HELENA SQUEEZED THE WOODEN SHIP railing until her
knuckles whitened.
Trying to control the turmoil of her emotions, she took a deep breath of fresh, salty air and let it out
slowly. Her heart still thundered in her chest. Am I really going through with this?
An
eerie feeling washed over her, making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She scanned her
surroundings uneasily. The ship deck
was full of people—mostly families. What
about him? she wondered, and
releasing the railing, turned on her heel. A tall, slim man dressed in black, standing on the other side of the deck,
stared at her intensely with piercing
eyes. Helena swallowed hard. Pushing back the fear, she stared right back at him. Being among so many
people gave her a sense of security. The man hesitated for a moment and
then walked away.
Stop
being paranoid! she
reprimanded herself. There’s nothing to
worry
about… Then again, what was that last night? She shivered, thinking of the night before when someone accidentally bumped into her on the pavement in front of her hotel and pushed her right in
front of a speeding car.
If the hotel concierge hadn’t pulled me
back at the very last minute… Closing her eyes, she shook her head to clear her gloomy thoughts. Everything
is going to be all right. I need to do this for my father.
A little girl’s laughter brought her back to reality. She
turned and looked at the
happy, little face. I could have been
happy like that if only…
Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back and stood
still, enjoying the
caress of the warm sunlight on her face and the revitalizing sea breeze blowing softly through her hair. What an amazing sensation! She
opened her eyes and let the captivating scenery fill her vision. It took her
breath away. This is how Dad must have
felt every time he stood on the bridge of his ship. Leaning against the
railing, she was mesmerized by the
magnificent view of the crystal clear, sapphire waters of the Aegean Sea.
Her thoughts flew back to cherished memories of her childhood, and she was
overwhelmed. She could hardly wait…
Feeling restless, she looked around her, wondering how
much longer
it would take them to get there. Mykonos was only a few hours trip from
Athens, but it seemed like ages to her.
It had been thirteen years since she last saw the amazing,
blue waters
of the Aegean and the beautiful island where she was born. She was only eight years old when her father was declared
dead, and her heartbroken mother took her to England.
Since then, the shadows of the past kept her mother away
from the island
she used to adore. Only after her mother’s death had Helena decided to come back to meet her only living
relatives, and to try to unravel the mystery surrounding her father’s
death.
Now, as the ship approached the shores of Mykonos, Helena
closed her
eyes and saw her mother’s pale face, staring at her with eyes wide open from anxiety and fear. Don’t go back! Don’t ever go back! I want you to promise me… Helena could still hear her soft, trembling
voice whispering while she was squeezing her hand tightly.
Her heart fluttering like a little bird, she swallowed
hard. I have nothing to worry about, she tried to reassure herself. All she needed were some answers, and after that, she would head back to England
and go on with
her life. However, deep down inside, she knew it wasn’t going to be that simple. She had this eerie feeling that destiny was waiting just around the corner for her…
***
Thinking back, she could vividly remember her happy
childhood. They
used to live in a big, white house on top of a cliff, overlooking the Aegean. She would wake up in the morning and run
to her balcony to enjoy the breathtaking view.
Her parents were so happy back then. The main offices of
her father’s shipping
company were in Piraeus—the harbor of Athens—but he ran the business
mainly from the island, in order to spend as much time as possible with her
mother and her.
Mykonos
was a beautiful island that took her mother’s breath away when she stepped foot
on it as a young bride, twenty-two years ago.
The beauty of the land and the kindness of the people kept her captive
for a long time. Erin, Helena’s mother, was hopelessly in love with her husband, Captain Angelos Sistakis,
and never regretted following him to his homeland, or leaving London with its cloudy days behind.
The sunshine in Greece warmed people’s hearts; something
about all these islands spread across the
Aegean captivated their souls, and they never wanted to leave.
That’s precisely the way Helena felt when her mother told
her they were
leaving. She’d cried and pleaded to stay, but her mother’s decision was final. Her father’s mysterious disappearance had broken her mother’s heart, and the place had lost its magic touch. Erin just
wanted to get out of there as soon as
possible and leave the memories behind.
However, her mother never forgot the love she and Angelos
shared and
the happy moments at their house on the island. She spent the rest of her life bitter and miserable. And two years
ago, she became sick. As Erin slowly
faded away, Helena wondered if she even tried to recover.
