The Chameleon - Kelly Ilebode

THE CHAMELEON

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THE CHAMELEON

Also by Kelly Ilebode In Search of Grace The Manor at Echo Lake Trilogy Dragan’s Redemption Book One Aaron’s Revenge Book Two The Legacy Book Three

Kelly and the Angel Series The Birth of the Sparrow The Flight of the Sparrow The Turning Point The Corner Booth

Dedicated To Ilidio Cardoso I am inspired by your motivational talents, especially during the moments when the will to give up is so strong. During some of my darkest times, I persevered because of your unselfish, constant push for greatness; not only for yourself but everyone around you, helping us to remember to live with an attitude of gratitude at all times. I am grateful.

Copyeditor — Faith Williams, The

Atwater Group http://www.theatwatergroup.com

Cover Art — Anita Carroll http://www.race-point.com

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright©2015 by Kelly Ilebode www.kellyilebode.com

THE CHAMELEON

CHAPTER 1 (Stephanous Petros: eight months old) The doctor’s face became very somber as he checked out the baby lying still on his exam table. His temperature was too high and heart rate too fast. Sister Katherine became nervous as she watched the doctor gently work on the child. “Why has it taken so long for this one to be brought to me?” Tears welled in her eyes at the question, the very same question she had asked the caretakers in the nursery. “I was told that he exhibited no symptoms.” Sister Katherine knew that

this was not the full truth. The truth was this baby rarely cried and when you have a nursery filled with babies, you tended to the ones who were the loudest. Even now, as sick as the child was, his dark eyes seemed to stare at the doctor’s face, as if understanding every word that was spoken in the room. The chubby hand grabbed the finger of the doctor, who paused in his work to smile at the little figure before he continued the exam. “Well, he needs to be watched over carefully for the next twenty-four hours. If his temperature doesn’t come down, I will have to admit him to the hospital. I just hope that there has not been any damage done to his hearing or brain.

Only time will tell.” Quickly dressing the baby when the doctor was finished, Sister Katherine scooped Stephan up in her arms, snuggling him close to her chest. She had often taken extra time with him, but had been so busy lately, that she couldn’t believe several days had passed before she’d visited him. When she finally did, she realized something was seriously wrong with the boy. She would not make the same mistake again. She prayed that he would be adopted soon. The noise of the busy office buzzed around Stephanous as he stepped off the elevator into the elegant reception

area of Carras Enterprises. The marble floors and brass fixtures gleamed under the glow of the well-placed lighting on the ceilings and walls. Two large columns rose gracefully into the air, supporting an imposing arch that perfectly framed the reception desk, drawing visitors immediately to that area. The architecture, so reminiscent of Greece, caused him to think of his and Sakis’s homeland every time he entered the space. The streamlined contemporary furniture strewn throughout the lobby area created small, intimate areas for seating, every detail well thought-out as to the placement, not only to afford visitors privacy if needed, but to allow security personnel easy access or if need

be, a quick exit. Stephan’s dark, brooding eyes swept the area casually, yet skillfully, trained to look for anything out of place. Frowning, he immediately noted the most obvious, sitting behind the receptionist desk. Whoever she was, she wasn’t Alicia. Alicia Granger, a longtime figure at the company, was his trusted friend, confidant, and quite frankly, the matriarch of Carras Enterprises. Sitting primly, instead, was a new woman who peered at him over a pair of large eyeglasses, as if she were an owl on a perch. She was a new employee, obviously, yet he hadn’t been informed. As head of security and Sakis’s main bodyguard, this thought did

not make him happy. It had always been company policy that his department would run the background checks of every person hired for a position. They could never be too careful. The right fit was so important. Filing away the bit of information to ask Alicia later, he breezed silently past the desk, headed to Sakis’s office. A shrill voice reached out to him and he internally flinched. She was not happy with the way the man ignored her. “Excuse me, but you need to check in with me!” Stephan stopped abruptly and turned slowly toward the receptionist. God, he was so tired. He now regretted his late-night research. He inhaled,

willing patience to get him through this. Unused to being spoken to with that tone, the tiniest smile lifted the corner of his mouth. She now had his full attention. If she had known him at all, the smile alone would have stopped her in her tracks and she would have let him be. “Indeed, and who might you be?” “Tina. I am new here, and was told that everyone had to check in who was not an employee and could not be allowed past the desk or I have to call security. I was told no exceptions,” Tina added for good measure. As he glanced down at his Rolex, Stephan nodded absently. She was correct, but the rule was not exactly the way she had interpreted it. Stephan

was early, as usual, for his meeting with Sakis. He definitely had a few minutes to see where this would lead. Leaning against the side of the desk, he picked up the pen on the register, as if preparing to write his name. “First day, you said? Shouldn’t Miss Granger be with you right now, training you?” Stephan watched the woman’s face as it twisted in surprise that he knew the name of the executive administrative assistant. Irritation replaced the surprise quickly; her chin lifted haughtily as she waved her hand in the air, confident she had every right to detain him. “She was called away for a

moment to Mr. Carras’s office and in case you didn’t know, he happens to be the owner of the company.” “And how do you know I am not an employee?” “Every employee of the company has a security badge. You do not.” “Everyone?” Tina hesitated. “Well, everyone except for Mr. Carras, of course.” “Of course.” Stephan knew she felt as if she was just doing her job but he neither liked her nor her posture for a new employee. He was glad that he was the one getting the brunt of her condescending attitude and not a client.

Tina had already deemed herself important and Stephan wondered who hired this woman as he silently contemplated his next move. Several employees walked by and stared curiously. “Good morning!” Tina chimed out brightly to them as they walked by. Stephan knew she felt that she had the upper hand. He nodded toward the passing group, who waved back at him while blatantly ignoring Tina as they continued on. To everyone at the office, Stephan, the tall, dark, and handsome bodyguard, was an enigma and they all knew that behind those model looks and soft-spoken manner was a dangerous package. Yet, they also knew him to be

extremely fair and strangely kind in not only business dealings, but in his interaction with the personnel at Carras Enterprises. Stephan knew everyone’s history, family members, and extended family. Many times, his presence was noted silently sitting in the back of a church, or behind a group when a loved one passed away. He was invited to weddings, and they couldn’t remember him ever missing one, always arriving alone, and leaving the same way. Over time, he became the one they all went to for advice or help to resolve a problem. When he turned back to face the receptionist, Stephan noted that Tina’s cheeks had turned pink. Good, Stephan thought. She is beginning to realize that

she might have made an error. To Stephan, this was the true test and would show the type of person she was, and in turn, the type of employee she would be. Having studied people his whole life, he knew she had two choices right now: she would apologize, back down and lose the haughty posture or she would continue to dig in her heels, unwilling to bend, even though she knew she was wrong. He hoped it wasn’t the latter. Tina rose to her feet, as if trying to get on even footing, obviously no longer liking having to look up at the tall man in front of her. Stephan sighed internally as he watched her left hand slide under the desk where he knew the silent security button could be accessed.

He knew because he had designed every inch of the building security himself, right down to that alarm. The moment she pressed the button, within ten seconds, the first of ten detail officers would converge on the area, all strategically taking position predetermined by him to be the most effective. His face clouded over. It was not a trivial thing to press that button, and of all of the years Alicia had been running the office, she had only pushed it once, using extreme discretion. Stephan felt that she could have and should have pushed it several other times during a breach, but she did not. Stephan guessed that Tina had no idea what she had just

done. Without taking his eyes off her face, he watched the change in emotions. No longer did she look like a cat that ate the canary. Instead, shock covered her face. She went completely white at not only the amount of security that now stood in the lobby area, but the fact that the weapons that were drawn were not pointed at the man in front of her, but instead were directed at her. Tiny red dots seemed glued to her chest, holding steady, and waiting for an order. Tina stood frozen in place, staring wideeyed. You could hear a pin drop as Stephan, knowing he was being excessively cruel, waited a full minute before he raised his hand slightly. The

small movement was enough for every gun to lower its direction slightly off the now shaking woman, yet no one moved from their position. Tina realized two things simultaneously. One, the lobby had completely emptied of all employees without her being aware and the other was that the remaining group all still held guns and were waiting for another order from the man who stood in front of her as to whether they should stand down or fire. For the first time during their exchange, Stephan saw real fear in Tina’s eyes. That was the moment he knew he had enough and that he had gotten his point across. It was time to

end this charade. “Tina, I suspect that you are now aware that sometimes, a situation is not quite what you perceive it to be. This is a sensitive business that we are in. As much as I appreciate your due diligence in screening people walking into this building, I do believe there are better ways to handle the situation when unsure of who is before you. As qualified as you may have come across during your interview, I feel this is not the position for you. Kindly gather your things and head to the human resources department. I will ensure that you will be compensated not only for your time today, but for several weeks, as you look for another job.”

Tina’s color changed quickly as she realized that she was being fired. “You have no authority…” she spat out. “I will tell everyone….” Stephan nodded at one of the men as he walked toward Sakis’s office again without responding to Tina or even looking back. It was none of her business who he was now. If she had just asked in the beginning, he would have been more than happy to let her know. Now, he would leave the director of human resources in charge of telling her. Within moments, Stephan stood in front of the massive wooden doors that led to Sakis’s office. Opening a panel on the wall, he tapped out the security code and waited for the next

tiny panel to open. Pressing his hand against the screen, he heard the click of the bolt as it unlocked once the system recognized who he was. Tina couldn’t have known that by pushing that little button she caused a lockdown in almost every room in the building to protect the occupants and the only way to access them once in lockdown was initiated by entering a code and then for added security, his prints. His lead security officer would handle the rest of the rooms but Stephan was the only one who could release the bolts to Sakis’s office. He stepped into the room. “Fired on the first day— seriously, Stephanous?” a deep voice called to him. Smiling at his boss and

with an apologetic look toward Alicia, he sat in one of the leather seats in front of the desk. “Had to be done. Tina was too much of a hothead, and as much as I appreciated the fact that she was observant, she was too overbearing for that position.” Taking out a thin silver case from the side pocket of his jacket, which held his cigarettes, he tapped one gently on the top before he lit one. “I am surprised that I was not apprised of a new hire.” Alicia glanced at Stephanous curtly. “The file was sent to you several weeks ago…obviously you never received it, yet someone ran a background check on her.”

As he blew the smoke out of the side of his mouth, away from the woman, he contemplated her words. Alicia was good. No, more than good. If she sent the file, he believed her. He hadn’t realized that his own research had caused him such a big oversight. It would not happen again. “I did not, but in knowing that the background check was done, I will ensure that my department is reminded of what their job is.” “I am sorry; it is just that we were in a bit of a hurry for this hire and pressed for time. To be honest, I didn’t even check to see if it was your signature at the bottom of the request.” “I am not angry, Alicia. You have been phenomenal from day one and the

problem is now corrected. I am the one who needs to apologize as you have to go through the hiring process again.” Relieved that they could easily put this behind them, Alicia stood. “No worries. I will just call the second choice. She was also a good fit. Will you have time to read her file over the next couple of days if I send it to you promptly?” Stephanous nodded. “Of course. Send it to me this morning, and I will make sure it is expedited.” This was how Stephan liked it. Face a problem head on, bring it out into the open, and find a solution and then move on. Too many people chose instead to hang on to a mistake. Alicia was not that type of

person. Alicia picked up the stack of files on Sakis’s desk. “If that will be all…” Sakis nodded. “Thank you for everything, Alicia.” While he waited for the door to close, Stephan leaned forward in his chair, fingers clasped in front of him, and stared at his friend. Sakis looked good. More relaxed than he had ever seen him before. Cassie was doing him good, for sure. Thinking of Sakis’s wife, he wondered how she was managing, running the Carras household as a young mother. As if reading his thoughts, Sakis

scowled at his bodyguard and switched from English to their native language. “Cassandra’s still upset that you missed Sunday dinner. She told me to tell you that your non-excuse will only be allowed once. After that, there will be hell to pay.” He chuckled. Stephan leaned back and crossed his legs, unbuttoning his jacket as he did so. Sakis admired his friend in front of him. Stephan had a sophisticated elegance that few people possessed so easily. Many worked hard for years to make it seem natural. For Stephan, Sakis knew that was who he was and probably had been even as a child. His friend looked tired, though, and had for a long time now. Sakis had

offered many times to give him extended time off, but Stephan refused. Always saying that he would when the time was right. Sakis knew that the time could be now, and he wondered how the news was going to be taken. “You can inform Cassie that I wouldn’t dare miss next Sunday. How is Rose?” If it was even possible, Sakis’s smile became even wider at the mention of his baby girl. “She is the most beautiful little person ever. I can’t even remember what my life was like before she came or how I could love someone so much.” Sakis glanced quickly at Stephan shaking his head. “Hopefully I have enough love for

the next child coming in seven months.” The stunned look on Stephan’s face was priceless before quickly being replaced by another grin. “Man, you better be careful or you are going to catch up with Phil.” Sakis shuddered, thinking of the next in line in security personnel and his ten children. “There would be no way that Cassandra would have ten. She keeps saying two, maybe three, and then she is done—unless I am ready to give birth myself, which I am not.” “Thank God!” His head cocked to one side as Stephan contemplated what he was being told. “Is that why you called this early meeting, to tell me you will be a father again?”

Sakis’s chair squeaked as he pushed in closer to his desk. “No, actually it is not. I wanted to meet with you to talk about a trip that is coming up.” Stephan sat straighter in his chair, switching immediately into business mode. Sakis had not traveled since his trip to Philadelphia to meet with George Havarti almost two years ago to discuss a deal to secure weapons. That was also when Cassie had come into their lives, even though Stephan could not believe that much time had passed already. After his trip and failed negotiations with the Havarti family, new deals were made, which did not

make George happy. By the time the feud was over, Andre, Sakis’s Albanian client, was dead, George Havarti was found executed in retaliation for Andre’s death, and they all had to deal with Cassie’s abduction and stabbing by Sakis’s fiancée. Stephan knew that was the pivotal moment Sakis realized that his lifestyle had to change or he would be next. Or even worse, his family would be destroyed because of him. Stephan didn’t believe that Sakis would really become a “legitimate” businessman, as his world had been too dark for so many years. Yet, they had done it. The transition had actually been easier than everyone had counted on. They definitely had those who didn’t

believe the legitimacy of the changes, and to this day received inquiries on a daily basis for weapons. Handing a folder to Stephan, Sakis continued. “Cassandra, Rose, and I will be traveling to Greece. Tony and Damalis will be joining us at some point —as soon as I know the details of their arrival, I will let you know so you can factor them into the security plan. I have decided that it is time that my wife sees my country, meet my family and they her.” “For how long?” Stephan flipped through the folder, quickly scanning the contents. The thought of traveling usually filled him with excitement. He was shocked to realize that there was no

feeling this time. “Eight weeks. We are leaving in two.” Stephanous shook his head disapprovingly. “Shit, Sakis, you are not giving me much time to plan on my end.” “I have complete confidence that you will be able to pull everything together.” Sakis turned his lighter over and over in the palm of his hand. Stephan waited patiently for him to continue, knowing from the body language that more was coming. “I’m giving you the option of whether you travel with us or not, Stephanous.” Sakis raised his hand, halting whatever his friend was going to

say. “You’ve been not only a faithful employee—top of your field, I personally believe—but honestly, my best friend, I cannot continue to watch you take care of everyone else, including me, without a thought for yourself. I want you to think about taking the eight weeks we’re gone and take a vacation yourself. I want you to come to Greece with us but not as an employee, but my friend.” Sakis let that sink in before he continued. “The other option, which I will admit was Cassie’s idea, is that you not travel with us, but take a private vacation away from all of us.” Speechless, Stephan’s mind raced. His natural instinct was to think of every possible security scenario for

the family. There was and always would be a price for Sakis’s head, even more so in Greece where the underworld was everywhere. At least in the States, he had control to a certain degree. Too many ghosts, literally, from the past could rise up at any time. Shaking his head, he forced himself to focus, realizing that Sakis was still speaking. He felt numb. “I know of your concerns, which is why I need your expertise to ensure not only my safety, but more importantly, that of Cassie and Rose.” Pausing, Sakis really didn’t know what else to say, knowing that Stephan needed to process. “You can let us know at dinner on Sunday, whether or not you wish to

travel with us. I hope you do. It has been a long time since you have been back home to just visit, hasn’t it?” Greece was not his home. It was the place that he grew up, but Stephan was not going to say that aloud to Sakis. “It has.” Stephan had to get out of the room, surprised at the rising emotions that flooded through him. His chest felt tight. He needed air. Shaking Sakis’s hand while keeping his face impassive, he couldn’t believe his voice sounded so cool. “I will let you know on Sunday, definitely. Right now, I need to get to work on this.” Sakis didn’t press any further. He knew that there really was no family to speak of for Stephanous back in Greece.

He had asked him once about it. Stephan had looked incredibly uncomfortable with the question and said that there wasn’t anything to discuss. He had been orphaned when he was a baby and knew nothing about his parents. He had also requested that the subject never be brought up again. Sakis had respected the request, but now wished as they became closer, he had pressed for more details over the years. Stephan’s job as head of security was to track and research people and events. He had the latest technology and expertise at his disposal. Sakis never spared any expense. He suspected that at some point Stephan must have done research on his past, in particular who

his parents were. Sakis was curious as to what the outcome had been. Right now, Stephan would need time, and hopefully would come to realize that he and Cassie were doing this for his benefit. They had been talking about taking a trip to Greece for a while now. It had been Cassandra who had asked when the last time was that Stephan had a break or a vacation. Sakis was embarrassed to tell his wife that he didn’t think that Stephan ever had one, choosing instead to constantly work and be available, twenty-four hours, seven days a week since the first day he started at the company. No wonder he looked tired.

CHAPTER 2 Alicia Granger felt only love as her eyes took in Stephan as he stood, leaning over the large mahogany desk, and stared at the many pieces of paper and maps spread out before him. No longer wearing his jacket, which was now draped neatly over a chair at the small conference table, his crisp white shirt was unbuttoned at his throat, tie loosened, sleeves rolled up. The gun holster was strapped around him, allowing the gun to hang under his arm. She wished he would remove it but that gun, she knew, was as much a part of him as breathing. His hair, which he had grown out to the surprise of everyone—

no longer military short—had fallen on his forehead, giving him a youthful look. Stephan was model perfect with his dark Mediterranean skin, jet-black hair, and dark, brooding eyes. Even at thirty-three, he had no idea how striking he was. Feeling a twinge, Alicia felt older than her fifty-nine years as she stared at him. Alicia had met the young man twelve years ago when, shortly after she was hired to be Sakis Carras’s assistant, he came in for an interview. She was Sakis’s first hire, somehow convincing her that she should leave her high-paying office manager job at one of the top financial companies in Boston at the time, to help him get his fledging startup company up and running. Sakis

had been honest and couldn’t tell her when he would be able to pay her, but promised that if she came to work for him and if the company was successful, which he believed it would become, she would be compensated well. Twelve years later, she was a wealthy woman and quite frankly could have retired already but chose to stay on. She loved her job, and she loved the two Greek men. Stephan, in particular, became her favorite. When Stephan had applied for an entry-level job in the security department, he had been honest about his lack of experience, yet there had been something in his direct eye contact, and even though clean, the threadbare suit

and frayed tie that he had worn spoke of a quiet strength and even more important, honesty. Stephan had reminded Alicia of Sakis in his earnest and promise of being a hard worker. Hiring him on the spot, she never regretted the decision. Thankfully, Sakis had trusted her intuition, immediately welcoming the second hire into the company. The first six months for the fledgling Carras Enterprises had been the roughest. Many of the newly hired employees quit during the toughest times when the payroll couldn’t be met; sometimes she and Stephanous were the only two employees left. Within one year, the company took off and the young

Stephanous Petros had moved from entry level to a supervisory position. A year after that, he had become Sakis’s bodyguard and head of the security division. Alicia’s instincts were on mark. Stephan had a gift with details, almost obsessively so, and what he didn’t know, he taught himself. He trained and worked out every day to build his strength and shooting and combat skills—sometimes even with Special Forces. He’d disappear some weekends to perfect that training. Stephan, Alicia was quick to learn, also had no problem dealing with uncomfortable or dangerous situations and was available no matter the time of day. Like Alicia, Stephan could keep a

secret, to death, if need be. “Alicia? Is everything okay?” Coming out of her thoughts, she smiled at Stephan, who looked at her, concerned. “Of course. Just wanted to let you know that I am heading home now.” Alicia chuckled when he checked his watch and his frown deepened. “Oh, God! I am so sorry to keep you so late again.” “My dear, you know that I only stay for as long as I want to. But, I am done for the evening and I suggest that you go home also,” she stated sternly. Nodding, he stared down at the papers again. His fingers ran through his hair, frustrated. “I am almost finished.”

Walking around the desk to stand next to him looking at all of the work he had done, Alicia pushed them all neatly together in a pile and tapped the ends so they were perfectly aligned. “What are you doing?” “Stephan, I am doing you a favor and putting these away.” She handed him a thick folder. “Here is your final draft. You have every second of his day covered, including sleep. Nothing is going to happen to him or his family while they are gone.” She sat on the edge of the desk and pointed to his chair to wait for him to sit before she continued. Stephan wouldn’t make eye contact with her. “You are not going with them, are you?” she inquired softly, trying to keep

the surprise out of her voice. Shaking his head, he stared at her, finally. “No. I am not.” “And this is why you are even more attentive to security. Now I understand, but have to tell you that I am shocked you are not going. Pleasantly, I must add!” Something was bothering him. Alicia had never seen him like this before. When he didn’t respond, she lowered her voice. “Want to talk about it?” Rising quickly, Stephan stared out of the tall glass windows. Boston was so beautiful at night. The lights from nearby buildings sparkled like a million

stars right in front of him. God, he loved this city. The history of rebellion, fighting against tyranny seen and unseen, the opportunity always available to be what you were meant to be, resounded deep inside of him. This was his home. As much as he loved Greece’s landscape, the sun and sea, there was no one there—no one to call family. Cassie used to talk a lot about having no one. She never went back to Vermont to visit and when he questioned her about it, whether or not she wanted to, she had shaken her head. She had said that her family was them now. He believed her, but he had also seen the slight sadness that was deep in her eyes. It was that sadness that he felt now. He

knew exactly how she felt. Stephan really wanted to tell Alicia; he wanted to say aloud what he never acknowledged to anyone before. “Spending this week preparing for the trip, Sakis’s words kept repeating over and over in my head about work. You know, Alicia, I have been working nonstop since I started here. With no complaints,” he added quickly. “I am honestly not even sure I even know how to have down time, or who I am, for that matter, besides being Stephanous the bodyguard.” Alicia knew there was more. “And Greece?” “I never had an issue going back when Sakis had business to attend to.

The travel was very much part of my job.” Shrugging, he locked eyes with her. “To go for vacation? That I have no desire for.” Stephan hesitated before he opened up even more. “I was abandoned as a baby. Left like garbage on the steps of an orphanage. My birth mother had not even cared enough to give me a name. One of the nuns, Sister Katherine, named me Stephanous because of a unique birthmark, in the shape of a crown on my body, or so she told me, during a period of my life when I had become curious about my parents.” Stephan held back the rest of the story, choosing not to share that when Stephan reached his teenage years, he rebelled big time, working for the

underground, where he had become street wise. When he was hungry, he learned to feed himself; when faced with danger, learned to think quickly on his feet. He wanted to tell her, but couldn’t quite manage opening up every wound. “Greece is the place I was born, Alicia. Where I grew from a child into a man. My home is Boston. Here, with you, and Sakis. This opportunity to spend eight weeks free of work is a curious notion I have never even contemplated. Yes, I find myself wanting to take the time off. I want to find out who my birth parents are.” Catching the tears that glistened behind Alicia’s eyes, Stephan grimaced, embarrassed he had shared too much.

“Do not feel sorry for me, please. I am not sure why I am even sharing this all with you right now, except that maybe it is time to let some of the past go. I thought I had accepted my fate years ago. Maybe I haven’t.” Touching Stephan’s arm gently, she patted him before she moved back to the front of the desk and slid on her jacket. Her heart broke for him. She knew he would not want to see that pain from her but she also knew she couldn’t leave him like this. He seemed so lost. “I was unable to have children. My tears are only a reflection of regret with fate’s choices. If you had been my son, Stephan, I would be so proud of who you are and everything you have

accomplished. That being said, you do not know the circumstance of your birth. There has to be more to the story of Stephanous Petros that is unsaid. Maybe this is the perfect time to figure out who you were in the past. Learn the story of where you came from, find the answers to your questions if you feel you have to, and maybe it will even make you stronger for your future. As far as Sakis and I go, we are your family and proudly so. For us, and I know I can speak for Sakis in this, the man who stands in front of me tonight is enough.” Stephan turned back to stare out of the window, surprised that she understood so quickly, with the small amount that he told her. His throat

tightened at not only her words but also the sincerity behind them. A lightness rose inside he had never felt before. “Maybe. Good night, Alicia.”

CHAPTER 3 (Stephanous: five years old) The young nun walked toward the rose garden quickly, knowing in her heart she would find him there, while the others searched frantically throughout the rest of the orphanage for the small boy. Her favorite orphan was a creature of habit. Moments later, she saw the small figure hunched over on the stone bench, hands clasped between his knees, head bowed. Anyone else would have thought he was praying, but she knew better. Her steps slowed with relief, catching sight of him, his hair a mass of curls that lent him an unkempt look even though he valiantly tried to

keep it neat. Her habit swished slightly as she turned to sit down beside him. Today was a joyous day for so many of the children who were blessed to go to new homes, yet heartbreaking for others who were not chosen. Stephanous was one of those children not picked, and she could not understand why he was always passed over. His small face turned up to look at her, while his eyes—God, those eyes, so much older than five years— brimmed with tears. She placed her arm around his tiny shoulders to pull him in close to her side. She knew the other nuns didn’t like it when she showed affection, but how could you not with the little ones.

“What is it, Stephanous?” she whispered as he leaned into her. “What is it that is causing you so much turmoil?” It took a moment for Stephanous, but he did eventually speak. His question, filled with anguish, caused her own heart to constrict. “Have I done something wrong to make God hate me, Sister Katherine?” Expertly, Stephan pulled the Range Rover through the massive gates, leading to the mansion where Sakis and Cassie lived in Chestnut Hill, one of the most prominent villages in Newton, Massachusetts. As he shut the engine off,

he stared at the palatial structure. He never cared for the house, until recently when Cassie moved in. Before, the house represented a generic showcase building, but now, it felt warm and welcoming, like a true home should be. Always punctual, Stephan walked through the front door without knocking, nodding at the guard in the corner. Stephan wondered whether anyone even saw him anymore. He knew what it felt like to blend into the background. Sometimes, it was a lonely job, for sure. His senses were immediately assaulted by the many scents of Maria’s cooking and he could feel his mouth salivate. He headed directly toward the kitchen, suspecting

that everyone would be congregating there as a voice reached out to him. “Always on time. One of your many gifts, Stephan.” Grinning, Stephan swung around and took in the figure gracefully stepping down the staircase. Cassie looked incredible, as always. Her creamcolored pants and white top were casual yet elegant. She was brave to wear white with the squirming, lollipop holding, two-year-old hanging from her slender hip. Stephan saw the tiny belly bump for the first time. Remembering that she was with child, he rushed to her side, grabbed the tiny girl, swung her high up into the air and then quickly back down, and then back up like a

rollercoaster amid squeals of delight. Tiny arms wrapped around his neck in a choking hug. “Uncle! I missed you…you come to eat?” After a quick kiss to the plump cheek, he laughed. “I have come to eat! Did you help Maria cook today, little Miss Rose?” Nodding her head happily, she grasped his face in her two sticky lollipop hands and pressed her face close to his. He prayed that the dripping sugary circle would not get pressed into his hair as she clutched him. Sparkling ice-blue eyes, just like her mother’s, stared deep into his. “We made it with

extra love, ’cause Maria said that would taste the best.” Giving him a quick, sticky peck on the cheek, she squirmed to get down. “Gotta find Daddy now!” Two pairs of eyes watched with amusement as the toddler ran off. “I am glad you came, Stephan.” Cassie’s soft voice now came directly next to him. Looking down at her as she looked up, Stephan’s face softened even more. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he hugged her to him; she wrapped an arm around his waist as they walked toward the kitchen. “Well, I heard that if I didn’t show up, I would be putting my health into question.” He smiled as Cassie laughed.

At one time, Stephan had thought that he was in love with Sakis’s wife. He was so glad that he never really acted on what he assumed were strong feelings for her. He had come to realize that Cassie was easy to like, with her affable nature, sometimes vicious honesty, and directness. But she was all Sakis’s, always had been and always would be. He had come to also realize that what he liked was her easy way, and quick acceptance of who he was without any false pretenses. She made him better in small ways. Cassie was a gem and very rare indeed. He could only hope that he would find someone just as accepting of him as she had, but he highly doubted it.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in.” With a roll of his eyes, Stephan laughed. “You both act as if I have missed every Sunday family dinner. I missed one and only one.” “One too many, my friend.” Sakis hugged his friend before he handed Stephan his bourbon and walked to the large seating area on the other side of the kitchen. Stephan followed, stopping first to give Maria a kiss and a hug. The housekeeper blushed, tapping him on his cheek. She watched maternally as he settled down in his favorite chair and stretched out his long legs. For the first time all day, Stephan could feel his muscles relax.

Cassie joined them and sat close to Sakis, curling her feet under her. The slight swelling seemed bigger as the shirt lay on her stomach. Placing her hand gently over the tiny bump, she caught Stephan’s gaze lingering. “Sakis told you then?” “He did. Congratulations,” Stephan replied. “Bit of a shock at first, but I am happy nonetheless. Rose is going to make an awesome big sister.” Stephanous glanced at the young child playing with several dolls on the floor, talking to each one as she tenderly cared for them. “Yes, she will be, Cassie.”

The small group kept the conversation light as Maria finished the final dinner preparations. “Dinner is served, Mr. Carras.” Sakis rose, taking Cassie’s hand in his to help her up, before scooping Rose up in his arms and leading them all to the main table. It was stunning with the white candles running along the center, set in rock salt, all lit; the subtle lighting bounced off the delicate china. Maria had outdone herself, cooking many of his and Sakis’s favorite dishes from their homeland. He wondered at the occasion. As if reading his thoughts, Sakis exhaled dramatically. “I believe this trip is causing Maria anxiety. I have tried to

tell her that she has mastered our palate better than many of our own country and there is no cause for worry. It seems that the only people looking forward to this vacation are Cassie and me.” Sakis stared pointedly at Stephan. Stephan didn’t respond right away, choosing to get settled in his seat and help Rose, who insisted on sitting next to him. He suspected that Sakis was eager to know his answer as to what he was going to do and he didn’t want to keep him waiting for a response. “All of the preparations on my part are complete in regards to security. Everyone has been briefed, and completely understands the agenda and what their roles are. Thomas will be the

leader on the trip, making sure everything remains on schedule but Phil will be at your side constantly. We were able to fit in all of the tourist requests.” Winking at Cassie, he smiled at Sakis. “You might want to add a couple of really good hiking boots, Sakis.” Sakis looked pleased at what he heard. “Good. Then it is all settled then.” “Almost.” Stephan took a drink before he continued. “I will not be going with you.” Ignoring Cassie’s gasp and the stunned look from Sakis, he felt himself filled with the same lightness that he felt in discussing not going with Alicia. “I thought long and hard about what we talked about and how long it

has been since I have had some time off.” “You never have had time off.” Grimacing, Stephan acknowledged Cassie’s statement. “Which is even worse. I want to take this time to decompress. It has dawned on me that I have been working since I was eight. I do not know what life is like to not have to work. So, I want to take you up on the offer of staying here in the States. If the offer is still open, Sakis.” Cassie tried to blink the tears from her eyes, but had a hard time keeping them at bay. Even though everyone knew it had been her suggestion that he possibly not go, Cassie realized that she never really

thought that he would stay in Boston instead of traveling with them to Greece. “What will you do?” she questioned. “I don’t know, Cass, maybe take another trip to the zoo?” he stated quietly. At his comment, Cassie threw her head back and laughed loudly even as her cheeks became wet from the tears that finally fell freely. “Now, that would be a fine idea, I think. Maybe you could take a date?” She thought back to when she met Sakis and Stephan, and Sakis had surprised her with a stay at the RitzCarlton in Boston. Finding that Sakis had to work on her birthday, he had said that she could do whatever she wanted. She chose the zoo, and because Stephan was

her bodyguard for the day, he was forced to go with her. With all of his protests, before the afternoon was over, she knew that he had actually enjoyed visiting the animals. “I really have no plans to date.” Leaning back, he shot a glance at Sakis. “I started a search a couple of weeks ago, trying to find any information as to who my biological parents are and want to use this free time to continue looking. As far as the rest of the free time, I just want to take it one day at a time. When you have followed a schedule like mine, going off schedule is a bit intimidating.” Stephan pushed away his plate, no longer hungry. It took Sakis a few moments to

let it sink in that his best friend would not be traveling with them. When he had offered the time off, he really had figured that Stephan would travel with them. It shocked him to learn that he was only now searching for his parents. “Sakis?” Nodding at Stephan, Sakis swallowed the strange lump that now choked him. He raised his glass high, knowing that Stephan needed to know that he was comfortable with the decision. All it would take would be for him to tell Stephan that he wanted him to go, and Stephan would. As much as it killed him, he smiled. “We will miss your company. I will miss your company, but the time off is well deserved.”

They all raised their glasses, drinking to the toast. Stephan cleared his throat, switching back into business mode. “I apologize for bringing up a business matter, yet the only thing that concerns me is that you and Cassie do not have a nanny to travel with you. Do you think it is wise?” Grateful for the change in conversation, Sakis nodded. “We were just speaking of that before you arrived. Cassie refuses to have a stranger care for Rose, but she also recognizes that there will be times that our schedule will not permit Rose being with us, which is why Maria has agreed and is more than willing to travel with us. I am sure my family would be more than

happy to care for her in our few absences, but the trip will be confusing enough for her and having someone familiar like Maria solves all of that.” “Then I guess it is all set then,” Stephan replied. The remainder of the meal was kept lighthearted with no more mention of the trip, yet a pall seemed to hang over the small family. Sakis in particular spoke very little. Stephan began to wonder whether he had made the right decision. As the meal ended, Rose’s head started to nod, and Cassie rose, apologizing. “I think it is someone’s bedtime,

and quite frankly mine also.” The men rose and Stephan watched as Sakis rounded the table and gently lifted the small child into his arms. Rose nestled against his neck while Stephan held his hand out to help Cassie rise. Sakis spoke softly so not to wake Rose. “Stephan, I need to speak with you about a business matter.” “No problem.” Stephan responded easily to the quiet command. He followed Sakis with Cassie’s hand tucked in the crook of his arm, stopping at the bottom of the sweeping staircase to release her so that she could follow her husband upstairs. But instead of following him, she faced him, not

speaking until Sakis turned the corner on the second landing. “I am glad that you will be taking time for yourself, Stephan.” “I’m hearing a but in your voice.” Brushing an imaginary piece of lint from her shirt, she didn’t make eye contact, seeming unsure of herself. Stephan frowned. This wasn’t the Cassie he knew. He waited patiently for her to say whatever she needed to get off her chest. “You have always taken care of us, Stephan. To the point that with me, you were there when it should have been Sakis. I know that as great as these past

two years have been, the transition has not always been easy for my husband as he has had to learn that being boss doesn’t mean that he can always ask his bodyguard to take care of everyone and everything in his life.” Stephan cocked his head, confused with her statement. “What are you trying to tell me, Cassie?” “Sakis seems distant lately. I was hoping you know why that has been?” He shook his head as his eyes perused her face. She seemed uncomfortable asking him and he was glad that he didn’t have to lie to her. “I have not noticed a change, but then again, I have been self-absorbed lately.”

