t want to think about this. He didn’t want to be here in Athens. He wanted to be home, up in the hills of Sparti, with the boys.

And Tamsin.

His lover, who he’d left this morning, the sunlight barely sliding across the foot of their bed as he dressed. Her face had been pale, drawn. Like she’d spent the entire night tossing and turning. However, she hadn’t done that. In fact, he’d slept all night without even once awakening to a kick or a toss.

Last night, at dinner, he’d been ready to question her. The boys had eaten, in their usual hurried way, and then raced off to play with Titus.

He’d had a moment, a moment to find out what the hell was going on. The words were on his tongue, the demand for her to tell him so he could fix it. Defeat what was worrying her, clear away whatever mess was distressing her.

But when she’d glanced at him, her green eyes had been filled with such stark despair he’d nearly gasped, the words falling off his tongue and into his aching gut. Before he’d been able to catch his breath and drag the words back, she’d jerked to a stand. Bustling around the table, clearing the dishes, putting away the remaining food, chattering about nothing—all of it overwhelming the words he couldn’t find.

She hadn’t been the only one terrified.

He’d been as well.

“Don’t worry.” Savas stood, a flash of a smile crossing his face. “Take that frown off your face, my friend. Our bid went a little higher than I’d wanted it to be, but now, maybe that’s for the best. There’s no way Tobba has the knowledge or the money to take this patent away from us.”

“I think we should take precautions.”

“Good idea.” The man clicked on his mobile phone. “I’ll have security dig around. See if they can find out what inside information Tobba supposedly has.”

“I trust you to handle that.” Because he had no interest in doing so. In fact, he could hardly care less. The only thing he could focus on was what terrified Tamsin. The early morning call from his CFO demanding he had to come to Athens to go over final numbers for this project couldn’t have come at a worse time.

“Done.” His friend shoved his phone in his pocket and wagged a finger at him. “Now you can focus on the work you’ve let pile up during the last few months.”

“I have everything in hand.” His jaw tightened as the irritation returned, now with a sharper edge.

“Do you?” Savas was friend enough not to back down even in the face of a black scowl. “The company, your people, take a cue from you, Rafe. The summer has been rather…sleepy.”

“I’ve had things to take care of.”

His CFO stuffed his hands in his pockets, a look of puzzlement on his face. “You could have easily left the twins with your mother. Or your sisters.”

The masculine bewilderment in his friend’s words almost made him smile, because it mimicked exactly what he’d thought only a few months ago. Along with the amusement came the sudden realization of how far he’d traveled emotionally. The thought of leaving the boys to someone else’s care was now anathema. “The boys need me.”

“The company needs you, Rafe.”

“The company is fine.”

“You know what’s going to happen once we get this patent. There will be a lot of work to do in order to roll this out successfully.”

“Do you think you’re telling me something I don’t know?” A sliver of weariness mixed with aversion coursed through him. Savas was right. There were going to be many long nights and many missed days with the boys. He supposed it would be all right. The twins would be in school, busy with new friends, and his family would be around to fill in the gaps. And of course, their sister would be there, too.

The confident thought stopped him.

Tamsin. Here. For good.

In fact, he’d assured this by offering her a job and encouraging her to go to school. Once more, he realized with a shock how far he’d traveled from that moment where he’d stood in the cold London rain ready to confront his two enemies.

Tam was not his enemy. Not anymore.

“I know you’re a hard worker.” Savas drew him out of his contemplation with a jerk. “That’s not my point.”

His point, Rafe knew, was whether or not he still had the juice to run this company. Whether or not he had the enthusiasm and drive to keep the engine of Viper Enterprises surging forward. The subtle question angered him, but he’d hired this man to be an independent thinker. Savas’s value for the company was in saying the words that needed to be said. Even if that angered the owner.

“I merely took some time off this summer, nothing more.” Rafe slammed away any doubts. He’d built this company. He’d sweated and sacrificed and sealed a thousand deals to make Viper what it was.

“There’s something else going on here, isn’t there?” Savas was not only observant; he was tenacious.

Glaring at his friend, his irritation turning to anger. “There’s nothing else going on.”

“There’s something missing. You don’t seem capable—”

“Are you saying I’m not capable of running this company anymore?” He rose from his chair, instant, instinctive rage pouring through his veins.

Savas stepped back, a wary look crossing his face. “I’m your friend. I’m saying I’m concerned.”

He took his inappropriate rage in hand, trying to stuff it down into wherever it had exploded from. “I know. However, there’s nothing to be concerned about.”

“I only want to make sure we’ll have your full attention going forward.”

He tried to push out the promise, but it stuck in his throat. His friend eyed him, as silence fell between them. Rafe felt the muscles of his neck and back tighten, yet even then, he couldn’t say the words his CFO wanted him to say.

“What’s going on, Rafe?”

The quiet question sliced through his pride. His heart. What was going on inside him? During the last few months, he’d found himself incapable of coming to Athens without a crisis pulling him here. Before, he’d eagerly bounded to work, his enthusiasm pulling along his employees.

Before the boys.

Before Tamsin.

Before he knew in his gut—

“You can tell me what’s going on,” Savas insisted. “Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it.”

“There’s nothing going on.” Rafe sat back down and clicked on his computer.

“Nothing.” His friend’s voice was placid, but a strain of determination lined the word. “Nothing that has anything to do with the pretty lady who accompanied your mother and sister on the tour of this place several weeks ago?”

“She’s the boys’ sister.”

“Come on,” his CFO scoffed. “I have eyes.”

“Keep your eyes off of her.”