For the last thirteen years, her mother hadn’t been the
same cheerful and
lively woman she used to be. She never got over her husband’s tragic death,
but deep down inside, Helena knew it was a lot more than that… Her mother
feared for her little girl’s life. She was convinced Angelos’ death wasn’t an accident, and that Helena
was in grave danger, as well.
***
The beauty in front of her interrupted her thoughts. She
took a deep breath, staring at the shores of Mykonos with the scenic coves and
the golden sand beaches. Welcome home, Helena… Her heartbeat
accelerated, and anticipation washed
over her like a cold wave. Tears filled her eyes, seeing her homeland…the land of her adorable
father. She was finally home—the home she’d been deprived of for so long.
She wiped the tears with the back of a shaky hand. It was
so unfair to
lose her father at such a tender age and to be deprived of everything and everyone she ever knew. Helena, however, knew
her mother was scared to death. She
lived the rest of her life with a threat
hovering over her, every step of the way. Was
it real? Helena wondered, and the
scene of the previous night’s near miss flashed before her eyes. Was any of it
real? She had thought about it a million times. The only thing she was sure about was that the threat felt real to her mother.
And what about
Grandma’s diary? According to her
mother, Eleana—Angelos’ mother—had a gift of foreseeing future events and had written
them down in her diary. A lot of important things that affected their lives were written down in there,
years before they happened. If only I could find that diary, Helena
inwardly wished. She needed to find it,
not only to get some answers but to verify it actually existed. Sometimes, she was worried about her mother’s
state of mind. Maybe the pain and years of
bitterness had affected her and made her
imagine things. Finding the diary would prove Erin wasn’t hallucinating. And this was essential to
Helena since her mother had been the
center of her world since they left Greece. And now, she was gone, too.
***
As the ship came around a peninsula, Helena held her
breath, looking at the cube-shaped, white
houses of Chora—as the town of Mykonos was
commonly known—glowing in the sunlight. Picturesque windmills and countless churches were scattered
higher up on the hill, composing a breathtaking picture.
The port was overflowing with life. Numerous ships and
colorful fishing boats were anchored everywhere
while dozens of shops were scattered all
over the waterfront. People strolled along the dock, enjoying the
beautiful, sunny day.
The ship moved closer, and Helena’s heartbeat
accelerated. Overwhelmed by conflicting
emotions of excitement and worry, she felt as
if she were floating loose in time and space…
She could hardly wait for
the ship to dock. Squeezing her way through
the numerous passengers, she managed to be among the first ones to walk
off.
Once she stepped foot on the ground, she felt lost with so
many people
around—passengers disembarking the ship and workers running back and
forth, carrying luggage and boxes.
Sitting
at tables outside the cafes in the shade of pergolas people were lazily
drinking their afternoon coffee while kids attacked their ice creams, piled to the top with fruits and nuts.
Standing undecided, Helena let her eyes wander over the
colorful surroundings
and listened to people talking in Greek. It was fascinating and so different
than speaking Greek at school.
She’d been bilingual since birth. After they had moved to
England, her
mother had sent her to a Greek school in the afternoons, so she continued her education in the Greek language, as
well. Speaking Greek helped her remain
connected to her late father and the life she was forced to leave
behind.
Suddenly,
she realized people were staring at her—admiration mixed with curiosity in
their glances. Helena had inherited her mother’s tall and slim figure along
with her long, silky blonde hair and
expressive blue eyes. Among the dark-haired Greeks with the bronzed by
the sun bodies, her pale complexion left her out of place.
Where is my ride?
By now, they knew she was coming. She hadn’t written
from England as she wasn’t sure she was going through with this. When she arrived in Athens, however, she called
her Aunt Sophie and told her she was on her
way to the island.
Sophie Sistakis
was her father’s younger sister, and Helena remembered
her kind face with the warm, brown eyes framed
by long, black hair. Her aunt was only eight years older than her and
used to take her for walks on the beach,
play games with her, and read her stories. She felt ashamed she hadn’t
talked to her aunt in all these years.
Hearing Helena’s voice, Sophie was thrilled and told her to catch the next ferry home.
“Miss Sistakis?”
Helena was startled by a deep, sensual voice with a thick
Greek accent.
Turning around, she faced a suntanned stranger with a
handsome face and a body to die for. He was at least five inches taller than she, and at five feet seven
inches, she was no shrimp. His jet-black hair was shining in the sun while his
captivating dark brown eyes made her feel small and vulnerable.