Cassie’s shoulders relaxed, seeming satisfied with his answer. “Maybe it is just my hormones causing me to see something there that isn’t.” Stepping up on her tiptoes, she kissed him on both cheeks. “We will miss you.” Stephan said nothing. Worry creased his face as he watched her walk up the stairs to find her husband.

CHAPTER 4 The leather creaked as Stephan sat on one of the large chairs in Sakis’s home office. He liked this room: the masculine feel of the leather furniture, small mahogany desk, and bookcases that lined the walls filled with items that meant a lot to Sakis, including some first edition books. Like Stephan, his boss liked to read, yet he wondered whether Sakis even had the time anymore with his business and growing family. “I do not want to sound soft, but I do believe that Rose’s bedtime story has quickly become my favorite routine of the day.” A small smile lifted the corners

of Stephan’s mouth, knowing that he wasn’t really expected to respond to the statement and glad he didn’t have to. Storytime was not something he grew up having. Lighting a cigarette, he blew the smoke high into the air and waited for Sakis to take the seat opposite him. “How many days do you think you and I have spent in here, Stephanous, over all of these years?” Stephan contemplated the question while he noted that Sakis had begun to flip his lighter in the palm of his hand with his fingers. A habit carried from his early years in business when faced with an uncomfortable situation. The only weakness Stephan ever saw in his friend and this was the second time

this week his friend had made the motion. Something was certainly going on and he did not have the patience to beat around the bush. “Tell me what is going on.” Dark eyes bored into his as if Sakis didn’t appreciate the directness of Stephanous’s tone, yet he couldn’t be surprised. This was the way Stephanous always was. “There is an old business acquaintance who recently contacted me, asking for a favor. I find myself in a place that I do not want to say no to him in regards to his request. The timing of the delicate request puts me in a predicament with my trip.” Sakis hesitated before he squared his

shoulders to prepare himself for the possible verbal barrage he knew was going to come his way with his next words. “He is in need of numerous packages to be delivered as quickly as possible. I have been able to secure these rare items, but will be unable to finalize the transaction with him directly with my pending trip.” Stephanous’s body language spoke volumes as the energy in the room weighed down heavily on both of them. “Who?” “Nadir Boulos.” Stephanous’s eyebrows arched in surprise when he heard a name he had

not heard in many years. He understood immediately why Sakis would want to tread lightly with any requests from this family. Nadir, the son of Odalis Boulos, resided in Palm Springs, California. He was considered an equal to Sakis, but if it wasn’t for the elder Boulos, Sakis more than likely would never have risen to the power he had today. Odalis had taken a liking to the young Greek and seemed to admire the work ethic and business plan. It was with Odalis’s blessing, financial backing, and protection that Sakis was able to rise quickly, first in Boston and then taking over much of the East Coast. The Boulos family, like the Carras family, was a respected family in their business

dealings, being extremely fair in their interactions yet could also be the most ruthless with any indication of deception. The monetary debt accumulated from the Boulos’ loans had been paid off years ago—no small feat in itself. But Stephan knew that debt was more than money in their culture. Until the old man died, Sakis would not be able to say no to any request, even if he had gotten out of the business of gun trafficking. To do so would dishonor the Carras name. Nadir was fair and respectful. When Sakis pulled out from the illegal portion of the business, the Boulos was the first family to extend their best wishes. It probably was not an

easy call to make to ask for supplies, so there had to be something else going on that their family would not share. In his mind, Sakis had no choice but to fulfill the request. “Tell me what you need.” “The usual. The order has been placed and will be arriving in Florida within fourteen days. I need to ensure that customs is on point, and the packages arrive safely. From there, they will be shipped to our warehouse in Charlestown. Transportation will need to be arranged from there to Palm Springs.” “Payment?” “When the packages arrive,

payment will be COD. Everything is standard protocol, just less hands in the pot because I do not want the information released that I am doing this favor. Otherwise, other favors may spring up. I will be giving Nadir your contact information in case there are any questions.” “You know that this is huge, Sakis. Getting back into this line of work —no matter how much you want to keep it quiet, it will get out eventually, especially if Cassie ever found out.” Sakis chose not to respond to Stephan’s statement. He’d already realized everything Stephan had just said. “Just you, Alicia, and myself will know of this.”

Stephan rose and shook Sakis’s hand before he left. This was not how he wanted to end the evening. But work was work and if nothing else, he was faithful to his employees to a fault.

CHAPTER 5 (Stephanous Petros: eight years old) The rhythmic slap of the switch against the side of the nun’s habit made Thomas’s eyes widen in fear. He grabbed at Stephanous’s hand, praying that somehow they would be able to walk away without it making contact on their bodies. Stephan put his arms around his friend’s small shoulders and stood as tall as his lean body could. “I was the one who took the food, not Thomas. He had no idea where I got it from.” “Stephanous, no!” Thomas whispered, unable to believe that his friend lied so easily to the scary woman

who stood in front of them. The nun’s eyes narrowed with dislike at Stephanous. She didn’t take her eyes off the older boy as she spoke. “Thomas, I believe it is time for your lessons now.” Thomas hesitated; tears streamed down his face. He did not have the same courage as Stephanous. He wanted to shout that the boy was lying and that it was him who stole the food. He had been so hungry. “Now!” screamed the nun. “And shut the door behind you.” Thomas bolted for the exit, hearing the first of what he was sure would be many strikes on Stephanous’s

body as he closed the heavy wooden door. The walls of the Black Rose vibrated as live music blared through the open door of the bar. The small pub, a block from Quincy Market on State Street in Boston, was a favorite with many tourists and locals alike, and had become a stomping ground for many of the Irish, in particular, who missed home. Stephan stood on the sidewalk for several minutes, hating the thought of entering the large doors knowing that it was going to be even louder inside the bar. Derek, a lieutenant with the ATF who also happened to be his best friend,

seemed to love the place, probably more so for the simple fact that Stephan did not. It had to be the only explanation for Derek to keep suggesting the spot when it was his choice to pick. Grimacing at the headache that was already escalating deep in his head, he took several deep breaths in hopes of willing it away as he stepped in. The bar was standing room only, as usual, and his trained eye scanned quickly around the room. Derek sat at a small table tucked toward the back, farthest away from the band. There is a God, Stephan thought. Derek Chandler watched Stephan as he entered the Black Rose, unable to stop the grin that spread over his face. He knew the tall Greek couldn’t stand

the atmosphere of the bar, but Derek knew that the bodyguard needed to step out of his comfort zone more. At least tonight, he had ditched the normal attire of a black suit, but even he was shocked to see Stephan in jeans and a crisp white shirt and jacket, all molded to a hard body. He hadn’t realized that his friend had even owned a pair of jeans. Stephan always carried a piece on him and Derek assumed he had an ankle holster or it tucked in the waist of his jeans. He had asked Stephan numerous times to keep the gun at home, only to get shot down by a cold stare, and eventually Derek gave up. For Stephan, carrying a weapon was as natural as breathing. For Derek, as a lieutenant

with the ATF, it was a conflict of interest for sure, who he was keeping company with. But he and Stephan had become quite close and Derek chose to look past many things. His only request was for Stephan to get a permit to carry. When the request had been made, Stephan couldn’t stop laughing for a long time, and every once in a while, he would bring it up. But, several months later, he had made a copy of the permit and handed it to Derek with tongue in cheek. “Had to pick this place again? You really hate me, asshole.” Still grinning, Derek pushed the bourbon he had ordered several minutes prior toward Stephan after the men shook hands in greeting. “Hey, your

accent is fading. I can understand you better.” Stephan turned his chair so his back was to the wall. He glanced around the room more carefully this time and scanned each face thoroughly. He knew he probably didn’t need to but old habits died hard. He had literally just dropped off his boss and family at the airport. There would be no security detail for him the next two months, except for the quick checks at the office to make sure the trip was going well and him taking advantage of using the computers for research. It felt strange to him and he wondered whether this lost feeling was how he was going to feel the whole time they were gone. Stephan really wanted

to talk to Derek about it and get his perspective, but the noise level prohibited any decent conversation. “Place is packed. Want to go somewhere else?” “Stephan, are you being serious right now? This place has been around for over thirty years and has a huge history.” Derek spoke in the best Irish accent he could muster. Taking another swig, he shook his head. “We are staying at least until we finish these drinks. This is why you need to get out more.” “I get out enough, Derek, thanks to you.” The first hint of a smile crossed Stephan’s face as comprehension dawned on him, how out of touch with the world he really was. It was true: the

little time off he did have, he chose to spend it in his home—shutting the world out completely, working out, catching up on his reading—or at the firing range. He never seemed to need the nightlife like everyone around him did. But then again, his job put him into the nightlife scene every day. Sakis did own five nightclubs. There were so many sides to people at bars and clubs: the deception, the false bravado when they have had one too many to drink, and the complete change in personalities for some. It all seemed so fake. He was done with fake. “See, I told you you would appreciate me eventually,” Derek stated absently as he watched while two women tried to squeeze past a group of

men blocking the main door, who obviously had way too much to drink already despite the evening being still young. Picking up on the change in Derek, Stephan followed the direction of his gaze. The first woman was statuesque and a classic beauty, with sleek black hair that fell past her shoulders, flawless makeup and dressed impeccably. The way she carried herself as she stood in her stiletto heels was a testament that she knew who she was and was obviously not bothered by her height. Her friend caught Stephan’s attention more. She was beautiful also. Her face, almost translucent by comparison to her friend,

was flawlessly made up as well. But what really struck him was her hair. The red curls seemed to go on forever; the strands shimmered with highlights even in the low light. She was too far away to see her eye color in the darkened room, but something more than curiosity wanted her to look his way. Unfortunately, the men blocking the door were not going to let two beautiful women walk by them without crude advances. Which was what had caught Derek’s attention. The advances were very obviously not welcome and though the room was overflowing with people, most were too drunk to notice the women’s plight or if they did, they didn’t care.

Stephan, catching the look Derek threw his way, rose simultaneously with his friend. Normally, he hated these types of scenes, but if it allowed him the opportunity to meet the redhead and possibly be a hero in her eyes, then the evening would not be in vain. It certainly would be a great start to his eight-week vacation. On the other side of the room, Aisling was unaware that help was on its way. She stared up at the man who blocked her entry into the Black Rose. Mentally she was in full work mode under the pretense that she was out at her favorite bar with a friend she hadn’t seen in years to catch up. She knew the bar would be busy—it always was, with

its proximity to Faneuil Hall and with the warm night—but this was crazy. She also hadn’t expected people to be shitass drunk so early in the evening. She really didn’t have time for egotistical males, but couldn’t afford to have a scene caused either, in fear that the mark would see her. “Can you please step aside?” she asked politely. “Aw, party with us! Your accent is fantastic and you are not bad on the eyes either for a ginger.” Trying not to lean back at the rush of alcohol breath, she wrinkled her nose in distaste. The man was too drunk to notice that his comment caused her eyes to narrow. She hated being called a

ginger. Her companion did notice, however, and with the ice darts that were being thrown his way, she knew that Aisling was ready to erupt—which was never good. Taking a step back, Aisling controlled the steam that rose inside her, choosing instead to smile sweetly as her eyes swept the group of men. She could easily take them, she thought. “How romantic. You must have the women dropping at your feet with your Neanderthal ways and Boston accent.” Seeing her mark dead ahead, Aisling tried to squeeze past again; she gave him one last hard look. “We are all set. Thank you anyway.” One of the other men, obviously

not as drunk, made an attempt to defuse the situation. “Leave it alone, Eric. The lady is not interested and we need another drink.” Stephan and Derek had almost made it to the door when Eric made the first of two big mistakes. He pushed the tall, dark-haired woman aside more roughly than he intended, catching her unaware; she stumbled into the group behind them, who were also trying to get into the packed club. His second mistake was to grab at Aisling in an attempt to pull her closer to him. As his fingers gripped Aisling’s wrist tightly, she seemed to come alive. Instead of pulling away from the one holding her in place, Aisling chose instead to attack with

everything she had. That was when someone else decided to throw a punch. Seconds later, Stephan lost sight of her as the crowd imploded with such ferocity that it shocked him. It was one thing to be in a bar fight, but a totally different thing to be in an Irish bar fight. Choosing to dodge fists left and right instead of joining the fray, Stephan only had one goal in mind, and that was to save the redhead from what he considered real physical harm. Squeezing through the door, he rushed onto the sidewalk, where the fight had spilled over into the street. Catching a glimpse of red hair, he pushed through the throng of people until he found them. Somehow, the man who had caused the

whole melee writhed on the ground, screaming obscenities. One wrist hung loosely, while his other hand grabbed his balls. Her back to him, Stephan reached out and touched her on her shoulder to get her attention. Seconds later, he dropped to his knees, gripping himself as pain shot between his legs. Aisling heard the sharp intake of air as the second man she kneed dropped in front of her. Their eyes connected and Stephan would have caught the look of recognition as it flashed in the depths of her eyes before she broke contact with his if he wasn’t in such excruciating pain. Crouched low, she placed a hand on his shoulder. Her soft voice tried to reach through his agony.

“Oy. Sorry about that. Thought you were one of his friends.” Grabbing his arm, Aisling attempted to help him stand but Stephan could only shake his head and yank away from her, still needing a moment to catch his breath. So much for making a good impression, he thought as the pain slowly began to subside. Rolling from his side to his knees, he knelt for a few seconds and inhaled deeply before he rose slowly. His dark eyes finally locked with hers and noted the deep emerald green of her irises. He had hoped they were that color. The man, no longer writhing on the ground, somehow had made it to a seated position. He held his left hand

gingerly and seemed to finally have found his voice. “You broke my fucking wrist, bitch!” Stephan glanced over at the woman, incredulously this time with raised eyebrows as he took in her lean, petite form. That would have taken quite a feat of strength for an average man, let alone someone her size, unless she knew what she was doing. With a sweet smile at Stephan, she shrugged. “I guess I forget my own strength.” He watched curiously as she ran her fingers through her hair; she seemed agitated for the first time that evening as

the police sirens sounded far off in the distance. Both knew that they were headed in the direction of the Black Rose. “You don’t say.” A quick glance at Stephan, who now stood in front of her, caused her to pause. Aisling had seen his picture so many times over the years in her file, she found it difficult to comprehend that he was literally right in front of her. Stephan, of course, had no idea that she had actually worked for him many times. Aisling’s job was unique, so much so that she had to know what she was up against before she accepted work from anyone. It was so important to research any client she was not familiar with

before she accepted a job. It was only after completing several work requests from any client that she stopped checking up on them. Stephanous was one of those clients she had stopped checking up on. She strained to remember the last time she had run a full background on him or Carras Enterprises. Aisling found relatively quickly that Stephanous Petros was reliable, paid extremely well and on time, and was loyal and committed to the ones he did business with if they did the assigned job well. The repeat business alone from Carras Enterprises would have kept her financially wealthy if she ever chose to limit herself to one client. In her line of work, that was key. She didn’t have time to dick around with

accounts not paying, especially when it was her life that she put on the line so many times. What she hadn’t counted on in meeting Stephan for the first time was how he made her feel, just with the glances he shot in her direction. He obviously found her attractive, and she found herself feeling the same rush. Aisling savored the feeling. It had been a long time since she wanted a man. Guessing his height at about six feet, maybe more, she liked that he was solid but not in a body builder way. The muscle definition visible beneath the white tee shirt and his arms… She shivered at the thought of them wrapped around her. God, he would be such a

score for her in bed. Brushing her hair aside, she looked down the street and watched the blue lights bounce off the side of buildings. The fight was still in full swing. It would take them awhile to sort through this mess. In fact, even more people seemed to have joined the chaos. Aisling needed to use it to her advantage, knowing full well her mark would have to suffer through the same questioning. Always having not only a Plan B but C and D, she knew which direction they would head when done; she wanted to be in place well ahead of time. Hesitating, she stepped toward Stephan, wanting to say something cute or funny.

Stephan seemed to be thinking the same thing but for a different reason. “Let’s get you away from this.” Tentatively he gripped her elbow, relieved when she didn’t pull away or try to drop him again. “I’m sorry. I need to go. If you see my friend, tell her I will call her?” There was no time for Stephan to react. Aisling turned, walked quickly away from the bar and him and darted down a side street as the police vehicles screeched to a halt outside of the Black Rose. Stephan hurried after her, struggling to catch up, amazed at how fast she could move in high heels. When Derek called out to him, he paused, turned, and raised his hand in the air to

his friend before he ran after the retreating figure, cursing under his breath as he lost sight of her when she rounded another corner. The side street was empty by the time he reached it. Running a few more paces, he stopped and then turned in a full circle, unsure of where she could have disappeared so quickly. Walking slowly back into the direction of State Street, his mind raced. He had wanted to talk to her more before she left. Someone gripped him from behind and pulled him back; he instinctively planted his feet before he swung his arm defensively. Aisling ducked and easily avoided the hit. “Good grief, it’s just

me.” She chuckled. Surprised again, he stared at the woman. “Where did you just come from?” With a laugh, she pointed to a small alcove where the streetlight couldn’t reach. “Sorry. I wasn’t sure who was following and I didn’t want it to be the Neanderthal.” When she heard voices behind them, Aisling grabbed the front of his jacket with both of her hands and let her body fall back, pulling him with her. Both of his hands went up to stop his fall against the wall as she wound her fingers through his hair, pulling his head

down to hers, and kissed him fully on the mouth. Shock ricocheted through Stephan. His senses breathed in her fragrance while her mouth moved softly over his. Relaxing, he pushed his hand through her hair, holding her head in place, as he pressed harder with his lips. He coaxed hers apart before he slid his tongue into her warm mouth. After several heart-stopping moments, he pulled away, only enough to look into her green eyes. She looked confused, her lips opened slightly, as she stared up at him. Not wanting the moment to end, Stephan lowered his head again, this time pulling her away from the wall and into his body.

Her slender arms wrapped around his waist, gripping him tightly. Aisling felt as if she were drowning. A wolf whistle and cat calls sounded from a group who passed and saw the heated embrace. Remembering where she was and who she was kissing, Aisling yanked free from his embrace to take several steps around him, so that her back was no longer to the wall. They were alone on the street once more and she prayed the group was not her mark. Stephan grabbed her arm before she could take off again. “What is your name?” he whispered, barely able to croak out the words. The kiss affected him more than he cared to admit. Hesitating a brief moment, she

decided there was no harm in him knowing. Flashing a bright smile, she pushed the hair out of her face. “Aisling O’Byrne. Why are you following me?” “My name is Stephan Petros— stay, Aisling O’Byrne. Just for a bit.” Shaking her head, she whispered as she stepped backward, “As tempting as that is right now, I have to say no thank you, Stephan Petros. I really must go. I am late for work.” This time Stephan didn’t chase her. Whatever her reason was for not wanting to speak to the police was her business, but at least he had her name. That was enough for now. Whistling as

he walked back to State Street to find Derek, he thought that these two months of not working might be fun after all.

CHAPTER 6 Derek watched his friend jab the button as he stepped into the elevator. Stephan had barely said two words after they left the bar. Derek caught a glimpse of himself as he stepped into the elevator. The brass walls had been polished to a high sheen, reflecting the muted lighting. There was not one fingerprint on any part of it. He envisioned tiny elves jumping in, wiping down everything the moment the double doors slid shut. It was stunning and he honestly couldn’t wait to see Stephan’s apartment. This was the first time he had ever been invited, even though they had hung at his place numerous times.

Derek didn’t live in a luxury condo at the Ritz-Carlton Towers in downtown Boston. Not that his apartment wasn’t nice—it was—but this was on a whole different level. There was no doorman at his apartment building to open the lobby doors and welcome him in or greet him. No desk in the front lobby to verify every person who entered. Not that Stephan had to either, as Derek watched with some amusement as the security detail practically jumped to attention when they crossed the marble floor to reach the elevator. Stephan acted as if he were oblivious of all of the bowing and scraping. His behavior just confirmed to Derek that Stephan was just a regular

guy like everyone else, behind the brooding façade. Several minutes later, Derek was settled on a soft Italian leather couch, whiskey in hand, and glanced admiringly around at the décor. It was better than he thought it would be. The tasteful furniture spread around the room was contemporary, very elegant, and if he was to guess, very expensive. Derek was curious as to what happened with the redhead, but had learned early on in their friendship that Stephan would speak in his own time. He did get the dark-haired woman’s name—Miranda Johnson—and was even able to snag her phone number. He was definitely going to hit her up over the next couple of days

to ask her out for coffee. “I want to be you in my next life.” Stephan glanced at Derek as his friend took in the décor. “High price for your soul. Don’t think you could hang. You’re too much of a goody-two-shoes.” Stephan poured a generous amount of whiskey into his glass before he took a seat opposite Derek. Aisling’s green eyes flashed in his mind. He wondered who she was, what she was doing right at that moment, and whether she was thinking of him. “How’s your drink?” Laughing, Derek shook his head.

“It is perfect. Dude, c’mon, talk to me— what happened back there? You two disappeared so fast and you were practically skipping when you came back.” “I don’t skip.” “Okay.” Stephan lit a cigarette and leaned back in the chair. A sigh escaped his lips. “She is out of your league.” Derek chuckled. Stephan glared at Derek. “Really, she broke the guy’s wrist. Can you believe it? That tiny thing…” Stephan smiled for the first time.

“He deserved it, I am sure. She dropped me pretty fast too—in those heels, no less. You got the other woman’s name?” “Miranda. Yes, got her number too. She was hot.” “Too tall for you.” “Horizontal, we are all the same,” Derek retorted. “That’s crass.” “I’m going to call her in a couple of days, see if she wants to go out for coffee or a drink.” “I think you should call tomorrow,” Stephan stated. “You would think that. Need a number, do you?”

Both men laughed. ~~~ Aisling was still seething when she entered her apartment. She had no regrets breaking the man’s wrist considering how he had grabbed her so tightly before he reached around to squeeze her ass. The moment she saw someone throw the punch, she knew she had her chance and quickly yanked the guy outside. The problem with men like that was they didn’t know when to stop, and quite frankly, if it made him think twice about manhandling another woman, the evening was a success in her eyes. Quickly undressing, she threw on her favorite gray sweats and tee shirt, before she padded back into the living

room, barefoot. Even though it was after two a.m., she wasn’t the slightest bit tired and was ready to work. Logging in to her computer, she searched through her files, found the one she wanted and clicked on the tab. Stephan’s face filled her screen. He was younger in the picture, but the same cool eyes stared back at her. She liked the way he looked tonight at the bar—even more so in the alley: older, confident, very sure of himself. Stephan had shocked her by attempting to come to her rescue. There was no way that he could have known that she didn’t need anyone’s help. The simple gentlemanly gesture of him making the attempt made her think that there still might be hope

for men, but she doubted it. He was probably an asshole like the rest of them. Aisling had not expected him to follow her. And she wished that she had stayed hidden, but she hadn’t. When she heard others coming, her first instinct was to play it out that they were a couple in a heated embrace. Her cheeks flamed red, remembering how incredible it felt to kiss him. When he pulled away, she was relieved, but he had to go and get the second kiss in and well, that kiss melted her to the core. She couldn’t get away fast enough, and this time it wasn’t because of her job. Internally cringing at the lapse of judgment in giving out her name, there was no doubt in her mind that she would hear from him very soon.

Electronically filing Stephan’s folder, Aisling spent several hours updating her reports, closing out the jobs she had finished, sending updated emails to her current clients and final invoices where applicable. She hated the paperwork, and considering she worked for herself, she really didn’t need to keep such precise records, but that was who she was. Every minute detail could be important and might be valuable in the future and could save her precious time. Filing the last bit of paperwork, she sat back and ran both of her hands through her long hair with a contented sigh. Right now, she had only one open job. With tonight’s work, she may

be done, depending on how stubborn the daughter of her client was. She pulled up the latest file to peruse the contents. The evening hadn’t panned out the way she had wanted, but no job ever did, it seemed. It should have been simple. Approach the mark, rub herself up against him a few times, crack a few jokes to make him smile, allowing Miranda to snap a few pics, and then forward them on to the daughter so she could dump him. Daddy would be happy, daughter sad but would get over it, and boyfriend could live for another day. The only problem was she didn’t get the pictures because of the idiot at the door. Her work was made that much more difficult because some guy couldn’t take

no for an answer. Logging in to another computer, Aisling brought up the security camera of the parking garage, hacked in and rewound back to the approximate time she needed before she hit record on her software. Once copied, she exited out of the garage’s security undetected to focus on her copy. She smiled at the more than ample amount of footage of her and her mark seeming to be in a tight embrace. She had clung to him a few extra minutes, acting all cute. He really had been the perfect mark, even turning his face just right so the garage lighting showed every detail of who he was. There would be no mistake on the girlfriend’s part and, to her relief, very

little editing except for deciding where to splice the film. She felt no guilt or remorse at the deception. She was paid to do a job and she always did it well. Her client list was long and her special gift of turning herself into whomever was needed—convincingly so, she thought with pride—was how she came up with her underground name. Early on, one of her first clients had sent a long email thanking her for a job well done. Praised her for her chameleon-like abilities. She liked the name so much she started signing all of the documents “Chameleon.” Aisling stared at the video, now paused. Not once did her face come into view. Damn, she was good. Her temple

slowly started to throb as a wave of exhaustion washed over her. She had been contemplating taking a break for a month or two, and this might be just her opening to do that. Clicking back on Stephan’s file folder, she stared at his face when it popped back onto her screen and contemplated getting in touch with the handsome Greek. A loud noise could be heard coming from the hallway. Silently rising, she grabbed her gun on the desk and made her way to the door to peer out of the tiny hole. A couple stumbled down the corridor, very obviously drunk out of their minds. Aisling waited until she could no longer hear them before she relaxed her stance and placed the gun

back on the desk near her. She felt no embarrassment at having taken precaution for the noise. She had made that mistake once; she would never do it again. That one time she had let her guard down almost cost her her life. The scar on her shoulder, the only remaining visible sign of getting shot, seemed to tingle with the memory. Shaking her head to get rid of the image, she returned to stare down at the computer. She coolly closed Stephan’s folder again, glad the memory was there to remind her that she couldn’t trust anyone.

CHAPTER 7 (Stephanous Petros: eight years old) Stephanous refused to make any sound as Sister Katherine smeared the ointment over his back and shoulders even though the pain was the worst he had ever felt. Hishands, balled into fists, hung heavy from his side. Sister Grace’s hand became heavier each time she felt the need to beat him. “She really isn’t a bad person, Stephanous. She wants the best for all of the children here. You cannot let the hate eat away at you.” If Sister Katherine expected a response, she was not going to get it. Worry creased her brow as she caught the cold stare and

shivered. She had to save him somehow, before this place killed everything good inside him. Stephan flicked on the lights in his office on State Street before he turned on his computer. He stared out the window as he waited for the machine to boot up. The Boston skyline was slowly lightening as the morning sun rose on the horizon. After four hours of sleep, he woke, ready to find as much as he could about the fiery redhead. With no guilt, he entered her name into his system, using several different spellings. He would narrow down the search once he felt the name was a match. Choosing two from the list, he wasn’t surprised when a

profile match, with picture, finally flashed in front of him. Aisling O’Byrne, twenty-eight, native of Dublin, Ireland. Moved to United States officially 2011. Mother Abigail O’Byrne (deceased). Father Patrick MacKenzie (living). Emerald eyes stared back at him through the computer screen. She was exactly as he remembered—stunning. Glancing quickly through the checklist of what other information he wanted to obtain, he jumped when a voice started to reprimand him. “Stephanous Petros! You were not to set foot into this office for two months!”

Sheepishly, Stephan rose as Alicia rounded his desk. “This is personal, Alicia. I am not here on company time.” Her head cocked to one side, she stared up at Stephan. She turned to face the computer screen and immediately relaxed in relief. “Well. Look at that. She is very beautiful.” “Indeed. I met her last night.” “You know, dear, the proper way to have asked her on a date would have been to get her phone number, then calling; not look into her history. I think you have been in this business far too long.” Stephan laughed loudly. “It was

not from lack of trying, but she was in a bit of a hurry. And I am not really picking out every detail, just where she works.” A hand over his heart, he blinked at Alicia innocently. “I promise.” Dubious, she shook her head. “I hope so, Stephan. I have seen your ‘I promise’ look before, and it’s not that.” Alicia’s tone became serious again. “This would not be a good way to start any relationship.” Reaching past him, she hit the Enter button, much to his surprise. “What? I also want to know where she works. This is the first time I have ever seen you have any interest in someone. I am curious. Hopefully she is

normal, and not an exotic dancer or any such nonsense.” Remembering the woman he kissed, Stephan smiled ruefully. “God, I hope not.” Based on the way she snapped the man’s wrist, he highly doubted it. “She didn’t strike me as the exotic dancer type.” At the beep, they both turned back to the screen, both bending at the same time, to read the file. “Medical coder. Well, that’s interesting.” Alicia sounded a bit disappointed. She had wanted someone more worldly for her favorite man. All of Stephan’s senses tingled. He doubted very much that Aisling was

a medical coder, but who was he to doubt what her line of work was? Strangely, there was no address, but only a telephone number. Writing down the information that was listed, he quickly logged out of the file, wanting to leave before Alicia asked any more questions. “Now what?” Stephan smiled. “Now I ask her out and then find out what she really does for work.” “Smart guy!” As she walked toward the door, he remembered that he still had to fill her in on his conversation with Sakis regarding the Boulos family. “Alicia! A moment?”

“Of course.” Alicia returned to the desk, curiosity rising as he gestured for her to take a seat at one of the chairs. “Do you remember someone named Nadir Boulos?” Stephan asked. Alicia’s eyes narrowed at the name as she pulled from her distant memory. “Of course. He is the son of Odalis Boulos. I never spoke with him directly but heard of him through Odalis.” At the surprised look on Stephan’s face, Alicia laughed softly. “Odalis and I became quite close during the negotiations when the company was first in the designing stages. He—” “Stop.” Stephan held up his hand. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing and didn’t want to

misunderstand what the assistant. “How close are we talking here?” Alicia’s cheeks flushed a bright pink color and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. For the first time, Stephan saw past the tailored suits and coiffed hair to the woman behind the façade. His mouth hung open. “No shit!” “I am not a prude, young man, and it was a long time ago.” A wistful look crossed her face, but only for a moment, before returning to its normal business façade. “Why are you asking me about Nadir?” His fingers drummed on his desk. Stephan had a hard time wrapping his

brain around what he was hearing, but quickly refocused. “Nadir has made a request of Sakis that he doesn’t want to say no to. Or I should say, he won’t say no to. He has asked me to follow through with the delivery.” Falling back in her seat, a stricken look crossed Alicia’s face. “No!” They had worked so hard to become legitimate and the thought of taking a step back into the underworld was not something she was going to do easily. “I understand your reluctance, and am not asking for your help, but Sakis wanted me to let you know what was going on just in case.” “Are you really okay with this?”

Alicia asked. Stephan thought hard about her question. It was a fair one in light of their history. “To tell you the truth, it doesn’t make me happy, but this is business and he has a history with the Boulos family—or I should say that we all have a history.” Nodding her head slowly, Alicia agreed that saying no was out of the question. Still, it saddened her to think that they were being drawn back into something that they all wanted to put behind them. Maybe the reality was, once you were in, you were never completely out. Sitting up straight, she squared her shoulders. “Of course. I will help in any way that I can. What can I

do?” “Seriously, Alicia, nothing except for letting me know everything you know about Nadir so that I can prepare for the unexpected. I will, of course, do my own investigation, but it is always good to get information from other sources.” “Hm. Let me think. Nadir’s mother died shortly after his birth. Odalis raised his son himself, with little help from anyone else. The only issue that I remember ever arising was when Nadir fell in love with a woman Odalis didn’t seem to like. He felt that she was using him for his money and was worried that she would somehow trick him into marrying. Not sure what

changed his mind, but they eventually did get married with his father’s approval, if you could call it that. I had attended the ceremony and was struck how small the wedding was. Odalis was never happy with the pairing. I would be curious to know if he ever changed his opinion on her. All this being said, he adores his son and always has. Because of whom Nadir chose for a wife, I believe, is why Odalis chose to wait so long before handing over the reins of the family business. From what I understand, it still is not completely turned over.” Stephan listened intently to every word Alicia shared with him. It was always good to know the personal side of a family. He would have to look into

the wife a bit more. It was unusual for a son to go against the wishes of their father in their culture and even though Odalis eventually approved the marriage, Nadir’s punishment was obvious to Stephan. He would not be head of the organization until Odalis passed. ~~~ Across town, Aisling heard her computer beep the second she stepped out of the shower. She wrapped her towel around her body, not even bothering to dry herself off. Punching in a few keys, she scanned the notification in surprise. Chewing on her bottom lip, she contemplated her next move. He was searching for her and the rush of relief

surprised her—she actually wanted to be found. With a few keystrokes, she gave him the capability to reach her. Her move made, she dressed as she anticipated what his next move would be. Aisling felt giddy with the thought of seeing him again. She liked that feeling. Glancing at the picture of her mother, she could almost hear her shrill voice: “No good will come of a relationship with any man, mark my words. You must find your own path and pay your own way. Love is nothing but a fantasy that will eventually break your heart. Make no time for that, my dear.” Aisling had always agreed with her mother when it came to men, but she sure loved the game and right now, Stephan was her

pawn. Aisling sighed as she thought of her deceased mother. She had done exactly what her mother had taught her, her entire life. She made her way, formed her own business, and became so successful that she didn’t have to work another day in her life if she didn’t want to. The problem was she wanted to work because the money she made, surprisingly, left her feeling extremely unfulfilled. Yes, she was able to take care of her mother, buy her the home she wanted in Ireland before she died, and she had the financial security that if she chose, she could travel and do whatever she wanted and never worry the money would run out.

But the real thrill came when she was deep undercover. No longer Aisling, but pretending to be a top-level executive at the CIA or a dancer at a casino in Vegas. She had never been arrested; hell, she never even had a traffic ticket. Aisling always lived carefully, so no attention could be drawn to her. Her file was clean as far as anyone knew. Which was why she had no problem giving Stephan her real name. If he looked her up, he would see that she had a mother and a loser father. He would also see that she was smart, had majored in languages at University of Massachusetts in Boston and that, though never valedictorian, she held her own, always hovering at the top of the

class. Aisling knew she could have been valedictorian, but choosing anonymity instead afforded her the ability of finetuning her craft of blending in. What he wouldn’t be able to find out was that she was a phenom at technology, which stemmed from years of her bright mind being bored and an obsessed mother. Her first hack into a bank in Scotland, at the age of twelve, was where she wiped out her father’s bank account. That feeling of power consumed her until she learned everything she could, eventually making her way through the bowels of the Internet into top government agencies. At the time, she did it for practice and knowledge. She had no intention of

disrupting the political landscape. What she did find, inadvertently, was how the wealthiest in society seemed to control the governments. She decided they were the people who she wanted to work for. When she became the Chameleon, she knew she had found her calling. She also became aware that no matter how much money someone had in their bank account, their lives were no better than how her and her mum had lived without money. The rich and powerful had an insatiable need for control—she gave them that control, which in turn filled her own bank accounts. Last night, with Stephan, what she hadn’t counted on and what she couldn’t get out of her head was how

much she liked the way she felt in Stephan’s arms. And if taking a break from work gave her the juice she needed to make her feel better and get out of this funk, why not use a gorgeous and dangerous specimen like him?

