Chapter 6

• ANDRONIKOS
• As I strolled into my room, I peeled off my dress shirt, trying to massage the tension out of my neck.
• Today had been… unexpected.
• I don’t know if it was sheer luck, or perhaps fate, that the daughter of my family’s sworn enemy had somehow ended up in my lap.
• Coincidence? Maybe. But I’ve never been one to believe in coincidences. This was clearly meant to happen, and I’d be damned if I didn’t milk this golden opportunity for all it was worth.
• Recalling how pretty she looked with those wide, terrified eyes, I chuckled to myself. I could’ve sworn I saw a glimmer of longing in there too.
• Ah, it seems my little captive is affected by me as well. How delightful!
• I’m going to have so much fun with her, I couldn’t help but think.
• As I prepared to head to the shower with my towel in hand, my phone rang, jolting me from my thoughts.
• It better be Iason with some good news, I thought as I answered the call.
• “It’s done boss,” he said, his voice devoid of hesitation.
• “Good! Did she give you a lot of trouble?” I asked, half-expecting the answer to be a resounding yes.
• “She tried to bite me. Multiple times. I’d have killed her if you hadn’t told me not to.” His casual mention of murder stirred an unexpected fury within me.
• “Don’t.” I growled, my voice low and menacing, surprising even myself. “Don’t you dare ever lay a finger on her”
• What was happening to me?
• There was a pause from the other end of the line. I could almost hear Iason’s confusion. He was taken aback by my sudden protectiveness of the enemy, but even I didn’t understand where it was coming from.
• “Iason?”
• “Yeah. Copy that.”
• The silence after that stretched thin, and I cleared my throat. “Any word on the Aslan brothers?” I asked, eager to change the subject and break the awkward tension.
• “No Nónos. They don’t pop up on the grid at all,” he replied, the relief at the subject change evident in his tone. “But we have Elias on it as we speak.”
• Perfect! If anyone could find anything as elusive as a needle in a haystack—or, you know, an unidentified corpse—it was Elias.
• “Keep me updated on the situation,” I said ready to wrap up the conversation.
• “Andronikos, be careful,” Iason warned, interrupting my exit.
• “I’m always careful, Iason,” I replied, irritation creeping into my voice.
• “I mean your heart, Nikos. You remember what happened the last time, don’t you?” he pressed, genuine concern lacing his words.
• Ah, there it was—the metaphorical elephant in the room. He just had to bring her up, didn’t he?
• “Worry more about your duties and less about me,” I snapped defensively, ending the call before he could pry any further.
• As I stood there, towel in hand, I realized how peculiar this situation had become. My enemy’s daughter was right in the palm of my hands now, but I was feeling things I hadn’t felt in years. Maybe this was fate’s twisted sense of humor at play.
• Maybe a shower would help clear my mind. Maybe not.
• Steam filled the bathroom, blurring the mirror as I stepped under the spray. For a moment it felt good, burning, cleansing, punishing.
• When I closed my eyes, though, all I saw was her face.
• I laughed under the water. “This was going to be fun.”
• *********************************
• “Good morning, partner!” I chirped, watching Adira descend the stairs in a fresh outfit. It seemed she’d finally decided to make use of the wardrobe I had thoughtfully curated for her. And my goodness, it fit her like it was stitched by the gods themselves.
• Ignoring my greeting, she made a beeline for the cupboards, rummaging through them like a raccoon on a midnight snack raid, completely overlooking the carefully arranged plate of sesame bread, fluffy omelets, freshly picked grapes from my prized vineyard, and a generous dollop of Greek yogurt.
• Rude!
• “There’s already food waiting for you, in case you missed it,” I called out, gesturing emphatically toward the hearty breakfast that was practically begging for her attention.
• For an excruciating two minutes and ten seconds—yes, I counted—she continued her early morning raid before finally dropping the cereal she had found and turning to face me.
• If I were a lesser man, I might have quaked at the fierce glare she shot my way, but instead, it sparked something entirely different in me. I couldn’t help but smile at her rising fury. It was like watching a volcano prepare to erupt.
• “You expect me to eat something I didn’t prepare myself? Do I look dumb to you? What if you poisoned it?” she shot back, a flush creeping across her cheeks.
• I wonder how far that flush goes.
• “Are you even listening to me, you bastard?”
• Oops, guess I zoned out there for a moment.
• “Retract your claws, gataki, before I shorn them myself,” I said, my voice dripping with authority to remind her of her place. (kitten)
• Her flinch was delicious.
• Good. She needed to remember who had the power here.
• “If I wanted to kill you, I’d have done it when I caught your snooping ass last night. Now sit down and eat your food before it gets cold.”
• Clearly suppressing a retort, she plopped down and started stabbing at her eggs with a fervor that suggested she was envisioning me in their place.
• “You didn’t drink your yogurt,” I remarked, noting the untouched dairy delight beside her as she cleared her plate.
• “I don’t like Greek yogurt,” she mumbled distastefully without glancing up.
• The appalled expression on my face could have rivaled Medusa when she accidentally petrified herself.
• “Is there an issue?” she asked, glancing around as if seeking an invisible culprit.
• Is there an issue? Obviously! Only a child murderer could dislike Greek yogurt. The horror!
• “Nothing, nothing at all,” I replied, waving my hand dismissively.
• Deciding to ignore me again, she scooped up her plate, tossed it in the dishwasher, and sauntered over to me with her arms crossed beneath her breasts.
• What I’d give to just lay my head there for a while.
• Snapping her fingers in front of my face, she muttered something along the lines of “Men”—and really, who could blame me? It was right there, practically begging for attention.
• “Shouldn’t we talk about the merger I literally signed yesterday, or are you just going to stare at my boobs?” she pressed, clearly annoyed.
• I was about to throw out a cheeky retort that would undoubtedly earn me her ire, but she beat me to it.
• “You know what, don’t answer that.”
• Flashing her my most charming smile—complete with dimples, which I knew she found irresistible—I finally replied, “Yes. You’ll be staying with me for the rest of your vacation, and don’t worry about your cousin. She’s perfectly safe back home in Mykonos.”
• She stared at me as if I had grown two extra heads, clearly shocked by my proclamation. Honestly, I was a bit taken aback myself.
• “I can’t stay here! Why do I have to stay here? It doesn’t make sense!”
• “It makes perfect sense to me. With you close by, I can keep a better eye on you. After all, we wouldn’t want you doing something reckless, like plotting my demise in my sleep, now would we?”
• I heard her mutter “Prick” under her breath, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
• “So, what do you say, partner?” I asked, fully aware of the answer I was about to receive.
• “You’re asking like I have a choice,” she replied, rolling her eyes dramatically.
• “You don’t, but remember, choice is merely an illusion created by those with power over those without. Right now, you’re completely powerless.”
• “Did you just quote The Matrix?”
• “Maybe I did.” I replied, not giving her a straight answer.
• With nothing left to say, Adira huffed, spun on her heel and stormed back upstairs, muttering curses that sounded toomuch like prayers for my demise.
• I leaned against the counter, listening to her footsteps fade.
• A smile curved my lips.
• This wasn’t business anymore. This was a game.
• And by God, I was going to win.