Spellbound in His Arms (15 page)

Michael was out of control. He kept
seeing Eric leaning towards her and clinking glasses with her. The flames of
jealousy were ready to engulf him. How could he be so stupid to believe her?
He’d found her snooping around the old mansion in the middle of the night, and
she almost convinced him she was there trying to protect her uncle’s and
cousin’s interests.
What a hypocrite?

The sound of the waves was getting
louder. They finally made it to the end of the cliff, overlooking the water.

They stopped for a moment, and Jackie
tried to catch her breath. She felt a cloth going around her mouth, gagging
her. The pressure of the material hurt her bruised cheek.

She tried to pull it off, but he was
a lot stronger than she and he held her arms still. “Don’t move,” he ordered in
a low, dangerous voice.

Jackie blinked in surprise. What did
he think? That she was going to call out for Eric? She felt tears running down
her face. She prayed they were from frustration and pain and not from
disappointment of how easily he condemned her.

Michael grabbed her arm again and led
her down the narrow path, leading to a small pebble beach. When they got to the
beach, they started walking close to the rocks, trying to keep out of sight.

Jackie felt numb inside.
I would
have followed him anywhere
.
All he had to do was ask
, she thought
bitterly and bit her lower lip to keep from bursting into tears again.

A noise somewhere behind them on the
top of the hill made Michael stop abruptly. Jackie ran right into him and was
thrown off balance. Michael’s
strong hands grabbed her
and pinned her against his rock-hard body,
preventing
her from falling.

They stood there for a few seconds,
facing each other. Jackie kept her head low. There were no trees on the beach
and the moonlight would allow her to see the look on his face. She couldn’t
handle the hurt and accusing look she knew she’d see in his eyes.

Michael’s hand slid up her cheek,
caressing it softly. He raised her chin to face him. “Why?” he asked softly and
pulled the cloth from her mouth.

Jackie started sobbing
uncontrollably. “I was scared,” she whispered and grabbed his shoulders for
support. “I was so scared that he was going to rape me and kill me.”

Michael pulled her in his arms and started
smooth her hair, trying to calm her down.

“His father threatened to torture
me,” she continued in a broken voice. “And then, Eric turned up and tried to
seduce me. I had no choice,” she said and pulled back to look at him. “Maybe it
was stupid of me. But I had no choice. I tried to play along, to buy some time
and find a way to escape. Why do you think I ran out here in the middle of the
night, as soon as I heard gunshots and realized you must be somewhere near?”

Michael looked at her tear-streaked
face and got lost in her lovely, big eyes. He realized what a fool he’d been.
He had let his jealousy cloud his judgment.

He pulled her against his chest and
saw a livid bruise on her left cheek. “What’s that?” he asked angrily. “Did he
hurt you?”

“It’s okay,” Jackie tried to reassure
him.

“What do you mean it’s okay?” he
asked furiously. “You’re hurt!” he raised his voice.

“Michael, it’s okay,” she repeated.
“I’m fine now that you’re here.”

He pulled her against his chest again
and squeezed her tightly, cursing silently. He was going to make sure that
Manos and the rest of them paid for what they had done to so many people, but especially
to Jackie.

Jackie relaxed into Michael’s arms
and felt relieved and secure. She closed her eyes, listening to his heart
beating fast.

They heard another noise, and Michael
pulled her closer to the rocks surrounding the beach and waited.

Jackie’s knees trembled from fear.
She couldn’t handle being captured again. And what about Michael? They would
kill him for sure. No, she couldn’t allow that. They had to get out of here.
They had to make it back safe and make sure these people were put behind bars.
Even if they couldn’t prove they were behind the murders, they could still get
convicted for abducting her and almost getting her raped and killed.

Michael started walking very
carefully, tugging Jackie behind him with one hand and holding his gun in the
other. They moved slowly down the beach. After a while, the hill ended, and the
trees reached all the way to the beach. Now they had more cover and could move
a little faster.

Jackie lost track of time, for how
long they’d walked along the beach. Eric and his gangsters were surely still
after them, so she kept going, even though she felt like collapsing from
exhaustion.

They heard a helicopter approaching,
and within seconds, saw it flying over their heads, shining a bright spotlight
over the area.

Michael pulled her further inside the
woods and down on the ground behind some thick bushes. “We’ll stay here for a
while,” he whispered. They remained hidden, waiting for the helicopter to
complete its sweep and continue down along the beach.

When the helicopter was at a safe
distance, Michael pulled her to her feet and started walking again. “I have no
idea how far it is to the town,” he admitted frustrated. “I have never been on
this side of the island before. All I know is that we’re heading the right
way.”