CHAPTER 8 The Newbury Street café bustled with activity. Seated at one of the small tables, closer to the wall of the building and facing the street, Stephan scanned the crowd. The majority of the patrons were tourists. They were always so easy to pick out with their cameras, shorts, hats, and packages of recent purchases. Stephan could never imagine being that type of person, or at least hoped to never become that type. Glancing at his watch before he took another sip of his water, he pushed down the nerves that attempted to take over. Feeling like a teenager all over again, he shifted slightly in his chair; his features

darkened. Waiting for anyone was torture and he silently cursed himself for showing up early. He hoped that she was not the type of woman who needed to be fashionably late. From across the street, Aisling smiled as Stephan shifted in his chair. He looked miserable sitting by himself and glancing at his watch periodically. He obviously didn’t like waiting, or wasn’t used to having to wait. Smoothing her dress down with her hands, she was glad she opted for the crisp linen outfit as she noted his impeccable clothing. His white linen shirt was un-tucked from the dark slacks. She could not make out a crease in the fabric. The top buttons were undone, but

not overly so—much to her relief—and from her distance, she didn’t see any chains dangling from his neck. She was not one for men overdoing it on the gold jewelry, or any jewelry for that matter. The waitress arrived at the table again, lowering her head close to Stephan’s as if to hear what he was saying. Aisling’s eyes narrowed as she recognized the typical woman tactic of flirting. Stephan barely acknowledged the server, as he shook his head while he reached for his phone. Aisling didn’t want to keep him waiting anymore. Stepping out of the dress shop she had slipped into, she hurried to the crosswalk. By the time she made it across the street, he would more

than likely notice her the way he was scanning everyone. Aisling was not disappointed; as she stepped up onto the sidewalk, their eyes locked while she made her way through the crowd. A smile lifted her lips. Lord have mercy, he certainly was beautiful. With each step closer, she could feel her face flush. The rest of the pedestrians seemed to disappear. He seemed to only have eyes for her, refusing to be the first to look away, as he rose slowly to his feet. She slid her hand into his outstretched one, as he gallantly pulled her close to him. If he had leaned down and kissed her on the mouth after she pretty much had done the same thing the other night, she would not

have been shocked. Instead, he kissed each cheek gently, which strangely, flustered her more. Pulling out the chair, Stephan motioned for her to take a seat, before he sat back down himself. “Thank you for accepting my offer to meet for lunch, Aisling. You look absolutely stunning.” Aisling’s face flushed again as she cursed her red hair. Stephan watched, fascinated, as her skin turned a rosy pink. She obviously didn’t like her body changing colors, but he thought it was cute. She did look stunning. She had pulled strands of her hair from the side and clipped them at the back of her head with a crystal holder. Wisps of hair fell out of

place and cascaded down in loose curls. His fingers itched to touch them. The instinct was so strong, Stephan curled his fingers into a fist before he embarrassed himself. Her dress fitted her like a glove, molding to her chest, flaring out at the waist slightly. She was pure class. Aisling seemed oblivious of his emotions. “I won’t lie, Mr. Petros. I was very surprised and intrigued by your call. In light of the fact that my first evening out in a long time was rudely interrupted, your offer afforded me the chance to relax and see if the male population could redeem itself through you.” “How am I doing so far?”

Glancing down at the table, she shrugged. “Considering that there is nothing in front of me, failing miserably, I am afraid.” Before the words were out of her mouth, a male waiter placed a drink in front of her. Staring blankly, she wondered how he could have known that mint julep was her favorite. Laughing, they spoke in unison. “Miranda.” Waving her finger, she teased him. “I must never underestimate you.” Stephan smiled. “Please, call me Stephan and you should probably not. Interesting that I am thinking the same thing about you.” She took a small sip, humming as

she felt the smooth, sweet liquid slide down her throat. She nodded, appreciating the bartender’s skill. It was perfection. Glancing at his glass of water, her eyebrows rose. “Not drinking, or do you not drink, Stephan?” Every movement she made seemed to enthrall him. Hearing her speak his name caused a feeling to rush through him that he couldn’t quite understand. Stephan felt as if he could watch her all day. “I do drink,” he replied to her question. He felt as if he should have said more, as the conversation seemed to come to an abrupt halt. This was such a new situation for him, and he was unclear as to how to proceed or what to say next.

As he handed Aisling a menu, he tried to cover the awkward silence. “Are you hungry?” “Famished, actually.” She took the menu from him. She rarely ate out in public, choosing instead to order takeout, or, if she had time, cook for herself, which she enjoyed doing. Quietly, she perused the list, glancing at him time to time, as he seemed to do the same. Making her choice, she set it aside and took another sip of her drink. He was an enigma to her and she wanted to know so much more about him, but she had to be careful not to let anything slip. “So, what do you do for work, Stephan?”

Lifting his head, he gazed at her intently, his eyes hooded. Aisling felt her heart rate speed up. He had a way of looking right into her. “I work for security in one of the businesses here in Boston. What about you, Aisling?” Stephan asked. She used the same light tone and evasive wording. “I work in medical billing. Boring stuff, really.” He set his menu down. Stephan leaned back in his chair. She wasn’t being completely forthright, but then again neither was he. He wanted to know everything about her, yet he didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot by coming across as if he were interrogating a witness.

“How did you find me, and why did you call me, Stephan?” Even though Stephan was surprised with the question, he didn’t hesitate to answer her truthfully. “Being in security, it allows me certain privileges that I have never used for personal purposes. Until you. As far as the why—I am not sure. I saw you standing in the doorway of the Black Rose, and I was…intrigued.” “Because?” “Why are people ever interested in others? Is it a look? The way they walk, talk, smell?” Stephan smiled ruefully. “What about you? Why did you say yes when I asked you out?”

“I guess what you are saying is true. For me, I found you very attractive, so I can be honest in that respect. That and I haven’t had sex in a long time.” Concern clouded her face as she watched him choke on his drink. “Are you okay?” “Fine. I am fine. You certainly are blunt. So for you, this encounter is to satisfy an urge?” “Very much so.” Aisling smiled at the scowl that formed on his face. “Well, you are not only incredibly beautiful, but you are brutally honest.” Stephan looked disappointed and Aisling’s smile deepened. “Come on, admit it—you have

been thinking the same thing. I was raised to speak my mind. I have never been the type of girl who believed in happily ever after. That’s not how life works, and you and I both know it.” Stephan was about to respond when the waiter came back to take their order. This time he ordered bourbon. He was going to need it if this was the direction of their conversation. His tone cooled considerably. “Never assume that you know what I am thinking, Aisling. Ever. As much as I do find you attractive physically, I meet many stunningly beautiful people in my line of work. I am a bit old-fashioned, I guess, where I believe that the inside needs to match the outside to be

considered truly beautiful.” Leaning forward, as if to accentuate his next point, he lowered his voice; Aisling leaned forward to hear every word. “I am looking for the beauty inside of you. I hope I will not be disappointed. I am afraid that we may not have the same goals in mind as I’m not looking for just sex. That is easy enough for me to obtain.” Stephan’s eyes roamed her face, seeing for the first time the cool, sophisticated edge disappear slightly, replaced by a moment of insecurity, before the stone wall went back up. She was going to be a tough nut to crack for sure. He wondered who hurt her. “No matter what kind of baggage

we have, there is always the possibility of the chance for a happily ever after. If there wasn’t, what would we have to look forward to?” With his words, Aisling thought of her mother. The days and nights of watching everything in their lives fall apart, because of that simple word called love. Time and again whenever her father would return, she would watch her mother transform into a giddy schoolgirl, only to be crushed when he walked out. Finally there came the day when he never came back and even though her mum had been devastated— and Aisling believed still was, until her death all of those years later—for Aisling, it was a relief that he never

returned. She could no longer pick her mother up from the bottomless pit of despair. Toward the end of her mother’s life, whenever she spoke of her father, which had become extremely rare, Aisling could hear the rage in her voice and she seemed to have made it her mission to make sure Aisling wouldn’t make the same mistake as her. “Aisling?” Shaking out of her reverie, she felt exhausted with the conversation already and they hadn’t even started to eat. “I am not sure how to respond to that, except to say that maybe here we should agree to disagree for now, and as we get to know each other, we can

understand each other’s history and point of view better.” It was easy to agree to her request, and Stephan felt it would be a good opportunity and a challenge to convince her otherwise if their relationship progressed past today. With their agreement, the meal passed without incident, both choosing to stick to the weather, politics, and people watching. Stephan found her intelligence irresistible and he didn’t want the day to end just with their meal. As the waiter slid the leather folder onto the table with their bill tucked inside, Stephan laid his hand on it as he contemplated his next move. He did not want to seem overly eager or greedy for her time. Honestly,

he felt completely out of his element. Aisling slid her hand on top of his before she squeezed his fingers gently. Truth be told, she was out of her element also, and could understand his conflict. “So, is this it, and then I wait for the phone call in a couple of days, Stephan?” Happy for the opening, he felt himself drowning in her emerald eyes. “Do you want it to happen that way?” God, he hoped not. When she shook her head, he was dazzled by her smile. “I am actually free for the day, starting the moment I sat down, so if you

aren’t bored with my company, I am sure that we could come up with something to do.” She hesitated, feeling unsure again. Stephan heaved a sigh of relief as he quickly paid the tab. “If you would like, we could take a walk to the Boston Common. I know a great coffee shop.” Aisling nodded and glanced down at her outfit. As cute as she looked and felt, it was not appropriate for walking great distances. Stephan sensed her dilemma as he stared at her feet. A woman in heels was a weakness and he loved them but heels were not made for sightseeing. “I did bring a change of clothes.” Her face brightened again. “Sorry, it is a

habit of mine. I wasn’t sure what we were going to do, so I packed a change of clothes. They are in the car and would be so much more suitable for walking.” “Are you parked close?” At her nod, he held out his hands. “Come, let me drive. I know what we can do.”

CHAPTER 9 (Stephanous Petros: eight years old) The small ad fluttered in front of Stephanous as he walked the dirty streets. He grabbed it before it blew away and read the words in bold lettering with hope. RUNNER NEEDED. He had spent the day trying to find a job, no longer able to spend his days within the walls of the orphanage. Unsure of what a runner did, he rushed to the address, hoping the job had not already been taken. Easily maneuvering Aisling’s car

through the Boston traffic, Stephan only had to go several blocks to reach home. Aisling said nothing when he whipped into the front entry of the Ritz-Carlton Towers. She had already known that this was where he lived, but it was a completely different feeling to pull up to the ostentatious front entry and to have a doorman hold his hand out to assist you from the vehicle. She waited as Stephan walked around to her side of the car. Slipping the valet the keys and money, he pressed his hand on the small of her back and whisked her through the glass doors, past security, and into the elevator. She assumed her bag with the change of clothes would be promptly brought to his suite. When she stepped

through the large oak doors, she couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her lips at the view. The wall was entirely made of glass and Boston Common sprawled out below them. Walking to the windows where she stood, he followed her gaze. “Isn’t it strange how, sometimes, when you have had something for a while, you stop seeing the beauty?” “Wow, that is profound, Stephan. I don’t think I could ever stop seeing this view. I bet it is incredible at nighttime.” She felt his fingers as they slid into her hand. Aisling turned to face him, saying nothing when he reached behind her head to undo the clasp that held her hair up.

“Your hair is the most amazing color I have ever seen.” Sliding both of his hands through the tresses, he seemed mesmerized by the softness. She watched as his gaze fell on her lips. Instinctively, she ran her tongue along her mouth. Stephan groaned as he followed the movement before he slowly lowered his head, stopping just before their lips met when a knock sounded at the door. Kissing her on the forehead, he stepped around her quickly to let the bellhop in. A wave of disappointment rushed through Aisling. “I think you will be more comfortable changing in the spare bedroom, Aisling.” Stephan walked down the hallway, fully expecting her to

follow. The home was tastefully furnished and she was surprised how personalized it was, with many photographs along the wall. She wanted to take a moment to look at each one, to try to get inside his head. Right now, she was confused as to who he was. “I will fix us a drink while you change.” Aisling sat on the bed and stared at the closed door. Even for her, this was moving way too fast. All she wanted was a quick but passionate night of sex and to be gone in the morning before he woke up. Everything in his file made him out to be cold, calculating, and very good at his job. She knew that he had

killed before. Hell, so had she. This warmer, softer side of him was something she hadn’t prepared herself for. He wanted to talk but talking led to the risk of getting emotionally attached. That was not who she was or how she was brought up. There was no way she would turn out like her mother: falling hard and then thrown to the side when whoever was finished with her. Her fingers ran through her now free hair. She laughed. How bad could this really be? They were only going to go for a walk around Boston Common and as many times as she lived in this city, she had never done that by herself, let alone with someone as gorgeous as Stephan Petros. Quickly stripping out of

her dress, she walked to the closet to hang it up, and then put on her jeans and tee shirt. She had barely slipped on her shoes when her phone buzzed to let her know she had a message coming through. Aisling wanted so much to shut it off and not even think about work for today, but her conscience wouldn’t allow it. She still wasn’t finished with her open job and had even received a new request before meeting with Stephan. If something were wrong with her information, she would have to handle it promptly. Pressing on the message, she was shocked to see Stephan’s name at the top of the email. The irony was not lost on Aisling as she quickly scanned the email.

New job if you are available. This is personal and sensitive in nature. Let me know. Stephanous Petros Glancing at the still closed door, she wondered what job he had in mind. It had to be pretty important if it was on his mind while on a date. Her mother was right. Men’s priorities were fickle for sure. Her fingers flew over the keyboard on her phone. Absolutely. Send file at your convenience and whatever you need accomplished. Once I have reviewed the information, I can give you the cost and timeframe. —Chameleon

Aisling hesitated before she hit Send. Walking back to the living room, she pushed the button just as she entered the room. Stephan sat at the bar that was situated against one side of the wall. She heard his phone vibrate against the wooden top, message received, but he didn’t give it a second look; instead, he rose to greet her. He had changed also and now wore jeans and a black tee shirt. He still wore a jacket; she wondered whether he was carrying. Sidling up to him, she placed her hands on his waist, watching his expression carefully. He definitely became guarded the moment she touched him. As she slowly slid them around to his back, Stephan quickly gripped her hands

tightly before she could embrace him completely. Smiling up at him, she allowed him to entwine his fingers in hers before he pulled her arms behind her back, holding them with one of his, as he took his other hand, gripping her chin, not unkindly. “Can I help you?” Aisling shivered with the thought of how he could so help her right now. “Just wanted to thank you for calling me.” Surprise flicked in Stephan’s eyes before they became guarded again, but he loosened his grip on her hands, still not willing to let her go. Dropping his head, his mouth captured hers in a

deep kiss that left her breathless and caught her by surprise. Stephan pulled away and released her before she could even respond. “You’re welcome,” he replied gruffly, not unaffected from the kiss. “Ready?” Nodding, she followed, trying to sort out the many emotions that flowed through her. It was going to be hard to keep her heart guarded with him if she wasn’t careful. As she stepped into the elevator, Aisling watched him as he checked the messages on his phone, knowing that he would be seeing hers. It was an odd feeling to see him working, knowing that he was going to respond to her. Guilt

rushed through her, shocking her to the core. Aisling never felt guilt before, and she realized that she didn’t like it.

CHAPTER 10 “This place is packed!” Stephan nodded at Aisling’s comment. This was the busiest he had ever seen the Thinking Cup, a small coffee shop near Boston Common. “It will be worth it,” he mumbled under his breath, hoping he was right, as the door struck him by another patron trying to enter. Not a fan of routines, this was the only indulgence he allowed himself every day. The Thinking Cup, in his opinion, made the best coffee, hands down. “Damnit.” Stephan swore loudly as a person squeezing by knocked

Aisling with her bag hard enough to cause her to wince. “Do people not even know about personal space? Are you okay?” Even though her back was to him and the café was loud with all of the patrons, he could hear her laugh lightly. He pulled her against him; she leaned back and rested her head on his shoulder. She looked up at him, liking the protective gesture on his part, but it didn’t help her raging hormones one bit to feel his lower half respond to the pressing of her buttocks against him. His cologne enveloped her like a soft blanket and she closed her eyes briefly, inhaling deeply.

“I am now. This is kind of nice, Stephan. Could be an awkward date, though, if I didn’t like you.” Taking his hand, she lifted it over her shoulder until it was in front of her. Aisling hoped she could wear him down before tonight or she was going to go out of her mind with sexual frustration. Stephan no longer cared how busy the tiny store was. Holding Aisling more than made up for the crowd. He never allowed himself any type of intimate contact before, preferring to keep his distance from everyone. The women he had in the past were not the “bring home to Mom” type. Not that he disrespected any of them; in fact, he treated them all with chivalry, despite

their line of work. Their business offered him a release without the obligation and he paid them well. Aisling felt good in his arms and it was with much reluctance he released her to place their order. Moments later, they made it outside, drinks in hand. As busy as the Common was, Stephan was able to easily find an empty bench. He waited for Aisling to sit before he took a seat himself next to her. Aisling wanted to move closer to him, to remove the space between the two, but she guessed that he was getting to his breaking point soon on the space issue. He was extremely quiet since being in his apartment, responding when he needed to, to her many questions, but

not offering any of his own. She wondered what had changed. “So, you said you work in security. Do you work for yourself?” Aisling inquired in attempt to break his silence. Scanning the crowd, Stephan glanced at her quickly, before he gazed at the people walking again. “No, I work for Carras Enterprises, downtown.” “Sakis Carras?!” Feigning surprise, she took a sip of her coffee, hating the lies that she knew were going to pile up. Stephan glanced at her sharply. “You know Sakis? How?” Laughing, she made a face. “Who

hasn’t heard about the great and powerful Sakis Carras? He is one of the wealthiest men in New England, married to the beautiful Cassandra.” Punching him in the arm, she continued. “Come on, Stephan. They are in the paper every day. Here was a man, alleged to be on the wrong side of the law, and for love, rumor has it, gave it all up to have the hand of the one he couldn’t live without. It is a true fairy tale romance. How can the lowly public not know who he is?” He visibly relaxed as a smile crept on his face; she watched as he started to survey the crowd again. Feeling she said too much, she attempted to change the subject, bringing it back to him. “Certainly explains where you live.”

It was Stephan’s turn to laugh. “I suppose it might.” “You must be very good at your job,” Aisling continued, pressing further. Turning slightly on the bench, Stephan nodded. “Aisling, I am the best at what I do.” “Is that why you always carry a gun with you?” Aisling regretted the question the moment it passed her lips. She couldn’t believe it even came from her mouth. Stephan didn’t seem to react at first. Too late, Aisling realized that he not only reacted, but it didn’t sit well with him as his hand snaked out and gripped her tightly behind the back of her neck. Her face paled and a twinge of fear lit deep in her stomach, but she kept

her face impassive as he brought his head closer to hers to whisper in her ear. To the average passerby, it would look like two lovers deep in conversation and an embrace. “For a medical coder, you seem to be pretty observant, Miss O’Byrne. Now, what would be your fascination with Sakis?” Aisling didn’t respond to his question, choosing instead to stare him down. Instinct told her something was really off. She wondered how much he really knew about who she was. There was only one way she knew to find out. His thumb rubbed along her mouth, and his face set even more. He was angry. Aisling could actually feel

the energy radiating off him. “I like you. But I cannot deal with deception. Tell me, Aisling…who are you? Really? Because what I do know for a fact is you are no medical coder.” To Aisling, the question was tinged with a touch of melancholy. It was as if he was steeling himself for what he was about to hear next. Brushing her fingers lightly on his cheek as she crossed her legs so that she almost touched his legs, she ignored the pain shooting through her neck. There would be bruising there later, for sure, she thought. This was going to be a crucial moment in their relationship. Stephan admired her courage but

admiration only went so far in his world. He could just as easily snap her neck in two if he thought for even a minute that she was the enemy. Staring at her lips as they parted slightly, he prayed silently she wasn’t the enemy. “On the inside of my right leg, above the shin bone.” Pulling back slightly, he stared deep into her eyes before he placed his hand on her hip and slid it slowly down along her leg. Aisling’s face turned a bright pink when he turned his hand so his palm ran along the inside of her thigh the rest of the way down until he felt the bump just where she had said it would be. It was a small weapon, one more likely to scare than kill. Sliding his hand

up and under the fabric, his fingers deftly unclasped the gun just as he heard the click of his own weapon. He had never felt her removing it. The woman definitely had skills. “There is no need to remove what is very comfortable right where it is, Stephan.” Aisling’s tone had cooled tremendously. Now they were getting somewhere. Sliding his hand back out, he grasped her hip tightly while still gripping her neck with the other hand. They were at an impasse. Aisling leaned forward to close the space between her mouth and his. Her kiss was soft but urgent. He opened his mouth to give her access, allowing her soft tongue to clash

with his. He felt her slide his gun back into its holster and the latch was once again fastened. It was only then that he realized that he still held her neck tightly and his fingers loosened their grip. Aisling didn’t attempt to move away; instead, she slid her hand through his hair and pulled him in even closer. She couldn’t seem to get enough. Her adrenaline, an aphrodisiac, wanted to push the limits with him. Finally, with a heavy sigh, she pulled away and stared at his lips, waiting for him to release her completely. When he did, she rose off the bench and crossed her arms over her chest. “Come, let’s go back to your place where we can talk in private.”

CHAPTER 11 (Stephanous Petros: eight years old) “You are nothing but a scrawny chicken.” The heavyset man stared at the young boy in front of him with dark, beady eyes. “Why should I hire you?” Stephanous’s gaze didn’t waver from the direct eye contact. “Because I am a good listener and hard worker. Give me a chance for one day. If you do not like my work, you will not have to pay me.” Chewing on the end of the cigar, he contemplated what he was being told. “Arrogant little shit. I am going to take you up on your offer since I will have nothing to lose. This is not going

to be as easy as you think.” Reaching high on the shelf above his desk, he handed Stephanous a small dagger. He admired the courage of the young boy. “Life and death only. Got it?” Stephanous nodded and fingered the leather with shaky fingers, not trusting himself to remove the knife without cutting himself. “And if anything happens, we never met.” The apartment keys hit the silver tray hard, sliding across the surface and teetering on the edge before they stilled. Stephan stormed across the room to the bar. He was more furious with himself

than her, for letting her get under his skin. He knew there was more to Aisling. He had said it to Alicia the day he looked into her. Everything was too perfect in her file. Here he was, head of one of the wealthiest companies in Boston and because of lust, or whatever you could call it, he let her slip in. Stephan wasn’t sure who she was, but he did know that she wasn’t what she said she was, which only led to even more questions. How did she have the capability of accessing information? Changing government files was no small feat, yet obviously she had. Or she knew enough people that she had someone do it for her. Aisling had remained silent on

the short walk back to his place; for that he was grateful. Watching as she settled on the sofa, she didn’t seem the least bit fazed at the turn of events. God, she was beautiful. Pouring them both a drink, he handed Aisling hers before he took a seat in the chair. “Do you know you are the first woman I have brought back to my home?” Aisling stared down at her drink. She hadn’t known that. She had never brought anyone back to her place either. The small detail that he shared was potent on her emotions and she hoped that she hadn’t screwed this up beyond repair already. “When did you suspect

something?” Aisling asked curiously. “The moment I saw you in the store watching me at the café as I waited for you to arrive.” “And yet you said nothing. You still wanted to spend time with me?” Now it was Aisling’s turn to wonder what game was being played and who was playing it now. Stephan lit his cigarette before he responded. His eyes narrowed as the white wisps danced in front of his face. “We all have a history and a story, Aisling. I am intrigued enough with you that I was willing to test the waters. Your second mistake, and more important to me, by the way, was when you tried to check me for a weapon

before heading to the Common.” He laughed harshly at her expression. “Come on, you are enough of a professional, and the little pat-down disguised by a hug confirmed to me that you knew what you were doing. Mix that with the questions. Who do you think I am?” Sitting in stunned silence, Aisling didn’t know how to respond. There was no way that she would be able to reveal to him who she really was. It had taken her years to build up her reputation as the Chameleon in the man’s world that she worked in. She wasn’t stupid. Every single client thought that she was a male, and if they thought otherwise, she would not have

had the caseload that she had. Staring into his eyes, she felt a wave of sadness: for the first time, she had met her match and they could be fabulous together, in whatever capacity, but the foundation would have to be based on lies. Aisling had to somehow mix the truth with the lies. She wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to Stephan Petros. “What are you thinking about?” Aisling shrugged. Here she could be honest with him. “You are right. I am not a medical coder. When someone needs something done, I help them figure out how to make that happen for them.” “Explain.” “I get people in touch with other

people. You want someone fired, I am your girl.” Pausing, she looked him directly in the eye. “And I am the best at what I do.” Stephan stared hard at Aisling. She could be telling the truth. When he first started out working for Sakis, he was put in touch with someone who listened to his needs and eventually got him in touch with the Chameleon, so he knew that there were people out there. It was a dangerous underworld, though. The thought that she was neck-deep didn’t please him. “Fired? Is that an euphemism for killed?” Choosing to ignore the question, Aisling turned the tables on him. “What

about you, Stephan? You say that you are head of security, but that isn’t the whole truth either, is it?” Stamping out his cigarette, Stephan rose to his feet. “No, it is not. Like you, I am short on details, but I will share this with you: I have done a lot of things in my line of work. Nothing I have regretted though, Aisling.” “Me neither,” she snapped back. They were at another impasse, and they both knew it. For tonight, the right thing to do was to walk away and hope that he would contact her again once he was able to process their conversation. Picking up her bag, she gripped the handle with both hands and squeezed tightly. She would never beg a

man for anything and unlike her mother, she was not going to wait around. Standing on her toes, she kissed him on the cheek. Stephan didn’t even move. Sighing, she turned and walked out, without a look back.

CHAPTER 12 A swift knock sounded on the office door. Stephan glanced at the clock on his desk as he instructed the person to enter, even though he already knew that the only person it could be was Alicia. The disapproving glance she shot his way was enough for him to quickly rise to his feet to grab the tray of food from her hands before he placed it gently down on the table in the center of the room. Gripping her shoulders, he kissed her gently on each cheek, hoping to soften the reprimand that he knew was headed his way. “Stephan, the whole point of you not going to Greece was for you to take a

vacation. You have been in this office every day. Now, you either talk to me, or I am going to call Sakis.” With a quick glance at the food, Stephan’s stomach growled as he tried to remember the last time he had eaten. Alicia laughed. “You can eat while you talk, young man.” He filled his plate. After several bites, he started to feel better than he had all day. “Part of my time off was to do things I have been putting off, Alicia. This is personal.” Stephan felt uncomfortable, even with Alicia. “Is this about the beautiful redhead?”

Stephan’s frown deepened at the reference to Aisling. He hadn’t heard from her since she left his apartment so abruptly three days ago, but he also hadn’t made any attempt to contact her. “No! It certainly does not,” Stephan stated. “My, my, that didn’t last long.” He shrugged and took several more bites. “We both have a lot of baggage. Too much so, in my eyes, and a relationship with Aisling would never work.” “And you know this after one date?” Alicia stared, wide-eyed. “Suffice to say, I was right: she was not a medical coder, and never

was.” Gripping his arm to prevent him from taking another bite, Alicia leaned in. “Listen to me. You cannot judge a person on first appearance. What, she has someone else in her life and it is complicated? My God, how bad can it be?” Pulling away, Stephan dabbed the corners of his mouth. “She was not being truthful and when she did finally talk, I wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth. What kind of relationship would that be, if I was always wondering what was fact from fiction?” Her fingers tapped the gleaming table. Alicia contemplated his words before she shook a finger at him. She

wasn’t going to mince words with him. This was the first time that she had ever seen him excited about getting to know someone. “That is bullshit and you know it, Stephanous. Don’t be so arrogant that you place a yardstick against her, unless you are going to take the same stick and measure yourself. Just out of curiosity, how much did you share of who you are and the life you have led?” “Not fair….” Stephan was shocked by how angry his friend had become. This was not an employee berating him, but a mother figure and her claws came out in full force. “Oh, so you can prejudge her, but you’re ignoring your own skeletons that

are pounding on the door to get out. It is so unlike you to play double standard, Stephan. I am extremely disappointed in you right now.” “Fuck, Alicia, you are not really using the ‘I’m disappointed’ card right now.” Stephan stared at her, aghast. Alicia tried to hide the smile, but couldn’t stop herself as she smiled back sheepishly. He contemplated what she was saying to him. “Maybe you are right. I will call her later.” Even as he picked up his fork, he could feel her eyes on him. “That was too easy but I will let it go for now. So, you still didn’t answer

my original question. What are you doing here? Is everything okay with Cassie and Sakis?” Nodding his head, Stephan thought of his friends. “I spoke to him, as a matter of fact not even thirty minutes ago. They are having a wonderful time, and said to send their love. Cassie has them all gearing up to be tourists for the next several days. Sakis didn’t seem too excited.” Alicia laughed; she could only imagine what Sakis had said on the phone. “He will be fine. And Rose?” “Getting spoiled by the second from his family. Sakis said that she has everyone wrapped around her tiny little finger. Rightly so, I might add.”

Stephanous’s body relaxed completely with the line of questioning. Sakis sounded so pleased with the trip so far that whatever worry Stephan had at them traveling without him had completely faded. Granted, it had only been less than a week, but definitely a good start. Stephan chose not to tell Alicia that they had also spoken regarding Nadir. Sakis had been unaware of his assistants’ relationship with Odalis and was just as shocked, if not more than Stephan had been. They both had agreed to limit her interaction with the job. Sakis had also mentioned that before he left for Greece she had also wanted to take some time off. Stephan thought that she should take the

time soon. “Great, so we sorted out the redhead, and it isn’t the family…” Alicia’s eyebrows rose in Stephan’s direction. He sighed. He knew he had to tell her, because it was more than obvious that she wasn’t going to let up. “I have been trying to find my parents as you know, and there is nothing.” Whatever Alicia had expected, this was not it. “Are you sure you really want to do this?” Worry was now etched in her face. “More than sure. So much, in fact, I have contacted the Chameleon for

his assistance because I have gotten as far as I am going to get on my own and I have been searching for a while now.” “Why the sudden interest, if you don’t mind me asking?” He lit a cigarette and ran his hand through his hair. “This has been brewing for longer than I can even say. Maybe since the orphanage? I have no interest in contacting anyone; I just want to know.” “Were you able to find out anything at all?” He shook his head and glanced at his watch. “Not on my end. I should be receiving an email in the next hour or so from the Chameleon with an update.”

Rising to her feet, Alicia placed her hand gently on Stephan’s shoulder. “Let me know if I can do anything, even if it is just that you need to unload. Mysteries are challenging, and sometimes, the answers are not what we expect.” He placed his hand over hers. “I will definitely come to you with any news.” He waited until she had almost reached the office door before he spoke. “Thank you, Alicia—you know I love you, right?” Shocked, Alicia turned her head to stare at him; her eyes welled with tears. Never had he said the words, even though she felt his love and caring every day. “I do, and I love you also.”

CHAPTER 13 (Stephanous Petros: nine years old) Stephan folded the wad of money and tucked it quickly into the leather billfold that hung from his neck. He no longer counted the bills. He was past that with Gregory as a solid trust and respect built over the past year between the two was cemented. The old man handed him a piece of paper and watched as the young boy slid it into his pants pocket without reading it. Stephan had far exceeded his expectations in every way: finishing every job given, quickly and proficiently, never questioning why something needed to be done. The child

just did it. It was time to take it to another level, and Gregory wondered whether this would be the first job Stephan would reject. Gregory reminded him constantly that he could say no any time he wasn’t comfortable, with no strings or recriminations to follow. Gregory soon learned that no was not in Stephan’s vocabulary. The cold water Aisling splashed on her face slid slowly down her skin as she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. She looked a wreck: the dark circles were prominent against her porcelain skin; her hair was up in a rough ponytail. She wanted to blame her appearance on her work schedule,

considering she’d been working twelve hours or more a day for the past three days to research Stephan’s history, only taking time to eat and sleep. She slumped over the sink and heaved a sigh. She knew only too well that her funk had more to do with Stephan than work. For the first time, she wished she could pick the phone up and call a best friend, or even her mother. The loneliness pressed in around her. Aisling felt lost. This emotion was new for her and she wanted it to go away. Her computer chirped to let her know that new information was coming through. Giving herself one last look in the mirror, she strode back to her home office and quickly keyed her password

into several layers of firewalls that she had set up as protection. So far, the technology had prevented many hackers from accessing her files. Once past the layers, she entered the main room where she could retrieve anything that was sent to her. The moment she had access, her screen went completely white. Bold black letters, centered in the middle of her monitor slowly spelled out: “Who are you?” Aisling froze. Someone had gained access, unbeknownst to her. Her screen cleared. The person on the other end repeated the question.

“Who are you?” Moving at lightning speed, her hands flew over the keyboard to divide the screen into four sections. She flipped on the other two hard drives and monitors on either side of her. “You first.” She typed the question as she waited for a reply and erased files while throwing up dummy folders to slow down the hacker’s progress. If the hacker was able to reach her then she knew he was good enough and could reach even further. Her heart pounded frantically in her chest at the thought of every sensitive piece of information on her clients that she had. She watched as the second screen scrambled the files

fragment by fragment, the first part of the erasing process. “Fuck! You bastard.” She yelled at the monitor as she watched some of the files blinking. The mystery hacker was trying to dig deep. Spinning in her chair, she typed on a separate computer, running her deep purge on all of her systems. Whoever it was, they were good, and there was no way for her to stop him unless she was able to throw more firewalls up to block his path. Her main computer beeped again. She watched as the words were typed out. “You are gathering information on someone I work for. They are not happy. Who are you?” “Go to hell,” she muttered. She

entered her third window on her screen, sending the code to track the offender and watching as the map lit up. As it found the many buffers and false leads they had set up, Aisling just kept typing, keeping up with the person on the other end. She could picture him typing just as frantically. Whoever it was and as skilled as they were, she knew she was better. She had spent many years honing her technical skills and working with some of the best the underground had to offer. There was no hesitation on her part as she entered more codes to release a nasty virus. A chameleon avatar weaved its way through the map, following the tracker faithfully. The moment the computer system was found,

it would inflict complete chaos, including destroying any files that they copied. So far, they were only grabbing the dummy ones that she had placed as decoys. Even without the virus that she sent, just opening one of those files would cause a major disruption in their service. She needed to keep them online. “I have many jobs. Which one are you referring to?” Spinning from keyboard to keyboard, Aisling felt exhilarated. This was exactly what she needed to get her out of her depression. This fed her soul and as frightened as she was, she was in a strange way having fun. Wanting to taunt her attacker more, she started to type again but stopped as two words

flashed on her screen. Aisling’s hands froze over the keyboard while her blood ran cold. “Stephanous Petros.” Even though she had only asked which job they were referring to, to keep them occupied, seeing his name appear on the screen bothered her. A lot. The simulated sound of an explosion reverberated behind her on the computer. Staring at the screen, she watched as the letters shimmered in front of her. “Got you, you son of a bitch.” She knew the virus had finally hit its mark and was doing its job, and there would be nothing that the person could do as it slowly turned their hardware into scrap metal.

“You will pay.” The words faded in and out before they completely disappeared. “Maybe,” Aisling said aloud to her screen, “but right now you are.” For the next several hours, she completed the purge of her system, doing a complete wipe of all of the files hidden and otherwise. She would have to start again with a new system and the thought killed her. It was way past time, and she was actually lucky that she had gone this long before a major breach like this one had occurred, but one was more than she ever wanted. No, the part that was killing her was that she was going to lose valuable time in her research of Stephanous and would have to go old

school. And then there was the decision how much should she tell her client about what just happened. Separating her emotions was harder than she had thought it would be. This person on the other end was very pissed. What had started as a warning to her could quickly escalate into something so much more. Then again, it could be a bluff. Already behind on an update to Stephan, she quickly typed her message. Stephanous Petros Was able to obtain several leads. Wasn’t sure if they were valid, until my system was compromised. A warning was issued to anyone digging into your history. Cages have been rattled. Unclear as to level of threat.

