Chapter 10

Pia was dead. Police found her body that night by the docks, the cause of death being suffocation according to police. Someone had somehow tracked her down on an errand-run--a simple errand run.

I covered my face with my hands and let a fresh flood of tears take me. Somehow, I knew it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.

"It's not your fault, Eva." Woody's hand rested on my shoulder.

"Yes, it is." I shoved his help aside, the red pulsing through my face. "There's a maniac out there who wants me out of the picture for whatever reason, just like they wanted Dad. If I would have just given myself up, maybe no one would have died by now!" Gio was still talking with the police in the living room. The room turned a dark greyish color. Nothing would be the same without Pia. She was always quiet and kept to herself a lot, but from what little I knew about her, she was a kind and peaceful person who didn't deserve to get caught up in all of this—exactly what I told Gio I didn't want to happen. What if it had been him instead?

"We don't even know why they need you." Woody offered. His expression held sadness and based off of the deepening lines in his forehead I could tell he was worried too.

I took a deep breath. "But I think I do."

"What?"

"I know why they want me. At least partly."

"Why?"

"They're trying to scare me away." I dabbed at my errant tears with a tissue.

"Scaring you away from what?" He asked desperately.

"The same man who I saw in LA was at WWM. Something, or rather someone, doesn't want me in control of the company and I guarantee that same someone is likely the person who..." I took a shuddering breath. "...tracked Dad down. And now Pia."

The police left and Gio grabbed some coffee, gulping the black liquid down like it was his Scottish whisky. "I've talked to her family. We'll hold the funeral the same time as your Father's."

I nodded as a few more errant tears leaked out.

"Eva, you can't let this get in the way of all the work we have to do. You have the benefactor's event this time tomorrow and you're flying out to Santorini the next day to see what we can find in that safe. Your Father may have left you a clue as to who is causing all of this." Gio set his now-empty mug down.

"I don't want to leave you now." I said. "What if they get you too?" If they did I decided that no matter what I was going to pack up and disappear for good and send everyone who was close to me away. A single company wasn't worth all of this.

"They won't, don't you worry about that."

Woody agreed with him. "The sooner we figure out what's going on, the sooner we'll finally have someone behind bars."

"And just how are you going to figure anything out from here?" I asked.

"Eh, I have my resources." He stated. I looked down. Where did I hear that before?

"That's strange." I said. "That's exactly what Austin said yesterday in the hospital."

He shrugged. "So?"

"Nothing." I replied. Will entered the room, being his usual quiet self. He looked tired and just as worried as Woody. My phone vibrated. It was a text from Austin:

I had a wonderful time last night. Pick you up at noon? I have another surprise. ;)

My thumb paused over the keyboard. Maybe now wasn't such a good time so shortly after what happened to Pia. I sighed. Austin seemed to be such a comfort to me, seeing him today just might be the medicine I needed. I looked up to find Will studying me. I grimly typed a reply.

Okay. See you then!

"Who are you writing?" Will asked. Ah, the beast finally speaks! I clicked the phone off.

"Why do you care?" I replied, a bite harsher than I intended. With all that was happening, good moods seemed to be in short supply. I chewed on my bottom lip, instantly regretting my outburst.

He shrugged. "I'm supposed to keep a record of everyone you talk to."

Everyone? "Really?"

"Yes."

I straightened my posture. "Well, if you must know, it was Austin. I'm seeing him at noon." His jaw clenched. He looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped himself. We sat in silence.

I checked my watch. 10:30am. Maybe I would have time for a run before meeting up with Austin. I needed to get away from thinking about Pia's death and all that was happening. Maybe I was just putting myself in a state of denial, but I stood up and left Will by himself in the kitchen, idly wondering if he was watching me walk away.

*******

"Ditched the black dress, I see." Austin leaned against his bike, captivating in his swim trunks and a thin white T-shirt that left little to the imagination. I smiled a little for the first time that day, looking down at my own shorts and T-shirt.

"For today." I did my best to freshen up after the rough night, but I had a feeling those dark circles under my eyes still loomed slightly.

"Brought your swimsuit?"

"Yep." I held up my beach bag.