“It’s okay,” Jackie whispered and
squeezed his arm, trying to sound reassuring. “We’ll make it,” she added, and
this time, she sounded even more convincing.

Michael looked at her admiringly.
“You’re so brave,” he said and pulled her into his arms.

“No, I’m not,” Jackie confessed. “I’m
scared to death.” She started shivering, remembering the moments she spent in
the basement and later on with Eric.

“It’s only natural to be afraid,” he
reassured her. “Being brave doesn’t mean that you’re not afraid. It just means
that you have the guts to do the right thing, even when you know that your life
might be at stake.”

Jackie looked at him and their lips
locked in a passionate kiss that took their breath away. His arms squeezed her
tightly, and his hungry mouth moved to the side of her neck to the base of her
throat.

Jackie breathed heavily. She ran her
fingers through his hair and pulled his head even closer.

Suddenly, Michael pulled back and
looked around him uneasily. He always trusted his instincts, and now his
instincts were telling him to move on. “We have to move on,” he said and had
just taken a few steps, when the light of the helicopter appeared out of
nowhere and shone right over them.

Michael grabbed her by the arm and
started running through the trees dodging right and left, but the helicopter
chased after them.

“Keep your head low,” he yelled over
his shoulder and kept on running.

They heard gunshots from the
helicopter and somewhere on their left, but Michael and Jackie wouldn’t stop.

All of a sudden, a second helicopter
appeared, approaching from the opposite direction.

“Thank God,” Michael sighed. “It’s
the police.” Jackie breathed out in relief.

Michael pulled her behind some bushes
and hid there, since the first helicopter had now turned around and was being
chased by the second one.

“There must be ground forces around
here somewhere. That’s probably what all the shooting was about.” Michael said.

Jackie stayed as close to him as she
could, feeling her heart pounding. They were going to be saved after all. She whispered
a prayer of thanksgiving, right before she collapsed from exhaustion.

Jackie heard Michael’s voice
whispering in her ear, and she slowly opened her eyes. She noticed that there
were people standing around and alarmed, squeezed his hand.

“It’s okay,” he reassured her. “We’re
safe now.”

Michael helped Jackie to stand up and
held her close, supporting her, as she took some shaky steps. She felt really
dizzy and disoriented and held on to him, still scared of all these unfamiliar
faces around them.

Michael led her to a police Jeep that
was parked close by and helped her get in the back.

“Don’t leave me…” she whispered, not
letting go of his hand.

“I won’t,” he promised. “I’ll just go
over there to talk to the officer in charge and will be back to escort you back
to town.”

Jackie watched him nervously, as he
walked towards a short, bulky man who was talking to two policemen in uniforms.

A few minutes later, Michael came
back and climbed in the front passenger seat next to another policeman in plain
clothes who was driving the Jeep.

Jackie leaned back and closed her
eyes.

It was late by the time they finally made
it back to the hotel. Michael wanted to take her to a hospital and have her
checked out.
It took all her efforts to
finally convince him that all she needed was a hot bath and a good night’s
sleep.

She bathed and ate some hot soup that Michael insisted
on ordering for her. When she climbed into bed, a policeman stood outside her
door.

Jackie thought she would pass out and not wake up for a
couple of days, but she tossed and turned all night long. The hours went by and
at dawn, Jackie was still lying there, wide awake, thinking about everything
that had happened to her, ever since she first stepped foot on Corfu. The island was such a beautiful place, a tourists’ heaven and yet for Jackie, it had
been such a scary place. But then again, it was the place where she met Michael
and that made it very special
.

She wasn’t sure what the future had in store for all of
them. All she wished for was that the police managed to arrest Philip and Eric
Manos and all their gangsters, so they wouldn’t be able to hurt anybody else
anymore.

She hadn’t been able to stop the tears when she thought
about all the people who’d died for no reason whatsoever and especially, her
beloved cousin Maria. Jackie found herself crying for Maria and for her own
parents dying so young and leaving their eight-year-old daughter behind. She
cried for the past, but she also cried for the future. Now that things had
cleared up, she had no reason to stay in Greece any longer. She would soon be
on a plane back to Atlanta, and Greece, this island, and above all the man of
her dreams would be left behind. She would cherish his memory for the rest of
her life.

She didn’t feel any regrets though. She’d been through
hell and she’d jeopardized her life. But she wouldn’t change the moments with
Michael for anything in the world.

When the sun was finally shining high up in the sky, she
got out of bed and went to take a quick shower. Afterwards, not feeling ready
to face the world yet, she ordered breakfast in her room. She was surprised to
find out she was hungry and ate pretty much everything on her plate.