“Hmm.” The sound was speculative. “Jealous.”

Rafe glanced over in time to see the edge of a knowing smile disappear from the other man’s face. Embarrassment turned to sarcasm. “You’re married. I know what Thea’s reaction would be if you ever looked at another woman. So, no. I’m not jealous.”

“Hmm.”

Irritation blended with the rage that still simmered. “Don’t you have work to do?”

“
Nai
. As do you.” Savas paced to the door. “Though remember this, my friend. A woman shouldn’t distract a man to the point of hurting his business.”

Rafe didn’t look at him. He stared at his computer instead. Still, the words swirled around him, bringing guilt to mix into the toxic brew inside him.

“And yet.” Savas stopped at the door and turned back. Rafe felt his gaze on him, but ignored him. Whatever his friend had to say, he knew he didn’t want to hear it. “I remember what it was like when I first met Thea.”

“I didn’t just meet Tamsin. I’ve known her for years.”

“Her name’s Tamsin, is it?” Savas leaned on the doorframe, a slight smile on his face. “Good to know.”

“Tamsin Drakos. Now that I think about it, it is good for you to know about her.” Rafe eased back in his black leather chair. “I’m hiring her.”

“What?” His friend straightened, his face covered in shock.

“She’s organized. Efficient.” He drummed his fingers on the edge of his glass desk. “I need you to find a place for her here.”

“That’s not a good idea.”

His fingers stopped tapping. “What do you mean by that?”

“You can’t be distracted during this rollout.” Savas shook his head, his eyes pleading. “It’s also not a great idea to hire family.”

“She’s not part of the family.” The words clutched in his throat, yet he pushed them out. “She needs a job and she’s talented. It’s as simple as that.”

“Why do I think this isn’t simple at all?”

As usual, Savas’s instincts were impeccable. Which only drove the frustration inside Rafe into a frenzy. “I don’t know what the hell you mean.”

“Fine.” His friend sighed. “Be that way. But I don’t care how long you’ve known her. I saw the look in your eye the day she visited here—”

“Now you’re making even less sense.” He turned to his computer and began to type.

“—and I can’t think of anything else that would distract my good friend to the point of almost complete inattention to the company he built.”

The rage billowed out from his belly, pouring through his bloodstream. “I have not been inattentive.”

“You have been.” Savas’s tone was matter-of-fact and smooth. As if he were only discussing the weather instead of challenging Rafe’s very purpose. “It needs to stop. You know that.”

“Enough.” He swung around in his chair and blasted him with a glare. “You’re stepping beyond your position, Savas.”

His CFO eyed him. “I am talking to you as your friend.”

“And I am talking to you as your boss.” He stood. “Enough.”

A flush of red washed across Savas’ face. “I’ll get to work then,
sir
.” The door shut behind him with a clipped bang.

He’d angered his friend. He’d disappointed Savas too, by not promising him what he wanted. Because he couldn’t. He couldn’t make the commitment the man had been searching for.

What did this say about him?

Rafe slumped into his chair, his gut churning.

If he were a coward, if Tam were still his enemy, he’d blame it all on her. This confusion, this roiling, twisting feeling of being off-center, off-point. Off.

However, it wasn’t her.

Not entirely and not mostly. No, there was something deeper here, some kind of poison swimming inside him, tearing his goals and decisions apart.

Restless, he stood and walked to the full-length window looking down on the open, airy atrium placed in the middle of his office complex. The palm trees’ leaves brushed the top of the windowed roof while the small pool in the center sparked as the fountain splashed. Tables were strewn around the water where his employees could take a coffee break or eat their lunches.

He had a duty to his employees and to his family. He had responsibilities.

He needed to get back into gear.

Weariness swamped him. Sapped him dry and knifed him all at the same time.

What the hell was wrong with him? And what the hell was he going to do about it?

Shaken, he prowled out of his office. Telling his startled PA he’d be back, he ran down the white stone stairs, past the offices and labs, past the atrium and into the heat of midday Athens. Pulling his tie off, he took off at a brisk pace.

The heat burned on his neck and he welcomed it.

Because a cold touch of panic laced through his system.

His breath ratcheted up as his pace increased. Sweat broke out along his spine. His heart
beat, beat, beat
in his chest.

The crowds grew, tourists mingling with workers. The blare of car horns mixed with the sputter of motorcycles. An old woman tromped past loaded with bags. A child shrieked above him from a wrought iron balcony.

Rafe strode faster.

What was wrong with him? What was he searching for?

What was he running away from?

A street vendor called out about the freshness of his pastry. The smell of cinnamon and citrus blended with the scent of sweat and smoke. He’d walked these streets for years while he’d planned his next business move or plotted the next bid.

This area all seemed alien to him now. As if he’d stepped onto another planet and couldn’t find even one familiar landmark. Or face. Or thought.

He turned the corner, into a darker, older street. One filled with the ever-present pawn shops that now populated almost every street of Athens. He’d avoided them. He hadn’t wanted to see the desperation and fear in the faces of those who’d walked into these shops. They reminded him of the time when he’d been desperate and willing to do anything to climb out of the hole his father had dug for him and his family.

No. Not your father.

Drakos. It was Drakos who’d dug the hole. Don’t forget that.

His heart beat faster. Faster. Was he having a heart attack? Not at his age. Not possible. Even if he wasn’t a doctor, he knew…

A doctor.

Rafe stopped cold. The people on this narrow street walked around him, a few giving him a puzzled glance before moving on.

You dreamed of being a doctor.

He closed his eyes as Tam’s words swirled in his brain and heart.