THE CHAMELEON (4 page)

Stephan said nothing. Worry creased his face as he watched her walk up the stairs to find her husband.

CHAPTER 4

The leather creaked as Stephan sat on one of the large chairs in Sakis’s home office. He liked this room: the masculine feel of the leather furniture, small mahogany desk, and bookcases that lined the walls filled with items that meant a lot to Sakis, including some first edition books. Like Stephan, his boss liked to read, yet he wondered whether Sakis even had the time anymore with his business and growing family.

“I do not want to sound soft, but I do believe that Rose’s bedtime story has quickly become my favorite routine of the day.”

A small smile lifted the corners of Stephan’s mouth, knowing that he wasn’t really expected to respond to the statement and glad he didn’t have to. Storytime was not something he grew up having. Lighting a cigarette, he blew the smoke high into the air and waited for Sakis to take the seat opposite him.

“How many days do you think you and I have spent in here, Stephanous, over all of these years?”

Stephan contemplated the question while he noted that Sakis had begun to flip his lighter in the palm of his hand with his fingers. A habit carried from his early years in business when faced with an uncomfortable situation. The only weakness Stephan ever saw in his friend and this was the second time this week his friend had made the motion. Something was certainly going on and he did not have the patience to beat around the bush.

“Tell me what is going on.”

Dark eyes bored into his as if Sakis didn’t appreciate the directness of Stephanous’s tone, yet he couldn’t be surprised. This was the way Stephanous always was.

“There is an old business acquaintance who recently contacted me, asking for a favor. I find myself in a place that I do not want to say no to him in regards to his request. The timing of the delicate request puts me in a predicament with my trip.” Sakis hesitated before he squared his shoulders to prepare himself for the possible verbal barrage he knew was going to come his way with his next words.

“He is in need of numerous packages to be delivered as quickly as possible. I have been able to secure these rare items, but will be unable to finalize the transaction with him directly with my pending trip.”

Stephanous’s body language spoke volumes as the energy in the room weighed down heavily on both of them.

“Who?”

“Nadir Boulos.”

Stephanous’s eyebrows arched in surprise when he heard a name he had not heard in many years. He understood immediately why Sakis would want to tread lightly with any requests from this family. Nadir, the son of Odalis Boulos, resided in Palm Springs, California. He was considered an equal to Sakis, but if it wasn’t for the elder Boulos, Sakis more than likely would never have risen to the power he had today. Odalis had taken a liking to the young Greek and seemed to admire the work ethic and business plan. It was with Odalis’s blessing, financial backing, and protection that Sakis was able to rise quickly, first in Boston and then taking over much of the East Coast. The Boulos family, like the Carras family, was a respected family in their business dealings, being extremely fair in their interactions yet could also be the most ruthless with any indication of deception. The monetary debt accumulated from the Boulos’ loans had been paid off years ago—no small feat in itself.

But Stephan knew that debt was more than money in their culture. Until the old man died, Sakis would not be able to say no to any request, even if he had gotten out of the business of gun trafficking. To do so would dishonor the Carras name. Nadir was fair and respectful. When Sakis pulled out from the illegal portion of the business, the Boulos was the first family to extend their best wishes. It probably was not an easy call to make to ask for supplies, so there had to be something else going on that their family would not share. In his mind, Sakis had no choice but to fulfill the request.

“Tell me what you need.”

“The usual. The order has been placed and will be arriving in Florida within fourteen days. I need to ensure that customs is on point, and the packages arrive safely. From there, they will be shipped to our warehouse in Charlestown. Transportation will need to be arranged from there to Palm Springs.”

“Payment?”

“When the packages arrive, payment will be COD. Everything is standard protocol, just less hands in the pot because I do not want the information released that I am doing this favor. Otherwise, other favors may spring up. I will be giving Nadir your contact information in case there are any questions.”

“You know that this is huge, Sakis. Getting back into this line of work—no matter how much you want to keep it quiet, it will get out eventually, especially if Cassie ever found out.”