Helena hadn’t realized she was staring until she saw the
amusement in
his eyes and a smile appearing on his inviting lips.
“Yes,
I’m Helena Sistakis. And who are you?” she said in English, her voice nothing
more than a whisper.
The man hesitated for a moment, searching her face. “I’m
Dimitris,” he replied finally. His name
struck a chord somewhere deep inside
her. Bewildered, she studied him for a minute. No, she thought. If we
had met before, I would definitely remember such a hunk.
As his gaze roamed over her, Helena felt butterflies
in her stomach. Nervously, she licked her lips and dug her nails into her
palms.
“Has my aunt sent you to take me home?” she asked, straightening her
back and trying to steady her trembling voice.
“Yes. I’m ready to go when you
are. My car is just around the corner,”
he replied in Greek, obviously aware she spoke it fluently.
Reaching for her suitcase her hand froze on the handle.
The man from the
ship stood a few feet away, staring at her, totally unaffected by
everything going on around him. Helena noticed the round face with the small, piercing eyes that reminded her of a snake.
Her blood turned to ice. “What on earth?”
“Is
everything all right?” Dimitris asked.
Absorbed by the hostile expression on
the stranger’s face, Helena didn’t respond.
“Helena…” Dimitris’ voice and his warm hand on her
arm brought her back to reality.
She glanced at him, puzzled. Dimitris’ eyes were fixed on
her, searching her face. Then he peered at
the other man.
“Who’s
that? Do you know him?” he asked.
“No,” she whispered. “First time I saw him was on the
ship. He seemed to be watching me…”
“Wait
here!” Dimitris said and strode towards him.
The man turned on his
heel and rushed towards the street. Dimitris
swiftly took off right after him,
like a panther going after his prey. He was closing in on him when a black Mercedes appeared speeding out of nowhere.
As the brakes of the car squeaked
right in front of the man, he opened the back door and jumped inside. He
had barely closed the door when the car launched forward. Dimitris arrived at the street right at the moment the Mercedes
was disappearing around a corner.
Helena took a deep breath, unable to move. What was that all about? Who was he? What did
he want?
Immobilized,
she watched Dimitris reaching in his pocket and getting
out his cell phone. He spoke on the phone as
he was heading back towards her.
“Is
everything all right, Captain?”
Helena glanced at a young sailor who was rushing towards Dimitris.
“Yes,
everything is under control,” Dimitris replied, glancing at the street.
The sailor gave Helena a polite smile
and walked away.
“We should be going,” Dimitris said, arriving next to her.
Picking up her suitcase, he led
Helena on the whitewashed cobbled pavement towards the street.
As they came around the corner of a cafe, she stopped
dead in her tracks.
An impressive Porsche Cayenne Jeep was parked right behind the building, its black color shining in the
summer sun like onyx. Helena took a deep breath, staring at her dream
car.
Her thoughts were interrupted as he had already put her
suitcase in the vehicle and was holding the door
for her to get in. She blushed as their eyes
met, and hastily climbed inside. Sinking into the soft leather seat, she admired the luxurious interior
and the impressive dashboard. A thrill washed over her. Riding in a Jeep
like this was a dream come true. She drew a
deep breath and watched Dimitris walk around the vehicle and get in on
the driver’s side.
The powerful engine came to life, and the car took off.
Helena had to hold
on to her seat as he was driving way too fast for these narrow roads.
She glanced over at him, trying hard to control her accelerated heartbeat. His eyes were set on the road, and she
had a chance to admire the intriguing
profile and the broad shoulders. Her gaze moved to the powerful hands
with the long fingers holding steadily onto the wheel. A jolt of desire shot right through her. What would it feel like having those hands touching me…caressing me?
Bewildered, Helena snapped out of it, wondering where those thoughts
came from. She hardly knew the man. Taking a deep breath, she let
it out slowly, flexing her hands to release some of the tension. What is
the matter with me? It’s probably due to the adrenaline rush caused by
fear. It just can’t be him.
Turning her gaze to the road ahead of them, she took
another deep breath,
trying to clear the wild thoughts whirling around in her mind.
She sensed his eyes on her. It took all the strength she
could muster to keep from staring back at him. The
proximity in the confined area of the car was
bad enough; she couldn’t handle getting lost in those gorgeous,
dark-brown eyes of his again.
Helena
kept silent, and so did he.
