Читать книгу The Renegade Billionaire - Rebecca Winters - Страница 8
ОглавлениеTHROUGH THE REARVIEW MIRROR, Stavros watched the rental car following him to the house. Andrea Linford had come as a complete surprise in so many ways; he was still in mild shock. Her Greek was amazing, but there was a lot more to her than her linguistic ability.
When he’d first laid eyes on her, he’d jumped to the wrong conclusion. To his chagrin, the first words to come out of his mouth had been accusatory. But she’d turned the tables on him with that very maturity he’d thought had been lacking. Over the course of a few minutes, he’d found himself utterly overwhelmed by the unexpected strength of his feelings for her.
The fact that she wanted to help find a boy she’d never met revealed a depth of character that appealed to him. For her to confide her agonized feelings to Stavros over the death of her fiancé—to have felt so helpless while she’d waited for word of him—it had torn him up inside.
The shocks kept coming. Since she’d been the one to plan an itinerary that included a tour of the quarry, she must be a person who thought outside the box. He found that intriguing.
As for her physical attributes, those long legs and the way she moved her shapely body had branded her an American. She was a natural, honey-blonde beauty with deep, sky-blue eyes who needed no makeup to be attractive.
No wonder Gus hadn’t been able to turn her down when she’d approached him on behalf of PanHellenic Tours. She’d probably had that same effect on her boss, who couldn’t help but hire her.
Hell. She’d had that effect on him or he wouldn’t have agreed to let her come along to search for the boy. Talk about a day like no other!
When he reached the house, he pulled around the back next to his Jeep. She parked on the other side of him. He tried not to stare, but he couldn’t help glancing sideways when she got out of her car. In an odd way, her sensible walking shoes only drew more attention to those beautiful legs of hers.
“Come in the house and freshen up in the guest bathroom while I gather a few items. I’ll pack some food and drinks so we can eat along the way.”
“Let me help.”
Once inside the rear entrance, he showed her where to go before he loaded up a food hamper in the kitchen. With that done, he walked through the house to the bedroom to change into jeans and a crew-neck shirt.
After checking with the police lieutenant, who had no good news to report yet, Stavros pulled on his hiking boots, then drew some parkas and sweaters from his closet. On the way back to the kitchen, he stopped in the storage room for his large flashlight and extra batteries. A smaller flashlight was in the Jeep.
His soft top was loaded with everything else they might need: blankets, a small tent, a bedroll, a couple of fold-up camp chairs and extra petrol. He was always prepared in these mountains. Whether they found Darren tonight or not, they’d be comfortable.
Stavros had never taken a woman camping with him. It was going to be a novel experience. He realized he was looking forward to being with her. When he’d walked out of the board meeting for the last time earlier in the day, little had he dreamed that by nightfall he’d be searching for a runaway teen with this lovely woman.
When Andrea saw him coming, she relieved him of the coats and sweaters so he could carry everything else. They left the house and hurried out to the Jeep. By the time they were packed up and ready to go, twilight had fallen over the lush landscape.
He started down the road toward another one that would lead to the Dragon Cave. “Did you talk to your boss?”
“Yes. He’s already informed Darren’s parents. They’ll be on the next plane to Thessaloniki.”
“Could they shed any light concerning their son?”
“No. He’s a scholar who’ll be attending Yale in the fall. They’re baffled and in agony.
“Sakis told me not to come back to work without the boy. That’s how anxious he is.”
“We’ll find him.”
“Since this is your backyard, I believe you.”
Her faith in him was humbling. “How about digging in that hamper for a couple of sandwiches. My housekeeper makes them up for me.”
“Sure.”
She turned around on her knees and reached in the hamper behind his seat. Her movement sent a faint flowery scent wafting past his nostrils, igniting his senses, which had been in a deep sleep for longer than he cared to remember. After handing him one and taking one for herself, she pulled out two ice-cold bottles of water.
They rode for a few more minutes before she asked, “How high up are we?”
“About four thousand feet.”
