Jackie
instinctively flattened herself against the wall, trying to peer through the
darkness and track the source of the noise. The back of her neck prickled, and
her heartbeat drummed in her ears. Could
it be true? She silently cursed herself for laughing at Stephanos’
warnings. What if her uncle was right? What if something supernatural was
responsible for the mysterious deaths in the
family of Greek tycoon Andreas Demiris?
No,
she argued inwardly. Stephanos is
wrong in thinking that the Demiris family is cursed. Jackie believed that
the assassin was either one of the heirs or an enemy of the family. And she had
come to the Greek island of Corfu to find the killer and prevent another
murder.
But
now, trapped here and feeling something lurking in the dark, she wished she’d
thought better before flying six thousand miles from Atlanta, Georgia, to
Greece on this eerie assignment. Stephanos used to say that her intuition,
determination, and courage were assets for her carrier as an investigative
reporter. But he’d also warned her against rushing headfirst into every new
challenge. She should have known her impulsiveness would get her into trouble
one day.
Fighting
her rising panic, Jackie waited in the dark for what seemed like an eternity. The
dim moonlight behind the threatening clouds couldn’t penetrate the stained-glass
windows of the hallway. So, the mansion’s interior was as pitch black and spooky
as the dense forest surrounding it.
She
desperately tried to pick up the slightest noise. But there was nothing—only
dead silence.
Jackie knew she was being foolish. There is nobody here, she
reassured herself. The place had been deserted
for months. All she needed to do was to find what she had come for and get out
as soon as possible.
Blind
in the thick darkness, she took a couple of steps to her right. She kept her
hand against the wall while clutching the flashlight with her other hand, ready
to use it as a weapon. All her senses worked
overtime to detect the slightest noise or movement. She couldn’t see or
hear anything, but the warning bells in her head were impossible to ignore.
Suddenly,
Jackie stiffened. Something was moving closer to her…a lot closer. She froze in
place and held her breath.
A strong hand grabbed her by the throat and shoved her
violently against the wall. A second later, a
blinding light shone on her face.
Jackie
instinctively closed her eyes and struggled to breathe. But the grip tightened
around her throat. Fear paralyzed her. On the cusp of fainting, she heard a
deep, husky voice commanding in Greek, “Who are you?”
She
gasped for air and flailed at her assailant with her flashlight. He blocked her move with impossible speed and
effortlessly knocked the flashlight out of her hand. Frantically, Jackie
raised her arms and tried to free her throat from the deadly grasp. But his
hand was strong as steel.
A
second later, the question was repeated, more insistent this time. The grasp
loosened a little bit, allowing some air into her lungs and giving her a chance
to answer.
“Please…”
she managed to whisper in English.
Thanks
to Stephanos, Jackie was fluent in Greek. But the intensity of the moment had
overwhelmed her, and it was difficult to gather her thoughts. Her T-shirt was
clinging to her back, her forehead was moist with sweat, and tension caused
every muscle in her body to ache.
“Who
are you?” the stranger commanded in perfect English, slightly tinged with a
Greek accent.
Who is he, and what is
he doing here? Jackie wondered anxiously. What
could she possibly say? She couldn’t tell him the truth. But would he settle
for anything less?
“You
do speak English, don’t you?” he asked, shifting impatiently.
“Yes…but I can hardly breathe,” she whispered truthfully as his
hand remained wrapped around her throat.
“Who are you?” he insisted, without loosening his grip
any further.
“Jackie...
Jackie Alexander,” she muttered.
“And what are you doing here, Jackie Alexander?” he demanded.
Now,
that was the hard part. She had rehearsed some plausible answers in case there were questions raised about her visit to the island. But she hadn’t anticipated finding
someone there in the middle of the night.
“I’m
a relative of the owners,” Jackie said. Well, not exactly, she thought,
as she was a relative of Stephanos Demiris’ wife. But there was no reason to
clarify that.
The
man hesitated for a moment.
“I’m
a relative of Andreas Demiris,” she insisted.
His
hand released her throat, and she sucked in a ragged breath. However, the stranger remained unbearably close,
blocking every possible escape route.
Suddenly,
Jackie heard a distinctive click, and the bright light of a chandelier filled
the hallway. She looked around, bewildered. And then, her eyes rested on the man holding her captive. He was tall—at
least six inches taller than she. And, at five feet eight inches, Jackie was no shrimp. He had jet black hair, and his black
T-shirt and jeans stretched over enticing muscles that any athlete would envy.
His face was handsome, with a strong jaw and amazing blue eyes that were
now watching her intensely.
Jackie shifted uneasily under his piercing
gaze. It was as if he could read her like an open book.
They stared into each other’s eyes, and Jackie felt her
heart suspended in her chest…but not from fear this time. Even though he looked tough, she had to admit he was
mouthwatering like a Greek God—a
seductive stranger as Aphrodite, her
romantic teenage cousin, would
call him.