"Good." I climbed in back of him and fastened the bright red helmet.

"I heard the news about your pilot. I'm really sorry that happened so soon after your Dad."

I sighed. "Thanks... How did you hear?"

He paused for a moment, starting the engine. "It was in the news this morning. After I heard I figured you could use some fresh air."

"Well you guessed right." I admitted. It made sense they would have the story by now and before long the news vans would be pulling up to the resort. I was so relieved to get away. Austin revved the engine and we took off. I looked back and saw our black Cadillac pulling out of the driveway. No doubt this outing was going to be less private than last night's.

We traveled about an hour South. The beautiful location we arrived at looked similar to the one we had been to the night before, except for the sun high above instead of the moon.

"Which beach is this?" I asked, hopping off the bike and walking towards the pebbled sand.

"This is Lagrena." He said.

"Lagrena." I repeated. Pretty name. By the water, two men were waxing a pair of paddleboards.

"I thought we might have lunch and then I'll teach you how to surf! If you'd like, that is."

"Surf?" I asked. "But there aren't any big waves!"

"Well, it's actually paddleboarding." He winked. "But it's good training if you're going to try Australian waves someday." I froze. Did he just hint at me coming to Australia? I didn't have time to react, he pulled out a big basket from the trunk of his bike.

"A picnic?" I practically laughed out loud. He shrugged.

"Why not?"

Smiling felt good. I needed to smile today.

"What's wrong?" He asked, grinning back.

"Nothing!" I said quickly. "Why?"

He laid out a blanket and set the basket down. "It looks like you're in some sort of daze."I am and I don't want to wake up! I replied in my head.

He sat comfortably but frowned shortly after. "It's not working is it? Getting your mind off of what happened?"

"Oh, no." I sat down beside him. "Not that, you're doing a great job!" I sighed, setting my hands on my folded knees. "I guess I'm just not used to all of this."

"All of what?" He asked curiously, handing me a fresh sandwich.

"Well, this!" I waved my hand. "Picnics and paddleboarding and late-night swims!"

His returning laugh was adorable. I stared at him as he ran his fingers through his blond hair, looking all sexy and smiles and innocence.

"What, guys don't do that sort of thing in LA?" I scratched the back of my neck, considering his words.

"No. No they don't! None that I would know of anyways." Maybe I didn't really get the chance to find out. They were always scared of my bodyguards. Not that I could blame them—Charles was pretty threatening in his element. I smiled internally. Now I've seen him in a new light sitting out on porches nursing his injured arm and drinking orange fizzies. It wouldn't be long before he was back to his normal post, and then Will would be gone...

"You certainly deserve better than that." He leaned toward me and I stared into his blue eyes.

"I guess I should be getting used to it. You're so much more genuine than anybody I've known." I said. His mood changed a little and he shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes—are you ready to test the paddleboards?" I leaped up and dusted off my shorts.

"Alright then!" He laughed. "You get your swimsuit on and I'll go check on them." I fished it out of the bag and looked down the rocky bank. I was relieved to see the Cadillac parked on the beach. Thankfully it didn't look like Will was with it, just the other two that Gio had hired in Manchester.

We climbed down the bank and I quickly dressed on the opposite side, thankful of all the months I spent at the beach in LA. My tan hadn't disappeared! I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and flew off to meet him. He was retrieving the boards from the two men and bringing them to where the waves washed onto the rocky shore.

Soon we were in the cold waist-high water. He grabbed my waist and helped me up on my paddleboard. My balance was terrible, always has been since I was a kid. I shook and wobbled trying to find it.

"It's more challenging than it looks, huh?"

I nodded, still moving forward and backward. He took this moment to observe my body in action. I could feel the heat creeping up my neck under his smoldering gaze. If I had any balance at all I would have smacked that look off of his face.

He looked right in his element on top of his board, which made me jealous. His core was fired and looked sexy enough to have been plucked right off of the cover of a romance novel.

With the help of holding onto his hand, I managed to balance myself enough to paddle. If my abs hurt after a TRX training back home, they were going to sizzle after this.

