Chapter 18

Day had begun to edge toward evening, and Alexi had dutifully checked in three times over the past few hours. That did little to assuage Dimitri’s concern about Lauren’s safety, but it was important that she not feel trapped here. It was important that she trusted him enough to allow him to keep her on the island for her own safety. The last thing he needed was a headstrong socialite calling in favors from the Greek embassy and causing an international incident that would look like, to anyone on the outside peering in, a lover’s quarrel.

He shifted in the deck chair, his eyes fixing on deceptively calm sea that gleamed beneath the swiftly setting sun. He knew the issue between Lauren and Smithson was a hell of a lot more than that, of course, but this wasn’t a conversation anyone in the O?ros royal family wanted to have with outsiders. Least of all the king and queen. No. He needed to keep things as quiet and close as possible. Which meant he needed to keep Lauren as quiet and close as possible.

Dimitri’s phone buzzed, and he plucked it out of his pocket, recognizing the number immediately. Cyril’s voice was cool, crisp. And the man was clearly on speaker phone. “Report.”

“She’s safe,” he said gruffly. “Meeting a town’s worth of witnesses. Shopping. Eating. Everything in the open, exactly as if she’s a tourist on holiday. No sign of Smithson or anyone unusual on the island.” He paused. “I can get her to mainland Greece tonight if you’d like. It will take some doing to keep it quiet, but it could be arranged.”

“No.” This was from Stefan, who paused, clearly waiting for the go-ahead to continue. Then he spoke again. “Our intel on Henry Smithson is proving increasingly problematic. It appears Ms. Grant’s suspicions about his business practices are well-founded. There is reason to believe that he has begun financing insurgency forces in Turkey and Armenia, with outliers who might be rallied to his cause with sufficient motivation. That he hasn’t acted yet to find Ms. Grant is simply a matter of him not knowing where to look, we expect. Any attempt to move her to another country could potentially prove dangerous to her, requiring official action, which we don’t want to initiate if we can avoid it.”

Dimitri nodded, though they couldn’t see him. “Any information on your end from her call to Nicki?”

“Ms. Clark offered assurances and confirmed that nothing new has been received in the palace.” He paused. “She knows something more, but we can’t interrogate her without causing suspicions to rise. And I’m not convinced her information would be worthwhile.”

Dimitri stifled a snort. Stefan wasn’t convinced that anything Nicki Clark had to offer was worthwhile. Her brash behavior might be blinding him, but in this case, he was probably right. Nicki knew only what Lauren had told her about Smithson, both today and throughout their relationship. Based on what he’d learned about Lauren, so far, he suspected she hadn’t shared much.

“What has Smithson done to Lauren?” he asked instead. “Beyond these stupid gifts he’s sent her. There’s something more.”

“That intelligence is being accumulated now,” Stefan said. “But his affection for Ms. Grant is, at a minimum, suspect. By her own admission, the attention began when she was a child and increased every year, becoming romantic in nature only when she turned eighteen. Within the letter of any law in any territory.” Stefan’s words seemed to disgust him, but he was right. Smithson had not assaulted Lauren by any account, neither before nor after she’d turned eighteen, and he’d acted at all times within the boundaries permitted by her parents, as evidenced by the fact that they maintained ties to him. There was something distinctly wrong about his attention, but it wasn’t criminal. And, perhaps most damning, Lauren herself had not brought charges against him. Even if her reasons were sound in her own mind, there was little she could do without having stated her case to the authorities.

“Smithson’s relationship with her father showed signs of strain at approximately the same time, but the two clearly reached an amicable resolution, and now they remain tightly connected,” Stefan continued. “We will continue to compile data and cross-reference to all his other known relationships and romantic partnerships.”

He hesitated. “There’s...something else, too. Something I don’t think we can ignore.”

Dimitri’s nerves prickled. “What is it?”

“The link to Typhon. You mentioned the unsavory gifts that Smithson has given her. She told me about them too. How did she describe them to you?”