The
thought of sweet, innocent Aphrodite jolted her back to reality. During the
last few months, the heirs of Andreas Demiris had died—one after the other—under
mysterious circumstances. Due to a lack of evidence indicating otherwise, the police
declared their deaths accidents and closed the case files. But Jackie
suspected foul play.
Stephanos
and Aphrodite were among the few Demiris family members still alive, and Jackie
feared for their lives. She was desperate to find out who was responsible for
all those deaths. And coming to the Demiris mansion on the island of Corfu was
the right place to start her search.
“That
still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here in the middle of the night.” He placed
his flashlight on the entry table while watching her like a hawk.
Jackie
could tell he was on guard, ready to prevent any attempt of hers to escape. He
was obviously stronger and faster but didn’t seem aggressive. So, she began to
relax. Now that the initial shock was over, Jackie needed to regain control of
the situation.
“And
who exactly are you?” she demanded.
A
smile appeared on the handsome stranger’s face, and he gave her an appreciative look. “You’re a tough cookie,
aren’t you?”
As
his gaze roamed over her, Jackie shifted uneasily. The desire that flickered in
his captivating eyes—as blue as the Ionian Sea surrounding the island—set her
pulse racing. Oh my, I can get lost in those eyes.
“Michael
Apostolou,” he said suddenly, catching her off guard. “Police Captain Michael Apostolou,” he added.
Oh no! That
was the worst thing that could have happened to her right then. She had only
been on the island for a few hours, and there she was, caught by the police
breaking and entering. How would she get out of that? Why hadn’t she waited
until the following day to talk to Nancy Felini—the Demiris family attorney—as Stephanos
had instructed her? But no, she wanted to check out the contents of the safe
without anyone looking over her shoulder.
Having
no idea who was responsible for the deaths in the Demiris family, Jackie had hoped
to find something in that safe to shed some light on this mystery. She intended
to read through every document to discover
who would benefit from those deaths.
A
logical assumption would be that the assassin was one of the heirs. But Jackie
knew that neither Stephanos nor Aphrodite were killers. And Stephanos seriously
doubted that any of the few Demiris family members still alive was a killer. So,
who was left? An enemy of the family?
Knowing
that the captain was watching her closely, Jackie
remained as calm as she could.
“And
now, Miss Alexander, would you mind explaining why you broke into this mansion
in the middle of the night?” There was a touch of sarcasm in his voice.
“But
I didn’t break in,” Jackie protested.
He inched closer and leaned over her, his eyes shooting
daggers. “And what would you call breaking a window and climbing
into a house that doesn’t belong to you?” The sarcasm was even more apparent
now.
Jackie
raised her chin and looked at him, puzzled. “But I didn’t break any window.” This whole thing was getting
out of hand. She needed a way out of there and as far away from him as possible.
“Oh,
really?” he asked, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her toward an arch
leading to what turned out to be the living room.
Jackie
gasped. A window hung wide open, and pieces of broken glass peppered the
carpet. She hadn’t done that. But glancing at him, she was sure she would have
a hard time convincing him of that. Those mesmerizing blue eyes were looking at
her accusingly.
All
of a sudden, she realized that someone else had broken the window. Her
breathing quickened, and she glanced around anxiously.
The
captain followed her look but didn’t release her arm. “Well?” he asked. “What do
you have to say about this?”
“I
didn’t do it,” she insisted, looking straight at him. “I came in through the
front door.”
“Oh,
is that so?” His lips pressed into a thin line.
Jackie
could tell he was losing his patience. However, she was not lying. Coming out there, she was prepared to pick the lock but had found the front door unlocked.
It had seemed strange, but Jackie wanted to get in and out as fast as possible and
didn’t give it a second thought. Being miles away from any living soul,
especially in the middle of the night, gave her
the creeps.
“I
swear I didn’t break that window.” She tried to free her arm from his grip.
“Now,
you listen to me—”
A
loud noise—like something falling on the second floor—interrupted him. He
immediately released her arm and grabbed a gun from the holster attached to his
belt.
“Don’t
move!” he ordered and took off toward the foyer.
Her
heart hammered in her chest as Jackie watched him climb the steps with the
grace of an athlete and the swift moves of a panther. She hadn’t noticed the
gun before. Of course, he has a gun. He said he’s a policeman. But what if he’s lying about that? How can I
be sure about who he is? Dread twisted in her gut. What if he’s the murderer?
Despite
the torrent of questions swirling in her mind, she was entirely lucid about one
key point. I’m in grave danger!
Frantically,
she scanned her surroundings for a way out. Going out the front door was out of
the question. She couldn’t risk going back to the hallway and running into the
captain again. Her glance turned to the window. Pieces
of broken glass were still hanging from the frame. Better hurt than dead!
Approaching
the window, she kicked some of the larger pieces of glass and climbed outside.
