The Greek Tycoon Box Set: The Complete Serial: Books 1-10 (32 page)

She picked up a piece of garlic bread loaded with cheese, broke off a piece, and popped it in his mouth.

Finally
.

*****

Chapter 2

Carla opened her eyes slowly, taking a moment to realize where she was. The bedroom in the Gardener’s Cottage was in a country style that made Carla think of her childhood. A twinge in her heart reminded her of her parents.
 

It had been years since the tragic accident took both their lives, but her memories of them were still so vivid, and even more began flowing through since she’d found out she was pregnant. Images of her playing with her mother and father in their family garden, dashing through sprinklers, and laughing like crazy, made her stomach tighten.

She looked over at Atreus, who was gazing out of the window. He looked contemplative, subdued, just how she felt. She’d thought they would be so glad on this day—the day of the grand opening. As soon as they’d tied up the purchase with Mrs. Mayes, Cressida had set about getting the place ready for guests, turning bedrooms into drawing rooms and luxurious suites with a mammoth team of builders and interior designers. She’d also been running Tom, Olivia, and Hugo through a vigorous program of training, until they were all assured of their ability to host some of the most prominent figures in the world.

Carla and Atreus had set up their home in the Gardener’s Cottage, painting one bedroom for Dios and another for their new baby. Atreus’ mother, Andria, his secretary Lilia, and other staff were moved to various other outbuildings and everyone had been swept up in a hubbub of excitement over their new accommodation and the progress of the hotel, which was looking ever more like the luxury haven they’d decided to create.

It had all been leading up to this day. Yet Carla had woken with a thick cloud hanging over her, and it seemed Atreus had too.

Carla approached him from behind and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Good morning,” she said, nuzzling into his neck.

“Good morning.” His voice was just as heavy as hers, but he turned, raising his eyebrows and trying to find some cheerfulness. “So, it’s the grand opening today.”

“Yes.”

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“I don’t exactly know.” She flopped down on the bed and lay back to stare at the ceiling. She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

He sat beside her and ran his hand over her belly. “You’re beginning to show. Our baby.”

Carla put her hands on her tiny bump, feeling elated and anxious in equal measure.
 

She sighed deeply. “Can I really do this?”

“Do what?”

“Be a mother,” she said, her voice catching in her throat as she thought of her own mother. “How do I know I’ll be any good at it?”

“But you’re so great with Dios,” he said. “That should show you you’re great with children.”

Carla thought of Dios and smiled. “Yes, and I do love him, and I do see him as my own. But this is… I’ll be giving birth. I’ll be naming the baby. I’ll be breastfeeding, and looking after them all the time. When I met you, Dios was … ready-made. I know he wasn’t that old but… Oh, I just can’t explain it.”

“No, I think I know what you mean.” Atreus put his hand on hers. It was warm and comforting. “I’ve never told anyone this before, but just before Dios was born, I freaked out. I didn’t believe I could be a father.”

That was a shock. Atreus was so competent, so confident.

“However successful I was in business, that didn’t mean anything when it came to a baby,” he said. “Nothing at all. I was so scared.”

“How did you get through it?”

“Meeting him.” Atreus smiled for the first time that morning. It was a smile so full of beauty and happiness that it moved Carla’s heart. “There’s nothing like it, Carla, truly, when you hold your baby in your hands for the first time. Knowing that you’ve had the privilege of bringing someone new into the world. A whole new person. The sense of awe you get is like nothing else in this world.”

Carla thought on this for a moment, but it didn’t dampen her anxiety.

“But how do you know you’re doing it right? How will I know?”

“All you can do is your best,” said Atreus. “And you will. You’ll give your whole heart to the task. Your mind, your everything. I know you will.” He sighed and ran his hand over her belly. “And when I find I’ve come up short, I dig deeper. I know you can do that. We can do it, together.”
 

She felt comforted by that, but the sorrow was still on her heart.
 

“I miss my parents,” she finally said.

He pushed her hair away from her forehead. “I think you’ll always miss them. Do you believe in Heaven?”

“I don’t know. I like to think they’re looking down on me, though, from somewhere. I think I can feel them there, but I don’t know if I’m imagining it.”

“I feel my father,” Atreus said. “If there is a Heaven I don’t think he’d get into it.” He laughed. “He liked cursing and gambling too much, though his heart was good.”

Carla held Atreus’ hand to her chest. “If there is a God, I bet he doesn’t care much about cursing and gambling,”
she said. “I get the feeling he cares more about people’s hearts.”

“Me too.” Atreus smiled with a little sadness. “Anyhow, whether he got in or not, I can feel that he’s somewhere. Somewhere I don’t understand or maybe even know about, but I can feel him.”

Tears pricked at Carla’s eyes as she thought of her parents holding each other and watching their only daughter as she navigated life without them.
 

“I hope you’re right.”

“Come here, babe.”

Carla rested her head on his chest and he stroked her blonde waves.

“I just think they’re really glad we have each other,” he whispered.

*****

“I can’t stay long,” Tom said, looking around him in every direction and thrusting his hands into his pockets to search for the crucial scrap of paper.
 

Brian was parked in a McDonalds’ parking lot a couple of miles from the hotel, which was to be the rallying point for the kidnapping. Tom had taken a bus during his lunch break, but was due back soon. He couldn’t risk taking a ride with Brian and being seen together. If Carla or Atreus happened to see, it would be all over.

“Nice suit,” Brian said, chomping into a Big Mac.
 

Tom gave him a fake smile as he got into the passenger seat. “You think I’ve got time to think about suits right now?”

Brian grimaced. “Fair point.”