“That’s high for an island. Have you climbed to the top of Mount Ypsarion?”
“Many times.” He darted her a glance. “Have you ever climbed a mountain?”
“Yes. Mount Kilimanjaro.”
At her unexpected answer, Stavros let out a whistle. “That’s over nineteen thousand feet high.”
“I found that out when I needed to stay on the oxygen above fourteen thousand feet. My dad took me up while he was working in Tanzania.”
Fascinated, he said, “Does he still work there?”
“No. From there he was sent to French Guiana for two years, then India for three. Later he spent two years in Paraguay and another two in Venezuela. From there he was sent to the Brusson area of northwestern Italy for three years. Then he came to northern Greece. We live in Thessaloniki, where I got my degree in history and archaeology from Aristotle University.”
Stavros marveled. “What does your father do?”
“He works for W.B. Smythe, an American engineering company in Denver, Colorado, where I was born. Gold practically built the state. His company designs and fabricates modular plants and equipment for the extraction of gold and silver. As of this year, they’ve established a global presence in twenty-four countries. From the time I was born, I’ve lived with my father wherever he was sent.” He’d be going to Indonesia next.
“How many languages do you speak?”
She let out a sigh. “Besides the obvious, I’m fluent in Italian and French, and speak some Hindi, Afrikaans, Swahili, Spanish and Guarani. It’s no great thing. You have to learn a country’s language while you’re there if you hope to survive. Lucky for Darren, a lot of your countrymen speak English.”
“Amen.” He cleared his throat. “What about your mother?”
“She died giving birth to me.”
He smothered a moan. No mother...
“Dad and I have been nomads, traveling the globe. He was the one who taught me about the white marble quarries here.”
The feminine fountain of knowledge sitting next to him was blowing him away. Everything about her had already gotten under his skin. “What exactly did he tell you?”
“Besides the fact that the quartz crystalline structure resembles freshly fallen snow and is only quarried on this island?”
“Besides that.”
“He passed on a piece of trivia I found interesting. The visual effects team working on the American films of the Twilight saga used very fine pure white Thassos marble dust, which they added to the face paint. That’s why there’s this incredible sparkling effect when sunlight touches the vampires’ skin! Trust my dad to know details like that. He’s the smartest man I ever met.”
Stavros filed the information away. “Have you told him that lately?”
“All the time.”
“Lucky man.” Since Stavros’s father already believed he was the smartest man living, Stavros had never paid him such a compliment.
“I’m the lucky one to have a father like him.”
“You know what I think?”
She flicked him a curious glance.
“Despinis Linford is the smartest woman I ever met.”
“Hardly.” Another troubled sigh passed her lips. “Please. Call me Andrea.”
“Then I insist you call me Stavros.”
“The sign of the cross. A holy name.”
“My parents regret giving it to me. I’m afraid I’m the apololos provato of their brood.”
She turned her head to look at him. “You? The black sheep of the Konstantinos family? Why would you say such a thing?”
“Maybe because I choose to do things other than live up to my father’s dreams for me.”
“It sounds like you have dreams of your own and think for yourself. There’s nothing wrong with that. You ought to wear it as a badge of courage rather than a curse.”
A curse. That was exactly what it had been like, but she made it sound like something to be proud of. A different way to look at himself? How did she manage to do that without even being aware of her power? The thought was daunting because he realized he could really care about her. That was a complication he didn’t need right now.
“You’re fortunate to have a father who approves of you.”
“You mean yours really doesn’t?”
“Afraid not.” His voice grated. “Your incredulity tells me how different our fathers are. In my whole life, we’ve rarely seen eye to eye on anything. Unless it’s his way, it isn’t right.”
“But you’re obviously successful!”
“Not in his eyes.”
“That’s horrible.” Her voice shook. “How painful for you.”
“I’m used to it.”
“Even so, I can hear the hurt in your voice deep down.” Her keen perception astounded him. She studied him for a minute. “For what it’s worth, I approve of you.”