Will update you when I learn more. Chameleon It took Aisling a moment before she sent the message. She wanted to add “be careful” but if she hadn’t known him personally, she would never send it— that would be too personal.

CHAPTER 14 Quincy Market was packed with people, tourist and locals alike. It was exactly what he needed after being stuck in his office for so long. Sitting on the bench, he watched as people circled a living statue of a woman all in silver. She was beautiful, and didn’t move for very long periods of time. He had no idea how she could stay so still in the hot sun. He thought of the street vendors in the markets in Greece, how sharp their tongues had been and quick their hands were to smack him upside his head if he did anything slightly out of place. A mother walked by, pushing a

stroller with a child who was crying. The young boy had his hands outstretched, as if trying to convince her to turn around and go back the way they had come. Her face was red in the afternoon sun and beads of sweat broke out over her forehead. She did not look as if she was having a good time as she chided the child, telling him that he had enough balloon animals and didn’t need any more. Passing by the crying child, a couple strode arm in arm. The woman’s stomach was burgeoning, obviously in the late stages of pregnancy. She smiled up at the man; she whispered something to him as she rubbed her stomach. He found it ironic that they were oblivious of the stressed mom and screaming

child. He had no doubt that was going to be their future. Stephan wondered whether his mother had stroked her stomach the way that the young woman did. Whether she strolled arm in arm with her lover through the cobble pathways in Greece the way they did in the heart of Boston. He grimaced. He doubted it. “Stephan? Are my eyes deceiving me or are you sitting outside in the fresh air?” Grinning, Stephan rose and shook Derek’s hand. “What are you doing here this time of day?” “Karl and I always take a break in here. Love the coffee.” He raised his

coffee cup in the air and nodded his head toward his partner as he rolled his eyes. “Not all of us have eight weeks of vacation time handed to us. Give us a minute, Karl?” After his partner strode away, Derek stared Stephan down. “You haven’t been returning my phone calls. What gives with you?” Sitting back down, Stephan waited until Derek did the same. “Just a lot going on in my head. Nothing personal.” Derek took a sip of his coffee. “You know, friends are great mediators with the voices in their friend’s heads. They don’t always need to be just for fun.”

“I appreciate what you are saying…” “I hope at some point, you open up, Stephan. You never know. Other people may be going through the same kind of issues.” He stared at the crowd without really seeing them this time. He knew his friend meant well. “I don’t think so, not in this case.” “You’re not in trouble, are you?” With a laugh, Stephan shook his head. “No. I can honestly say that, for once, I am not. Well, at least not yet.” Derek shot him a sharp look to determine whether he was joking or being serious. He caught a lot of flak

from his superiors about who he hung out with on a regular basis. As a lieutenant for the ATF, mixing with gun dealers was probably not the smartest thing, but they had gotten out of that line of business. Derek stood and scanned the crowd for Karl, quickly seeing him leaning against the brick wall of one of the businesses with a cell phone pressed to his ear. “I need to get back to work. How about we double date tonight? Would love to meet the redhead.” “Aisling.” Derek laughed. “Yeah, Aisling.” “I will see what I can do and call you.” The moment Derek was out of

sight, Stephan dialed Aisling’s number. He hadn’t spoken to her once since she left his apartment and quite frankly had no idea how this call was going to be received. But as it rang, he hoped she would pick up. Rarely did he ever have regret. Allowing her to walk out was probably one of his first. Alicia was right. He had enough of his own secrets —who was he to judge? “Hello?” “Aisling, it is Stephanous.” “Yes?” She sounded cold. But what else had he expected? “I would like to see you, if that would be okay?” He could sense her hesitation over the line.

“Why?” “Aisling, I think you know why.” His statement was met with silence. She certainly was not making this easy on him. “I want to see you. No, I need to see you. I didn’t like the way it ended at my place and I think we should give it another go. Can you meet me, hear me out?” Stephan refused to beg, but if it meant her agreeing to meet with him, he would. Just once. “Where are you now?” Stephan heard his phone beep, signaling that a message had just come through. “I am at Quincy Market…do you—”

“I will be there in fifteen minutes. Meet me at the harbor over by the Marriott Long Wharf.” Aisling hung up the phone before Stephan could respond. Pressing his messages, he saw another from the Chameleon. Stephanous Petros Going underground for a couple of days. Will contact you when I return. Chameleon ~~~ By the time Stephan walked from Faneuil Hall past the Rose Kennedy Greenway to the Harbor, Aisling was already waiting for him. No games this time, he thought. Steeling himself inside

for the tough conversation, he wished he could talk to Cassie first. She was always one to speak from the heart, not caring how it affected the person on the receiving end, but whatever she said was always truthful and she would definitely know how to handle this situation with Aisling. He stopped in his tracks; that was his resolution. Cassie would tell him to be honest. Locking eyes with Aisling, who leaned against one of the stone barriers on the Harborwalk, he strode toward her, smiling. Somehow she was even more beautiful today, from the top of her beautiful red hair down to the ridiculously high heels that she seemed to love to wear. At least these ones

didn’t seem as if they had her teetering. From her posture and frown, his relaxed pose did nothing to ease her position. On the outside, Aisling knew from his expression that she was doing a great job, exuding a cool attitude. Internally, she was a wreck. He looked fabulous as he strode toward her; his smile warmed his whole face. She had a hard time not smiling back. After going all of this time without hearing from him, she wanted to be careful to not let her guard down again. Stephan gripped her shoulders gently as he kissed her on both cheeks, while Aisling rose on her toes to reciprocate the gesture. “Thanks for meeting me,

Aisling.” “Look, Stephan, I am really not sure why you called, but I am sure that this is probably not a good idea.” “But you came anyway.” Ignoring his comment, she crossed her arms. “How can I help you? Or better yet, what do you want from me?” “Give us another chance. That is all I want,” he implored. Aisling stared at him and chewed on her bottom lip. This was wrong. This whole situation was going to explode around her. Aisling didn’t think that she could be both Chameleon and Aisling without some sort of damage happening

at some point. She relaxed slightly. “Come, let’s walk.” “In those heels?” Stephan looked horrified. For the first time in many days, Aisling laughed out loud. “I can walk in these probably easier than you can in your shoes, trust me.” Stephan didn’t seem convinced, but followed her as she slowly strode along the harbor. The afternoon was warm, but not unbearable. His hands clasped behind his back, he opened up. “I behaved badly the other day, Aisling. For that I owe you an apology. It is not right for me to get angry with you

and speak of honesty when I wasn’t upfront with you from the beginning either.” “I hear a but coming.” Glancing down at her, he shook his head. “There is no but this time. I find myself in an interesting time. My boss is away in another country, allowing me a freedom that I truly have not had before, to do whatever I would like. It is hard for me to separate my work from my personal life, yet they are two different entities, are they not?” “Sometimes,” she replied warily. “And sometimes they are wound so tightly together, that it is hard to differentiate between the two.”

Halting her with his hand on her arm, the intense look on his face told her more than his words ever could. He was nervous. The stoic, strong Greek was unsure of himself and he didn’t like it. “Maybe we could just take it an hour at a time and see how we do. I promise that I won’t ask you business questions, if you don’t ask me.” “That could be tough to do.” She was very unsure of what he was asking of her. “But, it could be possible. Right?” Laughing at his expectant look as he waited for her answer, Aisling realized that she liked this side of him,

but she was still doubtful. “Yes, it could be possible, Stephanous Petros.” Still blocking her way, he gently took her hands in each of his. “One more chance.” Squeezing his fingers, she nodded. “Fine! One more chance it is.”

CHAPTER 15 (Stephanous Petros: nine years old) Stephan stared down at the address and the order. His heart pounded heavy in his chest as he contemplated what he was getting ready to do. He never said no, but maybe he should this one time. Staring at the picture, his hand shook. Killing someone was serious. He could go to hell for this. Squaring his shoulders, he thought of the money. He was slowly building up quite a stash but he needed so much more. This was the only way that he could go to America, and start all over. He had to plan for his future, take care of himself; no one else was

going to. Pulling the gun out of his pants pocket, he stepped into the slit in the wall and waited for his mark. Stephan did not release Aisling’s hand as they entered Carras Enterprises and made their way to his office, as if he was afraid he was going to lose her. He seemed completely oblivious of the many stares. Aisling made eye contact with several people and flashed them a smile every time she did, knowing full well that she and Stephan were going to be in the office grapevine for many days to come. “I really am sorry, but I need several files for a project I am doing and this will allow me to work from home.”

“And I really wish you would stop apologizing. I don’t mind, and it kills time until dinner.” Aisling’s breath caught in her throat as he flashed her a grateful smile. He made sure she was seated comfortably in his office before he took a seat at his desk. So much for separating personal from business. Grabbing a flash drive, he stared at the many files. He should have put his personal files from the search for his parents in a separate folder. After several moments of opening each one individually, he growled in frustration. He would be there forever unless he copied them all, but the media drive he had wasn’t large enough. After he made

several attempts to reach the IT department, Stephan rose to his feet. “I have to get something. Are you okay?” Smiling brightly, Aisling waved him away. “Stephan, stop it…go. Do what you need to do. I am not going anywhere.” She gave him a wink; the smile of gratitude that came over his face was all she needed. “I will make this up to you. Whatever you want.” “Oh, then hurry up then.” Laughing, he actually seemed to blush before he closed the door. Several minutes later, the door reopened.

“Wow, that was fast…oh, hi!” Alicia stared at the redhead. She figured at her age, nothing could shock her anymore. Seeing the petite young woman in Stephanous’s office, alone, did. She recognized her immediately from the pictures on Stephan’s computer. She held out her hand and smiled. “Hello, you must be Aisling? My name is Alicia. I work with Stephanous and Mr. Carras.” The women shook hands and two points of color rose in Aisling’s cheeks. How adorable, Alicia thought. “He talked about me?” Aisling asked. “A bit. He told me about a

gorgeous red-haired lady he wanted to get to know better. It is not that difficult to put two and two together.” Alicia smiled gently. “Do you know where he went, dear? I need to speak with him before he leaves for the afternoon.” “He said that he had to get something…oh, hi Stephan.” Aisling exhaled in relief. “Alicia! So you have met Aisling.” “I have.” With an apologetic look at Aisling, she turned back to Stephan. “I really need to speak with you.” “That would be my cue to go powder my nose.” Aisling chuckled and

stepped through the door, closing it as she left. “Is everything okay, Alicia?” She shook her head as she handed him several files. “It looks like there has been a breach in our system. They were not able to get to your files or Sakis’s, but many of the other systems have been compromised. We really don’t have anything major going—” “It is the search for my parents, Alicia. The Chameleon had the same thing happen to him.” “I don’t understand.” Alicia looked worried. “I don’t either, but we need to step up security in every area. I will

send an email to everyone and then have a meeting tomorrow.” Kissing her on the forehead, he smiled, hoping it was enough to reassure her. “Everything will be fine. I promise.” “I just want you to be safe, that is all.” “I know,” Stephan said. “By the way. I approve of Aisling.”

CHAPTER 16 For Aisling, it was strange to walk into Stephan’s apartment, after the events of the last time. Everything was just as pristine as before, not that she expected anything different. Stephan glanced at his watch. “Derek and his date should be here any moment. You really don’t mind walking to the restaurant? It is going to be a beautiful evening.” “No, of course not, and, my shoes are very sensible for walking.” Dark eyes roved over her as she spoke. Tonight, she had chosen a white shirt that was bare on the shoulders, the collar snapped behind her neck. The tails

tucked neatly in a short skirt that forced the eyes to admire every inch of her perfect legs. She had changed into heels that did look shorter, but probably not by much. “Questionable.” Stephan held out her drink, grabbing her hand the moment she reached for it; he gently placed it behind her so he could pull her close into his side. Aisling gasped in surprise. Dropping his head to her neck, he kissed her softly behind her ear. She smelled like roses. “I have wanted to do this all afternoon, yet didn’t have one single moment alone with you.” His whispered words were warm; gooseflesh rose over her skin. With her hand on his shirt, she tilted her

head to give him more access to her neck. Stephan took the offer gratefully, running his lips up and then along her jawline until they reached her mouth, where he proceeded to draw every last breath from her lungs. She wasn’t sure at what point he had put down her drink, and she didn’t care, as he drank from her deeply. She grasped his shirt tightly and opened her mouth, offering him even more access. Stephan was so lost in her that it took him several moments to realize the doorbell was ringing. Stepping back, he handed her the drink, stopping when Aisling gave him such an intense look he wanted to tell Derek dinner was going to becanceled. “Please, stop looking at me

that way, Aisling. I am only human.” Stepping around her, he threw open the door. “Bout time. What were you…?” Derek looked at the lipstick on his friend’s lips and patted him on his shoulder. “Never mind, but I have to tell you that is definitely not the right shade for you.” “You’re a funny guy.” Stepping aside to let Derek in, Stephan wiped the lipstick off with his handkerchief before his hand stilled. “Emily? What the hell?” Stunned, he looked from Derek to Emily, completely confused. “Did I miss something here?” Stephan, Sakis, and Cassie met had Emily at one of Sakis’s nightclubs.

As it turned out, Emily and Cassie hit it off so much that they became good friends. He remembered the night that Sakis, his business acquaintance Andre, Emily, and Cassandra went out on a double date. Emily and Andre had separated from the group to have a bite to eat. That was the night Andre was shot and killed. Emily struggled for a long time to get over Andre’s death. To Stephan, it seemed that this past year, she really came out of her shell. But Derek and Emily? He never would have pictured it. Standing on tiptoes, Emily kissed the baffled Stephan on the cheek before she entered the apartment. “Yeah, I meant to tell you about

that but it is new.” Derek looked sheepishly at Stephan. “It seems that Em and I actually have a lot in common.” Emily’s dark eyes took in Aisling and winked before she spoke in her heavy British accent. “What he means to say is that we found out we are bloody good in the sack together. Hi, my name is Emily…” Aisling’s hand was squeezed gently. She immediately liked the darkhaired woman in front of her. She screamed fun. “Aisling.” “Oh, you are Irish. Love the accent.” Derek groaned loudly. “Great. I am the only one who will be understood

tonight.” “Okay, well, we have eight o’clock reservations. Maybe we should finish this conversation on the walk over to Bistro du Midi.” The evening was fabulous as the small group headed to the Bistro. It was only a ten-minute walk from the RitzCarlton Towers, and much to everyone’s delight, Stephan had made sure that their reservations were for the outside patio, street side. Through the entire walk, he had linked hands with Aisling, wanting to keep her close. Once they were seated and the drinks were served, he wanted answers. Derek had placed his arm around the back of Emily’s chair and she leaned in close to him. Not quite

touching, but almost. Scowling at the two, he raised his glass. “To interesting matchups and a night out with new and old friends.” At his last statement, he winked at Aisling. Taking a sip, he nodded to the pair. “Spit it out, you two, but first, and excuse me, Emily, for asking Derrick this question. What happened with Miranda?” “It seems I didn’t have the right plumbing for Miranda’s taste. Even though I will say, she is extremely fun to hang out with.” Aisling grinned. “Yes, she prefers the fairer sex. Sorry, we didn’t know each other then; otherwise, I would have shared that little tidbit.”

“Emily and I ran into each other at a 5K race. We happen to be friends with the same person who had passed from cancer. After the race, we went out for a drink, and here we are.” Emily nodded several times, never taking her eyes off Derek once. Stephan still couldn’t believe it, but had to admit, they did seem perfect for each other. “Cassie is going to love this one, you know.” Emily smiled brightly. “Derek and I still have seven weeks till they get back. It would be great getting to know each other during that time, so that if it didn’t work out, no harm, no foul. I would appreciate it if we kept it to

ourselves for a bit? It’s all so new.” Stephan could see the conflicting emotions wash over Emily’s face. Stephan could relate with new. He felt for her. “Of course.” “So, Aisling, what do you think of my pal Stephan?” Derek ignored the way that Stephan stiffened with the question. “I like what I’m seeing so far,” she replied evasively. “Well, don’t give up on him. He hasn’t been out a lot in his life, and it will take a bit of socialization, but he certainly has potential.” Cutting her eyes toward Stephan, Aisling chuckled. “Oh, I don’t plan on

giving up any time soon.” She liked the camaraderie between the unlikely friends. “Have you two been friends for long?” Stephan answered first. “No, only about three years. I saved his life. He is eternally grateful.” Derek sputtered in response while both women laughed at the goodnatured ribbing. Aisling blinked innocently at Derek. “So does that mean you are his bitch?” The whole table went completely silent, before everyone roared with laughter. Emily raised her glass at Aisling. She liked the redhead. “Well stated.”

The evening flew by for everyone. Laughter flowed as easily as the drinks, and slowly, the other patrons left the restaurant. Soon, they were the only ones left enjoying their dessert and espresso. Emily glanced around her. “Do you think the waiter is getting angry we are still here?” “I sorted that out earlier. I know the owner and told him that we might be lingering. He told me to take our time. The waiter is long gone and has been well compensated for his time, as will Jean be.” “Ah, the life of the rich and famous. I want to be you when I grow up, Stephan! So, what have you been

working on during your time off— anything good?” Stephan lit a cigarette before he pulled Aisling in close. He liked the way she put her hand on his thigh as she leaned into him, taking in the conversation. “Truthfully? I have been running searches for my birth parents.” “No shit! I didn’t know they were lost. What did they do, take one look at you and said no way?” Stephan laughed easily, not taking offense. “I was an orphan from birth.” Aisling looked up at Stephan’s profile. She was shocked that he was

talking so casually about it. “No shit? I am sorry, I didn’t know that. Any leads?” Derek asked curiously. “Not on my part. I have someone helping me look into my past. We must be getting close to getting something because it seems we are rubbing someone the wrong way.” Derek was fascinated. Stephan had never opened up before about his past, and to find out that he was an orphan was shocking. Glancing quickly at Aisling, Derek wondered whether she was the reason for the change in his friend, or whether this was just a natural progression in Stephan’s life. “What do you mean?”

“I was informed by the Chameleon that his system was compromised and that a warning was issued to back off.” “But you’re not going to, are you?” Emily asked. “Well, not now. Always liked a good challenge. And whoever it is has the same access to the same sophisticated technology as the Chameleon and Carras Enterprises. That screams money to me. Now I am curious.” “Holy shit, the company’s computers were hacked?” “They didn’t get too deep. Thankfully, my informant let me know

what happened, and I took the added precaution to call the tech group. There were already preparing. Nothing of value was compromised or taken. I felt worse for Alicia. She is very protective of all of us. I hadn’t thought to let her know ahead of time. It rattled her a bit.” Listening in, Aisling felt as if she was eavesdropping where she shouldn’t but she did feel a huge relief that she had chosen to let him know about the breach. It hadn’t dawned on her that whoever it was would also try to hack into the company’s computer. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she slid her fingers farther up on his thigh and liked the way his muscles tensed in response. Stephan kissed the top of her

head. This felt good. Derek rose and stretched. “Maybe we should get the lil’ women back to the homestead and show them who the men of the house really are.” The rest of the party stood. “Seriously, that is the worst Southern accent I have ever heard in my life.” Emily couldn’t stop herself from laughing as she linked arms with Aisling. “Maybe the lil’ women don’t want to go home.” Aisling smiled at Stephan, who intently stared back at her, as if gauging what she wanted to do next. He didn’t have time to ask as Emily pulled her ahead, leaving the men to follow.

“On a serious note, Stephan, you need to be careful. You don’t know what you are up against, and like you said, if they have the money to access your system then they have the money to do other things.” “Agreed. It’s tough. With so little information to go on, I don’t know which direction to go in.” “You trust this person you call Chameleon? Sounds shady to me.” Stephan watched the women walk several feet in front of them. He liked the way Aisling’s hips swayed gently as she walked. Following the direction of Stephan’s look, Derek pushed Stephan.

“Focus, dude.” “I have never met the Chameleon, have no idea if he is young or old or what he looks like, but can honestly tell you that I would trust him with my life. Not even remotely kidding. He has worked for me off and on for the past ten years, and the level of detail and professionalism is by far the best I have ever encountered. Obviously, with your line of work, I wouldn’t want to compromise our friendship, so I won’t give details, but he is extremely skilled in every aspect of his job.” Derek still had doubts. “I don’t know, Stephan. Work always goes to the highest bidder. If you are ever outbid, then I am sure this ‘Chameleon’ would

have no problem putting the bullet in your thick head.” “See, I don’t feel that way. That has not been his track record. I do not get the sense that the Chameleon is motivated by money. Loyalty seems important.” “Okay, if you say so. Just be careful.” Aisling felt a flush to her skin, hearing how Stephan liked her work. Not that he knew it was her, but he validated her job and work ethic and it was stated so sincerely, he was actually defending her to Derek. God, nothing could have turned her on more than that. Derek was right, though. This was a dangerous time, until she could figure

out who was behind the threats. “Hey!” Emily pulled on Aisling’s arm. “Did I lose you?” Laughing at Emily, she shook her head. “No, you didn’t lose me. So, what are we going to do now?” Raising her voice so that the men would hear, she laid out her plans. “Well, I am hoping a big, tall, scary Greek will invite us all back to his place for a nightcap, and then I would like to take Derek and…” She leaned in to whisper in Aisling’s ear so the men could no longer hear. “Play tiddlywinks.” Standing straight, she winked. “And you know what they just thought, right?”

Aisling looked at Derek, whose face was now a bright red. Laughing hysterically, both women linked arms again. “You are fabulous, Emily!” “You are pretty fab yourself, Irish,” Emily responded before Derek ran up behind her and grabbed her around the waist to haul her away from Aisling. Emily screamed and fell into uncontrollable laughter. Stephan watched it all play out in front of him. Tonight felt good. It felt what he could only imagine normal feeling like and he didn’t want it to end. Walking up behind Aisling, he wrapped his arms around her small frame and pressed the side of his face to hers.

Aisling immediately hugged his arms, leaning back and looking up at him. “Kiss me, Stephanous.” Dropping his head, his lips connected with hers. She tasted like mint, smelled like roses, and he wondered whether this was what falling in love felt like. “Ewwww, Derek, they’re kissing.” “God, Emily, can’t you stop for even a second?” Derek chastised Emily, but from the look on his face, he loved every minute of being with her. Stephan sighed dramatically before he pulled away from Aisling. “Fine, you both can come back for a few

minutes but then you have to go.”

CHAPTER 17 (Stephanous Petros: nine years old) Gregory watched as the boy stepped into his office. Stephan’s shirt was stained from remnants of a lunch that obviously had come back up. Silently, Stephan laid the gun on the cluttered desk with shaking fingers, the only physical sign that the murder had affected him. Lifting his eyes to his boss, he nodded, waiting for the return nod, before he walked back out of the door. The chance of Derek and Emily leaving had long passed before Stephan decided the safest bet for them was to

have them crash at his place. For years, no one had ever been allowed into his private space, and now, to him, it seemed as if it overflowed with bodies. Thankfully, it wasn’t too hard to convince them to take it down the hallway to the spare bedroom; after a couple more drinks, they couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other. He did have to admit he thought the two were funny earlier: drunk, they were downright rude and funny. He had no idea what time it was but he was starting to get uncomfortable. Frowning as he stepped back into the living room, he didn’t see Aisling anywhere. She had taken the evening in stride, seeming content to let

the other two entertain everyone, choosing instead to drive him crazy with her light touches. As they sat together on the couch, she was right up against his side, her hand resting on his crossed legs. When she helped him prepare more drinks at the bar, she wrapped her arms around his waist several times and pressed her head against his back in a warm hug. Of course, it wasn’t just her; several times, he stared down at her until she looked his way, and each time he couldn’t resist kissing her quickly on the mouth, or the nose, or the forehead. At a noise in the kitchen, he turned, surprised to find her washing the glasses that had been used. She still looked perfect. Her white shirt and skirt

were unblemished as if she had just put them on and her hair—God, he loved her hair—not a strand out of place. “Aisling, you don’t have to wash the dishes.” Walking up behind her, he reached around to remove the glass from her hand and deliberately pressed himself against her backside. He heard her gasp as she felt the outline of his erection, but he pretended not to notice her reaction. “Leave them. Someone will be in in the morning to take care of the mess.” His original intent for the end to his evening was to come back with her alone, and offer her to spend the night in the spare bedroom. Obviously, that wasn’t going to be possible, with the other two fools doing whatever. Maybe

it was the fact that he had too much to drink; maybe it was the smell of her perfume, but he didn’t care anymore. He wanted Aisling O’Byrne more than he had wanted any woman before in his life. “Are the children all tucked in for the night, honey?” she whispered softly. He lifted her hair gently to one side to expose her creamy white neck. Stephan gripped the sink on either side of her before he leaned in to kiss her softly as he pushed against her gently until her hips rested against the countertop. She had nowhere to go, and they both knew it. Aisling wiped down the sink, as

if he had no effect on her at all, while her legs felt as if they slowly turned into gelatin with every gentle thrust he made behind her. When she shut off the faucet, the only noise that could be heard was the sound of the music still playing softly in the background. “They are tucked in but I am convinced I will have to have the room steam cleaned tomorrow.” Aisling smiled at his comment. With his teeth, Stephan snagged her earlobe, earring and all, and sucked gently. Biting her lip, she refused to make a sound, but she knew two people could play that game. Spreading her legs farther apart to plant herself firmly, she pushed back just as he moved forward

with his hips to catch him unaware. Stephan moaned against her skin. Aisling reached behind her; her hand slid into his pants pocket so that he would be able to feel the heat from her fingers, but she would be unable to touch him through the fabric. Stephan’s pants became even tighter with the touch, just as she expected. Stephan knew that she felt as if she had the upper hand with him. Bending slightly at the knees, he slid his hands up under her skirt, following the outside of her leg up to her hips until he felt the thin piece of fabric. With his other hand, he slid it down over her bare cheeks before sliding around to her stomach where he laid his hand flat,

pressing to push her back against him and forcing her to follow his rhythm and not hers. It was strange to her how they both seemed to be battling for dominance even now. Her head bent, she closed her eyes. Damn, he felt so good. She reached under her skirt to lay her hand on top of his, pushing it down, while guiding his fingers beneath her underwear and lower until his finger reached the tiny nub that ached for someone to touch it. Stephan’s groan was even louder as he moved his free hand from her hip to wrap around her waist tightly so that she was locked to him as she moved her finger with his. She was so wet, she was

saturating them both, but she didn’t care —she was so close. Stephan swallowed hard, trying to hold it together. It felt so erotic to have her hand on top of his as their fingers worked to get her off, but he didn’t want that for her yet. It practically killed him, but he pulled his hand from between her legs. What sounded like a growl came from deep in her throat. He guessed she wasn’t pleased. Spinning her around, he ground his mouth against hers before she could say anything as he lifted her up onto his hips. Aisling wrapped her legs around his waist tightly. “Sorry, but I think I am going to get your pants soaking wet, Stephan.”

“Do you really think I care right now, Aisling?” He continued to kiss her until he reached the door to his bedroom. Pressing her back against the wood, he held her in place and stared into her green eyes, needing to be sure. This was so soon in their relationship, he didn’t want any regrets in the morning. It would kill him. That wasn’t the kind of guy he was or wanted her to think he was. “Please tell me you want this as much as I do, Aisling, because I really don’t know if I could stop once we go through this door.” Sliding her hands through his hair, she pulled his face close to his. “God, I have wanted this more than you. Are you sure? You were the one who

wanted to go slow. No regrets, Stephan. Just you and me. Stephan and Aisling. Work stays out. I need to hear you say it, because I wanted this on day one.” He swallowed hard. “I am sure.” Kissing her hard, he opened the door. She understood the question. In their crazy world and life, tonight was just about them and he suspected that she, like him, had never had that. That’s all he wanted for both of them, even if it was for just one night.

CHAPTER 18 With his hand gently behind the back of her head, he laid her down on his bed and kissed her swiftly. Aisling rose to her knees and watched as he walked around the room to switch on several lights. The lamp rays were muted but offered her a first look at his space. She was shocked by the gray walls. It would not have been her first color choice but it was actually stunning. The white fabric that fell behind the headboard softened the space. The floors looked almost black to her and she loved them. The space was peaceful, serene—completely unexpected.

Stephan walked back to the bed, staring into her eyes. Aisling cocked her head to one side. He seemed unsure. As tough as he made himself out to be, he really was a true gentleman. She wasn’t going to have any of that. Raising her arms, she undid the clasp on the back of her neck, allowing the two sides to fall softly down the front. The shirt puddled around her waist. Sliding to the edge of the bed, she stood, hooked her fingers into the shirt and skirt, slid it down, and then kicked them away from her. To Stephan, she was a goddess: red hair flowing, her skin porcelain white, her pink nipples begging him to touch. His hand snaked out as she turned to slide back onto the bed; he grabbed

her around the neck and drew her to him. Aisling melted against him as his mouth came down hard onto hers. She matched his intensity until she wanted more. Pulling back, she unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hand from his throat down to his belt, which she deftly undid. When she pushed down his pants and underwear, her fingers slid around him. They both closed their eyes, moaning when her fingers tightened. “Aisling, stop.” He could barely croak out the words. “No. More, Stephan.” Kissing his chest, she flicked his nipple with her tongue. “We have all night, baby. Now I just want it hard and fast—next time we do it your way. Can you handle me,

Stephan?” Entranced, he nodded and picked her up; he threw her onto the bed and covered her with his body. He hadn’t even bothered to take off his shirt. Rising up on his hands, he stared down at her. “You are perfection to me, Aisling.” Dropping his head, he drew a nipple deep into his mouth, sucking rhythmically, before he focused on the other one. Aisling lifted her knee against his hip and pressed up. All she wanted was him right now. Sensing her need, he rolled over to reach in the drawer. Foil ripped, and seconds later, he nudged her legs farther apart with his knee. Cupping her head in his hands, he put his full

weight on her and pinned her down. Aisling could feel the head of him at her core. She tried to move, but he knew what he was doing as he slowly slid in. Her face flushed. This was personal, intimate. He was making this into an act of caring. Not the basic animal lust that she was so used to. What she always demanded from her lovers. This was not how she had sex. She tried to move her pelvis quicker, but he only allowed just enough room for the slightest of movement. “You are an asshole!” she panted breathlessly. “Feel me, Aisling. That is the only thing I want from you right now.”

“I do feel you.” Aisling turned her head on the pillow. He was confusing her. Stephan rose back up on to his hands as he thrust deep inside her. She closed her eyes at the pleasure he evoked in her. For several moments, he loved her as her hips rose up to meet his. For him, sex wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. Being with her, allowing her into his apartment, into his life: this wasn’t sex for him. He had sex with the whores he paid. He wanted her to understand, somehow. “Look at me.” Stephan stopped moving his hips. Gritting his teeth, he hoped he didn’t lose it now. Finally green eyes met black, and he exhaled. As

he moved gently inside her, he could feel the tension increasing in his body, but he didn’t succumb until he felt her tightening around him. Then and only then did he pick up the pace, finding his own release when she called out his name.

CHAPTER 19 (Stephanous Petros: ten years old) “Stephan, we are heading to the garden to play. Please come?” Smiling at Thomas, who clutched the soccer ball under his arm, Stephan hesitated. It would be great to take a moment to get away and hang with the other boys. His fingers wrapped around the wad of money that burned a hole in his pocket. Shaking his head, he punched Thomas in the shoulder. “Next time, brother. I promise.” Ignoring the look of disappointment, Stephan headed to his room he shared with the other boys, needing to tuck away the money while

no one was around to see his hiding place. Stephan was the first to wake up. He could hear movement in the other part of the apartment and smell coffee. “All I am going to say is that they better save us some.” As he rolled onto his side, he grinned. “What the hell are you smiling about?” Aisling sounded irritated. Inside, her heart leapt in her chest. He was even more beautiful waking up with his hair all messed up and morning shadow on his chin. “Not a morning person, are you?” Stephan asked brightly. He pulled

her closer to him and slid his leg between hers. Aisling lifted the covers. “Are you kidding me?” Stephan shrugged nonchalantly. “That’s what you do to me.” “God, you’re insatiable.” Laughing now, Aisling threw a pillow at Stephan’s head, completely missing its mark. Rolling her over on her stomach, Stephan slid on top of her. Lifting her hips, he easily slid inside her. Thrusting against her, he nuzzled her neck. Her face, already flush, had a sheen of sweat coating her skin. She was so easily turned on by him. “You don’t have to do anything

but lay there, Aisling. I will only take a minute.” Sliding her hand underneath her, she moved her fingers in time to his thrust. It was only a minute later when she came, with him following quickly after. This morning, there was no sweet talk; this was the kind of sex she liked, unlike last night. Aisling had lost track of how many times they had made love or the positions they tried. With each one, she felt them connect more and more, so much so by the end, she felt drained physically, mentally, and emotionally. He drew her in with his words, his kisses raining over her body. He didn’t fuck her: he worshiped her

and it ripped an opening in her hardened heart. For the first time in her life, Aisling was afraid of a man. She jumped from the bed; she had to get away from him for a few moments. “I call dibs on the shower.” Stephan watched as she scrambled out of bed. He knew that she had to work today, but secretly hoped she would have changed her mind. Reaching out, he grabbed her wrist to stop her. Stepping back to him, she ran her fingers through his hair. “God, don’t look at me that way, or I will be tempted. I really have to work—I have been slacking too much lately. What you should do is go check on the other two,

make sure they are just as happy today as they were last night.” Groaning, Stephan nodded. “Fine, but if you are free later, maybe we can have dinner?” Aisling didn’t even hesitate. Smiling at Stephan brightly, she kissed his mouth quickly before she stepped back. “I would love that. We can connect this afternoon and talk about it.” “That’s fair.” Aisling waited until he left the bedroom before she sagged onto the bed. She knew that they would not be having dinner later, and more than likely not even tomorrow or the day after. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand,

she swore under her breath. If she didn’t hurry up, she was going to miss her flight to Greece. ~~~ Twelve hours later, the private jet touched down in Athens. Aisling was so grateful that her client list was laced with people who had more money than they knew what to do with and just as generous in their favors with people they liked. It had only taken one call to secure this flight, cutting out many questions from security personnel at the airport. She wanted this to be quick. In, get the information, and back out. She had called Stephan at four o’clock his time, telling him that she was still working, asking whether she could take a rain

check on dinner. He actually seemed relieved and told her that he had to take care of some stuff in the office. A car pulled up on the runway as she stepped off the plane. Aisling’s red hair now hidden under a black wig, she slid into the back seat and grinned at the waiting man. “Sammy! So glad you could come.” Sammy grinned. “How could I resist a request from my favorite lizard?” Aisling laughed. Sammy was the only person who knew her secret but even he had to pull it out of her. But she owed him that much at the time. He had saved her life after someone had shot her as she was headed to finish a job.