“You don’t look like you’re taking this all that seriously,” Tom said, finally pulling the scrap of paper out. “We have to be one-hundred percent on this or we might as well quit now. If we do this half-hearted, we’re getting caught, I’m telling you that now.”

“I’m in, I’m in, for God’s sake,” Brian said. “I’ve always been in.”

“Good.” Tom handed him the piece of paper. “That’s everyone’s number—Richie, Sam, and Macauley.”

“Got it,” Brian said.

Tom’s voice was stretched to the breaking point with stress. “Stop bloody eating and look at the paper.”

Brian sighed and snatched the paper from him, leaving a barbeque sauce thumb print on it. “The plan’s still the same, right?”

“Yeah. Exactly the same.”

“You got some names yet?”

Tom ran his fingers through his hair. He was more nervous than Brian had ever seen him. “Yeah. Jules Swanson-Jessup and her husband Felix.”

“Oh, Jules Swanson-Jessup,” Brian said in a mocking posh accent. “Who is that anyway?”

“You have a phone, don’t you? Look it up.”

Brian took a giant bite into his Big Mac and looked Tom up and down. “Sounds like you need a cigarette or something. Or something a bit stronger to smoke.”

Tom slapped his hand down on the dashboard. “You don’t bloody get it, do you? This isn’t some little fraud joke thing. This is gonna be all over the papers. It’s a big scale thing. If we get this wrong, we’re going down—for ages.”

“Yeah, but we’re not gonna get it wrong.”

“I’m not.”

“You’re saying I am?”

Tom threw his head back on the headrest and sighed. “Just do it properly, right?”

Brian felt like throwing his Coke all over Tom. “Yeah. Obviously.”

A long silence stretched out between them.

“You’re not getting a conscience, are you?” Brian said.

“No, but I was wondering if you were.”

Brian swore violently, then questioned him. “Why the hell would you ever think that?”

Tom shrugged. “Maybe because Carla’s your ex and you’re about to screw up her whole life. You know, after all this, they’ll have to shut down. No one will stay there after that.”

“What do you care?”

“I don’t. I just thought you might care about ruining her life. She’s not a bad person.”

Brian took a mouthful of fries. “Well, guess what, I don’t care.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear,” said Tom. “You can’t back out at the last minute or anything stupid like that.”

“I’m not going to.”

“No,” said Tom, looking right in his eyes. “I’m saying,
you can’t
.”

Brian backed up, incredulous.
 

“Are you threatening me?”

“Take it whatever way you want,” Tom said. “Just make sure if you’re going to do this, you’re going to stay in it until the end.”

Brian shoved his shoulder and took another bite of his burger.
 

“Shut the hell up. I know what I’m doing.”

“Good,” said Tom.

Brian got his smartphone out. “Who was the target again?”

“Jules Swanson-Jessup.”

He wiped his fingers on his trousers, then typed the name into Google. A picture of a smiling, suited woman in her fifties showed up on the screen.
 

“Jules Swanson-Jessup is a successful businesswoman,”
he read.
“Named Scottish Businesswoman of the Year 2015, she is the CEO of Argyll Plastics and worth an estimated £10.5million.”
 

Brian grinned. “Sounds good to me.”

*****

Chapter 3

The Grand Opening

The soothing notes of the harp drifted around the large country house, which now had a large sign by the street:
Kostas Hotels presents Westling House.

A team of waiters and waitresses passed around canapés and champagne to the elegant guests who chattered in the hallway and the lounge and the drawing room.

Cressida, in a smart gray gown with platinum detailing, milled among the guests, checking that everyone was having a wonderful time, but stopping short of introducing herself. She was the support that made it all possible, but did not want to be in the spotlight.

Carla admired Cressida’s hairstyle as she passed to join Atreus at the front door—it looked wonderful all curled up on top of her head. Carla herself had been the recipient of much attention as she made her way through the party. She’d chosen a Grecian gown that fluttered out over her belly and made her feel comfortable. She loved the way the skirt caressed her skin as she shifted left and right, but the thing she adored most of all was the color. It was the gentlest shade of mint.

Atreus was standing at the door, handsome as ever in his charcoal suit. He’d had his hair neatly clipped and Carla gazed at him with adoration—she couldn’t believe how lucky she was to be engaged to such a kind, attractive man.
 

He smiled at her. “It seems to be going so well. I was really nervous this morning, but I think we’re going to be okay.”

She took his hand and squeezed. “I don’t know what you were nervous about.”

“It does feel silly now,” he admitted.

“You’re an accomplished, successful man with a good sense of business,” she encouraged him. “And we’ve hired Cressida, who couldn’t be more professional. I
knew
it was going to go well.”

*****

Cressida pushed Tom up against the pillar in the darkened library, snaking her tongue into his mouth and feeling her whole body overcome with the heat of lust.
 

“Oh, Thomas,” she said. “You’ve made me into such a naughty girl.”

Tom chuckled and kissed her right back, grabbing at her neck.

“We’re supposed to be at the party,” Cressida said with a giggle. “This is ever so unprofessional.”

Tom considered whether he should say the three little words he knew most women longed to hear, but he did not know whether it was the right time, and everything he did that night needed to be executed with exact precisions. A single mistake could throw their whole plan into jeopardy.
 

He decided against it, but feigned a renewal of his passion. “Oh, Cressida!” he said, diving back at her neck and kissing for all he was worth.

“We’re like the great lovers!” Cressida announced. “Like Romeo and Juliet, or Guinevere and Lancelot, or Orpheus and Eurydice. Nothing could keep us apart!”