“Dead things. Bugs, spiders, beetles. Like that.”

“She didn’t mention the snake pin?”

Dimitri sat up. “What? No. What snake pin? Did she describe it?”

“Other than say it was a pin with a snake decoration, no. It was apparently the first gift he ever presented to her, and she accepted it politely. She said he hasn’t given her anything like it again—no other snakes. But with everything else we’re discovering...”

“Echinda,” Dimitri blurted. “Son of a bitch.”

Before Stefan could prompt him, he rushed on. “Smithson called Lauren by that name during the party—I’m almost sure. His voice was muffled, but I thought he said something familiar, and that tracks.”

“He called her that?” Stefan asked, sounding aghast. “That’s not good.”

“No shit.” Dimitri blew out a breath, his gaze returning to the empty sea, half-expecting to see the monstrous god himself surging out of the water. “He’s gone off the deep end, if he thinks he’s summoned Typhon’s beloved into being. And who would be that stupid? Gods aren’t generally interested in sharing. If he thought he could summon Typhon’s lover into human form and take her for himself, somehow...no. That’s insane.”

“Well, Smithson is clearly acting irrationally,” Stefan countered. “From what you’ve experienced with Ms. Grant, could she make a man defy a god?”

“I—” Dimitri cut his initial answer short, then laughed a little grimly. “Honestly, when you put it that way, I don’t know.”

“Well, I’d suggest you find out. Understanding Smithson’s motivations are going to be key, if we expect to extricate ourselves cleanly from this situation. In the meantime, keep Ms. Grant secured.”

Dimitri grimaced, weighing the words, trying not to let his mind stray to the way Lauren had reacted to him physically since they’d first set foot on the boat to Miranos. Maybe she’d warm up to him enough to confide in him, maybe not. But he would keep her safe. That was nonnegotiable. “Of course,” he said smoothly. “How long?”

“Twenty-four—forty-eight hours. Miranosis close, your childhood home. You had a hysterical woman on your hands, the guest of the royal family. You needed to make a quick decision, one that kept her out of harm’s way. You have done all these things. Further, you are an esteemed military captain, with lengthy service and proven integrity. It’s a reasonable story, as long as Ms. Grant is returned to her family safe and whole within the next forty-eight hours. That’s your number one assignment.”

“Forty-eight hours?”

“No more. We’ll leak awareness of a false location to the parents within the next twelve hours, along with our potential concern that Ms. Grant may be afraid of Smithson.”

“I wouldn’t do that?—”

“It’s necessary to maintain the illusion, and to determine the full scope of the danger to Ms. Grant. We cannot know what sort of threat the woman’s parents pose otherwise. The information will be reversed within an hour of its release, and Smithson carefully watched. If he makes any move toward the false target, it changes the game. At that point, your plan to head for Greece might make more sense.”

“Right.” Dimitri nodded. “Forty-eight hours, then.”

Cyril took the line again. “What phone activity has she had? Other than the call to Ms. Clark. We tracked an incoming call to Emmaline from Miranos, and we have to assume it’s from her.”

Dimitri sat up a little straighter. “That’s possible, but easily tracked. She’s been with my sister all day, and she has no money or devices on her. If she’s placed a call, Alexi will know. We’re rendezvousing shortly.” Dimitri’s gaze flicked toward the horizon as he heard the familiar sound of a beach rover. “Now, actually. I’ll check in tomorrow. Let me know if there are any developments.”

“Well… there’s something you should know before you speak with her again. She may know of your, ah, status, with the royal family.”

Dimitri’s gut tightened. “My status.”

“If she spoke to Emmaline, she knows.” Once again, Stefan’s voice rang through his earpiece, the demigod’s voice flat with disgust. “Apparently, Kristos and Queen Catherine saw fit to tell Emmaline about the true nature of O?ros and the royal family as gatekeepers of the gods. Emmaline somehow convinced them to allow her to tell her friends.”