Ironically, it was the first man she had thought she loved, only to find out that he had been using her to get to one of her clients. He had left her for dead, but Sammy found her, took her back to his place and nursed her back to health. It was at his place that she found out that he, also, was a contract for hire. They had been good friends ever since and for the next twenty-four hours, Sammy was to be her guide, interpreter, and bodyguard. Greece, Aisling knew, was a very dangerous place when you were looking for answers. Even though she could understand and speak the Greek language, Sammy did not know this piece of information. As good of friends as they were, Aisling kept her secrets

close to herself. Even from Sammy. As she handed him a folder, she checked her agenda to make sure that they were still on track. “Aisling, this orphanage that you wish to travel to…it is one of the worst. Are you sure I cannot take you somewhere else?” Frowning, she shook her head. “You know me better than that, Sammy. Is there going to be a problem?” Aisling had no issue with Sammy backing out. This was her project, not his. “No. For you, no problem. Just wish I was better prepared right now.” Aisling always made it a point to limit the information that she gave to

anyone she was going to use for assistance. The less they knew, the better, even if the person was someone she trusted, as in Sammy’s case. Her rules, as she liked to put it, made her life easy but never the one called in. As he spoke in rapid Greek to the driver, Aisling had a hard time keeping up with what he said. The only part that she did get was more guns. “It can’t be that bad?” At his look, she snapped her lips shut and glanced out of the window. She wasn’t afraid. She was sure she had been to rougher places; it was the thought of Stephan growing up in that environment that tore at her heart. When she turned back to Sammy,

she tapped the folder. “I found the name of a nun who helped take care of the children. What do you think the chances are that she will still be at the orphanage?” Skimming the pages, Sammy caught the name and age of the nun Aisling referred to. “Hard to say. Not familiar with the hierarchy of the Catholic church.” Winking at her, he tucked the folder into the leather bag strapped around his shoulder. “You have always had the luck of the Irish on your side, Chameleon—she is probably still there.” The car slowed down, and the driver let them know that they were there. As she stepped out of the vehicle,

Aisling took in her surroundings. This definitely would not be a part of town she would want to live in. The streets had litter strewn everywhere and were crowded with vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. Children and animals roamed freely and several bumped into her. Clutching her bag tighter to her stomach, she had already slung it around her neck per Sammy’s instruction. She could not afford to have her items stolen. Sammy rang the bell on the left of the black gate. It was a good five minutes before a small man came into view. “What do you need?” Speaking in Greek, Sammy pointed to Aisling. “My client is doing research on the history of orphanages in

Greece and would like to speak to someone here about this. Preferably someone who has been around for a long time.” Distrusting eyes raked over them both. “Come, I will see what I can do.” When they stepped through the gate, they were led immediately to what could only be described as a reception area, where a young woman greeted them warmly. The man disappeared the second they were in her care. Aisling plastered the warmest, friendliest smile on her face and switched to an American accent. “Hello. Do you speak English?” The nun nodded, returning

Aisling’s smile. “Yes, we all do here. Can I help you?” Aisling pulled out her notebook from her bag. “I am here on behalf of a client of mine who wants me to put together an ancestry chart. She is getting married soon, and it is to be a gift for her husband. She has no information except for the orphanage that he was raised in.” “Oh dear. I am not sure how much we will be able to tell you. Our orphanage is filled with children who were just dropped off or found on the streets.” Writing Stephan’s name on a piece of paper, she handed it over to the nun. “I know it is a long shot, but

anything at all could be enough for me to continue digging.” The woman quickly looked at Aisling and then Sammy. “How curious that this name comes up twice in the same day.” Gooseflesh broke out over Aisling’s skin. “Someone else has inquired on this person?” “Yes. In fact, he is still here. I sent him to speak to Sister Katherine.” “Maybe he might have more information. Do you think we could go find him?” Aisling clasped her hands together, begging with everything she had. The nun laughed at her

expression. “Of course you may. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if you both could exchange information and answer some of each other’s questions? If not, as I told him, Sister Katherine might be able to. You will be able to find her in the rose garden, on the other side of the compound.” “Thank you so much!” After getting quick directions, Sammy and Aisling stood in the courtyard for a few moments. “I don’t like this at all, Chameleon.” “We have no choice. I want to get a bead on this person who is here.” Sammy looked back the way they

came. “Look, I have backup coming and they may be here already. Why don’t you head to the garden, see if you can find the sister, and I will go back to the front gate and make sure they can get in. Keep with the American accent. You are definitely convincing.” Aisling liked the plan and walked quickly toward the center of the compound as Sammy left her. The directions that the young nun had given her seemed simple but the maze of paths in all directions threw her off. When she heard footsteps, she moved to one of the planters and sat with her notebook open, hoping she looked as if she belonged there. The two men only gave her a cursory look her way as they walked by

silently. Aisling was glad she had disguised herself with the wig; she’d recognized the larger of the two men immediately. Her heart pounded in her chest. What were the odds that Sakis Carras and she would be at the same orphanage, on the same day, at the same time? She could have reached out and touched him, she was that close. Waiting patiently until they rounded the corner, she quickly ran in the direction that they had just come from. Several times she had gotten off course, but was able to quickly fix it each time. By the time she reached the rose garden, fifteen minutes had passed and she stopped dead in her tracks. Sammy knelt over a body.

Hearing her approach, he looked up with a distraught look on his face. “She is dead. Her body is still warm. It must have just happened. We have to get out of here, now!” Aisling’s blood ran cold. Sammy was right. This was not the country to get caught in a murder investigation. “Fuck!” Pulling out her phone, she quickly snapped several pictures of the body as voices could be heard off in the distance. “For God’s sake, hurry up, Chameleon. People are coming.” With one last look at the figure of Sister Katherine, Aisling ran after Sammy. They slipped through the front

gate just as the screams could be heard on the other end of the compound.

CHAPTER 20 The pen flew across the desk. Stephan flopped back in his chair and rubbed his face. He was exhausted mentally. He missed Aisling, but was glad that she had to travel to New York for a couple of days as he sorted out the mess in the office. He spun in his chair to look out over the Boston skyline. “Have you told him yet?” Turning his head without lifting it from the leather, Stephan made a face. “Not yet, Alicia. But I will soon.” “You can’t hold off too much longer. He needs to know.” “Yes. I just don’t want him

feeling as if he needs to return, because there is nothing I can do right now until I have confirmation from the tech department. And there really isn’t anything he can do. He is going to be pissed.” Alicia nodded. “Yes, but not at you. You had nothing to do with the breach.” “The breach happened because I was fool enough not to listen to the Chameleon. I could have taken extra precautions.” Stephan thought of the files that were potentially compromised. He was fool enough to think that they were protected. Years of business contacts, numbers, weapons, financial reports all in the hands of God only knew who,

maybe. That one file alone could bring down half of the underworld that they lived in. The repercussions were huge, not from the police or the government: Sakis, Cassie, and her unborn child— even little Rose and Maria would not be spared from the wrath of every crime lord they knew. This was more than ugly; it would be a mass execution. “Have you spoken to the Chameleon?” That was the other thing that worried Stephan. The Chameleon had always, in all the years of doing business, checked in a minimum once a day when doing a job. Stephan had heard nothing in the past twenty-four hours. “No, unfortunately not. I will be sending

another message shortly, letting him know what is going on here. Not that there is anything that he can do either but as a courtesy. This parent search is turning into quite something major, isn’t it, Alicia?” “Stephan, you do not know if this has to do with the search of your parents.” Even as she said it, Alicia suspected that the chances were high that it did. It had been so peaceful the past couple of years, and the moment that Stephan started to dig was when the chaos began. “Have you considered that this may have to do with this new transaction between Carras Enterprises and the Boulos family? I know you. You have

more than likely started the security detail on the transportation.” When Alicia didn’t receive a response to her comments, she heaved a sigh. “Look, young man, you have always said once the going gets rough, the only thing to do is move forward, find the problem, come up with a solution to fix the problem and then, eradicate it. Anything beyond that is just fear.” Staring at Alicia, he nodded his head in gratitude. “You are absolutely correct, and thanks for the reminder.” Rising to his feet, he hugged her tightly. “What would we do without you watching over us?” Alicia blushed at the compliment. “Honestly, Stephanous

Petros, I have no earthly idea!” “Well, we are going to find out in two days.” Confused, she stiffened imperceptibly. “What is that supposed to mean?” Reaching in his desk, Stephan handed her a thin box, delicately wrapped, and tied securely with a red bow. “What is this?” Stephan did not respond. The thick lump that filled his throat made it difficult to speak. Instead, he gestured to what she held in her hand. Suspicious eyes narrowed at him before she gazed down at the box, now

nestled in her lap. She tugged on the ribbon and watched as it unfolded. Pulling the cover off, she became even more confused when she saw a picture of a cruise ship. “Sakis and I want you to take a couple of weeks off while he is gone.” At seeing Alicia start to protest, Stephan held up his hand, rising to his feet to perch on the side of her chair. Wrapping his arm lovingly around her shoulders, his voice lowered. “Please, you have given us so much and I know your first instinct is to say no, but Alicia, there may not be a better time than now to go away.” “But, Stephan, this is not a good time. Someone is hacking into our

system; you are in the process of doing the largest illegal deal you have ever done. You need me.” “I always need you. That is the problem. Two weeks. Sun, sea, sand, drinks away from all of us: you leave in two days and this is not an option.” “Thank you,” she whispered, still unsure that she would be able to go, but filled with gratitude and love for the two men in her life.

CHAPTER 21 (Stephanous Petros: ten years old) The group grew in the room, but no one dared get close to Stephan as he raged, tearing everything apart in the dormitory. Something was seriously wrong with him; they all knew it, but they didn’t know what. “Where is it? Someone took it, and I want it back!” His face was red and sweaty from the exertion of flipping mattresses, pulling out dresser drawers, and shredding clothing. “Enough!” a voice yelled from the doorway. A path parted and Stephan glared with hate at the head nun. The smirk on her face told him

that she knew exactly what he was looking for. “Give it back,” he demanded. “Or you will be sorry.” “You have no need for money here, Stephan. You know this. I have donated your money to charity.” Turning, the nun walked away. Silently everyone cleared the room, leaving Stephan to sob uncontrollably. The thing about having a secure compound was to have many lights. Some should turn off and on by themselves with the slightest of movement, some should be left on, and some should randomly be set to turn on

at various times of the day. Nothing should ever be set to a strict schedule. The other important key to a tight security was guards. Guards should be the same as the lights. No one can ever be off, routines need to be nonexistent, and personnel should be random. Aisling cursed every bone in Stephan’s body for getting everything right. After an hour, she was still only in the outer perimeter of the Carras compound and she needed to move quicker if she was to get a copy of the papers Sakis had in his hand at the orphanage. On a normal job, she would have taken weeks to plan this type of theft—or at a minimum, days—but never at a moment’s notice. But Aisling felt

that she didn’t have any time to waste. Now, with only hours before the plane was to take off, she needed the grace of God, or she was going to be stuck in Greece without a ride home. Not getting the documents was not an option either. Unfortunately for her, she had no idea where they were. The silence was deafening. The only noise she heard was the blood rushing through her own body. Her ears actually seemed to vibrate from the silence. Moving quickly, she followed the edge of the hallway until she reached the last alcove, giving small thanks for the many plants that were randomly placed. Twice, guards had walked by her, not even suspecting that she was

there. Eyes narrowing, she paused; voices grew louder behind a door several sets ahead of her. She couldn’t quite make out what they were saying but whoever it was, they were incredibly angry. She couldn’t chance getting closer until she knew who it was. She pulled out a small box from her pocket, placed a small plastic nub in her ear, looped the hard plastic around the outside so that she could use both hands if necessary, and turned it on, knowing the risk of using any technology. A small door opened. Aisling pulled out what looked like a small bug, placed it on the ground in front of her before she steered it under the door via the small ball attached to the top of the

box. If Stephan did his job right, and she was more than sure he did, even her small listening/viewing device could be tracked. Watching the screen carefully, she made out the room, easily finding the two men talking. It was Sakis and another person she didn’t know. Sakis was waving the papers she wanted to get her hands on in the air before he threw them onto the desk. The man didn’t seem fazed by the Greek’s rant but sat patiently until Sakis finished, before he rose and shook his hand. Realizing the man was getting ready to leave, she called back the bug and slipped it into the tiny box as she made herself small in the dark corner behind the palm tree. Several minutes

later, Sakis left the room and closed the door behind him, papers in hand. Aisling wanted to scream. He hadn’t even rounded the corner before Aisling was up and exiting the building the way she had come in. Fifteen minutes later, she made it all the way outside. She hadn’t gotten what she needed: no papers, no Sister Katherine, no answers. An hour later, she felt the surge of the jet’s engine push her back into her seat as they rose swiftly into the air. Pulling off her wig and cap, she shook the strands with her fingers, trying to bring herself to life. She felt stripped down and raw. The feeling of loneliness overpowered her, crushing her. Pressing her palm to her chest, she could actually

feel her heartbeat increase as it raced out of control. Aisling knew without a doubt she was having her first panic attack. “Ma’am, are you okay?” Opening her eyes, Aisling was face-to-face with the male steward. She must have fallen asleep. God, did she moan or cry out? “Never let them see you sweat, honey, especially a man.” Her mother’s voice seemed to echo loudly in the plane. “Yes. I am sorry. I think I am. Could you please get me something strong to drink?” “Of course. Do you have a

preference?” “Bourbon would be great.” “Of course. Be right back.” With her head in her hands, she breathed through her nose and out her mouth, shaking the cobwebs from her mind. Her watch told her that she had slept for hours and would be home soon. Bourbon. That was Stephan’s drink. Tears pricked the back of her eyes. That was what she needed right now—to hear his voice. Aisling had wanted to wait until they landed before getting in touch with him but it felt right dialing his number. The past couple of days had been hit or miss in connecting with him. She tapped her foot, praying that he would pick up this time.

Aisling wanted to burst into tears when she heard his strong voice over the line. “Hey. I was just thinking about you.” Smiling through her tears, she fought for the strong Aisling to come out, unsuccessfully. “Yeah, me too.” “Aisling, are you okay?” “Yes.” Taking another deep breath, she mouthed thank-you to the steward as he handed her the drink. “Guess what I have in my hand right now?” She took a sip. It was very smooth and she was surprised she actually liked it. Stephan laughed into the phone before he lowered his voice. “Do you

have any idea how many places my mind just went with that question?” “I have a bourbon.” Horrified, she realized that she couldn’t hold back the tears anymore and she started to sob uncontrollably, and silently. Quiet on the other end, Stephan heard her fighting for control. “Are you okay, baby? What happened?” “It’s nothing. I just miss you and I am not used to missing anyone and right now that makes me angry with you.” Stephan laughed. “Strangely, I know exactly how you feel. Are you on your way back?” “Yes. I should be in Boston in a couple of hours.”

“Come to my place, Aisling. Don’t go home alone. Promise me?” he begged. “I promise,” she whispered before she disconnected the call, wondering where all of that raw emotion came from. She didn’t need anyone, especially Stephan. Hell, she barely knew him. She rubbed her face as exhaustion weighed her down. She definitely needed a break from everything.

CHAPTER 22 As he paced the apartment, Stephan glanced at the clock again. It had been almost four hours since he had spoken to her and she had promised that she would come over. When he dialed her number again, it went straight to voicemail. Trying not to be worried, he sat on the couch. Three a.m. was definitely too late to call Derek, not that he would. He always suffered in silence, but this was new to him. A loud buzz rang through the apartment. Jumping up, he flung open the door wide. Every angry word that he was ready to throw at her stopped in his throat. She looked like hell. Dark circles weighed heavily under

her eyes, and she was so pale. Pulling her into the apartment, he wrapped his arms around her tightly as she gripped him around the waist. “I was worried. You said—” Aisling pressed her fingers against his lips before she reached up to pull his head down to her mouth. Obviously she was not ready to talk. Stephan ravaged her mouth, more than happy to give her whatever comfort she needed at that moment. Pushing him backward, she pulled his tee shirt up, pulling away just enough to help him yank it over his head, before she kissed him again. Stephan waited while she kicked

off both of her shoes, before he scooped her up into his arms to carry her to the couch, laying her down gently before he dropped down on top of her. There was a sense of urgency the way she ran her hands over his back, feeling every muscle and tendon. Moving lower, she slid her hands in his sweatpants, gripping him tightly as she thrust up against him over and over. Sweat beaded on both of their skins. Pushing her skirt up, Stephan ripped off the tiny fabric to expose her. Aisling was happy that he seemed to have the same sense of urgency she did, as she reached between them to guide him into her. Stephan couldn’t have slowed down even if he wanted to. Her

scent, her heat, her fire combined with his need to be deep inside her was too much. Thrusting, he slid hard, up and in. Aisling closed her eyes, gasping quietly. He felt incredible. Lifting her leg, she slid it on his shoulder and opened herself even more to him. Stephan never slowed down, his thrusts primal. Feeling himself tighten, he kissed her deeply on the mouth. His groans were swallowed up by her cries. Moments later, they both lay spent in each other’s arms. Stephan rolled onto his side and stared down at her. Her eyes were slowly closing and he realized that she was so exhausted she was ready to fall asleep. Kissing her on the nose, he whispered in her ear.

“Let go. You’re safe with me, Aisling. I will watch out for you tonight.” She fell asleep within seconds, and Stephan’s heart constricted as he watched a single tear slip from the side of her eye. Whatever she dealt with over the past several days, it hadn’t been easy. He knew what that felt like. To be all alone, consumed by work and rules designed by yourself, but rules nonetheless. After time, a person doesn’t realize how it starts to eat at you bit by bit. Changing you. She was a lot like him —alone in the world. He also suspected that she was at the same place that he was. She no longer wanted to be alone, but didn’t know how to process that thought.

Rising to his feet, he lifted her in his arms and carried her into the bedroom. She didn’t wake up once, even when he undressed her before he slid her under his covers. After a quick shower, he joined her and pulled her into his strong arms. He was glad she was home. As he stared up at the ceiling, he wondered who was saving who in this relationship.

CHAPTER 23 (Stephanous Petros: eleven years old) Stephan pulled his jacket tighter around him, shivering as he searched for the location of where the whining came from. Flipping over boxes, he finally saw what was making all of the noise. The dog looked horrible. Its skin, filled with gaping wounds, was being slowly eaten away by maggots. Making a face, he pulled out his gun. He couldn’t leave it here to suffer. Placing the gun close to its head, he looked into the animal’s eyes. The moment he did, the dog looked away, but its tail thumped weakly against the ground, as if to thank him

for putting him out of his misery. Dropping the gun slowly, Stephan put it away. It was his cell phone that woke him as it vibrated on the nightstand. Extricating himself from Aisling’s arms, he checked the caller ID. He pressed the button quickly, not wanting to lose the call. “Hang on.” Stepping out into the hallway, he said nothing until the bedroom door was firmly closed. “Sorry. I wasn’t in a place to talk.” “No worries, Stephanous. How

are you, my friend? I got your message but didn’t have an opportunity to contact you.” “I have had a hellish week, actually, which is why I wanted to touch base.” Stephan knew it was better to deal with the issue at hand as quickly as possible with Sakis. He hated games just as much as he did. Switching into business mode, Sakis’s tone lost the lightness. “Talk to me.” “As I shared with you, I have been working on searching for my biological parents—without much success, I might add—and recently started to work with the Chameleon. We have had several interesting

developments, which you will not be happy to learn.” Stephan stopped speaking to give Sakis an opportunity to respond. When there was nothing, he continued. “The Chameleon sent me a message last week, telling me that with all of the research we are doing, we are ruffling a few feathers and I was told to back off.” “Which you did not, I hope,” Sakis stated. His fingers ran through his hair. Stephan stared at the coffee dripping in the pot, wishing it would finish up quickly. “No. Of course not. You taught me better than that. It’s just…there was a breach in the Chameleon’s system, as

well as ours. The Chameleon feels confident nothing was taken on his end, but the tech group at the company informed me yesterday that there is a possibility that some files may have been taken. All of which are not important—save one.” “Fuck. Don’t tell me the client list.” Sakis sounded as if he was ready to explode. Exhaling, Stephan stayed silent and waited for Sakis to continue. “Do you have a hard copy of the file?” “Yes. Of course.” “Great. If—and let’s remember it is still an if—the file is compromised, I

will need to get my hands on the list. We may need to contact everyone but I want to wait. That would be a lot of information being held in someone’s hands. It would not benefit them in anyway by turning it over to the authorities. This would be a bargaining tool. The demands would come within one week of receiving the file.” “You believe this?” Stephan had thought the same exact thing, but couldn’t understand why or what they would have that anyone would need to blackmail them, except of course money. “I do.” “I am sorry, Sakis.” Sakis’s tone lightened. “You

have nothing to apologize for, my friend.” “If it wasn’t for me wanting—” “Stephanous, here are my thoughts. You have just scraped the surface in the research, as has the Chameleon. It has been what, a week or two tops? My question is, who are your fucking parents? Because obviously someone out there, who is pretty powerful, seems to be going through a lot of trouble to get you to stop. You need to be careful.” “I will. I have spoken to Derek about it.” “And the Chameleon?” Stephan’s voice tightened. “I

haven’t heard anything from him for a couple of days. Unusual, but figured that he would if he had the opportunity to.” Sakis was quiet; too quiet. “What are your thoughts, Sakis?” “I wouldn’t give a second thought to the Chameleon. He runs on his own crazy time and will connect with you when he wants to but Stephanous, I need to share with you also. I went to the orphanage to try to gather some information and was going to relay it to you if anything was found.” Stephan’s heart leapt in his chest. He couldn’t believe that Sakis took time out from his vacation to do something so personal. “Wow. Thanks, Sakis.”

“Don’t thank me yet until you hear what I have to say next. I met with Sister Katherine.” Gooseflesh rose over Stephan’s skin. He had not heard or spoken that name in over fifteen years. “She was quite affable, Stephan. She took Phil and me into a private area of the orphanage, pulled a file out of her habit, and handed it over to me. She asked me to give it to you when I returned. I looked them over, and didn’t really see anything that I felt was worth anything. It was notes from the day you arrived at the orphanage, and the rest of your stay there. Maybe it is worth something to you—I have no idea. I won’t be back for a while, so I will have them faxed over to you.”

Sakis hesitated and Stephan knew that more was still unsaid but he had a strange sensation that he didn’t want to hear what was coming next. “I was notified last night that they found her body lying in the garden of the orphanage shortly after we left.” “God, Sakis!” “I am sorry to have to tell you this. She seemed to light up at the mere mention of your name and even though you never spoke of her, she seemed to have some affection for you.” “She was the only good in that orphanage and that says a lot.” Stephan could feel the tears prick the back of his eyes.

“Do they know who killed her?” Stephan asked. “No. Right now, I am being detained and they are asking me to not leave the country until they can sort out this mess.” “Sakis!” Stephan was shocked. This was getting worse by the moment. “No. It is okay. Cassie said that it was probably the only way that she could keep me in the country for the full eight weeks since I have been talking about work lately.” Sakis chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “The attorneys are diligent, Stephanous. I am not worried in the slightest. You shouldn’t be either. You have enough on your plate. Get me the file when you can

and then we will talk more about the next step.” “Perfect. I will do that. Be careful, Sakis!” “And you, my friend.”

CHAPTER 24 “Stephan. Is everything okay?” Stephan jumped. Staring blankly for a moment, his face flushed. He had forgotten she was in his apartment. She looked super cute in one of his tee shirts: it was too large for her, but that made her seem even sweeter. Striding over, he wrapped his arms around her in a strong hug. “Yes. Everything is fine. Coffee?” he asked. Sliding onto the stool, she nodded. “God, yes please.” Pushing her hair away from her face, she rested her arms on the counter as she watched him

move around the kitchen. He had sweatpants on again, but no top, which was more than fine with her. “Thanks for letting me come over last night, or this morning, or whatever time I got here.” “No problem. I am glad you did.” Taking a sip, she wanted to ask him about the phone call, but she didn’t want him thinking that she had been eavesdropping, even though she had. “How much did you hear and understand?” She should have known that he already figured it out. Her face reddened. “Pretty much all of it, or at least what I could hear from your side. It

sounds like you had an even worse work week than I did.” “Are we discussing business now?” Stephan asked curiously. Aisling never wanted to discuss anything to do with work and quite frankly neither did he anymore. He liked the mini truce they had made. Their relationship was difficult enough as it was. But, that being said, he was the one who opened the can of worms at dinner by talking about the search for his parents. Gripping her coffee cup tightly, Aisling stared into the amber liquid. She knew Sakis had mentioned Sister Katherine. She wanted to tell Stephan what she knew. That she was there. The thought that she wasn’t being open and

honest with him caused her actual physical pain. Her entire life, she kept herself guarded against men. Used them to sate a physical need, but nothing more. Too busy building her business, learning martial arts, studying many languages. Her life, up until now, had been fulfilling. Or had it? Now she wasn’t so sure. Had she become a product of what her mother intended her to be based off her own mistakes? “Talk to me, Aisling. You are so far away.” She forced a bright smile on her face. Aisling did the only thing she knew she could do at the moment: lie. “Sometimes, work is hard. Sometimes you see things that you don’t want to see,

do things you don’t want to do. This job is hitting me in a way that it never has done before. Quite frankly, I am thinking it is all your fault.” A shocked look crossed Stephan’s face. “Mine?” Realizing that she was teasing him, he rounded the island and threw his arms around her, pressing his face against hers. “No. To answer your question. We are not open to discuss business.” Gripping her hands to his forearms, she felt him stiffen. “I will say, though, I want to, Stephan. I want to share everything with you when the time is right so that there is nothing between us ever again. I just need to find the courage to do that.”

“I am with you one hundred percent, Aisling. We can work on it together. Both of us have our own baggage and layers to get through.” He cupped her face gently, forcing her to look at him. He wanted her to see the sincerity in his eyes. “We are worth it, you know.” “Do you really think so?” Aisling asked tentatively. “What is this between us, anyway?” He pulled away from her and shook his head. “I have no idea. Every morning, I wake up and have to remind myself that this is new to me. I don’t do relationships. Not that I don’t want to, just that I have never had time before.” “So you want a relationship?”

Aisling wasn’t sure why her heart rate picked up at his statement. “But, I don’t do relationships,” she asserted. “Until me.” Stephan knew he was falling quickly and very hard for Aisling. He wished he could take it slower, but certain things were so out of his control. “Come.” Grabbing her coffee cup, he led her to the outdoor patio, where the view of the Boston Common was the best. As he sat on one of the chairs, he waited until she sat in the other. “Sakis went to the orphanage where I grew up. His intent was to try to help with the search for my parents. I didn’t ask him to do this, nor would I have ever. It is unfathomable to me, still, that he did.

There was a nun there who remembered me.” Smiling wistfully, Aisling hated the look of sadness that crept into his face. She felt sick to her stomach, hearing the story. Sammy had implied that Sakis had been the one to kill the nun, but not once had Aisling believed it. Here, she was having to hear the story, and once again pretend that she knew nothing. “Sister Katherine was the kindest person I had ever known. The environment may have been harsh for all of us living in that part of town, but many times, she would somehow bring a ray of sunshine into a small boy’s life that kept hope alive, when truly, none should

have remained.” Stephan hesitated. It was harder than he thought, sharing his past with her. But he knew it was so important. Important for her to see that he was willing to trust her, and the more she saw him trusting, he hoped that she would, in fact, do the same. “I can imagine it was easy for him to get in to the facility. They never really had any type of security. He was led to Sister Katherine, who, somehow, believed his story about me trying to find my parents and in that belief, entrusted him with a document.” “What was it?” Stephan shrugged and looked out over the city. It was his turn to be dishonest with her, and he didn’t like it.

“I have no idea. He said that he will be faxing it to me later.” She touched his forearm. He loved the gesture of support. “That’s exciting, right, Stephan? It could bring you closer to the truth.” “Someone killed her.” Even though Aisling already knew, the way he said it, as if his heart was being ripped out of his chest, shocked her. “What?” she whispered. “He received a phone call, telling him that Sister Katherine was found dead. He is now under investigation.” With her hand pressed to her

mouth, Aisling swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. Her breath shook as she inhaled. “Oh God. I am so sorry.” “Thank you.” Turning his head, his eyes glistened in the morning light. “Fifteen years, I have said that I would go back. Do something to help the children and Sister Katherine at that horrific place. With all the money I have, I have done nothing. Now, I have to live with that.” Before Aisling could respond, Stephan’s phone pinged with a message coming through. “Excuse me. I need to check that.” Staring blankly, she knew what

the message was. It was from her, the Chameleon her. She had sent the message to come at a specific time, so that she could keep up her ridiculous charade. Stephanous Went to Greece — was too late to retrieve information. Sister Katherine is dead. Following up on another lead. Chameleon Stephan was smart. She couldn’t chance him finding out yet who she was, not until she was ready. Now, as the hole of her deception grew deeper, she wondered whether she would ever be able to tell him. Aisling had not counted

on Sakis directly telling him of the nun’s death. Her message would mean nothing to Stephan right now. Aisling knew the key was in the document that Sakis was going to fax, to the office she presumed. She needed a copy of that document. Frowning, she turned in her seat. He hadn’t returned yet to the patio. When she padded softly back into the apartment, she found him texting. He had already started to work. She really needed to do the same thing. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she pressed her head to his back. “Hey, look, I know you are busy, and I need to finish up some stuff today, so I am going to head out.” Aisling swallowed her

disappointment when he kissed her absently on the top of her head. The opening up of Stephan seemed to have been turned off for now. “I will call you later.”

CHAPTER 25 (Stephanous Petros: twelve years old) “I want a raise.” Gregory didn’t even flinch at the request. He had known this was coming. Stephan was becoming quite the businessman. He also knew that even though a friendship had formed between the two, this was business. “Don’t push your luck, boy.” “I want a raise,” Stephanous repeated. Gregory looked from the boy to the dog that stood faithfully next to him. He couldn’t believe that the child was able to bring it back to life.

Nodding his head, Gregory agreed to the demand. He was not ready to lose his hardest worker. Alicia and Stephan stared at the pieces of paper in front of them and the code scattered throughout the page, mixed in with what looked like jumbled words and symbols. “So what you are telling me is that this is a printout of the actual file that was stolen.” The tech grinned at Stephan and Alicia. “Exactly. Better yet, we upgraded our system just last month. By inserting code into every file in our system, even if a hacker was able to get

their hands on our files, we would also have the opportunity to track where those files end up.” “I am sorry. I am not quite understanding what you are telling me right now.” Grabbing a piece of paper, the tech seemed actually giddy to discuss code, files, and computers. To Stephan, the guy was making his head hurt. “Let me break it down for you. Say this file is an expensive car. The dealership decides to put a GPS tracking device into vehicles that they loan but doesn’t tell the buyer he has done this. Let’s say that the leased vehicle is just sitting there and a thief decides to steal the vehicle without entering a code. The

vehicle will start, and allow itself to be taken to its destination, where the code self-destructs, causing the vehicle to not restart—or in this case, you cannot open it or it will destroy itself.” “Which is why the file is now unreadable. It somehow knew it was not where it was supposed to be and destroyed itself,” Alicia added in wonder at the technology. The technician lowered his voice, as if giving away the biggest secret of all. “Yes! But even better, the little GPS is still emitting a signal, allowing us to actually track the address of where the vehicle is. In this case, we call it an IP address.” “Shit.”

“Exactly! Pretty exciting stuff, especially when you have the money to develop it one step further. We added to the code. Once it reached its destination, it breaks away from the file, kind of like a virus, scattering it into a million little pieces. Even if they found out about the code, there would be no way for them to erase all of the little pieces. This tracker runs even when the computer is off. They could junk it in the largest landfill, and we would still be able to track it down to the exact location.” “So are you able to tell me where this file is right now?” “We will be able to tell you the exact location within twenty-four hours.” Stephan rose to his feet; he could

not wait to relay the news to Sakis. Gesturing to Alicia to follow, he shook hands with the technician. “Thank you. Might be time for a raise.” The young man blushed. Stephan was gone before he could even respond. Back in his office, Stephan dropped onto the leather couch, where Alicia joined him. Grabbing the bottle on the coffee table, he poured them both a drink. “We have just averted what I believe could have been the largest underground civil war ever.” “I agree, but will feel better when we know for sure who is behind all of these hacks.”

Stephan’s office phone beeped to let him know that the call to Greece had gone through and that Sakis was on the line. Quickly pushing the button on the speaker, Stephan filled Sakis in on the latest developments. “Great work to everyone. Please extend my gratitude on their due diligence on protecting the company. Alicia, please ensure that the department members are compensated. Well deserved,” Sakis added. “What do you want to happen now?” Alicia asked. “This was a lesson that I will not let be lost on any of us. Alicia, please pull the hard copies of all of the files and make three copies. One goes into the

safe in my office. The second goes into the safe in Chestnut Hill and the third in the safe deposit box. This needs to happen immediately. Alicia, I know you are leaving tomorrow night, but I am sorry I am going to ask that you handle this yourself.” “I agree and no worries. There is no reason this can’t be finished way before the time I need to catch my flight, and Sakis, thank you for the vacation!” “I will assist her if she needs it, Sakis.” “Perfect. I knew you would, Stephanous, and Alicia, I am sorry that I didn’t get you out on holiday before now. You both will have a late night for sure. I will fax over the file that was

given to me that we spoke about earlier. Let me know if anything else arises. I will say that Cassie has us going to the open market today, so if I do not respond right away…” “No problem, Sakis. Grab me a scarf while you are there.” Alicia and Stephan laughed when Sakis started to swear in Greek.

CHAPTER 26 Aisling’s day was not going as well as Stephan’s. Her guilt was slowly eating her alive. Shutting off the recorder, she leaned back in her chair. Not only was she eavesdropping through a bug she had placed when she was with Stephan, she had been contemplating hacking into the technology at Carras Enterprises. After hearing the conversation between Sakis, Alicia, and Stephan, she knew it would be next to impossible, unless she had the antidote to the virus. Once again, she was going to have to go about this old school to get her hands on the file. No longer was this about finding

information for Stephan in the search for his parents. This was about life and death. Returning to her apartment, she picked up a yellow envelope that had been shoved under her door. Clear indication that someone out there not only knew who she was, but knew where she lived. Her mother never had her addresses when she was alive. In the envelope were pictures of her, in fullblown disguise with her black wig, as she bent over the body of Sister Katherine and took pictures with her cell phone. At one point, the photographer snapped a picture of her looking up at Sammy, her face obviously recognizable. A hand-scrawled note was paper clipped to the photos.