As soon as she was finished with her breakfast, she
picked up the phone and called Stephanos. She knew it was the middle of the
night in Atlanta, but she knew he and Martha would be worried having not heard
from her. Actually, she should have called them last night when she got in, but
she was so exhausted she was in no condition to speak to anybody.

Jackie was surprised that the phone kept on ringing, but
there was no answer. She checked the clock. It was eleven o’clock in the
morning in Greece, which meant that it was four in the morning in Atlanta. Where on earth could they be?

A little worried, she tried Stephanos on his cell phone
but it was turned off.

Now this is very strange
,
she thought and started pacing in the room.

She opened the door and asked the policeman for Michael.
The policeman informed her that detective Apostolou left very early in the
morning and hadn’t come back yet. He also informed Jackie he had strict orders
not to let her go anywhere until the detective came back.

The story of my life
,
Jackie thought irritated. Ever since, she had first stepped foot on this
island, she’d been detained one way or another—whether it was Michael or the
weather or Eric. At the thought of those hungry eyes, she felt her skin
crawling and her heart pumping faster. She didn’t dare to think what could have
happened, if Michael hadn’t found her last night.

But how on earth did he know where to find me?

There were so many things, she didn’t know about him, so
many unanswered questions. And still, the only thing she knew for sure was how
deeply and desperately in love with him she was, and how miserable her life
would be from now on, having to live so far away from him.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and walked over
to the balcony doors. She opened them and stepped outside, taking a deep
breath. The view was magnificent—a sight for sore eyes.

The hotel was built on a boulevard right next to the water
and Jackie’s room had a magnificent view of the sea. The sun was shining bright
and the water was the most clear, turquoise color Jackie had never seen. She
was amazed she could actually see the bottom of the sea from her balcony.

The beautifully kept hotel gardens stretched in front of
her all the way to the sandy beach. A huge bougainvillea blooming with dark
pink flowers climbed the wall to her second story balcony.

Jackie went back inside and picked up a cup of coffee
from the breakfast tray. Then she walked back outside and sat in a lounge
chair, letting the magnificent view carry her away. She closed her eyes and
smelled the roses and jasmine from the garden below. She smiled like a little
girl having found heaven. All she wanted at this very moment was to sit there
and think of nothing…just let her senses carry her away and relax.

The ringing of the phone, made her jump and she spilled
some coffee on the white tiles.

She rushed inside and with shaky hands answered the
phone, wondering why Stephanos was calling on the hotel phone in her room and
not her cell phone.

“Yes?” she answered out of breath and was half
disappointed half relieved to hear Michael’s voice. She wanted to hear his
voice so much, but she’d been so worried about Stephanos, Martha, and Aphrodite
she’d wished it was them on the phone.

“Is everything okay?” Michael asked alarmed, obviously
picking up the anxiety in her voice.

“Yes,” Jackie said, not sounding so reassuring.

“What is it?” he insisted. “Is the guard still there?”

“Yes, the guard is here and everything is fine,” she
said and tried to sound more calm. “It’s just that…”

“What?” he asked and sounded somewhat more relaxed.

“It’s just that I haven’t been able to get in touch with
my family,” she said in a slightly trembling voice. “I’ve been trying to call
them and there is no answer on the home phone, even though it’s the middle of
the night in Atlanta, and my uncle’s cell phone is turned off. I’m a little
worried.” she admitted, and her voice trailed off.

“I see.” Michael replied. “I’m sure that everything is
all right, but I’ll look into it.”

“Oh! No, you don’t have to,” she protested, even though
deep down inside, she’d hoped he would say that. If something was wrong,
Michael would be able to find out long before she could. But she knew that he
had too much on his mind right now to be worried about Stephanos and his
family’s whereabouts.

“I’ll let you know, as soon as I hear something” he
promised and hung up the phone.

“Wait!” Jackie called out, but the line was already
dead. “Where are you? When will you be back?” she went on, talking to herself and
the dead receiver she still held in her hand.

Then she placed the receiver back down and looked at the
balcony. She was in no mood for daydreaming anymore. Thinking that something
might be wrong with her family had changed her mood abruptly and drawn her back
right into the foul and self-pitying mood she’d been in all night.

“Damn!” She had no way of contacting Michael unless he
called her back. She didn’t have his cell phone number, and she didn’t want to
call the police station and ask for him there unless it was something
important—not just because she was worried and feeling sad and empty inside. He
had so much to do and so many things to take care off. He didn’t need a crying
baby on his hands.