“Why?”
“When we first met, you were ready to give me a full interrogation at the quarry. But after I introduced myself, you listened, and in your unique way, you apologized and let me look for Darren with you. I find that admirable and think I like you much better now.”
Andrea Linford, where did you come from?
Little did she know he already liked her to the point he was ready to carry her off to an unknown location where they could get to know each other for as long as they wanted, undisturbed by anything or one. It shocked him that he would entertain such a thought when he’d only just met her.
They’d neared the trail that led to the cave. It was getting too dark for tourists to be out. Stavros had been watching for anyone walking along the winding stone road bordered by heavy underbrush.
He pulled to a stop. “We’ll have to go on foot from here. Grab one of the parkas. I know it’ll drown you, but it will also keep you warm. The temperature inside the cave is always cooler, especially at night. Darren might not be here. If he isn’t, then let’s whisper once we get inside while we wait and turn off the flashlights. In case he does show up, we don’t want our voices and lights to scare him off before we approach him.”
“Understood.”
Andrea understood about a lot more things than he could have imagined.
They both got out and put on a coat. She reached for two bottles of water she could carry in the pockets of her parka.
He handed her the smaller flashlight, making sure it worked, then turned on the big one. After throwing a blanket over his shoulder, he locked the Jeep. Before he knew it, she’d gone down the path ahead of him. Because of the overgrowth of mountain foliage, it grew so narrow in spots that they had to proceed single file. So far, they hadn’t seen anyone.
Soon, they came to the large mouth of the cave. It looked like a dark hole. He moved past her, flashing his light around the interior for any sign of the teen. They went deeper, until the shaft of light lit up the dragon-like stalactite. Though it was always dark in the cave, the night gave it added menace.
If Darren intended to hide in here, Stavros doubted he’d go much farther for fear of getting lost. He turned to Andrea and put his lips close to her ear. Again, he was assailed by the delicious scent of her. Maybe it was the shampoo from her wavy dark blond hair, which fell loose to her neck. “Let’s sit here awhile and see if he comes.”
* * *
Andrea nodded and edged away in order to counteract the feel of his warm breath against her skin. He hadn’t touched her, but he didn’t have to for her to be intensely aware of him. After he spread out the blanket, she sat down cross-legged. In the next moment he’d taken the same position facing her.
The last thing she saw before they turned off their lights was the bone structure of his striking eastern Macedonian features. He was fiercely male, all of him.
Just thinking about all of him made her swallow hard. She felt the cool darkness enshroud them. If she was nervous and disturbed, it wasn’t because they were in a cave that was black as pitch. Something had happened to her from the moment Stavros Konstantinos had alighted from his car looking like a Greek statue come to life. It was so strange because she hadn’t been interested in any man since Ferrante.
“Do you know what a rare creature you are?” His whisper came out of the darkness.
Her body trembled in reaction. “Why do you say that?” she whispered back.
“Because your behavior is so perfect, you’ve forced me to break the silence in order to tell you so.”
Andrea couldn’t help but smile. “I learned early in life that most men don’t like chatter. Of course, my father isn’t like most men. I loved him and always wanted to go with him wherever he was sent.”
“Is he waiting for you in Thessaloniki?”
“No. He stays in a village near the Skouries mine for three weeks at a time. Then he comes to our furnished apartment in the city to see me for a week. While I’m at the office, he cooks up a storm for us. I take time off when he arrives so we can explore the sites together.”
“Your father never married again?”
“I once asked him that question because he’s had his share of girlfriends. He told me that because he has to move around the globe every so often, he decided it would be too difficult to be married. Plus, he said, I was the only child he wanted.”
“I can understand that. Both his reasons make perfect sense. Would you have liked a stepmother?”
No one had ever asked her that question. “I don’t know, since I never grew up with my own mother. To be honest, I didn’t care for some of his girlfriends and they didn’t care for me, so I’m glad he didn’t marry one of them.”
She could hear a change in his breathing. “How old are you, Andrea?”