Someone will die today if you do not get him to back off. The blackmailer didn’t have to spell out Stephan’s name. She knew exactly who they were talking about and she knew exactly what they planned to do with the pictures. Closing her eyes, briefly, she inhaled a deep breath to center herself. She had to get out and get out fast. Calmly, methodically, she walked around the apartment, starting in her bedroom. Removing the pre-packed bag from the ceiling, she started to count softly. One. Moving to the floor of the closet, she pulled out the money pouch that contained twenty thousand in cash. Two. She continued this way through the entire apartment, until she reached the

tenth item. When she was done, she stepped out of the apartment and locked the door behind her. She had planned this from day one of starting her line of work. If she was ever found out, the ten items were the only things she would take. It had taken her less than fifteen minutes to shut out where she had called home for the past ten years. For Aisling, there was no melancholy or sadness. This apartment was temporary. Now, she would move to another temporary place but this time, she wouldn’t stay as long, she promised herself. Without hesitation, she called the office of the Ritz-Carlton Towers, pretending to be a secretary of a wealthy financier. The real estate agent informed

her that they did indeed have a furnished apartment for rent and as luck would have it, it had been vacant for a while. Aisling couldn’t believe her luck, immediately asking the agent if her employer could move in today. The agent stammered that he thought that would be fine with the seller but would need to call her back. Twenty minutes later, the agent called to say they could do it, but would have to wait until tomorrow so they had time to process the paperwork and ensure that housekeeping could do a thorough cleaning. Aisling agreed. Whatever was going to happen, she was going to make sure that she did whatever she could to protect Stephan until she found out who

was out to get him. Being under him, literally and figuratively, was the best way she knew how to do this. Checking in to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Aisling quickly set up her computers, uploading all of her software and this time only the files that she needed. Dusting the yellow envelope and pictures inside, she snapped pictures of the fingerprints before she transferred the files to a friend at the FBI. He would run the analysis for her. This was a good place as any to start. As she stared at herself in the black wig, the butterflies began to grow in her stomach. She was going to have to tell Stephan who she was. He would never understand the photos if they

happened to reach his hands. Hell, even she felt that she looked guilty. Her expression was her normal work mode expression: cold, calculating, her mind running one hundred miles per hour. There would be no way he would know that internally she had wanted to scream with rage at the waste of a life. She had been so close to getting some answers for him before a life was cut short. Well, she still had other means of getting what she wanted. Aisling’s phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she almost didn’t answer. “Hey, Stephan!” “Hi, beautiful! Are you busy?” “Crazy so.” She softened her

tone. “But I have a few minutes for you right now.” “I am going to have to work late tonight, but I really wanted to see you.” Stephan’s voice was low and throaty; a ripple ran inside Aisling from her head all the way down to her toes. “Tell me you will make yourself available later for me.” Yes, she screamed in her head. But she couldn’t say the word out loud. She couldn’t give him that false hope. She made a promise to herself and that was to finish this job and prevent anyone else from getting killed, which meant she had to stay focused. Emotions would get her killed; she needed to be numb and cold. Nothing could have shocked her

any more than when tears started to fill her eyes. Swallowing hard, she finally responded. “Tell you what, let’s see how it goes. Call me later?” The silence was shock, she knew it—could feel it. He responded back, just as coolly. “Fine. I will do that. Have a good night.” Disconnecting, she refused to hash the call over and over in her head, choosing instead to lay out her clothes in preparation for the evening. This was going to be a quick search and retrieve. She sorted her hair out first, deftly pinning it into a tight bun. The black wig was next. Once securely on her head, she slid on her black leggings and black muscle top, before she slid her arms

through the gun holster. It fell along her side before she snapped another one on her upper thigh. Eying the third gun, she opted to not wear it. She was only going to Carras Enterprises, not a fucking war, she thought. The last and final layer for tonight was her outfit. This would be what would get her from the Ritz to Carras Enterprises as a normal person. Slipping on the black hoodie and breakaway warm-ups, she now felt complete.

CHAPTER 27 (Stephanous Petros: twelve years old) Stephan pulled away as Sister Katherine reached out with her hand to brush the curls away from his eye. “I feel as if I am losing you,” she whispered. Cold eyes clashed with hers. “Something has to be yours before you can lose it,” he responded. “Is everything all right, Stephan?” Alicia asked quietly. They had been working for hours: going through the paperwork, making copies of the files that they knew were the most

important, slipping each set of copies in a leather case. Stephan had barely said two words to her the whole time. He was always a quiet man, but even for him, this was unusual. “Woman problems. No big deal,” Stephan replied curtly as he wrapped the leather cord around the first case and then did the same with the other two. “Why don’t I put this in the safe in Sakis’s office? I will be right back.” As she glanced around the room, Alicia felt great with the progress they made. Sakis had been right. This had been a long night and they still had several hours to go. With the threat looming over them, with the unknown, they decided that they would also shred

documents. Stephan was going to run to Chestnut Hill, secure the second copy in the safe at the mansion, and then return and help her finish up. Hopefully, before the night was over, Sakis would send the document to Stephan. “I am leaving now, Alicia. It shouldn’t take me long to get to Chestnut Hill from here. Thirty minutes there, thirty minutes back.” Glancing around the room, he frowned. He had felt off all evening and originally he had thought that it was the strange conversation with Aisling, but now he no longer believed it was just that. “I think I will have one of the guys come up here and sit outside the office.” Alicia glanced sharply at

Stephan. “Why in the world would you do that?” “I am not sure. I just feel like I should.” With a chuckle, Alicia pushed him toward the door. “Tell your Spidey senses to calm down. What I need you to do is leave because the sooner you do that, the sooner you come back and help me. After that, we both go home and I can start my vacation.” Stephan kissed her on the cheek. “You are probably right.” With a wink at her, he grinned. “Getting pretty excited now, aren’t you? I expect to see tons of pictures being forwarded to my phone from the ship’s deck.”

Alicia laughed. “After the past couple of days, I am not sure if I am even going to come back here. Might have to scope out my retirement home.” Laughing, Stephan grabbed the file and turned just before he left, intently staring her down with worried eyes. “Just to let you know, I am still sending Carlos up.” Shaking her head, she continued to chuckle. “Great. He can help me move the shredder in here.” ~~~ True to her word, the moment that the security detail showed up outside Stephan’s office, she took him to the utility room and told him to bring the

shredder back to the office. She held back the sharp retort that was ready to slide off her tongue when she saw him make a face. Stephan would never have done that when he was first hired. Nothing was ever below him. He was always eager to please and did everything requested as if it was the most important job in the world. Her heart warmed as she thought of him. She so wanted him to find his parents and put that chapter behind him, and maybe then he could find someone to love and cherish and that person would love him back even more. That would make her the happiest person in the world. As she turned down the hallway, she stopped, turning instead to Sakis’s

office. She wanted to check his personal facsimile. They had been waiting all night for the documents to come through on Stephan’s, but wouldn’t that be just like Sakis to send it to his own. Sliding the key in the lock, she didn’t even have the chance to turn it before a voice came behind her. “Not to frighten you, but I do have a gun, pointed directly at the center of your back. Mr. Carras’s office, I presume? Let’s see if a fax has come through.” “Who are you?” Alicia asked, shocked she could keep her voice from shaking. “I am the person who has been warning people to back off. My client

does not like anyone getting too close.” “Stephan will be coming back soon,” she replied bravely. The voice laughed. “Well, I certainly hope so. I cannot deliver my message face-to-face if he doesn’t return, can I?” Poking her in the back with the gun, he pushed her forward. “But first, I want those documents.” “Sakis will just send it again.” “Yes, but by then, I am sure that I will be able to convince Stephanous Petros that it is in his best interest to drop his search.” Shaking her head, Alicia couldn’t understand what was so important in the file. Stephan had

already told her that Sakis didn’t see anything of use. When she walked over to the fax machine, she saw that there was indeed something. The man quickly snagged them from her hand. “Tut-tut. Those are not for anyone’s eyes right now. Why don’t you be a love and have a seat in the chair over there.” Alicia stiffly moved where he asked her. Her back straight, she sat on the edge of the seat; her hands were neatly folded in her lap as she stared as the intruder moved around Sakis’s office. “So this is what having a lot of money gives you. Quite a view, don’t you think?” Glancing at his watch, he

smiled. “Should be anytime. Then we can really get this party started.” “Why are you doing this?” “Doing what? Doing my job? Because I need to get paid, just like everyone else.” As he waved his gun in front of her face, she didn’t flinch. Alicia refused to let him see that she was afraid. “This, dear sweet Alicia, is business. Nothing more. But you know about this side of the business, because you have been living it the past twelve years.” Watching her expression, he chuckled. “That’s right. I know all about you, my dear. You are probably the most important thing to Sakis Carras and Stephanous Petros—even more than anyone else in their lives. It is such a

shame you have to die for me to get my point across.” Her captor seemed irritated that she didn’t respond before he walked around the room again. “Do you know who Stephanous’s parents are? Are they the ones who hired you?” Glancing at her sideways, a strange smile came over his face. “Yes and kind of. Yes, I know who Stephanous’s parents are and yes, one of them hired me. Some secrets cannot be exposed, because the consequence of a little lie made years and years ago will destroy everything that had been built up for that person. Funny—make a deal with the devil, when the contract is up,

the devil wants his payment.” To Alicia, the man seemed to be rambling. A beeping sounded; it took her a moment to realize that it came from something hanging from his belt. Lowering his voice to a dramatic whisper, he pressed a finger against his lips. “Shhhh. He is here. You mustn’t say a word—we want this to be a surprise, don’t we?” Slipping a ski mask over his face, he stood behind Alicia and placed his hands on her shoulders while she sat still in the chair. The gun, held loosely in his hand, was draped over her chest. He was a big guy and his hands were large. She tried not to wince as he gripped her

tightly and leaned to whisper in her ear. “Now, he is walking to his office. Oh, what does he see? Oh my God, it couldn’t be the young man who was supposed to watch over you. I can imagine the panic rising inside him as he wonders where you are.” “You’re insane.” The captor didn’t have a chance to reply as Stephan stepped into Sakis’s office slowly, gun drawn. “Welcome—let the party begin.” “Who are you and what do you want?” He waved Stephan to a chair. “Slowly drop that gun, kick it to me and then, please be seated and I will be more

than happy to explain.” “I would much rather put a bullet between your eyes.” The last thing that Stephan wanted to do was sit. If Alicia wasn’t in the room, he would have challenged the man more but he couldn’t terrify her any more than she already was. The moment he did as he was told and sat, the captor walked over, quickly tying Stephan’s hands behind his back with zip ties. “Much better. Now we can talk in peace, without you trying to be a hero. “So, what do I have here you ask? Just a little example of why you should trust no one in your life,

especially a woman.” He laid a photograph on Stephan’s knees to give him ample time to check out the picture. Stephan’s eyes were riveted to the photograph. There was no mistake; it was Aisling. The black wig looked unnatural—he so favored the red hair. He felt sick to his stomach, recognizing Sister Katherine immediately, her eyes staring blankly up to the sky. There had to be another explanation than the one that this man was trying to get him to believe. There would be no way that Aisling would be a traitor. He closed his eyes for a moment. Or would she? Every self-doubt he ever had coursed through him and he tried to steel his emotions because he knew he was being watched.

“Hard to look at, isn’t it?” Without waiting for a reply, the man placed another photograph down on top of the first. This time, Aisling was taking pictures of the dead body. “When you let your guard down, the blocks you build start tumbling around you. How does it feel, Stephanous, to know that the one you have opened up yourself to is the worst type of traitor. Her deception cuts you deep, doesn’t it?” Stephan glared at the man in front of him. “What do you want?” The man walked back to Alicia. Stephan watched in horror as the muzzle of the gun was pressed to the side of her head. Her eyes, widened in fear, filled with tears as she stared at him. Stephan’s

heart constricted tightly in his chest. “I have already told you what I want. I want you to back off. Simple, really, and quite frankly, not too much to ask. Seriously, Stephanous, you have gone all of these years without knowing who your parents are and now, all of a sudden, you have this great interest in finding out who they are.” “Let Alicia go and I promise to back off.” Tsking, the large man shook his head and strode back to Stephan, bending over just enough to whisper in his ear. “No can do right now, Stephanous. You were warned already, and didn’t seem to take me seriously, so tonight is about you understanding that

this is not a joke. I am going to enjoy kicking your ass and then I am going to take sweet Alicia with me. Maybe then —” Hate consumed Stephan as he slammed his head hard against the intruder. The loud crack of the two skulls connecting reverberated in the room. A string of oaths flew from the man’s mouth; he shoved the barrel of his gun hard against Stephan’s head. Stephan’s blood ran cold, expecting any moment to have a bullet ricochet through his brains. The man shook himself, as if trying to bring himself under control, and the gun was slowly pulled away from Stephan’s temple. With a laugh, he took a

step back. “Good try, but I don’t want you dead. You are part of a bigger plan to me and will make me a wealthy man.” Alicia stared in horror as the man raised his arm and knocked Stephan out with the butt of the gun. The chair rocked before the deadweight of her friend tipped it over completely. The attacker stared down coldly before he proceeded to kick Stephan mercilessly. Every time his foot made contact, Alicia flinched; unable to hold it in anymore, she turned her head and vomited the contents of her last meal. It was several more minutes before their attacker seemed satisfied that he had inflicted enough on Stephanous. He turned to face her.

Shrinking back in her chair, Alicia was filled with dread. There was no emotion on the man’s face as he slowly walked toward her.

CHAPTER 28 Aisling wasn’t sure the exact moment she knew something was wrong, but it was somewhere between the halfway mark up the stairwell to the final landing. Her main concern was that no one challenged her entry. Knowing how Stephan worked, this wasn’t acceptable. There were many reasons why they wouldn’t have seen her yet on the security cameras; by the time she cracked the door open to the reception area, she concluded it was because someone had already hacked the system ahead of her. Concerned that Stephan or Alicia—or both—were in danger, she ran through the hallway to Stephan’s

office. She stopped quickly when she saw the guard, obviously posted to watch over the occupants, sat at a strange angle. His throat had been slashed. She took in every detail. That was the moment Aisling felt panic rise inside her chest. Inching her way silently past the body, she peered into his office. Nothing seemed out of place, or disturbed. They were somewhere else. Slipping back down the hallway, Aisling listened intently. There were no sounds except for the blood rushing through her head. She had memorized the layout of this section of the building and she knew every room. Darting quickly, running on her toes so she wouldn’t make a sound, she eased into a tiny

alcove and peered around the corner into what was Sakis’s office. The room was enormous, and seemed untouched except for the two chairs placed in the center of the room. One was empty, with zip ties nearby on the floor; the other chair was tipped over, but still held a body. Her eyes recognized Stephan, but she held herself back from rushing in. It could be a trap. Minutes ticked by as she listened with not only her ears but also her eyes. Finally, confident that whoever did this was gone, she inched her way into the room, turning so her back faced the window and not the open door; she stepped backward carefully, easing toward Stephanous. Bending slightly at

the knees, she touched his neck, trying to ignore the blood that covered much of his head. Her eyes constantly swept the room, and she exhaled when she felt a pulse. It was weak, but it was there. Slipping out her knife, she cut the ties that bound him to the wood as her mind raced. There was no way that she would be able to lift him and get him to her car without being seen. Chewing on her bottom lip, she contemplated her options. It was startling to realize that this was the first time she was in this position of being a helper. Her job required her, at times, to eliminate, and with that, she never worried about the cleanup. Stephan groaned. Shoving up his shirt, she

grimaced as she took in the bruising and swelling around his rib cage. Whoever it was did a complete once-over. Aisling knew she really needed to get him to the hospital and quickly, unsure of the amount of internal injuries he might have. Grabbing her phone, she dialed the only person she knew who could help her, forming the story in her head. “Derek here.” “Derek! Hi, it’s Aisling. I need your help.”

CHAPTER 29 (Stephanous Petros: thirteen years old) “Boy, get in here!” Stephan walked into the office slowly. “Yes?” Gregory nodded to a huge man who sat in the chair across the room. “This is Jon. He is going to teach you how to put muscles on those chicken arms of yours.” “Chickens don’t have arms.” Stephan’s eyes cut to the man called Jon. Shoving his wet cigar back in his mouth, Gregory laughed. “My point

exactly, smartass.” The alarm sounded through the building just as Aisling hung up from her call to Derek. He was only moments away, which still was not fast enough to her. The piercing siren cut through every cell in her body. Kneeling on the carpet, she ran her fingers through his thick hair along his scalp. He seemed to have only one wound on his head but whoever struck him used enough force to really take him down. “Ma’am, step away from Mr. Petros.” Aisling froze with her hands raised in the air.

“He needs help.” “I am not going to tell you again. Step away from him.” Tiny red dots pockmarked her black hoodie as if it had broken out in some alien disease. These guys meant business and one move from her would fill her with more lead and if she were still alive, then would be when they asked questions. She didn’t blame them. Their employer was lying on the ground, unmoving, with blood pooling around his head. Aisling rose to her feet. “Slowly.” Hands still in the air, she turned and faced them, keeping her face

impassive. A commotion in the hallway got louder as Derek made his way to Sakis’s office at full sprint. Completely ignoring Aisling, he knelt beside his friend. “Stephan. Can you hear me?” Derek’s fingers tapped lightly on Stephan’s cheek. “He needs to get to the hospital. He lost a lot of blood and I think he was beaten. His rib cage is covered in bruises.” Derek rose angrily to his feet and stormed toward Aisling. “Who did this?” Shaking her head, she refused to break eye contact. “Derek, I have no

idea. When I arrived, he was like this.” She could tell that Derek didn’t quite believe her. “What are you doing here?” Both turned as Stephan moaned. Aisling took a step forward. The sharp click of several guns stopped her dead in her tracks. “Don’t you fucking make a move or I will order them to shoot.” Stephan coughed. The raw noise sounded harsh in the room that was now filled with guards. “Derek!” he cried out weakly. Derek rushed back and eased Stephan up slowly. “Dude, what happened?” Stephan didn’t answer as his

eyes scanned the room. His blood ran cold at the zip ties on the ground near the chair that Alicia had sat in. “Where is she?!” Grabbing the front of Derek’s jacket, Stephan tried to use it to stand. “Buddy, I need to get you to—” “Where the fuck is Alicia?” Confused, Derek looked toward Aisling but she seemed just as confused as he was. “Stephan, I don’t know.” Derek’s hands clutched Stephan tightly when he seemed as if he were going to topple over. “Stand down!” Simultaneously all the guns were lowered slightly, but

Aisling found it disconcerting that they were still directed at her. “Stephan?” Ignoring her, he pointed to the desk. Derek helped him walk the few steps it took to reach it. Gripping the edge with one of his hands for support, his other arm pressed against his ribs. “Derek, check Aisling for weapons,” he ordered. Derek did a double take, but seeing the vein pulsating in Stephan’s jaw, he knew better than to cross him. Besides, he knew that he would never convince him to go to the hospital while he was angry. Aisling kept her hands high in the

air and stared down Stephan as Derek started a cursory check for weapons. She sensed the shift in the ATF lieutenant the moment he found the second weapon. Then her pat-down became more personal for Derek, which became more intense for her. There was not one inch of her body that was not touched by his fingers. She was steaming by the time he finished and her small pile of weapons lay at her feet. “Where is Alicia, Aisling?!” Stephan’s words cracked like a whip. Everybody stood straighter to attention. “I don’t know, Stephan. She wasn’t in here when I arrived—just you. The chair and the ties, all in the same place.” She begged him with her eyes to

believe her, but she knew right now he couldn’t or wouldn’t trust anyone. With a wave of his hand, everyone but two of his guards left the room. “Derek, we need to find Alicia. That psychopath has her and is trying to make a statement.” Stephan wavered as black dots danced in front of him. His head felt as if had been split in two. “You are in no condition to be looking for anyone. Let me call this in, Stephan,” Derek implored his friend. But he already knew what the answer was going to be. This was personal. Personal never got called in. Then it dawned on him, and he lowered his voice to a whisper. “You think she is already dead, don’t you?”

Seeing the pained expression wash over Stephan was enough of an answer. “Fine, let’s go find Alicia.” He nodded his head toward Aisling. “What do you want to do about her?” Cold eyes raked over Aisling from her head to her feet. Gooseflesh rose over her skin at his words. “She comes with us and cannot leave our sight for a second.”

CHAPTER 30 Aisling could tell the stress was not only affecting her, but the two men in the front seat. Derek literally had been driving for hours around Boston, and there was still no sign of Alicia. They searched her apartment, her route home, and every other place that he could think of as to where she would be. The problem was, she wouldn’t be at those places. In fact, that would be the last place that she would be taken. Every once in a while, Stephan would lean his head back on the headrest and whenever he did, Derek would shoot glances at him with deep concern on his face. They couldn’t keep driving

around aimlessly. If Stephan was in his right mind, he would have thought logically about the beating inflicted on him and Alicia’s abduction. She knew better than to interject her opinion, but she was reaching her breaking point. That point where she didn’t give a shit anymore. He hadn’t looked at her once, and she started to wonder whether he had completely forgotten about her, which was too bad because her bladder felt as if it were going to explode. “Stephan, we all need a break. Let’s grab some coffee, head back to your place—you can get cleaned up.” It was on the tip of Stephan’s tongue to scream no! He didn’t want to chance that they missed an opportunity to

find her but Derek was right. They all needed a break. “Fine.” He hit a preset number in his phone. He spoke so softly that Aisling couldn’t hear what he was saying in Greek to the person on the end of the line. A short time later, they were in his apartment. Stephan pointed at Aisling. “I’m going to take a shower. The doctor will be arriving shortly to check me out and help with this headache. Do not let her move.” Derek nodded, relieved that someone was finally going to look at his friend. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

Derek gave her a hard look before escorting her to the guest bathroom. Aisling started to close the door, but stopped abruptly when Derek slammed his hand against the wooden panel. “Yeah. I think not.” Aisling watched the red rise to his face. He obviously was uncomfortable with the situation but not enough for him to bend. “Derek! There are no windows in here. It’s not as if I am going to run away.” Aisling was horrified, thinking he wasn’t even going to let her go to the bathroom alone. “You either go to the bathroom with the door open, or we go back to the living room where I can have a drink in relative peace.”

Aisling knew that there was no getting around it and her bladder screamed for release. Staring him down, she hooked her fingers in her leggings and quickly slid them down. He at least had the decency to turn sideways. Several minutes later, they made their way back to the living room, both faces beet red. Pushing her to the couch, he waited for her to settle, before he strode to the bar to fix a drink for himself and Stephan. The silence hung thick in the room. “It wasn’t me, Derek.” At first she didn’t think he heard her as he continued with what he was

doing. When he stepped back to the couch opposite her, he took a deep sip before he set the drink down hard. Liquid sloshed over the side and spilled onto the coffee table. “Well, why don’t you tell me who it is then so that we can end his misery now and find Sakis’s assistant?” Her fingers ran through her long hair, a pained look on her face. “God, I wish I knew because I would kill him myself. But you have to believe me. I had nothing to do with this.” When Derek didn’t respond, she rose quickly to her feet and realized that it was a mistake as Derek pointed his gun at her. “I highly recommend that you sit the fuck down there, Red, because right

now, I am so tired, I am not seeing straight and this gun could actually go off.” Aisling quickly sat down. “I get it. You guys are furious with me but there is more to this story. Think about it, Derek. Why the hell would I call you when I found Stephan? Why wouldn’t I just leave the building? You would never have known I was even there. But I didn’t. I found him, stayed with him until you arrived.” For the first time, Derek seemed to waver, only for a millisecond before his face hardened again. “I am sure there is more to the story and you can believe that it will be told tonight.” The ringing of the doorbell

startled both of them. Rising to his feet, Derek quickly went to see who was there, but Stephan appeared out of nowhere and waved him away. “Thank you but it is the doctor.” Aisling took in Stephan’s appearance. He still clutched his rib cage with his arm and his movements were almost mechanical, but the shower had done wonders to clear his head. He briefly filled the doctor in on his injuries, and removed his shirt before he settled on the couch so that the doctor could check him over. Several times, Stephan winced as he was poked and prodded. “The ribs don’t seem to be broken, which is astounding considering

the level of extensive bruising that you have. Of course, I would be able to say this with more confidence if I could convince you to go back to my office for x-rays.” Stephan shook his head. “Not tonight.” The doctor sighed. “As expected. I just need to put some stitches in that thick head of yours and a shot of painkiller to dull the pain. I would recommend rest, but am sure that will fall on deaf ears also.” Stephan smiled at the doctor. “I do hear you and appreciate your work.” Grunting, the doctor finished up. He handed Stephan a bottle of pills and

some final advice before he left. “Son, don’t take any chances at least for the next forty-eight hours. Your body won’t be able to move as quick as you might think it will once the pain medicine kicks in. Call me if you need anything.” Stephan closed the door softly before he turned to face Aisling. “Now, time to deal with you.”

CHAPTER 31 (Stephanous Petros: thirteen years old) Sweat trickled down his back as he crouched behind the crates in the old warehouse. A nagging feeling had been haunting him all day but he had pushed aside the feeling, chalking it up to nerves as he strained to listen to the conversation on the other side of the room. Moments later, he was lifted high into the air, his legs kicking in an attempt to get free from the strong grip. “You are in the wrong place at the wrong time, boy,” a rough voice stated. Everything went dark for Stephan. “You have it wrong, Stephan.

Both of you have it wrong. I would never hurt you or Alicia.” Aisling steeled herself inside from the pain that ripped through her scalp. Stephan had her hair wrapped so tightly around his fingers that even the slightest movement on her part caused sheer fire to shoot through the nerve endings. Tears hovered on the edge of her lashes, but she willed them to not fall. She would be damned if she was going to cry in front of these men. “There is a lot you don’t know—I can explain.” “What I know is some lunatic broke into Sakis’s office, held someone I love dearly at gunpoint. When I was restrained, he then proceeded to place photographs on my lap.” He yanked her

head back as he bent over the couch to whisper harshly in her ears. “Photographs of you bending over someone I loved a lifetime ago. So yeah, bitch, I think you have a lot of explaining to do.” “I am the Chameleon, Stephan.” She knew he heard her as his body froze in place. “Impossible!” Doubt tinged his voice. “You are Stephanous Petros. You have worked for Sakis Carras since the company first opened. You were born and raised in Greece in an orphanage. You worked for a crime lord at an early age, a man named Gregory Balta. He was a hard man but you stayed in his

employment for many, many years. He was the closest you had to a father figure.” “Information that anyone could have found out. Not convinced.” “True. But none would know our passcode. Could they? Cobblestone is my code…and yours is…the Charles River.” Reluctantly, Stephan slowly unwound his fingers from her hair. “But you’re—” “A woman. I know.” Derek watched the interrogation and release of Aisling with interest. “You both are losing me right now.”

Ignoring Derek, Aisling wanted to reach out and touch Stephan, but she knew that it was too soon. They had to get back on firm ground before that would even be allowed. “Stephan. I am the Chameleon. In your heart, you believe me. As much as a shock as this all is, the only thing I want right now is to help you find Alicia.” Alicia’s name snapped Stephan out of his private thoughts. “So you know nothing?” He seemed defeated. All business, Aisling leaned forward. “All of this is stemming from the fact that you are looking into your past. A past that involves someone not only powerful, but extremely capable of using deadly force. Whoever they are,

they are trying to make a point. Think, Stephan. Where would they put Alicia that would drive home their point?” Stephan looked confused. “I am not sure if I know what you are asking.” Impatient now that she was in full business mode, she clapped her hands together. The sharp crack sounded loud in the room. “Whoever this is, they want to leave you a message. One that there would be no doubt as to who they are and why they want you to back off. There has to be something.” At the blank look in Stephan’s eyes, she pursed her lips in frustration. “Where were you found? Did a stranger walk in off the streets and hand you over? Did they leave you on the steps of

the orphanage?” Comprehension lit up Stephan’s eyes. “God. No! I used to believe that I was left at the door of the orphanage and that is what it says in my file, but years later, Sister Katherine told me that I had been placed on the steps of an abandoned church. She told me that I was close to death by the time someone found me and brought me to the nuns.” His voice trailed off. Derek rushed to the computer and punched in some information. “There are so many churches—how would we figure out which one?” Aisling knew that Stephan suspected where they put her. “I know of one church in particular that closed a

number of years ago…just in the city limits of Allston.” Derek grabbed his keys. “I am driving.” It took them no time at all to reach the address that Stephan had provided. Even in the dark, the massive church was imposing. Stephan jumped out before Derek had even put it in park and rushed to the stairs. He had seen what no one else had in the shadows. By the time they had reached him, he had dropped to his knees, clutching Alicia to his chest, and rocked back and forth. Aisling felt the bile rise in her throat at the small hole that pierced her head. The woman’s eyes were still wide open and she wanted nothing more than

to close them, but seeing Stephan this way made her hesitate. Derek was the first to move to his friend. He placed his hand firmly on Stephan’s shoulder to offer whatever comfort he could, while gently closing Alicia’s eyes. “I am so sorry, Stephan, but I am going to have to call this in.” Derek waited, wondering whether his friend was so far gone he didn’t even hear him speak. But after a few minutes, he saw the barely perceptible nod. Exhaling, he pulled out his phone and stepped away as he quickly spoke into the receiver. Aisling knew within minutes they would be surrounded by police.

CHAPTER 32 Stephan was wiped out. Closing his eyes, he allowed the hot water to wash over him. He couldn’t remember how long he had stood there, but he knew it must have been too long when he heard the light tap at the bathroom door. His head leaned against the wall; the pounding in his head was almost too much to bear. Wincing, he switched the hot stream off and gingerly stepped onto the plush mat. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he opened the door fully, expecting it to be Aisling. He felt a stabbing at his heart when he faced Derek instead of her. Derek noted the pallor and

pinched look of his friend. His body was riddled with deep bruising. The man had to be in excruciating pain, yet he didn’t complain once. The sadness could be seen, though. His heart ached for his friend. Derek knew that Stephan had few close friends, and over anyone, Alicia was the mother he never had. Clearing his throat, he switched from one foot to the other. “Dude. Everyone is gone, and I need to head to the station to fill out some paperwork. I won’t be long…” Nodding, Stephan brushed past him and threw clothes onto the bed. “It’s okay. I will be fine. I have to make a few phone calls anyway.” Derek winced. “Sakis?” “Yes.”

“I can stay a bit longer if you need me to.” “No. This I have to do alone.” Squaring his shoulders, Stephan’s eyes finally met his friend’s. “Where is Aisling?” “She said that she had to do something and would be back in thirty minutes. That was about twenty minutes ago.” Stephan didn’t reply to his statement and Derek felt a twinge of guilt that he’d allowed her to leave, but he didn’t really have much choice. He had nothing to hold her and forcing her to stay would have opened up too many questions from his boss, who had still been in the apartment. “Do you believe her?”

Stephan sat on the edge of the bed and stared down at the shirt that he clutched in his hands. “If she is really the Chameleon, I do and if she is, I am going to need her help. She has the capability of finding information that I do not.” “And if she isn’t?” Derek asked. “Then you do not need to worry about it.” This was the moment that separated their friendship, the Greek mafia from the ATF lieutenant. Aisling would die if Stephan found out she wasn’t telling the truth and because of his work, Stephan would never tell him or give him the details. Derek suspected that if she were lying, her death would

be very painful. When she returned, Derek knew shit was going to hit the fan. He didn’t envy Aisling, but he also knew that if Stephan didn’t kill her, he could probably do it himself. Shaking the dark thoughts from his head, he turned to leave. “Okay. I will be back by late evening. Call if anything comes up or you need anything.” Aisling’s hand was raised as he opened the front door, surprising Derek. He really hadn’t expected her to return. A large briefcase was slung from one shoulder, and a military duffel bag from the other. “Do I need to check those bags?” Derek inquired.

Heat rose to Aisling’s face. She hated being scrutinized or mistrusted. Sliding them off her shoulders, she waited while Derek went through each bag. There were no weapons in either, just technology that she would need to help Stephan track down the person who executed Alicia. When he was satisfied with his search, he rose. His jaw set as he stared at her. “I will be back this evening. He is pretty fucked up—don’t make it worse.” “I know you don’t believe me, but I will say it anyway. I am here to help.” Derek looked doubtful but held the door open for her anyway as she stepped through with her load.

As she scanned the living room, Aisling debated where to set up. She didn’t want to be intrusive in his life, but on the other hand, she figured this was going to be his life until the killer was caught. She spread out her three laptops on the large dining table, skillfully attaching all three with cables so that they could communicate with one another. She wouldn’t use the Ritz’s network—too risky—and after the last breach, she was concerned that even her own network could be compromised. So she had called in a favor with the military and was able to secure some pretty cool equipment to enable her to go wireless. But she wasn’t a fool; the equipment would only be as good as the

setup to prevent it being hacked. Once everything was set and ready to go, she sat in front of the screens and exhaled. Work was good. Work was what caused the demons to fade away. This was the way that she could prove her worth to Stephan and hopefully more than that: her love. Slim fingers stilled over the keyboard for a millisecond at the thought. Seeing him in complete anguish, Alicia’s dead body pressed to his chest, was the moment of clarity. The moment she realized that she loved him. Unsure of the future, she knew that she would die for him in the search for answers. She never had that feeling before and it frightened her.

Stephan stepped into the living room, ready for his confrontation with Aisling. He had known that she had returned not just because of the noise she was making, doing God only what, but because he felt her presence. Engrossed in her work, she had no idea he had entered the room and it lent the opportunity to observe her. She had showered and changed herself. The gray sweatpants hugged her small frame, as did the bright pink tee shirt. He never liked that color, but on her it caused a ripple to flow inside him. She had put her hair up into a ponytail, giving her a youthful appearance, and he wondered whether she had done that on purpose. Stephan was unclear what he was going

to do with her but he knew that without any second thought or guilt, he would strangle her with his bare hands if there was the slightest proof that she had anything to do with Alicia’s death. At the thought of his friend, he swallowed back the pain and used it to fuel his anger. “Aisling!” Her name cracked like a whip in the apartment and with satisfaction, he watched her jump in her seat. Green eyes clashed with his, and he noted how her chin rose slightly in defiance. To what he wasn’t sure, but if she were innocent, he believed it grated on her nerves and sensibilities. Aisling rose to her feet, her fists balled so tightly her fingernails dug into her skin. She remained still as he

approached her, his body tense. He was the predator; she his prey and she could feel her stomach tighten in knots. She was actually terrified of him at this moment. He stood behind her so close that he could feel the heat from her body. Stephan placed his fingers on the back of her neck before he slid them around her neck, cupping the side of her cheek and turning her face so that it was turned sideways as he pressed his lips to her ear. “Tell me why I shouldn’t snap your neck right now. Give me one reason, Aisling O’Byrne, why you should be spared from the same fate that Alicia had.” His harsh whisper attacked

her. Closing her eyes, she swallowed hard. “Because through me, you will find out who actually killed her and better than that, the one who issued the order for her death.” Tightening his grip on her face, he spun her around and placed both of his hands now on either side of her head. His voice, though calm, was ice-cold. Gooseflesh spread throughout her whole body at his next words. “I am not even sure it matters anymore. I could just as easily crush you. You deceived me in the worst way. I let you into my world, my bed…” Stephan hesitated; pain laced his next words. “Even my heart. I am such a fool.”

Tears welled into Aisling’s eyes, not from the pressure of his hands, which slowly squeezed her head, but from the pain of hearing the anguish in his words. She gripped his wrists tightly. “Let me tell you who I am, Stephan. You owe me that much.” “I owe you nothing!” “Fine, but you owe the one you know as the Chameleon that much!” She was starting to get angry. Anger was good. It took away the fear. “The more we dick around here, the longer we are not trying to track down the killer. Let me talk, Stephan. I promise to tell you everything and answer any questions you may have. No more lies.”