"You're getting the hang of this!" He looked impressed. I looked down into the crystal blue ocean. Everything was so perfect in this moment, I didn't want it to end. We were farther out from the shore now. Crystal waves and Austin and I. He smiled at me mischievously.

"You look good."

"Not so bad yourself, mate." I tried the Australian accent and in turn he started laughing.

"It wasn't that bad, was it?"

"No." He said, then he pulled on my hand until our paddleboards touched. "It was perfect." He pulled my face close to his and kissed me readily. I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders, falling into him helplessly.

"You are a beautiful woman, Eva." He breathed.

I looked up into his eyes.

"You don't deserve all of those horrible things happening to you." He looked conflicted almost, at odds with something going on inside. I didn't want to think about the horrible things. Not now.

"Sometimes we can't control what happens around us." I replied. My arms were still wrapped around him as we stood there. I felt safe.

"Yes—" He looked down at the water..

"Hey." I directed his face back to me. "The only thing we can control is ourselves." His blue eyes were deeper and darker. He started to say something but clamped his jaw shut.

Someone needed to lighten up this mood! I pushed off of his chest to get my craft moving. Somehow our kiss gave me a newfound will to balance myself.

"Catch me if you can!" His smile returned and I could see his gaze settle on my backside as I paddled away.

"My eyes are up here, idiot!" I shouted

He raised an eyebrow. "You asked for it!"

With that he lurched forward and pushed me clean off of the board, sending us both cascading into the water.

*******

"Which planet are you on?" I heard a voice say. I lowered my glasses and found Charles standing with his arms crossed.

"Mmm." I considered the situation from all angles. "Saturn."

"Saturn?" He scoffed. I nodded, bringing the straw to my lips, an explosion of coconut and rum engaging my senses.

"Well, when you get back to earth, your dress for tomorrow just arrived." I sat up.

"Yes, I thought that might brighten your mood." He said sarcastically. I straightened my bikini and walked around the resort's pool to the inside. It took a full minute for my eyes to adjust but I could see Will, who looked far too pleased seeing me in a bikini. I scowled at him.

"So, how was your date with that Austin boy?" Charles took the garment bag from the couch and carried it into my room.

"It was perfect." I said breathlessly, not smiling.

"Hmm." Charles examined me carefully. "Just promise me you won't fall too fast for this Austin fellow. I know how these foreigners work." I pushed at his good shoulder playfully. Charles and Gio were always so protective.

"I promise."

"I opened the garment bag, revealing a royal blue floor length gown covered in crystals. It was so beautiful; I was speechless.

"Wow!" Charles said aloud exactly I was thinking. "If that Austin doesn't propose to you when you wear this tomorrow, I think he's the most stupid man in the world." I gasped at him.

"But you just told me—"

"Yes, I know, I know. I just had to say it." He winked. I held the gown up to my chest and swayed back and forth as if I was dancing. Tomorrow was important in more ways than just trying to impress the board of WWM. I had the feeling my Father and Pia's murderer would be there, watching my every move.

I heard the front door open and close. Charles and I walked back outside and I shut the bedroom door behind me.

Gio walked in looking like he'd been bulldozed.

"Is everything okay?" I rushed into the kitchen to fix him a cup of tea. That was what he always did for me whenever I was stressed and tired.

"Yeah." He sighed. "Whoever is calling the shots on this whole bloody thing found out I accessed Jeb's file and killed him, so now we're back to square one."

"What?" I asked incredulous. "How do you know?"

"They left us a note." Will replied for him.

"But how do you kill someone who's already dead?" Woody asked. Gio didn't find his joke very funny.

"So, what happens now?" I asked. Our one and only chance to find out who was behind all of this is gone now. "My Father's dead, Pia's dead and they almost got Charles!"

The mood in the room plummeted.

Gio nodded solemnly. "But whoever this person is, somehow they aren't traceable through one man. I called Fitzgerald and he's going to do a little more digging for us. He's concerned that you saw that Sabertooth guy both in LA and at WWM."

I crossed my arms furiously. I was tired of this wild goose chase. Where was the goose?! "I hope all of this gets cleared up soon."

He hummed a sound of agreement and looked back in my bedroom. "You received the dress I see."

I nodded in reply. "You have good taste."