“Twenty-six. And you?” she fired back, growing more curious to know everything about him.
“Thirty-two. Tell me about the man you were going to marry.”
He’d changed the subject fast.
“Ferrante was Italian-Swiss from Ticino. He came from a large family with five brothers and sisters of whom he was the eldest. I’ve never met anyone so happy and friendly. Some people have a sunny spirit. He was one of them.”
In the silence that followed, a warm hand reached out and found one of hers to squeeze. “I’m sorry you lost him.”
His sincerity reached the deepest part inside her, but Andrea wished he hadn’t touched her. Still, she didn’t pull away because she didn’t want to offend him when he was trying to give her comfort.
“I’m much better these days. What about you? Do you have a girlfriend?”
He removed the hand that had spread warmth through her body. “Like your father, I’ve had my share.”
“But so far you’ve stopped short of marriage.”
“Yes.”
“That yes sounded emphatic,” she observed. “With a last name like yours, I guess you can’t be too careful.”
“Your perceptiveness must be a gift you were born with.”
“I think it’s the influence of my rather cynical father.”
“So he does have one flaw...” His response sounded almost playful. “I was beginning to worry.”
“Why?”
“A perfect father is hard to live up to.”
“Are we talking about mine?”
She was waiting for his answer when she heard a faint noise. Andrea supposed it could be a rodent running around, but she hoped it was Darren and jumped to her feet. In the process, her body collided with Stavros, who was also standing, and he wrapped her in his strong arms.
“Don’t make a sound.” This time his lips brushed her cheek while he whispered. Instantly rivulets of desire coursed through her bloodstream.
While she stood there locked against his well-honed frame, there was more noise, a little louder than before. Whatever made the sound was getting closer to them. Stavros must have been holding his flashlight because he turned it on in time to see a ferret scurry away.
Andrea relaxed against him, but Stavros still held on to her. No longer whispering, he said, “It’s past eleven o’clock. If Darren had planned to come here tonight, he would have arrived by now, don’t you think?”
She eased out of his arms and turned on her flashlight so he couldn’t tell how much his nearness had turned her body to mush.
“I do.” Until she got herself under control, Andrea wasn’t capable of saying anything else.
“Since the lieutenant hasn’t phoned me with news yet, that means Darren’s still out there, but I doubt he’ll do any more hiking before first light.” He scooped up the blanket and folded it. “Since he’s not here, it’s possible he took the trail leading away from the quarry that eventually goes down the mountain. There are firebreaks that crisscross it. We’ll take one, then another. Hopefully we’ll locate him.”
“That sounds like a good plan.” Together they left and made their way back to the Jeep. The slightly warmer air outside the dank cave felt good, but she kept the parka on. Once they’d climbed inside, he started it up and they took off at a clip. He turned on his brights to help them in their search. Andrea drank some of her water, thankful he knew where to drive.
“Are you hungry, Stavros?”
“Another gyro sounds good.”
She turned around and got another one out of the hamper and handed it to him. He’d also packed some plums, so she took one for herself and settled back to eat. “Seeing Thassos Island in the dazzling light of day isn’t anything like driving through this forest at night.”
“Not so benign, is it?”
A shiver passed through her. “No. Wherever our runaway is, he couldn’t be feeling as comfortable about his plan right now. My boss checked with the American consulate. Darren has never been issued a passport before. Since this is his first trip to Europe, it’s amazing he’d be willing to run away from the tour in a place so foreign to him. He has to be desperate.”
“Or adventurous and headstrong,” Stavros suggested, “and too spoiled to realize how hard this has to be on his parents or anyone who cares about him.”
She had a hunch he was talking about his younger self. “We have to find him before the press turns his disappearance into an international incident.”
“You took the words out of my mouth.” His voice sounded an octave lower and resonated to the marrow of her bones.
At the first crossroads they came to, he braked and turned right. “While I drive slowly, shine the big flashlight into the trees. We’ll take turns calling out his name. If he’s hurt and needs help, he might show himself.”