His body stilled. Aisling felt that she finally had his full attention. She meant it. No more secrets or lies. She would spill everything. Stephan pushed her away so hard that Aisling almost fell. He strode to the bar and poured bourbon in a glass. Her eyebrows rose. It was only eleven in the morning. It was going to be a long day if he started drinking now. She sat on the couch, hands clasped on her lap as she waited patiently. Her eyes followed him as he walked to the opposite couch and sat gingerly. She could tell he hated his injuries, saw it as a sign of weakness. The moment he leaned back, she started to talk, not even waiting for him to ask

her to begin. Her life depended on him believing her, so she decided it was best he heard how the Chameleon came to be. “We grew up poor, my mum and I. In the beginning, my dad lived with us, but the two had a volatile relationship and eventually he left us. She did her best to hold it together for the two of us, and at times worked three to four jobs to do that. Which left a lot of free time for me to get into trouble. I am not sure when I realized that I was smarter than the average person, but I think the beginning of me picking my future work was when they installed computers at the local library. I became fascinated with the Net and like a sponge, sucked everything up that I could find on the

latest and greatest technology. Not that we had any money, mind you, to purchase the items. That was when I became a thief. I stole only what I needed to get by. This was about survival for me and I have no regrets.” Aisling paused and waited for any recriminations on Stephan’s part, but he remained silent. His eyes never faltered from hers as he listened intently. “I came to the States to get my education. By this time, I was good at hacking. So good, in fact, it was easy for me to add my name to the list of accepted applicants. I hadn’t graduated when I secured my first job. I had learned from someone that a wealthy businessman wanted someone to

befriend his rival and garner any information on his business dealings. I told him that I knew of someone who could get the information for him. He was doubtful but I convinced him to give my ‘friend’ a try and if he wasn’t happy with the work, then he didn’t have to pay a cent. But, if he were happy, then he would spread the word. It was an easy mark and I loved the excitement it gave me to go undercover. From that moment on, I became two people. A client of mine was the one who named me the Chameleon.” Stephan looked doubtfully at Aisling. She spun a good tale, but she still had not offered him any proof. “So you would like me to believe that you

were the one who handled every job that came to you from Carras Enterprises?” “Every one.” Aisling knew that there was more than enough doubt that she had to chisel away. Slowly, methodically, she listed every job that she ever did for him until he raised his hand in the air. Stephan knew that he had to surrender to her. There was no way that she could have known every job. Some she listed were never written down but were quick little jobs. He raised his eyebrows as they stared each other down. Aisling felt the shift in his posture. He believed everything she said. Like a dam breaking, relief rushed

through her. They had passed the largest hurdle; now the hardest part was to talk about the present. “From the moment I received your message to look into your parents, I dug deep and hard. What I hadn’t counted on was the swiftness of the backlash. Every system I hacked, walls were thrown up. I knew that I had to go to Greece. I had to start back at the beginning and from there I felt confident that I would be able to find the answers I needed to at least make headway.” “So your trip to New York was actually a trip to my country?” She could feel her face redden at his tone, but she held her ground. “Yes. That is what you would expect the Chameleon to do, though, right? Do

whatever it takes to get the information.” She spoke so matter-of-fact that Stephan grudgingly had to agree. “So what went wrong?” “Honestly, I am not sure. I hired someone I trusted as a guide, which is normal, but didn’t divulge any private information on the case. When we arrived at the orphanage, I was in disguise. We learned right off that someone else was also at the compound and was also looking for information on your past. This was a surprise to me.” “Sakis.” “Yes. Sakis had already met with Sister Katherine moments before and passed right next to me without knowing

who I was. My guide had gone back to the main gate for reinforcements and by the time I found Sister Katherine, she had already expired.” Aisling rose to her feet, grabbed the manila envelope she had put onto the table earlier, and handed it to Stephan. “Several days ago, someone had slid this under my door at my apartment. I had not suspected the breach to go as far as this but whoever it is, they know who I am. I spent a day closing up that apartment, moving to a new one.” Here Aisling hesitated. “I live right below you now.” Stephan took the envelope from her hand and stared at her hard. He didn’t want to open it. Didn’t want to see what was inside. He knew whatever

it was would eliminate every doubt that he currently held inside him. He needed that doubt. It helped feed his anger and he was worried that without it, he would shatter into a million pieces. Sliding his hand inside, he gripped the photographs and pulled them out slowly as he glanced down. There she was, staring up at him, with the damn black wig, kneeling over Sister Katherine. It was the same photograph that his attacker had handed to him. Turning it over, he read the words written on the back. “What if he saw these? What would it do to him to find out you are the Chameleon? Or better yet, maybe believe that you were the one who

killed Sister Katherine. Back off or someone will die.” Stephan perused every picture. He no longer doubted that Aisling was exactly who she said she was. Aisling took a seat next to Stephan on the couch and gently removed the pictures from his hand. He said nothing when she put them back into the envelope. Her soft hands gripped his and she leaned into him. “It is time we went to work.”

CHAPTER 33 (Stephanous Petros: thirteen years old) Every part of his body hurt. Stephan struggled to open his eyes, but as hard as he tried, they refused to obey. He had no idea that both were swollen shut. “He will live, but I am not sure how he survived that beating,” a man’s voice stated. “Thank God!” Sister Katherine stared in horror at the misshapen figure of the young boy lying on the bed in the infirmary. Sophia Moore was nervous as she sat in the large chair in front of

Stephan. He doubted the average person would have picked up on the signs but he did. He gave her credit for holding it together as well as she was. She wasn’t new to him; in fact, both he and Alicia had followed her career within Carras Enterprises, slowly promoting her when it was deemed necessary to keep her within their ranks. She didn’t know it but they had spent all of these years grooming her to take over when Alicia retired. Stephan swallowed hard in a feeble attempt to rid himself of the thick lump that seemed to now reside permanently in his throat. She had reached the clearance level a year ago that no one else in the company had

achieved. Not even his security personnel. Not even his right-hand guy. The true test was now. This was the moment whether or not she was going to pass or fail. Her reaction to what he was about to put on her plate was going to determine whether or not she lived or died, but Sophia Moore did not know this. No one could ever reach the level that she did and be allowed to just walk out of the company alive. “Miss Moore. Sadly, I need to inform you that Alicia Granger passed away last night.” The woman’s face paled so much so that Stephan was afraid that she was going to pass out, but he stayed rooted in his chair.

“I am so sorry.” Ignoring the whispered response, Stephan continued as if she never spoke. “You have been an exemplary employee here at Carras Enterprises and I would like you to be Miss Granger’s replacement, if you are willing.” Twin bolts of color stained her cheeks. She seemed uncomfortable with the request. “Me, sir? Are you sure that I am the right one? I am not sure anyone could ever replace Alicia.” Stephan didn’t blink and continued to stare her down. “In that respect, I agree with you wholeheartedly, but this is a business.

Alicia’s loss is a great one from a business perspective and even more so from a personal standpoint. Yet, business does go on and I need someone in her position as quickly as possible. Alicia and I both spoke about you quite a bit, and we both felt you would be the right fit to be her successor.” Sophia blinked several times. Stephan knew that she probably needed a few minutes to wrap her brain around what he was saying, but he also knew that time was of the essence. She had to be strong in tougher situations than this. Had to think on her feet when a crisis occurred. If she couldn’t handle this… Knowing that he was waiting for an answer, she willed the butterflies

away. Squaring her shoulders, she nodded. “I would be honored to stand in her place. When would you like me to start?” Grateful, he walked around the desk to sit on the edge and stared down at the folder with Sakis’s contact information. “You will start immediately. I will take care of all of the arrangements with human resources. I appreciate your faithfulness to the company, but have to be very clear with you. This is a volatile job and I cannot promise that your life would never be in danger. Are we clear?” “Very clear, Mr. Petros.” “Good. Going forward, you will refer to me as Stephan unless we are in a

meeting with other people. The same goes for Sakis. He will accept my decision in your hiring, but he will also expect your utmost loyalty. Do you understand this?” Wide-eyed, her eyes glazed over, seeming to fully comprehend what her role was now in the company. She could never imagine speaking to Sakis Carras on a first-name basis. She swallowed hard. “I understand.” “Now that we have come to an understanding, I would like you to get Sakis on the line. I know that you speak Greek fluently. You are not to let anyone know this—inside the company or out. You will remain in this office with me and go through this folder as I speak

with Sakis. Memorize every detail of the Boulos family. Go through the photographs and match faces with names. Learn their favorite things; their likes and dislikes. Understand the hierarchy of the family and that goes for the children also. It is key that you retain everything that you read, Sophia. We will be conducting delicate business with this family within the week. I will not tolerate any mistakes.”

CHAPTER 34 At the sound of the key in the door, Aisling glanced at the clock on her computer, stunned to see the time. Hours literally had flown by without her being aware. Watching Stephan warily and wondering what his frame of mind was, she quickly ran to his side as he staggered through the door. She kicked the door closed, wrapped an arm around his waist—careful not to squeeze too tight as she offered herself as a crutch— and led him to the couch. Stephan tried not to put too much weight on her, but was grateful for her assistance. The pain medicine had worn off hours ago, but he couldn’t leave until

he tied up the loose ends at the office. Without being asked, Aisling rushed to his bedroom to search for the medicine the doctor had left. She handed several pills and a glass of water out to him. God, he looked so tired. Stephan waved the water away, tossed the pills into the back of his throat and swallowed without the liquid. He hoped that they would act fast. He despised showing weakness, even to Aisling. Maybe even more so to her. Closing his eyes, he laid his head back on the couch. There was no time to rest. He needed answers. “Did you find anything new?” “Yes.” She grabbed the papers

she had printed out earlier from the table and returned to where he sat. She curled up a short distance away, restraining herself from touching his face. She wanted so much to smooth away the lines formed from his scowling but she knew that this was not the time for physical contact. That would have to be initiated from him first, if ever. Taking a deep breath, she became all business. “I was able to put together a rough list of all pregnant women due the month you were born. Then I narrowed that down by eliminating all of the women who delivered girls, followed by women who had valid birth certificates corresponding to their births in the later years. If there was a history, they were

automatically eliminated. The list is still long but nothing like when I began the search.” She felt his eyes on her as she spoke. Not daring to look at him directly, she continued. “I have entered a new search parameter to look for unmarried women; that is what is running now. Considering the culture, I am not convinced that it is the best parameter.” Stephan leaned toward Aisling and reached behind her, tugging on the band that held her hair tight until he was able to slide it off; Aisling’s hair fell around her face. She tried hard not to wince, her scalp still tender from when he pulled her hair so roughly. “I like your hair better down,

Aisling,” he stated gruffly. Ignoring him, she continued to read from her notes. “I also started to look into the families who lived in Greece at the time. Specifically the wealthy ones. Whoever is threatening you has money and a lot of it. Once that list is compiled, I will ask you to take a look and see if you recognize any names and then we will go from there.” Stephan’s fingers touched her cheek before he dropped his hand to his lap. The medicine was starting to take effect. “You have been busy.” “Yes.” Hesitating, her voice softened. “Did you call Sakis?”

Stephan felt the tears prick behind his eyes. He needed to sleep; he couldn’t keep going like this without rest. He was becoming too emotional. “Yes. I will tell you later. Right now, though, I need to take a nap.” Aisling nodded and rose. “Go, rest. I will let you know if I find anything.” Stephan rose and slid his hand in hers as he gently cupped her face. “Lay down with me, Aisling? I just need someone…I don’t want to be alone.” Keeping the shock from her face, she squeezed his hand gently before she nodded. “Of course. Honestly, I could use a couple of hours of sleep myself.”

Stephan led her to his bedroom, but released her the moment they entered. Aisling kept her eyes averted as he stripped down before he slid on a pair of pajama pants. She waited until he slipped under the covers before she took off her sweatpants and slid in next to him. He reached for her the moment her head hit the pillow; his arm wrapped around her waist and his face buried into her neck. Aisling wrapped her arm around his shoulders as he inhaled deeply, imprinting her scent into his mind. Moments later, he was sound asleep. She knew that she was seeing a side to Stephan that no one had ever seen before and it broke her heart. ~~~

Stephan shifted slightly, slowly coming to. Forgetting that he was injured, he turned to check the time on his clock. The stabbing pain in his side took all of the breath from his lungs. He laid there, willing the pain to subside as he remembered everything that had transpired over the past forty-eight hours. Strange that there is that moment, sometimes, when you wake that you are halfway between dreaming and reality when you don’t remember. He wished that he was still in that space of denial as Alicia’s bloody face flashed across his eyes. With his arm thrown over his face, he allowed himself a moment of remembering her in a different way. How she would smile at him when she

entered the office, no matter how angry she was with him. He was glad he told her that he loved her, not realizing at the time how little time he had left with her. It hadn’t been easy, and Alicia seemed to sense that, but after looking into his past, he had come to understand that even though he was searching for his history, it didn’t devalue the people he surrounded himself with. He had wanted her to know that. Feeling Aisling shift in her sleep next to him, he stared at her face as it rested on his pillow. And then there was Aisling. Sweet, sweet, complicated Aisling. He truly wanted to squeeze the life out of her, but not so much because he didn’t believe her story, but because

she lied about pretty much everything. Being a loner, he understood her reluctance and he also knew that he was the first person that she fully let her guard down with. What a tangled web they were immersed in. He ran his finger along her forehead and brushed aside her ridiculously fabulous hair, across her cheekbone before sliding along her jawline. It seemed a lifetime ago when they first made love. His hand ran lightly along her shoulders; he pressed his palm against her chest, feeling her heart beat slow and steady, before inching to her breast. He watched, fascinated, as her nipples hardened instinctively. He licked his lips as he resisted the urge to take the

tiny nub into his mouth through the shirt, opting instead to pinch it between his two fingers, watching as it hardened even more. His body responded to her as he felt himself hardening. “Stephan?” Black eyes met her confused green ones. She was still waking up. “What time is it?” “Honestly, I have no idea. I was trying to look, but got distracted.” Aisling rose onto her elbow to look over his shoulder. “It is ten o’clock.” Stephan seemed surprised, expecting it to be much later. They really hadn’t slept for that long. His hand slid underneath her tee

shirt; his fingers skimmed over her rib cage before sliding back to her breast to squeeze her through her bra. “Stephan, I am not sure that this is a good idea right now.” Aisling’s voice caught as he squeezed her tighter, sending waves of pleasure straight to the core of her. She pressed her thighs tightly together in hopes to stop the crush of feeling that would soon overtake her. “I need this right now, Aisling. I need you.” Staring at him, she saw the honesty in his eyes but more than that, she saw his pain. The deep need to forget, just for a few more minutes. Pushing on his arm, she shimmied so that his hand was forced to let go of her.

Sitting up straight, she quickly pulled her tee shirt up over her head and removed her bra, before turning back to him to gently push on his shoulder so that he would lay flat on his back. Carefully, she lay on top of him, making sure that she was not putting any weight on his rib cage. “You really are in no condition to be even contemplating this.” His hands squeezed her breasts gently, kneading them with his fingers, before he slid an arm around her waist to urge her higher so that he could take one into his mouth. Aisling gasped as he nipped with his teeth; her nipples jut out, puckered and hard, before he drew one deeply

into his mouth. The pulling and tugging was felt in every nerve in her lower body. He laved one breast completely before he shifted to the other, doing the same exact thing. She could feel him harden even more against her. She wanted nothing between them. Pulling out of his mouth, she kissed him softly at first, and then more urgently as they sparred with their tongues. Her lips broke away from his, raining kisses down his neck until she reached his chest; she took one of his own tiny nipples in her mouth and nipped with her teeth. The quick intake of breath along with the hardening of his lower body was enough for her to know that he enjoyed a bit of pain with his

lovemaking. Aisling liked being in control. She licked her way down to his stomach but steered clear of the bruises that lined parts of his skin. Pushing down the fury at seeing the mottled coloring on his darker skin, she inched even lower. Her mouth stopped by the fabric of his pajamas. She untied the string that held it taut around his waist. Her fingers gripped the sides as she pushed it down over his hips while he lifted them off the bed, allowing her to undress him completely. Without hesitation, she straddled his legs and reached for him. Stephan groaned and closed his eyes at the incredible pleasure she invoked with her hands as she slowly

worked him. He jumped when her mouth closed over the tip. Gripping her head, his intention was to push her away, but she slid him farther in her mouth, sucking as she did so; his fingers wound through her tresses instead. Aisling moaned against his skin, obviously turned on by his obvious reaction to her ministering. For several minutes, the only sound was of her pleasuring him. “Aisling, stop. Baby, please!” Smiling, she eased back up his body, again taking care not to cause him pain. Rising above him, she reached between them, placing him at her center before she slowly sunk down onto him with agonizing patience until she was

impaled completely. Stephan clutched her hips as she rose up, keeping her movements smooth and timed to drive him insane. For Stephan, she was exquisite as she rose and fell. He knew that she felt in complete control because of his injuries but he wasn’t that hurt. Tightening his grip, he held her in place as he thrust hard inside her, as his thumb made a circular motion at her center, catching her off guard. Aisling’s face flushed as she felt herself losing control. She felt so good but this was supposed to be about him. Her pace quickened as she reached her peak, pausing for a moment as her whole body quivered.

Stephan was enthralled as she threw her head back in ecstasy. Thrusting harder and faster, it was only moments later that he lost himself; pulling her down onto him, he wrapped his arms around her tightly. He wanted to remember this moment for the rest of his life. That moment that he realized he was head over heels in love with the Chameleon.

CHAPTER 35 (Stephanous Petros: fourteen years old) “Someone is here to see you,” Gregory informed Stephan. Stephan recognized one of the young boys from the orphanage. The boy’s face was stained with tears as he clutched at Stephan’s sleeve. “You have to hurry. She is beating Thomas to death.” It wasn’t until one a.m. that Aisling woke for the second time. Stephan was no longer in the bed with her. She sat up quickly. She could hear voices coming from the living room.

After a quick shower, she threw on her clothes, trying not to be too disappointed that he was no longer in the bed with her. They had a lot to do still to find his parents, who they both believed were the same ones who ordered the hit on Alicia. At least, that was what Aisling believed. As she padded quietly into the living room, Derek saw her first. “Hey, Aisling. Sorry for the late visit but I wanted to see how you two were doing. Glad you didn’t kill each other.” Stephan’s look was more serious when his eyes connected to Aisling’s, but the slight wink reassured her that they were good before he turned back to his best friend.

“Derek, there is a lot going on right now and it is probably going to get crazier. You took a big risk calling in Alicia.” With Derek’s affirmative nod, Stephan didn’t wait for a reply before he continued. “I need to ask you to back away from us.” Both Aisling and Derek looked shocked at Stephan’s words, for two different reasons. Stephan used the word “us” and she prayed that was her in the tiny word. Derek’s face darkened. “You can’t ask me to do that, Stephan.” “You are a fucking lieutenant with the ATF. I cannot have anything compromising your work. Because of who I am, I compromise you—I

compromise our friendship.” Stephan leaned forward as if to accentuate his point. “Derek, I can’t lose you too.” “You are not going to lose me, Stephan. Why are you saying this?” Silence filled the room, heavy and foreboding. “Oh my God! What are you doing that you haven’t told me?” “Derek.” Aisling heard the warning in Stephan’s voice, and she knew that Derek did also. “I am not discussing this anymore.” Derek knew that when Stephan got into this mood, there was nothing that could be done but walking away. Rising abruptly, he said nothing as he grabbed his hat.

Aisling flinched as he slammed the door on the way out. “Stephan?” “Not a word, Aisling. It is the right thing to do. Now let’s get to work.” Nodding, she sat at the table, where Stephan joined her. “I spoke with Sakis. He is obviously as furious and heartbroken as I am. He considers this a personal attack on our family. From this moment forward, we are in complete blackout. Which means there will be only three people who will be privy to every aspect of Carras Enterprises: Sakis, the Chameleon, and myself. You are to move in here with me. From the outside, it will look as if Carras Enterprises has cut all ties with the Chameleon, and you will help us to

achieve this by getting the word out that there has been a falling out. You will not need to go into detail, as the person behind the attack will know what the falling out was. No matter what, that person must be led to believe that I no longer require the Chameleon’s services. This will put the focus back on just me.” Slowly sitting back, Aisling absorbed what she was being told. This was unprecedented and an excellent strategy on Stephan’s part. That being said, it was going to be a lot harder to look into Stephan’s family background and covering her tracks was not going to be easy. “Stephan, does Sakis—” “He knows everything. This is not something that either one of us takes

lightly. I know I don’t have to tell you what would happen if we even remotely suspected that there was a traitor among us.” Aisling swallowed hard as he continued. She understood the underlying meaning in his statement. He was extending a level of trust despite her lying to him because of her history as the Chameleon, but he was also letting her know that that trust could be severed at any time. “Sakis wants to return to the States, but is being detained due to the investigation into Sister Katherine’s death and cannot leave the country. Cassie knows nothing and it will remain that way for as long as possible.

Security has been stepped up at the compound and the family is on complete lockdown until this is resolved. The investigators know that there was another woman and man seen at the orphanage after Sakis’s arrival but have been unable to locate them. As we all know, now, those people are you and your guide. I need a report on who he is and where he is now.” “I trust him, Stephan.” His hand slammed on the table. Stephan’s tone chilled her. “I trust no one outside of my circle right now. If this is going to be a problem, just let me know, Aisling.” “Not a problem. I will get you everything on Sammy this morning.”

“Good. This week, there will be a shipment that is arriving and is already en route to its destination. I am representing Sakis during this transaction and will need to head to Palm Springs to meet with the client who is receiving the shipment to settle business. There is a lot I need to do from a security level still.” Writing down a name and a number, he handed the information to Aisling. “Sophia Moore is Alicia’s replacement. I have known and have been watching her since she started with the company. She can be trusted and will be traveling with me. She will contact you with my travel information and itinerary. Give her whatever she needs, using your best

judgment on how much she needs to know. Water down anything you feel she does not.” “What about Alicia?” Aisling asked. Throwing a folder on the table, Stephan looked at her intently. “This is what Sister Katherine gave to Sakis. It arrived early this morning by a private courier. Go through it, dissect the information. I have read it several times already. There has to be something in here that she wanted me to see, otherwise she would not have given it to Sakis, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what that is. We find out who my parents are, we find out who killed Alicia.”

Aisling’s fingers itched to get her fingers on the file and start working but she had to ask the question that seemed to loom over their heads. “And us?” she whispered softly. His fingertips stroked her cheek. Stephan’s face softened as he stared deep into her eyes. He looked sad. “Another time, another place, we would be working on us. Right now, we need to finish this.” Dropping her eyes, Aisling nodded. She didn’t want him to see the tears. He was right, of course. Squaring her shoulders, she slid the file closer to her. “I need to get work done.” Nodding, Stephan rose to his feet. He had nothing left to say. He felt

numb inside and he could tell that Aisling was disappointed with his response to their relationship. As he returned to his bedroom, he thought of his conversation with Sakis. He hated having to be the one to tell him of Alicia’s death and Stephan couldn’t shake the guilt that enveloped him. It was because of him that she was executed. He wanted Sakis to yell at him. Ask him how he could have let this happen. But Sakis never did. Stephan could hear the pain in his voice as they discussed how to proceed. Aisling was the only sticking point in their plan. Stephan wanted her gone but Sakis insisted that she stay. As the Chameleon, they needed her

expertise and if there were any questions as to her loyalty, she would be easy to dispose of if kept close. Stephan still had a hard time accepting the fact that she was the Chameleon and many times his brain would refer to the masculine. He had revisited every job request. Not once had she failed. Impressive, considering she was a female. It also showed a side to her that she had not presented when face-to-face. Aisling had to be cold and calculating to be able to complete her work. He knew of the internal switch. He had perfected it since he was a young child. Turning it on and off as needed. That is what made him very dangerous. Both he and Sakis knew that made

Aisling just as dangerous, maybe even more so because she had been able to navigate in a man’s world undetected for so long. Throwing the last of his clothing in the suitcase, he stared at his closed bedroom door. This was going to be an interesting week, for sure.

CHAPTER 36 After spending the early morning hours rerouting her computer through Carras Enterprises’ information technology department so that it would look as if they were the ones that were now looking into Stephan’s parents, Aisling finally felt as if she was ready to get down to work. She had given him a pared down list of pregnancies that were recorded, but no history on the child from the date of the birth. It was a short list and a long shot. A woman in Greece did not always go to the hospital to give birth. She also had given him several other lists to go over and was to let her

know if any names rang a bell. Another long shot, but she had worked on less and succeeded. The last thing she had given him was her file on Sammy. Not that it felt right to do it, but she knew that she somehow had to prove to him that she was all in. After he had received all of the paperwork from her, he had kissed her as if it were going to be their last. It felt as if he wanted to leave his mark on her, branding her so that she wouldn’t stop thinking about him while he was gone. Stephan had nothing to worry about in her mind. He never left her thoughts. Pulling the file that Sister Katherine had given Sakis, she opened it up, curious as to the contents. For

whatever reason, this one file seemed to spur some of the violence and the attacker seemed to really need to get his hands on it. Methodically, she perused page after page. This detail of his time at the orphanage was meticulously recounted by Sister Katherine and read like a journal, chronologically listing his time from infancy to a young man. The glaring difference from the file to her online research was where he had been placed. Online, it stated that he was left on the doorsteps of the orphanage and that the nuns found him in the early hours of the morning, but according to Sister Katherine, that was a lie. She didn’t go in depth as to why that fact was changed.

Stephan had actually been left at an abandoned church and a homeless man, hearing the baby’s weak cries, followed the sound and immediately took the infant to the nuns. They guessed that he had been in the elements for a day, maybe more, with the umbilical cord still attached. He was weak and dehydrated but according to Sister Katherine “exhibited a strong spirit.” Aisling wondered what kind of mother could have left her newborn child, knowing there would be a chance that he wouldn’t be found. She suspected that the woman, whoever she was, didn’t want him to be. Sister Katherine’s writing took up much of the thick folder and Aisling made sure that she didn’t

skip one page, reading each line carefully for any hidden code or meaning. Yet, she found nothing. The medical report came next. Not as detailed as the sister’s notes, each page gave the facts of the infant’s exam. The reports were clinical and again Aisling found nothing of interest to help her in her search. Rubbing her eyes, she glanced at the clock, shocked at how much time had passed. She needed a break, but there was little left to the file. Opting to finish, she turned the next page. Someone had scanned pictures of a baby Stephan and her eyes filled with tears. He looked so precious, angelic and fragile. His eyes stared right at the

camera. Aisling guessed Sister Katherine had filled the folder with photographs. One by one, Aisling stared at each picture of the baby Stephan, young boy and teenager. Not one was he smiling, his eyes always serious and brooding. It couldn’t have been an easy life, for sure. As she turned the next photograph, she stopped; her heart missed a beat. This was it. She was sure of it. This picture was what the nun had wanted Stephan to find. It was a close-up of a birthmark. She had taken not one, but numerous ones as he grew older. Stephan would never have picked up on it. He probably thought that it would be used for identity verification if anything happened to him.

Aisling, on the other hand, had another use for that birthmark. It was the perfect identification mark. Sometimes, birthmarks were passed down from generation to generation. If she ran this one through her massive library, she might actually get a hit. The underworld took care of their families and burial was just as important as a birth. If someone was abducted and ended up getting killed, sometimes the only way to identify a body would be any noticeable marks or tattoos on their body. Sometimes it was these important markers that determined whether they could be claimed or not. This was important to all of the families. If there was a matching mark, she would

get all of the answers she needed to Stephan’s questions. With shaking fingers, she scanned the picture onto her laptop, running several programs at once. She had a hard time containing her excitement. Aisling wanted to call him, but remembering her promise to stay silent, she had to keep it to herself. For now. ~~~ Stephan was not having as much good luck as Aisling. He scowled as the private plane bounced all over the skies. It had been this way off and on the moment they left Logan Airport and they still had a good two hours to go. Glancing quickly at Sophia, his concern

increased. She had gone deathly pale and a sheen of sweat coated her upper lip. Sophia, he was sure, was going to lose the contents of her stomach at any moment. With relief, he noticed that the male steward seemed to have the same thoughts as he made his way quickly down the aisle with a vomit bag. Bending over, he spoke quietly and reassuringly to the young assistant. Whatever he said seemed to do the trick, because the wide-eyed panicked stare vanished, replaced with a smile. Reassured that she was well cared for, he looked down at the papers in front of him that Aisling had given him before he left. His fingers ran down the list on each page. Nothing stood out to him. No

name that he could recall from his past. “Sir, can I get you anything? A drink perhaps?” The question was unexpected and at first Stephan could only stare when it dawned on him the steward waited for an answer. “No. I am good. You don’t need to keep checking up on me. If you take care of Miss Moore, then that is enough for me.” Something about the man seemed familiar, but Stephan never forgot a face. “Excuse me. Have we ever met?” The steward shook his head and chuckled, as if he found the comment

funny. “No. I would remember someone like you. You sure you don’t need anything?” “No. Thank you.” “Very good.” The steward smiled as he walked back to check on Sophia once more before he returned to his seat up front. The hairs stood up on the back of Stephan’s neck. Something wasn’t right. Looking around the cabin, he shook his head. He must be overly sensitive— either that or overly tired—and he couldn’t wait to land and get the exchange over with.

CHAPTER 37 (Stephanous Petros: fourteen years old) “Let him go,” Stephan demanded. Thomas had already passed out, yet the nun still continued to beat him. “This doesn’t concern you. Leave or you are next.” Stephan closed the door softly behind him. His voice lowered, he pointed the gun at Sister Grace, whose eyes now stared at the weapon. “You will let him go, or I will shoot.” He could feel the sister’s fear. Power flowed through him. “You will never lay your hand on another child.

Do you understand me?” Stephan did not put the weapon away until he saw her nod in agreement. “If I ever see this again, I will kill you.” Sister Grace had no doubt that Stephan meant what he said. Rubbing her eyes, Aisling felt the exhaustion. There was not enough coffee on the planet that could push away the feeling when you had reached this level of sleep deprivation, but she couldn’t sleep. Not now, not when the answer could be so close. Shifting in her seat, she stretched out her legs that she had curled underneath her for too long. Maybe sleep was not in the cards, but according to her bladder, a bathroom

break was going to have to be. Standing, she shook out the pins and needles as they ricocheted up her legs. She had barely turned her eyes away from the screen when it beeped. Bending down, she ran her fingers over the keys and stared. “No, no, no!” she chanted over and over. Her whole body trembled while she pushed papers around on the table to find the number Stephan had left for her. It was a direct number: no office personnel, no security guard, no wife. Only one person would have the number and even he wouldn’t use it unless it was life-or-death. It was a number he had told her that he didn’t even use when

informing Sakis of Alicia’s death. Once he entrusted it to her, she callously had set it aside, never thinking she would use it. She’d expected to shred it the moment he was back in her arms. Finally, she found it and with shaking fingers, she dialed the number. He would be the only person she could call at a time like this. She only hoped it wasn’t too late. After the fifth ring, her heart sank to her stomach. This couldn’t be happening. A sleep-filled voice barked into the phone. “Stephan! Talk to me.” Aisling had interacted with many powerful people in her lifetime, but none had affected her as strongly as hearing his voice on the line. Her trembling

became even more pronounced. She was struck dumb. “Stephan?!” “Sir, it is Aisling.” She finally managed to get her vocal cords to unlock. The heavy silence didn’t help her nerves. “Aisling, as in the Chameleon Aisling?” “Sir, yes sir!” “Am I to understand that Stephanous gave you this number?” Without waiting for her confirmation, he continued. “This better be good, and call me Sakis.” Steeling herself inside, with complete clarity, Aisling realized that

she liked it so much better working alone. “I have found out who killed Alicia.” She knew she could have cut the air with a knife, it was that thick as Sakis absorbed what she was telling him. “I not only am completely confident with this information, I believe that Stephan is in grave danger.” “I am listening.” Now she had his attention and no sarcasm this time. “The file that you sent to Stephan had many photographs of Stephan growing up in Greece. What were included in those photographs were pictures of a unique birthmark. Knowing

the way the high-powered families work —” “Photos are taken of any markings on families, in case they need to be used for identification. Yes. I know. I have done that with my own family,” Sakis cut in impatiently. “Sister Katherine took the pictures, but at first I couldn’t understand why. The orphanage was not wealthy; there would have been no need for identification to be made of a lowly orphan.” “Unless it would be used to identify the family,” Sakis stated in wonder. He had gone over the file himself a thousand times and it never occurred to him that there would be a

way to run a search. “I had a hit not five minutes ago and found an almost identical match.” She inhaled deeply; she was about to drop a bombshell. “Sakis, the woman I believe is the mother of Stephan is Yasmin Gallo. Now known as Yasmin Boulos, wife of Nadir Boulos.” “And I personally handed my best friend on a platter to him. How much of a head start do they have on you?” Aisling knew that they had rented a private jet to carry them to Palm Springs and if they took off on time, they were already four hours into a six-hour flight. “Probably four hours, Sakis, but it will take me an hour or more to make

arrangements myself—” “I will take care of your arrangements. Just grab whatever you need for a successful trip as quickly as you can and get your ass to the airport. As the Chameleon, you have performed many jobs for us. I expect no less of you on this one. I want no one to know you are coming or that you are there. I personally will get in touch with the Boulos family and will try to contact Stephanous in flight.” Feeling slightly insulted, she tried to keep her tone professional. “Of course, Sakis.” “I didn’t mean to insult you, Aisling. Your work has always been exemplary. When you are emotionally

attached, as I am guessing you are with Stephanous and he with you if he gave you my number, then it takes a special skill to not let your emotions rob you of what you have done naturally all of these years.” Understanding what he was saying, she had to agree. This was going to have to be treated as a job. Not as her rescuing someone she loved. For the first time in her twenty-eight years, she was in love. Aisling never worked a job feeling this emotional. Her mind raced at the implications. One wrong move, and they all could die. Pulling herself together, she realized that Sakis was still speaking. “It could mean the difference of life-or-

death for Stephanous and Sophia. You will communicate only with me and on this line. The driver who will pick you up will give you a burner phone for your use. I will be the only one who has that number. Use what is at your disposal to track them down. If you are in need of any additional equipment, I will arrange for it to happen. Am I clear?” Squaring her shoulders, her tone hardened, getting into the mindset of the Chameleon. “Got it.” “Oh, and Aisling, one final thing. I want the ones responsible for all of this dead and Stephan back home to Boston within forty-eight hours.” “I will make it happen,” she stated in response to his command. Even

if I have to die in the process, she thought. “Sakis, tracking him down will not be difficult. Without his knowledge, I placed a tracker on him.” The line had become so quiet that for a moment Aisling thought they had inadvertently gotten disconnected. “I would normally tell you that this is unacceptable, Aisling, but in light of our current situation…good job.” Forty-five minutes later, she buckled herself into her seat on a private jet at Logan Airport. Sakis had arranged not only the jet in that short period of time but also had a driver outside the Ritz within ten minutes to take her to her flight. The car was able to pass through the checkpoints, and drive right onto the

runway to the stairs of the plane. After confirming with him that this would be the plane that would be returning them to Boston, she read between the lines and it helped her packing for the trip immensely. She only brought one of her laptops, opting for portable hard drives instead and the wireless system. A large military duffel bag was perfect for her weapons and gear. With six hours of flying time, and no worry about hiding anything from the flight crew, she could lay everything out on the plane and organize herself then. Somewhere between running up the stairs to enter the plane and seating, she was no longer Aisling, but now the Chameleon.

CHAPTER 38 The plane landed smoothly, much to Sophia’s relief. Stephan hid a smile, fully expecting her to drop to her knees on the tarmac and kiss the ground in relief. He had to give it to her…she held it together and he was proud that she did. It showed a tough interior. Alicia and he had made a good choice. Stephan had barely said two words to her on their flight, choosing instead to brush up on the information he had on Nadir Boulos and his father Odalis. He remembered Odalis fondly even though now, knowing he had been intimate with Alicia, he couldn’t get the image out of his head. The old man, in

his early seventies, looked fantastic in the still photographs. Nadir, Odalis’s only son, had just turned fifty but he was someone he hardly knew. Stephan knew that Odalis had been grooming his only son from a young age to take over the family business. It had not always been smooth sailing. After a brief rebellious phase on Nadir’s part—over a girl, of all things—the tensions ran high. There was even talk that Odalis was ready to disown his son if he didn’t break off the relationship. That was when the decision was made to move to America with the hopes that distance would cure the lovesickness that seemed to overtake Nadir. From what he could read, it must

have worked because Nadir finally settled down, married and now was the father of two grown sons. They were the apple of their grandfather’s eyes, from what he could determine. As wealthy as Sakis was, his fortune was paltry compared to the Boulos’ wealth. America certainly had been good to that family. Shielding his eyes from the sun’s glare, he scanned the area, surprised that the limousine was not waiting. Just as the thought presented itself, he could see a black vehicle make its way toward them at a high rate of speed. Stephan chuckled, guessing that the driver was more than likely internally freaking out that they were late.