Sakis chose not to respond to Stephan’s statement. He’d already realized everything Stephan had just said. “Just you, Alicia, and myself will know of this.”

Stephan rose and shook Sakis’s hand before he left. This was not how he wanted to end the evening. But work was work and if nothing else, he was faithful to his employees to a fault.

CHAPTER 5

(Stephanous Petros: eight years old) The rhythmic slap of the switch against the side of the nun’s habit made Thomas’s eyes widen in fear. He grabbed at Stephanous’s hand, praying that somehow they would be able to walk away without it making contact on their bodies. Stephan put his arms around his friend’s small shoulders and stood as tall as his lean body could. “I was the one who took the food, not Thomas. He had no idea where I got it from.”

“Stephanous, no!” Thomas whispered, unable to believe that his friend lied so easily to the scary woman who stood in front of them.

The nun’s eyes narrowed with dislike at Stephanous. She didn’t take her eyes off the older boy as she spoke. “Thomas, I believe it is time for your lessons now.”

Thomas hesitated; tears streamed down his face. He did not have the same courage as Stephanous. He wanted to shout that the boy was lying and that it was him who stole the food. He had been so hungry.

“Now!” screamed the nun. “And shut the door behind you.”

Thomas bolted for the exit, hearing the first of what he was sure would be many strikes on Stephanous’s body as he closed the heavy wooden door.

The walls of the Black Rose vibrated as live music blared through the open door of the bar. The small pub, a block from Quincy Market on State Street in Boston, was a favorite with many tourists and locals alike, and had become a stomping ground for many of the Irish, in particular, who missed home.

Stephan stood on the sidewalk for several minutes, hating the thought of entering the large doors knowing that it was going to be even louder inside the bar. Derek, a lieutenant with the ATF who also happened to be his best friend, seemed to love the place, probably more so for the simple fact that Stephan did not. It had to be the only explanation for Derek to keep suggesting the spot when it was his choice to pick. Grimacing at the headache that was already escalating deep in his head, he took several deep breaths in hopes of willing it away as he stepped in. The bar was standing room only, as usual, and his trained eye scanned quickly around the room. Derek sat at a small table tucked toward the back, farthest away from the band.
There is a God
, Stephan thought.

Derek Chandler watched Stephan as he entered the Black Rose, unable to stop the grin that spread over his face. He knew the tall Greek couldn’t stand the atmosphere of the bar, but Derek knew that the bodyguard needed to step out of his comfort zone more. At least tonight, he had ditched the normal attire of a black suit, but even he was shocked to see Stephan in jeans and a crisp white shirt and jacket, all molded to a hard body. He hadn’t realized that his friend had even owned a pair of jeans. Stephan always carried a piece on him and Derek assumed he had an ankle holster or it tucked in the waist of his jeans.

He had asked Stephan numerous times to keep the gun at home, only to get shot down by a cold stare, and eventually Derek gave up. For Stephan, carrying a weapon was as natural as breathing. For Derek, as a lieutenant with the ATF, it was a conflict of interest for sure, who he was keeping company with. But he and Stephan had become quite close and Derek chose to look past many things. His only request was for Stephan to get a permit to carry. When the request had been made, Stephan couldn’t stop laughing for a long time, and every once in a while, he would bring it up. But, several months later, he had made a copy of the permit and handed it to Derek with tongue in cheek.

“Had to pick this place again? You really hate me, asshole.”

Still grinning, Derek pushed the bourbon he had ordered several minutes prior toward Stephan after the men shook hands in greeting. “Hey, your accent is fading. I can understand you better.”

Stephan turned his chair so his back was to the wall. He glanced around the room more carefully this time and scanned each face thoroughly. He knew he probably didn’t need to but old habits died hard. He had literally just dropped off his boss and family at the airport. There would be no security detail for him the next two months, except for the quick checks at the office to make sure the trip was going well and him taking advantage of using the computers for research. It felt strange to him and he wondered whether this lost feeling was how he was going to feel the whole time they were gone. Stephan really wanted to talk to Derek about it and get his perspective, but the noise level prohibited any decent conversation.

