Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 70320 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70320 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
“More or less, yeah, actually.”
“Don’t worry. I can take care of you. Now, let’s find the address of where you’re staying and I’ll send a car.”
Three hours later, I’m sitting in the back of a black sedan as a quiet and intense older gentleman navigates the crowded and tight Athens streets. He says nothing and I’m too busy staring out the window to bother him. I’ve traveled a bit around America, but I’ve never been to Greece before, much less to a city like Athens. It’s beautiful: there are plants everywhere, lots of green and blue and marble and pretty patterns, and even the rundown alleys are gorgeous. The driver pulls over outside of a small cafe and looks at me in the rearview mirror, which I take as my sign to get out.
It’s hot, but not overwhelming. I’m in jeans and a shirt with big sunglasses in a weak attempt at hiding my beat-up face. Nobody stares at me though as I pick my way through a crowd and spot Katarin sitting alone at a table beneath a blue and white awning, drinking coffee and smoking a cigarette. She lights up as I approach and stands to kiss both my cheeks.
“You made it,” she says. “I didn’t think Paulo would find you, but here you are. Athens is a lovely city but it’s one of the least planned places in the world. You can’t find anything unless you know where it is.”
“It’s beautiful though. I’m so used to LA where everything’s all spread out, but this place? It’s amazing.”
“Glad you like it, darling.” She waves down the waitress and orders me something in Greek. “Coffee and some pastry for you.” Nearby, several older men sit at tables playing cards, backgammon, and talking loudly at each other in Greek. Katarin doesn’t seem to notice them. “Tell me, how is Peter doing?”
“He seems fine although it’s hard to tell with him. He doesn’t seem to like me very much.”
“Peter doesn’t seem to like anyone very much. My husband says he’s one of the sullenest men he’s ever met, and my husband is as sullen as they come.” Katarin runs a hand through her hair and smiles at me. “Take off those glasses, darling, are you trying to hide from me?”
I hesitate and touch the rim. “Not from you. Everyone else.”
She waves a hand at me. “Go on, nobody cares, you look lovely.” I take off the glasses, feeling exposed, but it’s nice to have them off. “There you are. Such a pretty girl. Now, when your coffee comes, you will drink it all and eat the pastry, or I will complain. And believe me, I am a very good complainer.”
Katarin tells me about Athens and when the waitress returns, I do as she requested and drink my coffee and eat my pastry. By the time I’m finished with the food, I’m already feeling more comfortable. The caffeine hits my bloodstream and the ocean breeze fills my lungs, and I find myself laughing for the first time in what feels like forever.
“I want to admit something to you, darling. I feel so very bad about it, but I think you’ll forgive me.”
“You didn’t poison my coffee, did you?”
“Oh, no, I only poison people I don’t like, and I like you.” She smiles at me sadly. “I need to admit that I knew who you were that night at Peter’s house on Crete.”
I raise my eyebrows. “You heard of me?”
“In a way. More like, I heard of your father and your mother.”
I sit very still and stare at her over the rim of my cup. I hold it like a shield and feel my pulse racing in my chest as I try to quickly work out what this might mean. My identity isn’t exactly a secret—I still have my father’s surname after all—and there are a lot of people in this world that know what that family name means. Only I thought I’d managed to hide myself with Peter and hoped the Greek crime lords hadn’t ever heard of Roger Holloway and his notorious wife, Eve Courbet-Holloway.
Apparently, I was wrong.
“What do you know about them?” I ask slowly, trying to stay calm. Peter’s warning rings in my ears and I suddenly wish I’d listened. Katarin might be funny and fun to be around, but she’s the wife of a dangerous crime lord, and getting involved with her could be exceedingly bad for my health.
“Don’t looks so nervous, darling. I know your parents are both gone, like you told me. I know your father was a defense attorney to some rather notorious people. I know your mother comes from a long line of notorious people herself. And I’m aware of the fortune they left you.”
I take a sharp breath and slowly let it out.
The fortune they left me.