Trying to draw her attention from his powerful presence,
she started noticing
the surroundings. They were going up a hill, and things began to seem
familiar. She had forgotten how beautiful this place was.
The road was curving around, and she had a great view of
the port and
Chora with its little white houses built amphitheatrically, overlooking the water. Over to the side, Helena saw a Greek
Orthodox Church built on the edge of the hill, dominating the area.
Something about the Cycladic Islands—a group of
thirty-three islands in the Aegean, forming a circle
around the sacred island of Delos—made
people feel as if they were in a dreamland…sandy beaches, architecture in white and blue, and narrow roads leading
uphill to windmills and churches, standing there for hundreds of years,
dominating people and nature.
Helena always liked Greek Orthodox churches with their
Byzantine paintings,
their gold and marble decorations, their vitro windows, and the strong
smell of incense in the air.
When she finally saw the house at the top of the hill,
she felt restless, and her heart pounded faster. Just
as beautiful as she remembered, it stood
drowned in red, pink, and white rosebushes while a bougainvillea climbed all the way to the second-floor windows. She remembered the exquisite aroma
of the flowers and couldn’t wait to get closer.
Overwhelmed by emotions, she glanced at the
man next to her. He was watching her, his
penetrating gaze reaching all the way to her soul. Helena drew a deep breath to
calm down and instinctively licked her lips. What is he thinking about? He wasn’t the typical Greek; they
usually were so open-hearted and friendly.
As the Jeep pulled into the
driveway, the front door swung open, and a beautiful young woman with long black hair came outside. She stood at the top
of the marble staircase leading to the
veranda in front of the house. Helena felt the urge to jump out of the car and run into her arms. Instead,
she climbed out slowly and hesitated,
staring at her aunt for a few seconds. Astonished, she saw her aunt launching down the steps and
taking her into her arms.
Feeling
like a little girl coming home after a long trip, she couldn’t help but glance towards Dimitris. He was staring at her intensely,
his gaze burning into her skin.
Helena turned back to her aunt. In her crimson red dress
and matching sandals,
Sophie was more beautiful than she remembered. Her long shiny hair fell in loose, soft waves onto her shoulders,
and her skin was tanned. Admiring her aunt, Helena realized for one more
time how pale her own skin was.
Her aunt released her hug and took a step back to take a
better look at her. Her sparkling eyes gave away
how happy she was to see her.
“Welcome home, Helena,” she said excited and turned to
Dimitris, who was waiting patiently by the car.
“Isn’t she beautiful? She looks just like an angel.”
Helena’s
breath caught in her throat as she heard him agreeing with her aunt. She didn’t
have time to say anything as her aunt went on.
“You look just the way I thought you would. I always knew the cute little
girl with the sweet blue eyes and the long blonde braid would turn into a
gorgeous young woman.”
Helena
felt her cheeks growing warm, and she spoke quickly so that her aunt wouldn’t
have a chance to go on appraising her. “It’s so good to see you again, Aunt
Sophie. I’ve missed you so much.”
“Then
why did it take you so long to come back?” the man asked in a low tone of
voice, sounding somewhat sarcastic.
Helena
was taken aback by his intervention and gave
him a hard look. How dare he get involved
in family matters like this?
Her retort died on her lips when Sophie said, “Dimitris,
leave her alone. You know it
wasn’t her fault.” Then, smiling warmly, she turned
to Helena. “You have to forgive Dimitris.
He’s been with us for so long that he gets very protective of the
family.”
Helena couldn’t get over her aggravation. Feeling bad
enough for not having contacted Sophie all
those years, she didn’t appreciate a
stranger interfering in a sensitive matter like this. She wanted
to set him straight but decided to leave the matter alone for now.
Without
giving him another look, she followed her aunt into the house. Going through the mahogany doors, she shivered, feeling his
intense gaze burning into her back.
Only after she heard the powerful engine coming to life,
she realized she was holding her breath. I never even thanked him for picking me up
at the port… Never mind. It serves him right for interfering like this.
***
Dimitris drove too fast for the narrow roads of the
island. He had to release some tension. Being so close to her after all those
years and trying
to act totally unaffected were more than he could handle. She had turned out just as amazing as he had imagined. She
was breathtaking… And she didn’t remember
him.
I hope you have enjoyed the first
chapter of the mystery romance bestseller Deadly
Secrets.
The book is available on Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and other fine booksellers everywhere.
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Best wishes,
Angel Sefer
