Dimos’s jaw went slack before his eyes glittered with hate.
“You’re supposed to be engaged,” he said as the anger flashed hot inside him. “Act like it. Go find your fiancée and pretend Jodie Little doesn’t exist.”
Stergios turned his back on his cousin and forced a genial expression before he mingled with the guests. Now if only he could afford the same luxury and act as if the threat of Jodie Little didn’t loom over his family.
* * *
Just a couple more days, Jodie thought as she rested her head against the soft leather chair. It was almost over and yet the knowledge didn’t relieve the coiling tension inside her. Dimos’s wedding was to be held the following evening and she would have finally proven to Stergios that she had no plans of revenge or destruction. But intuition told her that he wasn’t going to stop. He was going to find a way to push her out for good.
Jodie shifted in her seat and tried to relax. The ride in Stergios’s private helicopter was loud but she wore a headset to communicate. She had found the all-white interior and luxurious touches more intimidating than comfortable. It was just another reminder that the Antonious had more money and power than she.
She glanced at Stergios. He sat in the chair next to her and read his tablet. He was dressed more for a funeral than a wedding in his black designer suit and black silk tie. He had been moody since they had left the house and she had done her best to ignore him.
Jodie crossed her arms and tapped the pointed toe of her black stiletto heels against the floor. “I still don’t understand why I had to arrive at the wedding with you.”
He didn’t look up from the screen. “It’s a matter of logistics.”
She made a face. “You have a thousand relatives and not one could include me in their travel plans?”
“Not one.”
“And it has nothing to do with the fact that you won’t let me out of your sight until Dimos gets married?”
He swiped his fingers against the touch screen. “That is correct, pethi mou,” he murmured distractedly.
He had been her shadow for the past few days and she had been unable to shake him off. It didn’t matter if she talked nonstop or gave him the silent treatment. He didn’t care if she wanted to have a private moment with her father or get lost in a crowded party. He had always been at her side.
Jodie pointedly looked away from him and nervously peered through the window. She didn’t like the way the dark gray clouds filled the sky or how the choppy waves crashed against each other in the Aegean Sea. She hoped they landed soon before the weather got rougher.
Just as she was going to ask how much longer the trip would last, Jodie saw the island as the helicopter pilot started his descent. Her lips parted with surprise when she saw the rolling hills covered with fat, leafy trees. After meeting Zoi and her family, she had expected one big amusement park filled with pristine beaches, golf courses and all the amenities. This looked like an uninhabited island.
As the helicopter set down on the landing pad, Jodie caught a glimpse of a house. It was white and modern with clean lines and a flat roof. It wasn’t a mansion and she assumed it wasn’t the main residence. It probably belonged to one of the islanders.
She scrambled out of the helicopter inelegantly in her form-fitting orange dress and sky-high heels but she refused Stergios’s assistance. She stood at the edge of the helipad as she watched him confer with the pilot.
“Where is your suitcase?” Jodie asked as he walked past her, effortlessly carrying her bags.
“Everything I need is here,” he said, patting his briefcase.
She didn’t doubt it. The man was outrageously sexy and didn’t have to primp or make any effort to look good. It really wasn’t fair.
Jodie followed him along the gravel path, falling behind thanks to her spindly heels. She heard the whine of the helicopter behind her as it ascended. “It’s very quiet here,” she commented as she brushed her hair away from her face.
“Not for much longer, I’m sure.”
There was no music or the sound of conversation. What kind of event was this going to be? A wedding should have a festive tone, even if it was arranged.
“The way Zoi had talked about her wedding, I thought there’d be more decorations,” she said as she tried to walk faster. “I’m not saying she’d line the helipad with flowers but I wouldn’t put it past her.”
Stergios didn’t say anything as he waited for her to catch up.
Jodie stopped next to him and placed her hands on her hips as she looked around. It was strange that no one had met them. “Where is everyone?”
His mouth settled into a harsh line. “At the Volakis Island, I assume.”
Jodie frowned with confusion. “Wait. What?” She shook her head as she tried to make sense of what he said. “Isn’t this the Volakis Island?”
“Oxi, this is my home,” he replied in a resigned tone.
She glanced around again at the white sand beach and leafy trees. The island was unspoiled and isolated. Free from any distraction. It suited Stergios.
“Why did we have to stop here?” She whirled around and watched the helicopter fade into the gray sky. “Why didn’t you ask the pilot to wait?”
“He’ll be back in three days.”
“What?” Her heel skidded against the path. She grabbed his sleeve but her hand barely wrapped around his muscular arm. “I don’t understand what is going on.”
His eyes were cold and wintry when she met his gaze. “You didn’t leave when you had a chance,” he said in a clipped tone. “You didn’t stay away from Dimos. You left me no choice.”
Her mouth parted as the shock and confusion crashed inside her. “What are you saying?”
“You’re not going to the wedding,” he announced. “You’re stuck here with me until I decide it’s safe to let you go.”
“YOU CAN’T DO THAT!” She looked around the island, the scent of the briny ocean and the promise of rain suddenly overwhelming. Her head began to spin as she took deep gulps of air. “I did not agree to this. My father is expecting me at this wedding. It will embarrass him if I unexpectedly don’t show up.”
“You have no choice in the matter. I suggest you get inside before the storm hits.”
She waved her hands in the air as she spluttered with outrage. “Do you honestly believe that I will just follow you? Only because you say so?” She reached inside her purse and grabbed her phone. “You forget that I’m not an Antoniou who mindlessly obeys your orders.”
“Put that away,” Stergios replied. “You’re not going to reach anyone. There is no internet or phone connection on this island.”
She refused to believe him. A man as important and powerful as Stergios Antoniou would have all of the latest technology. But as she held up her phone she saw he was telling the truth. Maybe she was in a bad range. Maybe she had to go higher on the island.
“People are going to worry if we don’t show up.” She hated how her voice escalated as she took short, choppy breaths. “Especially you. You have to be at the wedding. You’ve been part of it every step of the way. Will it still go on if you don’t manage every moment of it?”
“One of my assistants is calling my mother to let her know we’ve been detained because of mechanical problems.”
He sounded indifferent. She hated it. Hated him. “You thought of everything.