Page 148 of Dagger in the Sea

A river of Greek.

A damp hand wrapped around my neck, holding on for dear life. Fierce blue eyes melding with mine. Each of us daring the other to go higher, harder, faster. My legs shuddered as I held her wrapped around me, our bodies sweaty, our skin hot.

After, we showered in the huge mosaic-tiled shower with a waterfall of water pouring over us. I washed her body, her hair, and brought her to lay back on the marble bench in the stall, and with the hair conditioner as my ambassador, nudged my finger past her tight hole as I ate her pussy. She moaned loudly, clutching at her breasts, her gorgeous wet body splayed out for me. My private feast. A storm in our steam-filled tiled jungle.

We dried each other off, donned the thick hotel robes, and the bell rang. I checked the peep hole at the door, gun in hand. The food had arrived. Adri directed the waiter to bring the cart onto the terrace. I tipped him and he left us to it.

We were starving, and thoroughly enjoyed the roast chicken and a steak along with grilled vegetables, a green salad and a selection of cheeses and breads. My phone beeped. A text from Alessio letting us know that Adri’s cash had arrived and he had it with him in his heavily guarded bungalow. Adri called Yianni once again, but there was no answer. There was nothing left to do but wait.

The sun sank in a burning sky. Before us the sea transformed into a mellow blue and orange pink liquid cocktail. My hand slid under her robe and wrapped around her bare thigh. She covered my hand with hers, a low giggle escaping her lips. I stroked her warm, smooth skin and jerked open her bathrobe and kissed a breast, the other. I wanted to see her in the sunset, ravaged and satisfied, and mine. She stretched out, her flesh alive in the last glow of the afternoon light.

“The masseurs should be here in ten minutes.” Her hand teased my hardening shaft. “Do you need anything until then, Turo?”

A hush had settled over the world, over me. I rubbed her thigh. “I’ve got it all, baby.”

And that was the fucking truth.

It didn’t take long to blow that satisfaction to hell.

42

Turo

A beeping sounded.A phone. I shot up in the bed.

Adri reached out and grabbed her cell, answering in the dark, the light glowing in the bedroom.“Parakaló?”her voice unusually clipped.

“Marko? Élla, agóri mou—”

Her little brother.

Her breath cut off sharply, her body stiffened next to mine. She swiped the hair from her face and sat up on her haunches. A rush of Greek.“Óxi! Óxi!”she yelled.

She clutched at her phone and spit out another round of bitter, pointed Greek. Her eyes shut and she spoke, her tone lower. Was she agreeing to something? She cursed, throwing her phone on the bed like it was on fire.

“What happened?” I asked the question. But I knew the answer.

“They took Marko. They took my brother. Oh my God, Marko.”

I gripped her arms. “Adri. Take a breath. Look at me.”

Her wild eyes met mine.

“Tell me everything he said to you right now.”

“They…” She gulped in air, swallowing hard. “They want to make sure I come with all the money. Real money, not counterfeit. No police, no detectives, no security. They want ten million euros for Marko. Ten million. Ten million…”

“Fuck. Yianni’s been dicking them around long enough. They know you’re in the game, they went for it.”

“Now an innocent boy is going to pay for this bloody mess my father created?”

“Sweetheart, look at me.”

She raised her tear-streaked face.

“When do they want the money?”

“In two days.” She laughed. “Two days. Ten million in two days.”

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