Dark Avenger

The sarcasm was meant for her and not the owner, who gave her a comical little bow. ‘It is my pleasure to meet you, Miss Stevens. Nikos and I have been friends for a long time.’

She smiled back politely. Any friend of Nikos Spirakis was no friend of hers but she wasn’t going to make a case out of it. The evening was going to be difficult enough as it was.

Stavros led them to a secluded table then gave a signal to a hovering waiter who came over smartly with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

Nikos examined the bottle and raised an eyebrow. ‘Cava Clauss! How did you manage to get hold of this?’

The owner beamed with pleasure at the reaction and he spread his hands. ‘With great difficulty, Nikos. I keep a special stock of it for friends such as yourself.’

Nikos handed it back to the waiter who obligingly filled two glasses. Carrie lifted hers reluctantly and took a sip. She usually prefered white to red but this was surprisingly good, dry and very full-bodied. She took another, larger sip, then, realising that the owner was watching her with anxiety, she laid down her glass and said, ‘I like it.’

His face split into another grin and he turned to Nikos. ‘Miss Stevens has excellent taste. Perhaps she would like to order now?’

Nikos handed her the menu but she ignored it. ‘I’d like souvlaki if you have it.’

‘And I’ll have the same,’ said Nikos. ‘But first I’d like a pen and some paper, Stavros.’

With a snap of his fingers Stavros sent the waiter scurrying off to fetch the requirements and when he’d returned Nikos scribbled down a page of instructions and handed them to Stavros. ‘Can you take care of all this for me, old friend?’

Stavros read the list then grinned. ‘No problem. Everything will be taken care of to your satisfaction.’

When he’d gone she looked across the table suspiciously. ‘What was all that about?’

‘A shopping list,’ he answered casually. ‘Now, sit back and relax and enjoy your wine.’

Relax? Now there was a laugh for you. She helped herself to another sip then took in her surroundings with grudging approval. On the few occasions when she and Jimmy found time to dine ashore it was usually in some cheap and cheerful taverna. This place looked as if they charged an arm and a leg—not that that would matter to a Spirakis. He probably had shares in the place.

At the moment he seemed content just to sit there, drinking his wine and watching her under those dark, brooding brows of his. She tried her best to ignore him and spent half the time staring over his head and the other half examining the pattern on the carpet.

When the meal arrived it at least gave her the chance to concentrate on something else. She shouldn’t have felt the least bit hungry. Stress and anger had being doing terrible things to her digestion but quite suddenly her appetite came back. Perhaps it was the wine or the delicious smell of the spit-roasted lamb and the well presented salad. Anyway…at least he was paying for it.

When they’d finished and the plates had been removed he refilled the wine glasses. She’d already had two with her meal and that was normally her limit but what the hell. Her situation as of now could hardly be described as normal. She’d never been drunk in her life but perhaps this was the time.

She was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to hear what he’d said at first and it was only the mention of the Miranda that caught her attention. ‘What about the Miranda?’ she asked sharply.

‘I was saying that in spite of her looks she’s a fine craft,’ he repeated patiently. ‘She’s not Greekbuilt. How did you come by her?’

She’d had no intention of indulging in any kind of conversation with him if she could help it but he’d hit right on her weak spot.

‘She was my father’s,’ she told him. ‘After he died Jimmy and I took her over. And you’re right. She’s not Greek. She was originally a seine netter built in Scotland to withstand the rigours of the North Sea. She can handle anything the Aegean throws at her.’

She saw the amused tilt of disbelief on his brows and she felt irritated. Well, if he intended staying with her for the next month there was a good chance they’d be caught at sea by the Meltemi, the vicious wind that struck suddenly from the north. Then with any luck he’d turn green and spend his time retching over the side. Or was that too much to hope for?

‘Tell me about your father. What kind of man was he?’

Damn him. That was another of her weak spots.