“Place is packed. Want to go somewhere else?”

“Stephan, are you being serious right now? This place has been around for over thirty years and has a huge history.” Derek spoke in the best Irish accent he could muster. Taking another swig, he shook his head. “We are staying at least until we finish these drinks. This is why you need to get out more.”

“I get out enough, Derek, thanks to you.” The first hint of a smile crossed Stephan’s face as comprehension dawned on him, how out of touch with the world he really was. It was true: the little time off he did have, he chose to spend it in his home—shutting the world out completely, working out, catching up on his reading—or at the firing range. He never seemed to need the nightlife like everyone around him did. But then again, his job put him into the nightlife scene every day. Sakis did own five nightclubs. There were so many sides to people at bars and clubs: the deception, the false bravado when they have had one too many to drink, and the complete change in personalities for some. It all seemed so fake. He was done with fake.

“See, I told you you would appreciate me eventually,” Derek stated absently as he watched while two women tried to squeeze past a group of men blocking the main door, who obviously had way too much to drink already despite the evening being still young.

Picking up on the change in Derek, Stephan followed the direction of his gaze.

The first woman was statuesque and a classic beauty, with sleek black hair that fell past her shoulders, flawless makeup and dressed impeccably. The way she carried herself as she stood in her stiletto heels was a testament that she knew who she was and was obviously not bothered by her height. Her friend caught Stephan’s attention more. She was beautiful also. Her face, almost translucent by comparison to her friend, was flawlessly made up as well. But what really struck him was her hair. The red curls seemed to go on forever; the strands shimmered with highlights even in the low light. She was too far away to see her eye color in the darkened room, but something more than curiosity wanted her to look his way.

Unfortunately, the men blocking the door were not going to let two beautiful women walk by them without crude advances. Which was what had caught Derek’s attention. The advances were very obviously not welcome and though the room was overflowing with people, most were too drunk to notice the women’s plight or if they did, they didn’t care.

Stephan, catching the look Derek threw his way, rose simultaneously with his friend. Normally, he hated these types of scenes, but if it allowed him the opportunity to meet the redhead and possibly be a hero in her eyes, then the evening would not be in vain. It certainly would be a great start to his eight-week vacation.

On the other side of the room, Aisling was unaware that help was on its way. She stared up at the man who blocked her entry into the Black Rose. Mentally she was in full work mode under the pretense that she was out at her favorite bar with a friend she hadn’t seen in years to catch up. She knew the bar would be busy—it always was, with its proximity to Faneuil Hall and with the warm night—but this was crazy. She also hadn’t expected people to be shit-ass drunk so early in the evening. She really didn’t have time for egotistical males, but couldn’t afford to have a scene caused either, in fear that the mark would see her.

“Can you please step aside?” she asked politely.

“Aw, party with us! Your accent is fantastic and you are not bad on the eyes either for a ginger.”

Trying not to lean back at the rush of alcohol breath, she wrinkled her nose in distaste. The man was too drunk to notice that his comment caused her eyes to narrow. She hated being called a ginger. Her companion did notice, however, and with the ice darts that were being thrown his way, she knew that Aisling was ready to erupt—which was never good.

Taking a step back, Aisling controlled the steam that rose inside her, choosing instead to smile sweetly as her eyes swept the group of men.
She could easily take them
, she thought. “How romantic. You must have the women dropping at your feet with your Neanderthal ways and Boston accent.” Seeing her mark dead ahead, Aisling tried to squeeze past again; she gave him one last hard look. “We are all set. Thank you anyway.”

One of the other men, obviously not as drunk, made an attempt to defuse the situation. “Leave it alone, Eric. The lady is not interested and we need another drink.”

