Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 70320 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70320 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
“We get away and regroup.” Peter makes a sudden turn down an alley. “Run. Now!”
We sprint down the narrow road to the end and move left. We keep running, down another street, and another, turning into as many alleys as possible. A few times we stop and walk and wait, watching for anyone, at twice I spot the car roll past, but it seems like we lost the guys on foot.
After another hour of hurrying through the maze-like streets, we stop outside of another cafe just like the first one. Galaki is a stressed-out and sweaty mess. He collapses into a chair, chugs a water, downs a coffee, and lights a cigarette with shaking hands. Peter pulls me aside and talks quietly.
“This is bad,” he says, glancing over at Galaki. “He’s a mess. He’s really spooked.”
“What can we do?”
“I don’t know.”
“The poor guy thinks he’s going to get killed now. What’s the point of money if he’s dead?”
“Fucking hell. I can’t even blame him.” Peter squeezes my arm, not hard, but I can feel his tension rolling off his fingers.
“Friends, I have been thinking.” Captain Galaki stands as Peter releases me and moves toward him. Galaki backs off, hands waving in the air. “I appreciate offer. I am happy by offer. But I must say no.” He says something else in Greek. Peter replies, quick and clipped, but Galaki is already turning and walking away, hands shoved in his pockets.
I stand there and watch our only hope jump on the first bus that comes along and disappears into the city.
“Are we screwed?” I ask.
Peter lets out a low rumble. “We very much might be screwed.”
Chapter 20
Adrienne
Peter’s an angry wreck when we get back to Reina’s apartment. My sister is nowhere to be seen, no note, no response when Peter calls her. “She needs to hear what happened,” he says, pacing back and forth. “If the fucking pilot is out, we’ve got no other options.”
“There has to be another way. Maybe we can change Galaki’s mind?”
“You saw him back there. We got chased by gangsters and now he thinks everyone’s out to kill him. I wouldn’t be shocked if he left the country.” He curses again and stands at the window, leaning his palms on the sill. “Adrienne. Maybe it’s time we talked contingency plans.”
He doesn’t look at me when he says it, but the stress and worry that radiate off him tells me everything I need to hear. I don’t want to think about this.
“Not yet,” I say, coming up behind him. I put my arms around his middle and place my palms flat against his muscular stomach. I can feel his pulse through his strong back and I breathe his smell, holding him there, trying to comfort him the best I can, but I know there’s nothing I can do. Peter isn’t the type to be comforted, so no matter what I say, he’s going to feel on edge. And yet I want to try.
I don’t know why, but the panic isn’t ruining me. It feels like everything is lost and we have nowhere else to turn—but this is Peter. He’s clever and strong and he knows a million people, and besides, we’ve got Reina on our side as well.
My sister and my Peter.
We can figure this out. I keep telling myself that, over and over. If this had happened to me a few weeks back, I’d be a blubbering mess on the floor begging Peter to send me away. But now, I’m keeping my back straight and my shoulders squared, and I’m trusting in myself for the first time in a while.
We can do this. I’ve never been an optimist before but being with Peter brings out the hopeful in me, and I want to believe that the three of us can solve this problem. I lean closer and press my forehead between his shoulder blades and feel his warmth, and slowly he turns around to look into my eyes.
“Agapi mou,” he whispers and tilts my chin up. “I’m stuck in this mess. But you—”
“Don’t.”
“You don’t have to be.” He looks like he’s being stabbed in the chest as he says it. “You can go.”
“Peter, stop.”
“You’ll be safe. Get on a plane and fly back to the States. Kacia and Luca will watch over you until you’re ready.”
“Ready for what?”
He smiles sadly. “To live. That’s all I want for you.”
“Stop it.” I take his hand between both of mine and lift his knuckles to my lips. I kiss them and press them tight to my mouth, lingering on his skin, his taste, the rough calluses at the tips of his fingers. I love these hands more than anything in the world and as I focus on his eyes, on his handsome face, on the pain etched on every surface on his mouth and his cheeks, I know it’s not the hands—it’s him.