Somehow the evening wore on. Another bottle of wine had appeared on the table and already it was half-empty and she wondered how much of the stuff you had to drink before it had any effect on you.

Eyeing her inquisitor with sullen exasperation, she said with heavy sarcasm, ‘Why don’t you ask me what I had for breakfast this morning? You’ve asked just about everything else.’

‘Not quite,’ he said suavely. ‘Tell me about this ex-boyfriend of yours. Was he a good lover?’

She blinked at him, affronted at his sheer cheek. ‘That’s none of your damned business,’ she snapped angrily.

His voice growled across the table at her, low and threatening, ‘I’m making it my business. So tell me.’

Undaunted, she glared right back at him. ‘I won’t tell you. And there’s no way you can make me.’

He merely sighed and for a moment he sat running his finger around the rim of his glass while his green eyes studied her thoughtfully, then he said, ‘You still don’t seem to be aware of the position you’re in, Carrie, so I’ll make it clear to you once more. I don’t intend to spend the next month listening to your insults and looking at that scowling face. From now on you’ll do exactly as you’re told and you’ll at least make a pretence at enjoying my company.’

‘I’m not that good an actress,’ she retorted bitterly. ‘You’re asking the impossible.’

He sighed heavily again. ‘I see.’ Slowly he got to his feet and looked down at her coldly. ‘In that case I’ll leave you. I can catch the late-night ferry and attend to your brother personally first thing in the morning. He may require a few days’ hospitalisation after his “accident” but I’m sure he’ll be walking about without too much discomfort in a week or so.’

Her blue eyes widened in horror at the threat and she gasped, ‘For God’s sake! No! You wouldn’t… you couldn’t…’ Her voice trailed off and a voice in her head said, Oh, yes, he could. He’s a damned barbarian. He wouldn’t give it a second’s thought.

He towered over her, waiting.

‘P-please,’ she stammered. ‘Please sit down.’

‘Only if I have your promise to behave in a more civil manner from now on.’

This was unreal, she thought dizzily. Worse than the worst nightmare she could think of.

Lowering her eyes, she bit at her lip then muttered grimly, ‘You win. I…I promise.’

‘That’s not quite good enough, Carrie,’ he said with a shake of his head. ‘You’re supposed to smile up at me and say, “Yes, Nikos, I promise.” ‘

So not only did he like sticking the knife in but he enjoyed giving it a twist, she thought savagely. It looked as if she was dealing with a sadist here. She raised her eyes and almost choked over the words. ‘Yes, Nikos. I…I promise.’

‘Hmm.’ He regarded her doubtfully, a faintly sardonic grin curling on his lip. ‘I suppose that will have to do. It wasn’t much of a smile but with a bit of practice it’ll be better.’ He regained his seat and folded his arms. ‘Now tell me what I want to know. Was your ex-boyfriend a good lover?’

‘I don’t know.’ She saw the gleam of anger in his eyes and she went on hurriedly, ‘Look, he was the only man I’ve ever slept with so I wouldn’t know whether he was any good or not. I mean, I wasn’t keeping score or awarding points like the Eurovision Song Contest, was I?’

‘Well, did you enjoy having sex with him?’ he persisted.

She bridled. Perhaps he was one of those peculiar people who got their kicks from talking about intimate things like that. The retort that sprang to her lips died as she remembered her promise and his threat.

‘Not particularly,’ she said in quiet embarrassment.

‘Then he must have been a bad lover.’ He smiled at her with condescension. ‘It couldn’t have been your fault. Beneath your cold exterior there are raging fires of passion awaiting liberation. I felt the heat for myself this afternoon.’

Once again she flushed as she recalled the way her body had responded to his deliberate provocation. Even in bed Victor had never made her heart race out of control like that. Nikos went on with his relentless questioning, ‘Is that why you left him? Because he was…unsatisfactory?’

‘No,’ she replied bitterly. ‘It turned out that I was only his Saturday-night girl.’

He gave a puzzled frown. ‘Saturday-night girl?’