Stephan and Derek had almost made it to the door when Eric made the first of two big mistakes. He pushed the tall, dark-haired woman aside more roughly than he intended, catching her unaware; she stumbled into the group behind them, who were also trying to get into the packed club. His second mistake was to grab at Aisling in an attempt to pull her closer to him. As his fingers gripped Aisling’s wrist tightly, she seemed to come alive. Instead of pulling away from the one holding her in place, Aisling chose instead to attack with everything she had. That was when someone else decided to throw a punch. Seconds later, Stephan lost sight of her as the crowd imploded with such ferocity that it shocked him. It was one thing to be in a bar fight, but a totally different thing to be in an Irish bar fight. Choosing to dodge fists left and right instead of joining the fray, Stephan only had one goal in mind, and that was to save the redhead from what he considered real physical harm.

Squeezing through the door, he rushed onto the sidewalk, where the fight had spilled over into the street. Catching a glimpse of red hair, he pushed through the throng of people until he found them. Somehow, the man who had caused the whole melee writhed on the ground, screaming obscenities. One wrist hung loosely, while his other hand grabbed his balls. Her back to him, Stephan reached out and touched her on her shoulder to get her attention. Seconds later, he dropped to his knees, gripping himself as pain shot between his legs.

Aisling heard the sharp intake of air as the second man she kneed dropped in front of her. Their eyes connected and Stephan would have caught the look of recognition as it flashed in the depths of her eyes before she broke contact with his if he wasn’t in such excruciating pain. Crouched low, she placed a hand on his shoulder. Her soft voice tried to reach through his agony.

“Oy. Sorry about that. Thought you were one of his friends.” Grabbing his arm, Aisling attempted to help him stand but Stephan could only shake his head and yank away from her, still needing a moment to catch his breath.

So much for making a good impression
, he thought as the pain slowly began to subside. Rolling from his side to his knees, he knelt for a few seconds and inhaled deeply before he rose slowly.

His dark eyes finally locked with hers and noted the deep emerald green of her irises. He had hoped they were that color. The man, no longer writhing on the ground, somehow had made it to a seated position. He held his left hand gingerly and seemed to finally have found his voice.

“You broke my fucking wrist, bitch!”

Stephan glanced over at the woman, incredulously this time with raised eyebrows as he took in her lean, petite form. That would have taken quite a feat of strength for an average man, let alone someone her size, unless she knew what she was doing.

With a sweet smile at Stephan, she shrugged. “I guess I forget my own strength.”

He watched curiously as she ran her fingers through her hair; she seemed agitated for the first time that evening as the police sirens sounded far off in the distance. Both knew that they were headed in the direction of the Black Rose.

“You don’t say.”

A quick glance at Stephan, who now stood in front of her, caused her to pause. Aisling had seen his picture so many times over the years in her file, she found it difficult to comprehend that he was literally right in front of her. Stephan, of course, had no idea that she had actually worked for him many times. Aisling’s job was unique, so much so that she had to know what she was up against before she accepted work from anyone. It was so important to research any client she was not familiar with before she accepted a job. It was only after completing several work requests from any client that she stopped checking up on them. Stephanous was one of those clients she had stopped checking up on.

She strained to remember the last time she had run a full background on him or Carras Enterprises. Aisling found relatively quickly that Stephanous Petros was reliable, paid extremely well and on time, and was loyal and committed to the ones he did business with if they did the assigned job well. The repeat business alone from Carras Enterprises would have kept her financially wealthy if she ever chose to limit herself to one client. In her line of work, that was key. She didn’t have time to dick around with accounts not paying, especially when it was her life that she put on the line so many times.

What she hadn’t counted on in meeting Stephan for the first time was how he made her feel, just with the glances he shot in her direction. He obviously found her attractive, and she found herself feeling the same rush. Aisling savored the feeling. It had been a long time since she wanted a man. Guessing his height at about six feet, maybe more, she liked that he was solid but not in a body builder way. The muscle definition visible beneath the white tee shirt and his arms… She shivered at the thought of them wrapped around her.
God, he would be such a score for her in bed.