“No,” she decided. I’ll just stay here and wait. She checked
her watch and was surprised to find out it was already late in the afternoon.
She couldn’t believe that she’d spent all that time out on the balcony lost in
her thoughts. Picking up her cell phone, she tried Stephanos one more time at
home and then on his cell phone. There was still no answer. Irritated, she
threw the cell phone on the arm chair by the door that led to the balcony and
walked back outside. But she felt restless and couldn’t sit down. She walked
back inside, and prayed for something to happen. She needed some answers. She
needed to know that her family was all right.

Sooner or later, Stephanos will call
.
If something had happened to them, Michael would have called to
let me know
. When she finished her thought, she felt a kick in her stomach.

***

Michael was really upset when he left the office of the
chief of the Corfu Police.

“This is just great!” he yelled out loud hurrying down
the corridor, ignoring the questioning look of the policeman coming the
opposite way. Stavros had just informed him, about everything that had taken
place since Michael left with Jackie the night before and Michael was furious.

He rushed out to the parking lot, got in his Jeep, and
took out his cell phone to call Tony.

“Eric’s gone!” he yelled into the phone, as soon as Tony
picked up.

“I know,” Tony replied and sounded just as angry as
Michael. “I was in the chief’s office when Stavros called to inform him of the
latest developments. I just can’t believe it!”

“Neither can I!” Michael let out a breath full of fury.
“How did he manage to escape?”

“I’m not sure. But at least, we have Philip Manos” Tony
said, trying to sound encouraging. “And with the evidence we’ve got so far,
he’s going away for a long time.”

“Yes, that’s something.” Michael responded, but didn’t sound
better at all. He wanted this whole thing to be over for good. No loose
ends…and now, Eric Manos and his lizard, Alex, had managed to escape—only God
knew how. The whole place had been surrounded by the police. Manos helicopter
was forced to land and the whole area was searched over and over again, but
there was no sign of Eric or Alex.

“How on earth did they get away?” Tony asked.

“I have no idea,” Michael replied. “Probably on a
speed-boat!”

“But they would have been spotted by the helicopter or
the Coast Guard, who were patrolling the area.”

“Well, apparently, they weren’t,” Michael said and hit
his fist on the steering wheel.

“What now?” Tony asked.

“Philip Manos and the rest of his gang will be
transferred back to Athens, while Corfu Police will wrap up things here and
send reports to headquarters. At least, that bastard Roussos is out of the
way!”

“I know” Tony said. “I’m sure he was the one who killed
Manos’ secretary, Elizabeth.”

“Not to mention Alexandra!” Michael hissed. “According
to what Elizabeth told you, he was the one Manos sent after her.”

“You’re right” Tony agreed. “But, what about the …”

“What about what?” Michael asked, even though, he knew
exactly what Tony was referring to.

“The sailboat accident,” Tony continued.

“I’m not sure yet” Michael responded and his voice
sounded threatening. “But I will find out soon enough. I’m sure Manos was
responsible for that also.”

“I am too,” Tony replied. “When are you coming back?”

“Tonight.” I’ll escort Philip Manos back to Athens. I don’t trust him with anyone else!” Michael said.

“What about Jackie?”

“She’ll be coming too,” Michael said. “There’s nothing
else for her to do here. Besides, I can’t leave her here alone. She has a
tendency of getting in trouble.”

“I know,” Tony said and hesitated for a moment. “But
she’ll be leaving soon.”

“I know,” Michael said and left it at that. “I’ll call
you later.” He hung up the phone.

He knew Jackie would have to go back to the States
sooner or later and he wasn’t ready to deal with her leaving right yet. The
only thing he was sure about in this whole mess was that he was desperately in
love with her. But how could it work? How could they be together, when she
lived on the other side of the ocean, not to mention that she still had her
suspicions why he hadn’t come straight out and claimed his inheritance? How
could he explain to her that he didn’t want Philip Manos to guess who he really
was.

He had started investigating Manos right after
Constantinos and his father’s boating accident and he was getting really close
the uncovering the truth after Alexandra’s death. However, Manos was very smart
and he had connections everywhere. Michael was sure he might get suspicious,
why Constantinos Demiris cut all his other family members out of his will and
left his entire fortune to his godson. And fielding those questions was
something Michael wanted to avoid at all cost. He didn’t want anyone, and
especially
Philip Manos to know that Michael was really Manos’ biological son. He was
embarrassed even to think about it.

He hadn’t counted on Jackie being there. Her presence
had complicated things. And then, things got out of control and he had to move
fast and put an end to this madness. His feelings for her threw him off guard,
and he made mistakes that jeopardized not only the whole investigation, but her
life as well.