The moment the vehicle stopped, Stephan gripped Sophia by the arm and led her to the rear of the car. “Here we go. Remember everything you learned. We are here to make an impression on Sakis’s part. This will be the easiest of the many jobs you will be asked to do. I want this to go as smoothly as possible and be back on that flight by tomorrow. Am I clear?” At Sophia’s nervous nod, Stephan flashed a warm smile at her. He could see her melt slightly from the look. “You are doing great! Relax.” He watched her exhaling as she slid in. The driver had already opened his door, waiting patiently for him to get settled before he closed the door.

Sophia’s phone rang; she jumped in her seat, before fumbling for it. After speaking for a few minutes quietly, she pressed the Mute button. “Mr. Boulos is on the line for you, Mr. Petros.” “The elder or the son?” At the shocked look, Stephan gently slipped the phone from her fingers, missing Alicia even more. Speaking in his native tongue, Stephan figured he could figure it out on his own. “Stephanous Petros.” “Stephanous, Nadir. I pray your flight was acceptable.” “A few bumps along the way but nothing we couldn’t handle. We are on

our way to your compound now. Is everything in order?” “Very good and yes, everything is more than fine. I wanted to inform you that the package arrived earlier than expected. After a cursory inspection, I have to say that I am more than pleased with the items. They have far exceeded our expectations in every way.” Stephan frowned. The shipment should not have arrived already. It had been planned down to the minute to arrive an hour after their plane landed. Having that level of detail served two purposes: One, the driver would not be overtired, causing a higher chance of committing a driving violation. The other, so that he could handle the

paperwork and ensure a smooth transition. In this case, it seemed that everything worked out, but to slack in the details never settled well with him. “Sakis will be pleased to hear that it is to your satisfaction. I hope that you will still allow me the honor of inspecting the remaining shipment.” “Champagne is already on ice. We are just waiting on your arrival.” “I look forward to it.” After he disconnected the call, Stephan stared out of the window. “Is everything okay, Mr. Petros?” Sophia sensed something wasn’t quite right. “Yes. Everything is fine,

thankfully, but I need you to contact security when we arrive and let them know that I expect a report on my desk when I return tomorrow letting me know why we didn’t have a smooth transport.” “Certainly.” Returning to viewing the landscape, Stephan allowed his thoughts to settle on Aisling, wondering what she was doing right now. Whether or not she missed him as much as he did her. This vacation certainly wasn’t working out the way he had planned, and he vowed when Sakis returned and everything settled down, he was going to go away for a couple of weeks, someplace warm and secluded. Someplace with Aisling. With his head back on the headrest, he

closed his eyes; the beginning of a migraine was taking form. He wished that he had taken the pain-killers before they landed. Across from Stephan, Sophia stared out of the window at the unfamiliar landscape. Chewing on her bottom lip in worry, she glanced at her employer, who seemed lost in thought. He had told her to memorize everything on their trip to Palm Springs, and she had done exactly as he asked, but went one step further unbeknownst to him: she memorized the fastest route from the airstrip to the compound. Then she memorized the next fastest route. Neither of which the driver was currently taking. It could be nothing, but on the other

hand… Their phones had not been working properly on the airplane, and had the same issue—granted, intermittently—since they landed. She hoped this was not one of the times that it failed. Quickly texting a message to him, she voiced her concerns. She slid her hand along the seat casually so that the driver wouldn’t take notice, and poked him in the side of his leg. The second he felt her touch, he sat up straighter, on alert. “You seem deep in thought, Mr. Petros. Is everything okay?” she asked nonchalantly. Stephan glared at her, wondering

whether she had lost it. Sophia tried to control her fear as she lifted her phone slightly on her lap, hoping he would take the hint. Stephan, more than used to subtle hints, understood immediately. Taking her cue, he kept his own tone casual as he read her message. “Have you let the office know that we have landed? We have to keep on schedule!” “Yes. They have been made aware.” She felt a great relief now that he understood the situation. Stephan couldn’t believe what he was reading, but he trusted her instincts, duly impressed that she knew where she

was. He pressed the button to alert the driver he wanted to speak to him. Moments later, the window slid open and a face came into view, but it wasn’t the driver. Sophia inhaled sharply at the gun that was pointed directly at Stephan. “Yes, Mr. Petros. Did you need something?” the man stated sarcastically. Recognizing the steward from the plane, Stephan also recognized the snide tone. “It was you!” Grinning, the steward nodded. “Yes. Yes, I confess, I was the one who kicked the shit out of you and put the bullet in sweet Alicia’s brains.” Stephan wanted to reach across

the vehicle and choke the life out of him but couldn’t take the chance with Sophia in the car. “What the fuck do you want?” “You know what I want. You were warned to stay away. Was not one death enough for you to get it through your thick skull? Checkmate, Stephanous. But first, a family meeting is in order, don’t you think?”

CHAPTER 39 (Stephanous Petros: fifteen years old) Gregory watched the young boy carry the dog through the door. Tears streamed down his face as he laid the heavy load. Not much got to him, but knowing the love between the child and the animal, he had to swallow hard to get past the lump that choked the air from his lungs. “There is something wrong with him.” Stephan’s eyes begged the man for help. Staring into the animal’s eyes, he saw death was close. Placing his hand on Stephan’s shoulder, he shook his head. “Sorry, son. There are times

that the only thing that can be done is to stay and be a friend as they pass on.” Stephan ran his hand along the dog’s body rhythmically, lying down next to it as Gregory left the room. The animal reached out, licking Stephan’s face as its tail moved back and forth for several minutes. A short time later, a small whimper escaped the animal’s throat. Stephan gently closed its eyes before he pressed his own face into its hair, sobbing uncontrollably. After finishing up his conversation with Aisling, Sakis stormed across the compound toward his office. This was going to be war if he didn’t get answers to his question

quickly. Just as he reached the door to the home, Phil called out to him. By his side, Sakis recognized one of the inspectors assigned to his case. Groaning internally, he plastered a smile on his face as he held out his hand in greeting, not willing to chance pissing off the Greek police, especially considering they liked holding so much power in keeping him detained. After an hour and a half of the same questions and stories of the past, Sakis was able to finally pull away. He slammed his office door behind him and pulled together all of his files that he brought to Greece of the Boulos family. They landed with a thud as he tossed them onto his desk. After he

dialed Odalis’s number, Sakis leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face with his free hand, worried that he may already be too late. Relieved when the call picked up on the second ring, he fought to remain civil. Twenty minutes later, he was glad he did. Odalis was just as shocked by the story Sakis relayed to him. The man was so convinced that Sakis had to be wrong that doubt invaded his mind. His fingers drummed the wooden desk, as Sakis questioned whether any of this was true or just a trick by someone they barely knew. Aisling jumped when her phone rang unexpectedly. She was in the middle of downloading the floor plans

of some of the Boulos warehouses and homes. “Sakis.” “Odalis said that Nadir has spoken with Stephan directly after their plane landed. They are currently en route to the family compound as we speak.” Pressing her fingers to her closed eyes, Aisling willed the headache away. Sakis’s tone said it all. The world seems right, and you are the one who is fucked up. “Sakis, were you able to reach the pilot of the airplane?” “No.” “Were you able to reach Stephan or Sophia?” “No.” Aisling nodded her head,

as Sakis said this more quietly. “Odalis will be calling you back within the hour when Stephan doesn’t arrive as planned. Did you tell him everything?” “Of course not.” This time it was Sakis’s turn to be defensive. “Let’s continue with our original plan. I have two hours to landing and need to get ready. Let me know if you learn anything.” Disconnecting the call, Aisling rose to her feet, prompting the stewardess to come to her side. “Do you need anything, miss?” “My bags, please. All of them.” Moments later, all of the bags were placed on the open space on the

floor of the plane. She quickly pulled out her gear to wear, and then laid out all of her weapons so she could decide which ones to bring. She had to commend the stewardess for not even blinking at the cache of weapons that slowly emerged. Once everything was laid out, Aisling stripped down to almost nothing before, slowly and methodically, she began to redress. First had to be the hair. She couldn’t afford to leave any trace of herself behind, and the hair would be the easiest to lose. In hand-to-hand combat, it would be the first thing her opponent would grab. Dividing her hair into two sections, she twisted each section before she methodically pinned them to her

head. Aisling didn’t like recording her jobs, but in this case, she would need evidence. Placing a metal band with a camera behind her head high on her neck, she secured it in place on her ear before she slipped on a mesh cap, pulling on the small string to tighten it around her scalp. She scrutinized her handiwork in the mirror. Smiling ruefully at herself, she had to admit she looked a bit like an alien. Next, the black wig went on. The small camera rested next to her eye, back just enough that she would not get distracted. Once she was on site, if it got too hot, the wig would go. Grabbing several unscented baby

wipes, she proceeded to wipe herself down, from the top of her forehead, all the way down to her toes. She wanted nothing on her that could come off if she ended up in a fight. It was amazing how much you could find out by the perfume or makeup someone wore. She slipped on the cargo plants with its many pockets, and then the black long-sleeved compression shirt. This was her favorite piece of the outfit. Even though it was tight to the body, she never felt hot or sweaty, somehow allowing her skin to breathe. It was brutally hot in Palm Springs; she didn’t need to be passing out from heat. The material did its job well. Once the base outfit was

complete, she slipped on the boots. She loved her boots. Designed for tree climbing and linesman, she found them to be perfect for undercover. They were heavily stitched and built to support long stays, whether it was on a ledge or otherwise. The steel-enforced toe made it an incredible weapon and with the power behind her kick, she lost track of the number of skulls she cracked with them. Guns were next. Staring at the many laid out, along with her knives, she frowned. Aisling really wished she had time to get the others from the safe deposit box before she left. She preferred to not wear the bulletproof vest but there was a hesitation as she set

it aside. She had no idea what she was getting into but it would hinder her movement too much if she needed to squeeze into a tight spot. The knife was first to be placed. The scabbard was made specifically for her and her body type. Snapping it to her upper arm with the hilt facing down, it was the easiest spot for hand-to-hand combat and easily became her favorite weapon over the years. This knife would more than likely be used first as she worked her way from the outside perimeter to the inside. Slipping the first gun holster under her breasts, she buckled it tightly, slid the gun in place, and snapped it shut. Because of her size, this too was custom made. The second she buckled tightly on

her upper thigh. This was not her favorite weapon, preferring the small guns, but it worked when the going got tough. Eyeing the remaining weapons, she thought carefully. She should be prepared enough with what was strapped to her, including extra ammunition. Aisling knew that too much baggage would weigh her down, but not enough could get her killed. She still had a backpack to carry. Hearing her trainer’s voice in her ear, she picked up a third gun and strapped it around her back so it would fall under her arm. The ritual made or broke the job. The ritual was what got her into the mindset of a warrior. The ritual was what had saved her life even when she

didn’t think that there would be an issue. Her trainer was right. The success or failure of the mission would be based only on the preparation ahead of time. The last item she slid in the remaining side pocket. It was the GPS that would let her know where Stephan was when she landed. Standing tall, she looked down at herself. Aisling felt not only prepared, but a true chameleon and ready for battle. Picking up the backpack with the other equipment, she double-checked all of her supplies. “Ma’am. We are preparing for landing.” Aisling nodded slightly and took a seat. She only had one thing left to do.

Quickly sending her preset codes, her screen flashed in front of her, reflecting her own laptop through the camera’s lens. She waited patiently for the confirmation that she had connected to the other devices. Moments later, as the three confirmations came through, Aisling’s eyes narrowed and she smiled coldly. This was going to be a live show, and Sakis, Nadir, and Odalis were all online. It might take them a few minutes to figure it out, but as she rose out of her seat, she felt confident that her backup would arrive on time.

CHAPTER 40 The building was stifling, with only an oversized fan to cool the space down. But instead of cooling, it just caused the already heated air to move around faster. Sophia seemed to be feeling the brunt of it. Her face was already bright pink and sweat exited from all of her pores as her system worked overtime trying to assist in the cooling down process. Stephan was worried that she would be dehydrated soon, if she wasn’t already. They were both bound tightly and had been placed on folding chairs. Stephan had made several attempts to free himself, or if nothing else loosen the

plastic, but only succeeded in cutting his wrist. The blood mixed in with his sweat caused a stinging sensation on the open wound. “Are we going to die?” Sophia asked, terrified, as she stared at the four men at the card table playing poker. Military style weapons rested on their backs as they played. Two more guards were near the large door that obviously allowed for a car to pull in when needed. This was the door they came through. At the other door, a guard leaned his chair back against the wall, trying not to nod off to sleep. They were certainly outnumbered. He wanted to lie and tell her everything was going to be fine, but

Stephan couldn’t do it. It would sound false, even to his ears, so he chose to not say anything. Their captors didn’t take the time to blindfold or gag them. He had been in this business long enough to know what that meant. If you didn’t care whether people see your face, it was because you know that they would never have the opportunity to describe you to the authorities and if you were not gagged, there was no one close enough to hear your cries for help. He wished he knew more about Palm Springs. There were other buildings around them, warehouse types, but he didn’t know how far away from civilization they were. To him, they seemed to drive aimlessly. Even if

Sophia had not asked why they were driving around in circles, he would have already suspected it, having passed several landmarks a few times. He could only guess that it was to throw any tail that might be behind them. Footsteps approached them from behind. Sophia twisted her neck to see who approached, her eyes wide with fear. Stephan chose instead to completely relax his body. There was no way he was going to show fear. If he were going to die, then he would die with pride and dignity. “Little hot in here, isn’t it?” a voice asked brightly. When he snapped his fingers, the guard sitting by himself rose and stepped through the door.

Seconds later, a blast of cold air could be felt from the ventilation system. Stephan figured the person who placed the order to abduct them was on their way. Their time was almost up. He reasoned the only person who could have arranged all of this who had something to lose had to be Nadir. Odalis was too old school. What he couldn’t figure out was why. Why the deception with the gun deal? Seemed a pretty complicated way to kill him. He could have just as easily arranged something in Boston. Hell. The guy should have killed him when he had the chance in Sakis’s office, instead of executing Alicia. Stephan thought of Aisling. Sweet, confused Aisling. He

wondered whether she was worried when he didn’t call. God, he missed her. A high-pitched screeching filled the room as the large door rose, allowing access to the vehicle. The white sedan’s windows were tinted dark. The driver stepped out and without looking at either Sophia or him, walked around the vehicle to open the back passenger door. His eyebrows jumped in surprise as a woman rose. Her white linen pants were immaculate, as was her top. The tunic style shirt had embroidery around the cuffs and the slit in the top at the throat. He recognized the maker, and knew that it cost a pretty penny. Her head was wrapped in a colorful scarf,

which she proceeded to unwind as she walked toward him. Stephan’s eyes narrowed as her dark eyes stared into his own. He knew without a doubt that this was his mother. He actually saw himself reflected in her features: the skin color, the eyes—even the way she carried herself. She had an arrogance about her that was tangible. As beautiful as she was, there was something distinctly cold the way she pursed her lips. The steward walked over to her, bending slightly as she whispered in his ear. He shook his head before he stepped away. “My name is Yasmin Boulos. You have wanted to find me, even though

you were warned to stop. So here I am.” She held her arms wide and turned slowly in a circle. Bitch. Stephan knew better than to voice his opinion right now. He had questions he wanted answers to. But first, he wanted Sophia safe. Gesturing with his head toward Sophia, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to try. “Let the woman go. She has nothing to do with any of this and knows nothing of my search.” Yasmin didn’t even bother to glance at Sophia. “No one will go. You both will die today.” “Why do you hate me so much?” Stephan asked with more pain in his

voice than he intended. “Ah. My dear son—I do not hate you. Hate would mean that I feel something for you. I feel absolutely nothing. You mean nothing.” Sophia gasped at the cruelty of the woman’s words. “Interesting. So if I mean nothing, let the two of us walk out of here. Now that I see you and realize that there was nothing to look for to begin with.” Throwing back her head, she laughed loudly and continued to chuckle as she stepped closer. “We can’t have that now, can we? See, I want no one to know who I am. If someone should happen to find out, I will lose everything

that I have worked for my whole life. Then, there is the small thing called inheritance. Nadir would think that he owes you something. His long-lost son. If that happened, what would become of my own sons?” “So Nadir has no clue about me?” Stephan spat out, realizing the level of this woman’s deception. She could be starting a major civil war right now, and she had no idea. Rage filled Yasmin’s eyes. “And he never will. Sammy tells me that you have fired the one you call the Chameleon, something about a photo of her over a nun’s body.” “Sammy? Aisling’s Sammy?”

The large man bowed and grinned from ear to ear. “So you have heard of me?” “Only because she trusted you with her life. So, you were the one who killed Sister Katherine.” It was not a question but more of a statement. Everything slid into place, piece by piece. Yasmin’s phone rang and her face blanched at the number. As she walked away from the group, she lowered her voice to avoid being heard. Sammy watched her step away before he turned back to Stephan. “I did. But if it makes you feel better, I made sure it was quick.”

“You set up Sakis.” Bowing his head slightly, he acknowledged Stephan’s statement. “And you did the one thing I wanted you to do. You believed your eyes when you saw the pictures of her in glorious Chameleon disguise and dismissed her. Ironically, she was the only person I thought could cause a problem for me in getting to you, but I knew your arrogance and rich pride wouldn’t allow for her to help you. Well, you fucked up because she is so much more than what she appears and is fantastic at her job.” “Wow. You actually sound like you respect her.” “Hell yeah I do. This is business, nothing more. Aisling knows that work

goes to the highest bidder.” Glancing at Sophia to check on her, he worried at her pallor. Between the heat and the conversation, she was slowly starting to unravel. He wanted to beg for her release, but he knew that neither of them were going to be leaving here alive unless someone came and rescued them. And that wouldn’t be happening because no one knew they were missing. He had never felt completely at a loss as he did at the moment. Returning to the small group, Yasmin stared at Stephan again before she turned to Sammy. “Nadir has called twice, asking where I am. I think I was able to hold him off by telling him I was

shopping. He sounded stressed. I think they have realized that he is missing.”

CHAPTER 41 (Stephanous Petros: seventeen years old) Gregory stared at the young man cleaning the gun in his lap. No longer the scrawny boy who walked in nine years ago, but a strong, lean, powerful muscled man. Gregory had grown to love Stephan as if he were his own son. Gregory knew he didn’t have much time left to live and he didn’t want Stephan to get swallowed up in this world. “It is time to leave, Stephanous. You should have enough money by now to make your journey to America.” Stephan stared at the old man with brooding eyes. He was not stupid.

He noticed the weight loss, the sinking of the eyes, the yellow tinge to the man’s skin. Taking the envelope handed to him, he rose to his feet. “Thank you, Gregory.” Ignoring the tears that filled the old man’s eyes, Stephan held out his hand. “I will never forget you!” “Same here, kid,” Gregory said to an empty room after Stephan walked out and closed the door softly behind him. The sun felt as if it were going to burn a hole in her back, but Aisling ignored the discomfort as if it were nothing more than a pesky fly. She stared through the lenses of her binoculars from the roof of the adjoining building and watched the activity below her. Her last

conversation with Sakis was as she expected, learning that Stephan and Sophia had not made it to their destination at Nadir’s compound. But Aisling already knew this, picking up his signal even before the plane landed. She knew the Greek was pissed and worried at the same time but he was also smart, having lived in this world for a long time. It was never good to let your emotions run your decisions. Once Odalis told Nadir what was going on, they realized that this had to be an inside job. Even though Nadir refused to believe his wife was involved, he did agree to play along with the ruse until it could be sorted out and his wife could be cleared. Pulling

only the most trusted guards into their secret, they waited for confirmation from Aisling as to the location. Only then would they dispatch help. Aisling relayed the coordinates several minutes ago to Sakis with instructions to keep everyone back until she could clear the area. With the live feed, they would know her every move at all times. Aisling watched the first vehicle as it approached the building and parked next to the other vehicles. She was not interested in the driver, focusing the lenses on the rear passenger door as it opened. A large man stepped out in full camo. Her breathing never changed; her eyes were the only thing that reflected her hate. “Fuck you, Sammy!” she

whispered, recognizing her old friend immediately before he disappeared inside of the building. She should have guessed. Waiting patiently, she did not move a muscle until she saw the white sedan make its approach, and then paused as the driver waited for the large door to open. Texting Sakis, she gave the signal for him to contact Nadir so that he could call his wife. For Aisling, obedience to her orders was paramount in this rescue being a success. She worked on never second-guessing whether or not her orders would be followed through. She could only trust her team. She trusted Sakis, but knew nothing of the Boulos family. Without

waiting for a reply, she rose to her feet and grabbed her backpack, ensuring she stayed crouched low. The battle was just beginning. This was the time she was going to have to make her move and quickly. Scurrying down from the top of the building, she made little noise. One guard had been right below her the entire time. He would be the first she would take out. She grimaced; she did not relish this part of her job, especially considering she was going to have to use her knife to keep it clean and simple and her height difference could make it cumbersome. When she reached the bottom, she ran at him, kicking his knee in from behind, dropping him. She had

her hand on his forehead, his head tipped back and the slice made before he could grunt in surprise. Without waiting for him to completely expire, she was already dragging him around the corner and out of sight. Aisling easily took out three more guards the same way. Obviously, these had been the worst of the bunch, which was probably why Yasmin was able to recruit them to her side. From what she could tell, she only had two more left outside. But these two seemed to hang with each other, and would be a bit more difficult to take down without the other one knowing. Debating on her next move, she stared at them as if she were staring at a chessboard. Nodding to

no one, she knew she had to keep one alive to find out how many people were inside the building. As she contemplated her options, she saw one move away from the other. Luck of the Irish was on her side as he headed toward her, more than likely on a bathroom break. She quickly screwed the silencer on her gun; he dropped at her feet before he could even shout a warning. Again, she quickly dragged the body. The other guard must have heard something as Aisling heard his heavy footsteps headed in her direction. Timing the sounds, she stepped around the corner and held the gun steady at his chest. With a finger to her lips, she motioned for him to follow her.

Tentatively, he stepped around the corner; his eyes widened at his friend on the ground, eyes open and staring blankly at the sky with a bullet lodged in his brain. “Throw aside your gun!” she whispered with authority in Greek. Aisling waited for him to obey. “How many guards on the inside?” Her eyes flashed irritation when he gritted his teeth and did not answer. Approaching him, she lowered the gun barrel at his crotch, and repeated her question patiently. “Everyone on the outside is dead already. It means nothing to me to include you on the list. How many on the inside?” The trickle of sweat that ran

down his face was the only indication that his nerves were kicking in. “Five guards. No more,” he spat out. “Five, not counting the driver and the woman. Correct?” The moment she saw his head nod, she shot him between the eyes. Stepping over him without looking back, she ran to the back. She was quickly losing time. As she climbed the ladder that led to the roof, she prayed she wasn’t too late. ~~~ Yasmin returned to stand in front of Stephanous. Her cold eyes cut through him. “You should have listened and

backed off. The death of the the woman is on you, as is the nun.” Stephan glared at the woman who gave birth to him. “I can readily accept my death but I would like to know why. Why all of this? For what?” Smiling, she clasped her hands in front of her. “It was a simple business decision. You know how that works and because the timing of a child was not right.” The confused look on Stephan’s face caused her to laugh. “I chose Nadir. I knew with his family that they would be able to support my needs. Convincing Odalis, on the other hand, was not as easy. He disliked me from day one but I knew it was not personal. Here was his only son. He wanted to choose the

woman who would become the wife of the head of the family. But Nadir loved me, and I used that to my advantage, conceiving a child without him knowing.” Her face darkened as she recalled that time in her life. “What I hadn’t counted on was Odalis taking Nadir to America before I could tell him that I was carrying his child. I debated for a time on whether or not to abort you but I was so far along in the pregnancy that I knew the risks to my health and decided to carry you to term. I hid for months so that no one who knew me would know. Funny thing, Odalis tracked me down. It seems my love couldn’t live without me and he was willing to fly me

to America to make his son happy. But there were conditions to the agreement. Not one of those conditions listed a baby before wedlock.” “Did he know?” Stephan asked. “Of course not! The day of your birth, I was alone in my apartment. I delivered you, cut the cord and carried you to the church.” “I could have died!” Stephan gritted his teeth as the hate almost overwhelmed him. With a shrug, Yasmin stared at her fingernails. “I didn’t care. I was going to finally get what I wanted.” Placing a hand under his chin, she lifted his head up and stared deep into his

eyes. Stephan saw a movement in the shadows above them. His heart leapt in his chest, knowing there could only be one person who could have gotten in. He wondered how much she had heard of the conversation. With a new hope rising inside him, he had to stall Yasmin, to give Aisling time to formulate a plan. “Nadir is a great man but he is soft. If he found out that you were his son, he would embrace that fact. When he found out that I had left you for dead?” Yasmin shuddered. “It would not have bode well for me when he learned the truth. Deception is a sticky web for sure.” “I need nothing from Nadir. So,

all of this for money?” Stephan felt sick. “If that is how you want to look at it. I like to call it life security for me and my sons.” Shooting a look at Sammy, she stood tall in her heels, stepping away from Stephan as she did so. “I must leave you all. My family is expecting me back and I am already behind schedule.” All eyes watched as she slid in the vehicle; the driver closed the door with a finality that seemed to affect Sophia the most as she whimpered next to Stephan. With everyone’s attention riveted to Yasmin’s departure, Stephan took the time to scan the maze of catwalks above his head, unable to see anyone. His frown deepened as he wondered where she went.

A blast of hot air streamed into the room as the door opened slowly. Sammy waited until the door was closed before he turned and strode to Stephan and Sophia. He froze in place as he stared behind him. Turning to follow his glance, Stephan noticed the same thing that Sammy had. The door in the back of the room was slightly ajar and the guard who was supposed to be guarding the post was no longer there. Showtime, Stephan thought. Sammy barked orders to the other guards, dispatching two to find out where the guard went. Sammy was no fool. His body reflected calm, but there was a shift in him; his eyes scanned the room, including the catwalk, but like

Stephan, he saw nothing.

CHAPTER 42 Using the distraction of Yasmin making her departure, she opened the back door quietly; catching the man off guard, she pressed her gun to his head and forced him to follow her. She wasn’t sure it would work. But she took the chance that these losers’ allegiance to Yasmin was on a long leash. Assuming that he would have no intention of dying for her, she was able to get him out without him alerting the others. Aisling coldly dropped him quickly when they were far enough away. Propping him up on the wall, she stood behind the door. The moment the first guard stepped out, she kicked high

with her leg with such force she heard the crack of his skull, stunning him as her steel toe slammed into the side of his head. The other guard let out a shout as he charged toward Aisling, knocking her to the ground hard. All the air left her body with the fall, but she had trained for this type of impact. Reaching her leg, she withdrew the knife, drove it between the guard’s ribs, and twisted it as she pulled it out. She grimaced as the blood flowed from his body, saturating her. Stunned, the man rose up, a snarl on his face, but he didn’t have the opportunity to fight back as she drove it deep in his chest and pushed him away at the same time. The moment she pulled it out, she watched as the light faded from his eyes

as his blood tried to pump through a heart that was now shredded. Inhaling deeply, Aisling allowed the oxygen to calm her breathing before she strode through the door, with a confidence that bore from years of not giving a fuck. She watched the many emotions that crossed Sammy’s face: from shock, to disdain, and if she was right, a hint of fear. Aisling smiled across the room at him as she strode nonchalantly across the concrete floor, her gun pointed between his eyes. Sammy felt the little red dot boring a hole in his skin. As Aisling came closer, she reached up, pulling the wig and mesh from her head, and ran her fingers through the strands carefully to ensure

the camera stayed in place but allowing her hair to tumble around her face. Stephan thought that he had never seen anything hotter than her strutting toward them with her flaming red hair. “Hey, Sammy! How’s it going? I believe that you have my boyfriend. I want him back.” Aisling’s voice was confident and strong, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Stephan’s laughter reached out to her but she never took her eyes off Sammy. “Hey, Stephan. Missed you.” “Hey, missed you too,” Stephan replied. The last guard standing moved silently along the wall, believing that he

had been forgotten. Aisling was done, and wanted to go home. Reaching under her arm, she slid her other gun out smoothly, never allowing her other hand to falter. The dot was unwavering as she shot the guard in the chest. Sophia screamed as the man slid down the wall. Blood stained the metal behind him. “Move one step closer, I will blow a hole through him!” Sammy shouted. “Was it worth it?” she asked quietly, ignoring his command. She kept a steady pace to her walk, stopping only when she stood directly behind Stephan. Sammy looked confused at her

question and didn’t respond. “The money. Was it worth losing our friendship and your life?” “As you have always said Aisling, this is business.” Even though she knew he was going to try it, she wasn’t as prepared as she had hoped as he fired his gun straight at her. A multitude of shots sounded from behind her within a millisecond of Sammy’s going off. Stephan dove toward Sophia and shoved his body against hers so that she was knocked hard to the ground. He kept his body on top of hers, afraid a stray bullet would strike her. He watched as Sammy’s body dropped in what seemed

like slow motion to the ground. He was dead before he hit the floor. The moment he fell, shouts could be heard surrounding him and Sophia. Stephan twisted his body, trying to catch a glimpse of Aisling, but could only see her red hair as several men knelt on the floor next to her. She wasn’t moving. His voice thick with emotion, he called out to one of the men to cut his ties. Seconds later, he knelt and brushed her hair back away from her face. She was covered in so much blood. Her body started to shake. “Are you seriously laughing right now?” “Wow, that was fun. Now that

this is over, can we start working on us now?” Without waiting for a reply, Aisling reached up and pulled his face down so that she could kiss him hard on the mouth. The other men, embarrassed, quickly left the two alone on the floor as they indulged in each other. Finally, temporarily sated, he helped her to sit but immediately noticed that she wasn’t moving her left arm. “You DID get shot.” Looking at her arm, she shrugged. “It is minor—went clean through.” A hand reached down to them, holding a white handkerchief. “Bind her wound with this, my son.”

Stephan’s eyes shot up, nodding as he stared into his father’s eyes. He said nothing as he wrapped the fabric around her arm tightly before he rose and pulled Aisling along with him. Nadir held out his hand toward Aisling. “Very impressive, young lady. When this is all over, I would love to have your business number.” Aisling laughed. “You got it.” Her eyes became somber as Nadir nodded. “She is dead. We did as you said and stayed back until the car exited this building. She shot the driver and then herself before we could reach her. She really had no other option.” He paused as the emotion took over. He would never have believed his wife

could have organized this level of deception if it hadn’t been for the live feed. He had loved her with every part of his being, and this would take a long time to get over. “Sir. Please. I understand.” Gratefully, he clasped her hands in his before he turned to Stephan. “It seems that I owe you a thousand apologies, but have nowhere to begin.” “You owe me nothing, Nadir,” Stephan responded gruffly and he meant it. “Please, I will ask that we spend some time talking. If you are willing.” Glancing around the room, he cut his eyes to Aisling. “After we get a body

count of how many she has taken down and cleaned up this mess. The car is available whenever you are ready to head to my house.” Stephan stared into eyes that resembled his own. “I would like that.” With his arm wrapped around Aisling’s shoulder, he steered her toward Sophia, who seemed to be trying to take it all in that they were still alive. “But first, I need to introduce Aisling to someone who has been incredibly brave.”

CHAPTER 43 (Stephanous Petros: seventeen years old) Sister Katherine could feel the tears stinging the back of her eyes as she silently willed him to look at her. For the first time in his life, he refused the direct eye contact, afraid that he would falter. There was no going back. Gripping the ticket tightly in his hand, he prayed the call to board would come soon and end this agony of having to say good-bye. “Sister, when I become successful, I will come back and help you.” Sister Katherine pressed her fingers to his lips and shook her head.

“Don’t make promises. I will be here, whenever you are ready to come back.” Stephan stood as the flight was finally called. Sister Katherine pulled him in close and whispered in his ear. “I will miss you, Stephanous Petros, with all of my being. Don’t let anyone change you. You are perfect just the way you are.” Stephan allowed himself one moment to close his eyes before he pulled away. “I can’t look back. You know that, right?” he stated, finally looking into her eyes before he walked away from her. Nodding, she followed him with

her eyes until she could no longer see him. “I know,” she whispered aloud, wiping at the tears as they coursed down her cheeks. Staring out of the living room window at the lights in Boston Common, Stephan took a sip of his bourbon. It was good to be home and rested. Stephan stayed at the Boulos compound for several days but Aisling insisted that she and Sophia head back to Boston once they were cleaned up. Aisling had said that Sophia would need time alone to process her near-death experience without him around and he would need one-on-one time with the Boulos. At the time, he hadn’t agreed but in hindsight he realized that once again,

Aisling was right. Within twenty-four hours, Sophia had contacted him, and she sounded actually normal. Sophia was going to be an asset to the company, for sure. Sadness clutched at his chest as he thought of Alicia. The funeral arrangements were complete and they were all waiting for Sakis to return home. The authorities in Greece had finally cleared Sakis to leave the country and they were in flight. Stephan smiled to himself, sure that Sakis would need the whole ten-hour flight time to calm down Cassie. So much for the eightweek vacation. His time at the Boulos compound had been emotional for both Nadir and Odalis. Once the shock had passed of

learning that Stephanous was Nadir’s son and Odalis’s grandson, they spent the next two days getting to know one another. Stephan assured both that he had no monetary interest in the company and that his intent was just to find out who his birth parents were. It was more than obvious to Stephan that they were embarrassed with the chain of events, but as time passed, they all realized that a strong friendship was forming. Slender arms wrapped around his waist as Aisling pressed herself against him from behind. She felt awesome from their marathon lovemaking since Stephan came back, but now, doubt settled inside her as her insecurities took over.

Turning, Stephan reached behind him, pulling her to the front as he wrapped his arms around her and laid his head on top of hers. They both stared at each other through the reflection in the glass. As he entwined his fingers in hers, she felt cold metal on her skin. Aisling stared blankly at the diamond he had slid on her finger. “Stephan?” Turning her, he pushed his fingers through her hair, holding her head in place. “God, I love your hair. I hope our children have hair just like you.” “We barely know each other,” Aisling whispered doubtfully.

“I disagree. I have known you my whole life, and have been waiting for you. You are the half of me that makes sense.” Aisling tried to step away as she thought of her mother. “There is no fairy tale or Prince Charming, Stephan. Relationships take work. I am who I am.” Stephan smiled. “And I wouldn’t want it any other way.” “I am not quitting my job,” she statedemphatically. “Of course not and neither am I. I am just going to ask that when we start making babies, you take time off during the pregnancy.”

Aisling faltered. “Are you sure?” Stephan nodded. “Am I sure I love you? Yes. Am I sure that I want to spend the rest of my life fighting with you, getting to know you, loving you even more? Yes.” Her face pressed against his chest, she exhaled and let go of everything she was led to believe. It would not be easy, she knew, but she couldn’t imagine her life without him. Smiling, she tilted her head as she gazed up at him. “I accept, Stephanous Petros, but be careful what you wish for, because this could be a bumpy ride.” Stephan lowered his head,

grinning. “I expect nothing less from you. Bring it on, baby.”

Also by Kelly Ilebode

In Search of Grace The Manor at Echo Lake Trilogy Dragan’s Redemption Aaron’s Revenge The Legacy Kelly and the Angel Series The Birth of the Sparrow The Flight of the Sparrow The Turning Point

The Corner Booth www.kellyilebode.com Facebook: Kelly Ilebode, Author Twitter: @kellyandangel

Copyeditor – Faith Williams, The Atwater Group http://www.theatwatergroup.com Cover Art - Anita Carroll http://www.race-point.com