"I've known you for twenty years. Blame it on my intuition." For a moment, his eyes sparkled. "You're going to be the most beautiful girl there, Eva, mark my words."

"Maybe." I replied. "But whoever this maniac is better watch out. Cinderella expires at midnight."

********

I tossed and turned until the thoughts in my head were too numerous to count. I sat up, feeling sick to my stomach. Maybe it was the fish we had for dinner or maybe just a mix of everything. I agreed on the latter and sat up, letting the breeze from the open window relax me. I remembered what happened the last time I left my window open at night. The thought sent chills up my spine and I rushed out of bed to close it. As I padded up to it, I noticed someone standing out by the pool. A tall threatening figure in black loomed over the water.

My heart rate had begun to speed-up until I squinted and realized it was Will. He must have had the night watch. I smiled a little remembering our stumble that one night in Manchester. That was before he closed off. I frowned.

I was almost positive he had someone who was here in Santorini and I had to go off and kiss him like that. No wonder he backed off.

I gathered up my strength and walked outside. I don't know why I wanted to talk to him, but part of me felt I had to, in light of all that was happening between us and the fact we had so few moments alone together.

When he saw me, he froze as if he was looking at a ghost.

"Don't attack me." I said. "I promise I'm not a thief this time." I looked for a smile but I couldn't see his facial expression in the dark.

"What are you doing up?" He asked grouchily.

I shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

I padded barefoot over to one of the sun chairs and sat. The water in the pool was so still it looked like glass. One of the blue lights beneath the water shone on his face as he sat in the opposite chair. Finally I could see him. His eyes traveled from my messy bun to my bare legs sticking out from my oversized T-shirt.

"Why don't you talk about it to Austin?" He said. I couldn't tell if that was a sarcastic remark or just an angry one.

"Wouldn't understand." I mumbled. "Haven't exactly broken the news that I'm a wanted criminal. To someone anyways." He frowned, not taking the joke.

"You don't know what it feels like to be a wanted criminal."

My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to read his facial expression.

"And you do?"

"No—" He corrected. "But we don't all have it easy growing up." He was hiding something behind those dark brown eyes. I folded my arms in my lap.

"Look, I'm just gonna ask this once and get it out of the way: do you have a girlfriend here?" I squinted my eyes, reading him. I wanted to get to the bottom of this once and for all.

"What? No." He looked surprised. "Why?" liar. I almost said aloud. If she wasn't his girlfriend, they were close enough to be something.

"Well, I just thought that might be the reason you've been acting so closed off ever since we...you know."

He smirked. "Yes, I do know."

Oh this man infuriates me! My fists balled a little.

"You're hardly an English gentleman." I snapped, trying not to let his tousled dark hair and smile unnerve me. Austin's features were just as mesmerizing, if not more.

"And you, Ms. Westfield, are no lady."

"Keep it up." I warned. "I'll have you fired within the 'fortnight' or whatever the hell you Brits call it." I surprised even myself with the iciness in my tone. Must be all the years I had to deal with men like him.

"We don't call it a fortnight anymore, you git." He rolled his eyes.

I was still somewhat angry. "Stop playing these games with me, Will. Austin doesn't do that that. He is a real gentleman."

"Which is why you're out here talking to me and not him." I pursed my lips. Bastard!

"Well, that can certainly change." I stood and began marching towards the house. Before I got three feet he jerked on my wrist and pulled me until I was against him.

"No, you don't!" He growled next to my ear. I put both my hands against his chest and pushed away.

"Let me go or I'll fire you right now!" I warned. But he only responded by pulling me tighter.

"I'm tired of you playing these games with me." His right hand weaved through my hair while his other traveled to the small of my back.

"You're mine, dammit. Mine!" His mouth crashed on top of mine and I was powerless as he pressed our bodies pressed together. Possessive freak!!! I pushed away but his lips felt so good with mine that I gave up the struggle. So harmonious and in tune with each and every move. When we separated I was breathless. I wiped my mouth with one limp arm.

"You—had your chance, Will." I felt tears burning the back of my eyes. I cared for Austin. Austin, not Will. Will would only bring me heartache. I stormed away leaving him alone in the darkness.