I gaze at the water below and rethink this idea. Can I really make it? The coast of Greece comes into view and it’s mesmerizing. There’s tons of activity on a boardwalk banked with storefronts. White buildings are stacked as far as the eye can see. Smaller in the front and getting larger further away from the port. In the distance, a few mountains shoot toward the clouds in the clear blue-sky.
The water is smooth like silk, and I wonder what it’ll be like to jump into it.
“What part of Greece is that?”
“We’re near Athens. It’s the Port of Piraeus.”
“It’s gorgeous.” There are many ships in the harbor, and doubt creeps up my spine. “Toby, you’re sure this is safe?”
He rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah, sure. You can swim, right?”
I chew at my bottom lip. “Yes, I can swim.” But can I swim well enough? Will I be fighting against other ships?
We float into the harbor and pass a mammoth cruise ship. My stomach twists in knots. I’m losing faith in this idea, Toby, and everything as we drift closer to shore.
“Get ready,” Toby says. “Once we get a little closer and the ship shuts off the engine, you can jump.”
I nod and step up onto the small railing, noticing how there are few boats this close to land. “I got this.”
“You’re not planning on jumping, are you?” the deep voice of Costi says from behind me.
I glance at him from over my shoulder. “I have to get back to my father.”
And then I leap off the ship.
Eleven
Costi
* * *
“Goddammit.” I dive over the edge of the ship and into the warm water below.
I surface, my eyes scanning the water for Bianca, making sure she’s ok.
She’s swimming about two feet away from me, racing for the shore. Good thing I’m much faster than her.
“What were you thinking?” I yell at her, treading water.
She stops moving, trying her best to keep her head above water. “I can’t let you take me to Bishop.”
“So you thought jumping off a boat was a better idea? Fuck, Bianca.” I kick my feet, moving my body toward her.
“Sorry, not sorry.”
“Do you want me to lock you away in a dungeon and throw away the key?” I’m furious now.
“You’ll have to catch me first.” Bianca splashes me with a wave of water.
I rub my eyes, trying my best to gain my bearings once again. When I can finally see, she’s further away. But like I said, I’m a skilled swimmer. I move my arms, swimming at a much faster pace than her.
We’re close to a dock, and she reaches it seconds before me. “Leave me alone, Costi.”
People mill everywhere along the dock, and I try not to make a scene as soon as my feet are on dry land.
Bianca runs away from me, glancing over her shoulder, yelling for me to leave her alone. People look, but no one helps her. That’s good, but also fucking rude of them.
“Darling,” I call out, hoping people think we’re a couple having a love-spat and this isn’t a straight up kidnapping, even though it is. “Darling, come back. I’m sorry.”
She stops and glances at me from over her shoulder. “I’m not falling for that.” She runs faster and I follow her.
She’s off the dock, near a market, when she turns a corner. I follow, and she slams into a body.
“Whoa, little lady.” Knox wraps his large hands around her arms. “Where are you running to?”
“No, you can’t do this to me.” She tries to fight against his hold, but after a minute, once I’ve caught up, she realizes it’s useless. “I hate you, Constantine Gold.”
“You don’t hate me at all,” I say, not sure if I’m trying to convince her or myself at this point.
Once the ship is secure, and we handle the paperwork with the port authority, I take Bianca to my castle in the hills.
We travel a while, through the streets, making our way into the mountains. I have a hideaway where no one can find me, and if they do, they have to get past one of the best security teams in the world.
My team.
“You live here?” Bianca asks when the car pulls into the wraparound driveway. “It’s massive.”
I shrug. “It’s home.”
She gawks at the multi-level stone house. “Someone did well for himself. I guess stealing other people’s money pays well?”
“Let’s go, smartass.”
“I still hate you.”
I help her out of the car and her eyes go wide at the Poseidon statues flanking the front columns. She acts like she’s not from wealth herself. This house isn’t anything better than her mansion in Miami.
“You’ll have your own room.” She keeps her arms folded against herself as we enter the house and cross the marble floor. “There’s no point in trying to escape because you won’t make it past my security guarding the grounds.”