‘Yes. I found out that he had one for Monday night and another for Thursday.’

He nodded in understanding. ‘He was being unfaithful?’

‘You could put it like that,’ she said, chancing a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Reaching for the bottle, he refilled her glass. ‘And there have been no other men since then?’

She looked at the glass. ‘Are you trying to get me drunk?’

‘Answer my question,’ he snapped.

Simmering quietly, she replied with dignity. ‘No. There haven’t been any other men.’ She paused then added, ‘You know the old saying: once bitten, twice shy.’

The fingers of his right hand drummed a slow tattoo on the table while he thought her answer over. They were strong, very competent-looking fingers, she noted. Perfectly manicured, the halfmoons translucent in light contrast to his darker skin. Finally he gave a decisive nod. ‘I have the feeling that you’re telling the truth, Carrie. You strike me as being open and honest.’

He’d be giving her a gold star and telling her to go to the top of the class in a minute, she thought. ‘Look,’ she began with a forced politeness, ‘would you mind telling me why you’re asking all these questions? I don’t see that my previous life has anything to do with you. I mean.. .why should it make any difference to you what kind of sex-life I’ve had?’

‘It matters considerably, Carrie.’ His eyes measured her dispassionately. ‘I wish to hurt your brother, make him suffer the same disgrace he has brought down on the heads of my family. If you were a person of loose moral behaviour, as he seems to be, he might simply shrug off your pregnancy as being of little consequence. Certainly nothing to feel disgraced about.’

The sheer cold-bloodedness of his reasoning was almost unbelievable. Recovering her breath, she looked at him with barely disguised contempt. ‘I suppose it’s your only regret that I’m not a virgin? That would really have made your day, wouldn’t it?’

He gave a dry, philosophic shrug. ‘A man can’t have everything. However, I want you to know that I have nothing against you personally, Carrie. In fact, I think I’m beginning to like you. You’re extremely attractive and, as I pointed out before, my mission here will be a pleasure instead of mere duty.’ He spread his hands in a gesture of mock-appeal. ‘Believe me when I say that I sympathise with your position but it isn’t my fault that you’re unfortunate enough to have a brother who doesn’t share your high moral scruples.’

The rumours she’d heard about him were true, then. If this was the way he treated people whom he liked then God help his enemies.

A sudden, suspicious thought crossed her mind. At first she dismissed it as highly improbable then she decided that any chance was better than none at all. There could be no harm in calling his bluff, if that was all it was.

‘I want to talk to my brother,’ she said calmly.

He gave a dark frown of displeasure. ‘That isn’t possible.’

‘Why?’ she demanded. ‘You said that he is being held by your cousins at some estate. I presume they have telephones there?’

He nodded. ‘Of course. But talking to him will do neither of you any good. Besides, at the moment he’s in an agony of suspense wondering what my plans are for you. For the moment I’d rather keep it that way.’

Once more she wondered how anyone could be so studiedly callous and in a cold voice she said, ‘Well, it’s like this, Mr Spirakis. You may be convinced of my honesty but I’m not entirely convinced about yours.’

His mouth tightened into a savage line of anger then he growled at her, ‘You doubt the word of a Spirakis? You’re treading on dangerous ground, Miss Stevens. I’d advise you to watch your step.’

‘You doubted my word,’ she retorted, ‘then you subjected me to a humiliating cross-examination. All I’m asking you to do is allow me to speak to my brother. If you refuse then how do I know that you’re telling me the truth about him—or anything else, for that matter? For all I know this whole thing could be a hoax—an elaborate scheme to put me out of business.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ He sounded bored. ‘What makes you think I’d be remotely interested in an insignificant operation like yours?’

She ignored the disparaging comment and stood her ground. ‘Then let me talk to Jimmy. If you really do have him then I at least have to know that he…that he’s still in good health. Perhaps you’ve already taken your revenge on him and I’m just the sweet after the main course. All I’ve heard from you so far are accusations and threats. I want to hear the truth from his own lips.’

