Stolen Lies (Truths and Lies 2)

She purses her lips before dropping the dress in favor of helping me. She takes the jacket and holds it open so I can gingerly slide my bad arm into the sleeve. Once I have it pulled on and buttoned, I turn to regard her.

“You’re hurting,” she breathes. “Physically and in here.” Her palm presses to my chest between my pectorals. “It’s okay to be vulnerable. Our daughter is gone. They hurt us.”

Sweet, innocent, pure angel.

I slide my fingers beneath her chin and tilt her head up. Blue eyes sparkle at me. She’s so fucking strong. Only a woman like Talia could ever have the backbone and fire to be able to stand beside a Demetriou. She’s fearless and determined. A fucking storm.

“Out there, I can’t be. It’s the only way to get Zoe back. The public needs an angel and the Underworld needs a fiery, unstoppable king.” I kiss her nose. “Are we in this together?”

She smiles. “Since the day I saw you in that courtyard.”

“You tried to run,” I say, in a slightly playful tone.

“I wanted you to catch me.”

Reluctantly, I pull away, needing to get a move on the day. “Make sure you grab something to eat. Basil will escort you. There’ll be coffee and bagels in the lobby if you want that.”

“I was thinking fruit. A pomegranate sounds good.”

She pulls off her T-shirt, revealing her round tits and rosy nipples. Fuck, she does my head in when all I need is to focus.

“A pomegranate?” I ask, my voice husky as my dick strains in my slacks.

She bends to pick up the dress from the floor and holds it to her chest. Her blond hair cascades over one shoulder as she tilts her head to the side. “An angel can live in hell.”

“Not without getting burned.”

Sauntering over to me, she stands on her toes and kisses the corner of my mouth. “The devil wouldn’t allow that.”

“He already has,” I growl, my palm finding her hip and squeezing possessively.

“But he won’t let it happen again.”

So confident and sure.

She’s right.

“Go be the badass we need right now,” she says, pushing on my chest to break us apart. “I’ll be at my restaurant sucking on seeds until you let me suck on you later.”

“Are you trying to kill me?”

“You’ll need to relieve some tension and then you’ll need a nap.” She shrugs. “Because then we’re going to go get our girl.”

“Damn right.”

I let my stare linger on the swell of her breasts and then up her slender throat before I latch my eyes to her parted lips. Fuck, how I want to yank her to me, drag her to the floor, and drive into her wildly. The desire to claim and own is fierce, but we have more pressing matters to attend to. And once we have our daughter back, I’ll demand my fucked up happily ever after, one orgasm at a time.

Adrian flanks my right and Josef is on my left as we walk into the hotel lobby as a united front—the mob and the police coming together for the same agenda: take down Aris and find a baby. Talia will enter soon with Basil. I need to say what I need to say without her weakening my resolve. As soon as the press sees us, flashes start going off like rapid gunfire. The lights blind me, but I ignore them as I make my way to the podium that’s been set up. Josef steps to the microphone first.

“Dear citizens of Crete Island,” he starts, holding up his hand to end the buzzing chattering of questions being barked our way. “We’re not here to answer questions, but to instead deliver a series of statements.”

More flashes snap.

“Last year, good men and women of Cretan General Hospital were gunned down in a tragic terrorist event. The Demetriou family, while dealing with their own familial tragedies, were instrumental in eliminating the threat at that time.” Josef gives me a grim smile to which I nod so he’ll continue. “His father, the late Ezio Demetriou, was a friend to me and a pillar in this community. The philanthropic donations of this family have been what’s kept the island profitable and successful. With…” He flashes me another look and I nod. “With Ezio’s recent, natural passing—something the family had wished to keep quiet so they could grieve in private but are no longer able to—we are faced with terrorism once again. There are those who see the Demetrious’ efforts as something to destroy, making these attempts when they are down. Last night, they tried to do exactly that. But they are wrong. Our people and the Demetrious aren’t broken so easily. We will fight for peace and profit.”

He steps away from the podium and gestures for me to take his place. I keep my features cool and impassive. Whenever I lock stares with a reporter, they cower under my gaze and look away.