A moan escaped her lips as she scratched her arms and legs. Her knees buckled,
and she landed hard on the marble tiles of the veranda. The fall knocked the
wind out of her, paralyzing her for a moment.
Get
up! Jackie sucked in a ragged breath, and
with as much strength as she could muster, she rose to her feet and took a few
staggering steps. Pain shot through her body, but there was no time to waste.
She needed to get out of there as soon as possible.
Suddenly,
a gunshot blast pierced the air and sent a surge of adrenaline through her veins.
Run! RUN NOW! A
voice in her mind screamed out, and Jackie bolted toward the forest.
* * *
Firmly
clenching the cold piece of steel in his hand, Michael climbed the steps—two at
a time. Reaching the second floor, he scanned the corridor… Dead silence.
Knowing the mansion like the back of his hand, he
mobilized his Special Forces training and proceeded down the dark hallway. Without
making a sound and moving swiftly like a panther, he searched one room after
the other. There was no sign of anyone.
Reaching
the last room, Michael carefully opened the
door. Stepping inside, a breeze of fresh air struck him in the face. He
flattened himself against the wall, holding his gun in front of him with both
hands, and stood still.
After
making sure he was alone in the room, Michael approached the window. But the
moment he leaned forward to peek outside, a gunshot thundered through the air.
Instincts took over, and Michael dropped to the ground, dodging the bullet.
A
moment later, he eased his head up and caught a glimpse of a tall, slim man
dressed in black disappearing into the woods.
“Damn!”
he cursed, realizing that the intruder was way out of range.
He
was ready to run back downstairs when he saw Jackie bolting toward the woods in
the same direction the shooter had taken. His heart thudded in his chest as Michael
stormed downstairs and out the front door. Damn
that girl! She’s going to get herself killed!
* * *
Jackie
sprinted toward the forest and plunged into the thick shrubbery, focused on one
thing—surviving!
Sweating
and breathing heavily, she made her way to the dirt road where she’d left her
rental car—an old Honda Civic. Suddenly, dread overwhelmed her. Where’s the key?
Her
fear spiked as she searched her pockets in vain. Think, Jackie commanded
herself. She rummaged through her belt pouch with clammy hands. The moment she
felt the cold metal in her hand, Jackie let out a breath she hadn’t realized
she’d been holding. Finding the car key was a huge relief, but…inserting it into
the lock was another story. Damn! I
should have picked the Honda HR-V that the rental place had available. The SUV
had remotely controlled electronic door locks. Not to mention that it would
have been better for these dirt roads.
Gathering
all the strength she could muster to suppress her trembling, Jackie finally
unlocked the door on the third try. Casting a look around, she jumped inside
and locked the door behind her. Breathing heavily, she leaned back against the
headrest and closed her eyes, enjoying a fragile moment of safety.
There’s no time to
waste! A voice echoed in her mind. Her eyes
flew open, and she bolted upright in her seat. As soon as she turned the key in
the ignition, the old engine came to life. But within seconds, it sputtered and
stopped.
“Jackie!”
The captain’s voice boomed in the darkness.
Oh, no! Holding
her breath, Jackie scanned her surroundings. She couldn’t see him, but the
policeman had to be nearby.
“Jackie,
wait!” he commanded, but she wasn’t about to stick around. She’d had enough
flirting with danger for one night.
She
grabbed the steering wheel with one hand and tried the engine one more time. As
soon as it started, Jackie put the car in gear, stomped the gas pedal to the
floor, and abruptly let go of the clutch. The vehicle jerked forward and…died
again.
Her
heart leaped into her throat. Damn! That
serves me right for not wanting to spend the extra money on the automatic HR-V.
But not picking the SUV wasn’t only about money. Jackie was trying to keep
a low profile, and a fancy car like that might draw unwanted attention.
Calm down, she
urged herself and gave the engine another try. As it roared to life, Jackie let
out a huge breath. This time, even though she was shaking, she pressed down
gently on the gas pedal while easing her foot off the clutch. Huffing and
puffing, the car moved forward excruciatingly slow. Great, she thought, on the verge of tears. I’m about to die, and instead of hauling ass out of here, I’m driving
Miss Daisy!
Spotting
Michael in her rearview mirror, a torrent of adrenaline flooded her veins. She
floored the gas pedal, and the Civic went flying down the dirt road, bouncing
all over the place. While speeding around a curve, a man dashed out of the
woods and into her path. She screamed and violently wrenched the wheel to the
right. The car fishtailed, skidded off the road, and veered out of control toward
the edge of a cliff.
Jackie
shoved against the door with all her strength. It wouldn’t budge. Her heart
lurched, and dread washed over her. Oh,
God! I’m going to die!
Desperately
clutching the steering wheel, she gritted her teeth. A scream escaped her lips
as the car plunged over the edge. The vast blue of the sea filled her vision.
Fear paralyzed her, and a sharp pain shot through her head. Time seemed to stop,
and everything went blank…