Dimitri came to his feet. “She what? Nicki confirmed this?”

“No.” Stefan said. “Nicki didn’t know when we spoke last night—there’s no way she’s a good enough actress to keep a lid on her reactions to information like that. But we have to assume they all know today. And if Emmaline arranged for Lauren to call you...I just wanted you to be prepared.”

“Right.” Dimitri groaned, rubbing a hand over his face as he tracked the nearing beach rover. He signed off from

They signed off, and he stowed the phone, but remained on the porch. Alexi waved as Lauren exited the vehicle, and the two of them shouted back and forth before Lauren turned toward the house. As Alexi roared off again, Dimitri noted Lauren’s handbag, a new purchase, and her long, loose trousers and top, also new. She carried another shopping bag with her, and from what he could see, she now had enough clothing for a week. At least her clothes looked easy to move in, quick to dry, unrestrictive. Exactly the ensemble you’d need for an island getaway...if you were actually trying to get away from someone.

Right now, he narrowed his gaze on to her purse. He’d need to see what she’d bought, what Alexi had given her. If his guess was on point, he’d bet Alexi had given Lauren a phone. Who else had Lauren called, besides Emmaline? Her accountant? Her lover?

Did she have a lover, given her worry over Smithson? He supposed he should care more about that possibility, but whether she had a man back in the States or not, that man wasn’t here. And Lauren was capable of making any decisions she wanted regarding her own pleasure.

His lips twitched as she trotted up the steps, and he wasn’t able to wipe his expression fully clean before she saw him. “You’re looking satisfied,” she said. Her manner was easy, light. While Stefan didn’t think much of Nicki’s ability to hide her reactions to the truth about O?ros—and about its people—Dimitri wasn’t at all sure he could say the same about Lauren.

Still, he could play along for a little while, and see what could be seen. He leaned forward with his elbows on the railing and gestured to the sun. “It’s almost sunset. There is much to be satisfied about.”

“Hmm.” She swiveled to take in the sun as well, her face half-hidden by giant sunglasses. “You do this every day? Just, you know, stand here and watch the sun go down?”

“No. We only do it on the days when we wish to be good to ourselves. The rest of the time, we make do with a lesser life.” He held out his hands. “Let me take your things and put them inside. I will get us both a beer so we can celebrate the sunset appropriately.”

She willingly handed him her shopping bag, then hesitated with her purse, keeping it close to her body. “I’m good with this. But thank you.” He had no choice but to take her bag and retreat. Dropping it inside the door, he fetched the beers quickly enough as his mind clicked through the possibilities. He needed to see her phone before they met up with the others. And that would be right after sunset, so he didn’t have a lot of time.

How could he get Lauren worked up enough that she demanded a shower before she saw anyone else? Especially if she potentially thought he was a demigod?

Dimitri grinned. The solution was, of course, obvious. He’d always been known for his excellent ideas in the field. It was good to know that his instincts didn’t fail him while he was on leave.

He pulled the tops off the beers and headed back outside.

Lauren was sitting on one of the sling chairs, angled toward the sun. A thin crawl of clouds had surfaced on the horizon, running purple against the water. It looked more beautiful than any photograph he’d ever seen, and he’d watched tourists try to capture its magnificence a thousand times over. Some things you had to experience in person.

He handed her a beer. “Good, yes?”

“It’s pretty, I guess.” Her smile softened her sarcastic words, and when he held his beer out to her, she clinked hers against it. “What are we toasting to?”

“To the sunset. It’s enough.” Instead of taking a seat beside her in the matching swing chair, though, Dimitri folded his body to the porch, his head level with Lauren’s knees as he lounged back on one elbow. He was close enough to her body to feel her heat, sense her sudden tension. But it wasn’t the tension of a frightened woman, he thought. Simply one who was uniquely, subtly aware of him...and who maybe, just maybe, thought he was the descendent of a Greek god.

He took a long pull on his beer. He could work with that.