Again he regarded her in thoughtful silence then he shrugged. ‘Very well. I’ll let you talk to him briefly. If that’s the only way to make you come to terms with the reality of your situation then so be it.’ He signalled to the waiter.

They both sat in tense silence until the waiter returned with a phone and a long extension cord which he plugged into a socket on the nearest wall.

Lifting the handset from the cradle, Nikos pushed the numbers, waited a moment then said quietly, ‘Andros? Fetch the Stevens boy. His sister wants to talk to him.’

He passed the handset across the table and she snatched at it eagerly. The instrument crackled in her ear for a few moments then she heard the breathless voice of her brother. ‘Sis? Is that you?’

‘Yes, Jimmy.’ She paused, afraid to trust her voice, then she took a deep breath. ‘Jimmy…are you all right?’

He sounded angry. ‘Sure. I’m fine. But what about you? Is Helen’s brother with you?’

She closed her eyes in relief that up to now he was unharmed.

‘Sis? You still there?’

‘Yes, Jimmy. And yes—her brother is here.’

‘Listen, you tell him from me that if he lays one finger on you I’ll…I’ll—’

She cut him short. ‘Don’t worry about me. I can look after myself.’ She hoped her voice sounded convincing enough.

There was an awkward pause then he said quietly, ‘Look…I was going to tell you about Helen. You’ve got to believe that, Sis. As soon as I found out about her condition I was coming back to the Miranda to tell you but these goons just bundled me into the back of a car.’

Her heart felt heavy as lead. ‘Then it’s true about you and her? She’s really going to have your child?’

‘Yes, it’s true. I’m going to be a father.’ There was another embarrassed silence then he tried to make light of it. ‘I guess it isn’t the time to be passing around the cigars, though. Now let me talk to that brother of hers.’

A steel band seemed to be tightening around her chest and she handed the phone back to Nikos. ‘He…he wants to talk to you.’

Nikos held the phone for a moment between finger and thumb then he dropped it carelessly back into the cradle, cutting the connection.

‘You might at least have listened to what he was going to say,’ she flared.

‘Listen to excuses…pleas for mercy? It’s too late for that now.’ He signalled to the waiter, who came over and removed the phone.

She held her tongue as Stavros, the hotel owner, came over and grinned at Nikos. ‘The accommodation you asked for is ready and the clothes you ordered have arrived.’

Nikos gave a satisfied nod. ‘Good. And the other matter?’

‘It is being attended to. The men say it will take a few hours. It will be ready in time and you will have no cause for complaint. They are the best on the island.’

Most of the conversation had been above her head but one item had caught her attention by the throat. He’d ordered ‘accommodation’!

As soon as Stavros was out of earshot she hissed across the table, ‘I’m not staying here. I’m going back to the boat.’

‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible,’ he drawled. ‘But you needn’t worry. The rooms are separate.’

‘With a connecting door, I’ve no doubt,’ she ventured bitterly.

‘No.’ His teeth flashed again in that predatory smile. ‘I dare say that you’re now impatient to get the whole thing over with as quickly as possible but tonight wouldn’t be a good time to start. You’ve had a very trying day and you’re tired. I’d rather wait until you’re fully recovered from the shock. After all, I want you to enjoy the experience as much as I know I shall.’

CHAPTER THREE

BY MID-MORNING they were halfway to their next port of call and Nikos studied the chart then glanced at his watch. ‘We should be there in a couple of hours. What’s the cargo this time?’

‘Won’t know till I get there,’ she answered coolly. ‘Perhaps vegetables to take to the nearest market.’ She swept her blonde hair off her face. ‘Anyway we’re calling somewhere else first.’ She kept the wheel steady and stared fixedly over the blue silk sea. Well ahead of them a ‘flying dolphin’, one of the large hydrofoil ferry boats which served the larger islands, crossed their bows on its way to Samos.

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