“That’s a good idea, but if he wants to stay hidden—”
“Then the sound of our voices will make him nervous that people are looking for him,” Stavros supplied. “Hopefully he’ll try to run and in the process give himself away.”
For the next half hour, he drove them over one rough firebreak, then another. “There doesn’t seem to be any sign of him, Stavros. Do you think it’s possible he hid himself in one of the employees’ vehicles while no one was paying attention? Maybe the back of a truck or the trunk of a car?”
Andrea noted the grim expression marring his arresting features. “Those are the first places I assumed the police had looked before I got there. But if they weren’t thorough enough...” His voice drifted off.
“Do all the workers live nearby?”
“Their homes are in or around Panagia. If that’s what Darren did, then he could lose himself among the tourists in the morning.”
Andrea nodded. “With enough money, he could buy a bike or steal one. Once in Thassos, he could take the ferry to the mainland.”
For the second time that night, Stavros clasped the hand nearest him. “Who should have been the detective now?” Heat passed through her system in waves before he let it go. “I’ll find us a place to camp on the outskirts of Panagia.”
The gorgeous man at the wheel had no idea that the thought of spending the rest of the night with him sent her pulse ripping off the charts.
“We can try to get some sleep for what’s left of the rest of this night. In the morning, we’ll make early rounds of the bike shops.”
“We might actually bump into him.”
“Or her,” he added. “If he’s wearing a disguise.” He hadn’t forgotten what she’d said. “If not there, maybe at the ferry landing.”
“I want to believe that.” She was worried sick about Darren of course. Stavros couldn’t help but hear the tremor in her voice.
“That makes two of us.”
Before too long, he found them a secluded spot. “Do you mind if we don’t set up the tent?” His question prompted her to lift her gaze to him, noticing the shadow on his firm jaw. If anything, he was more attractive when he needed a shave.
“No. It’s a beautiful night. I’ve slept out with my father like this hundreds of times. A tent is too confining and we could miss spotting Darren if he were to come this way.”
“You’re too good to be true. I think I must be dreaming.”
“You’ll know this is for real if I scream out loud because another ferret the size of the one in the cave creeps onto me.”
With a low resonant chuckle he unraveled the bedroll for her to sleep in and made himself a bed on a couple of blankets. They both ate and drank from the contents of the hamper. Then she snuggled into the bedroll and turned on her side toward him.
“Stavros? Thank you for letting me search for Darren with you. I appreciate everything you’ve done, not only for me, but for him. You’re a remarkable man.” He was a lot more than that. She needed to turn off her feelings for him. They were spinning out of control.
“Don’t give me any credit,” he said. “I have just as much at stake here as you. And how long it’s taking to find him is convincing me he’s more clever than I realized.” His hand went to his watch. “I’m setting my alarm so we’ll have time to grab some breakfast at one of the cafés first thing in the morning.” Andrea watched him pull out his phone. “I’m going to leave a message for the lieutenant about our plans for tomorrow. Then it’s lights out.”
She turned off her flashlight while she listened. In a minute, he shut the big light off and stretched out on his back with only one blanket pulled over him. He put his hands behind his dark head. “You’re a very trusting woman to be out in the forest with me.”
“I know the important things,” she came back readily. “I did my research and learned that the Konstantinos Corporation enjoys an excellent reputation far and wide for the quality of their products and their fair dealings. The fact that you cared enough to look for Darren on your own time when you didn’t have to says a lot about your character.”
His compassion and understanding of her loss had really been the things that told her he could be trusted. But she refrained from sharing that with him.
“I’d rather talk about your character, Andrea. No one would expect you to have joined in the search. I’m touched that you would tell me about your harrowing experience waiting to hear news of your fiancé.”
She stirred restlessly. “I couldn’t just stand by this time. You’d be surprised how many searches I’ve gone on in the past.”
“What do you mean?”
“Living in some of the third-world areas meant helping out in a crisis at a moment’s notice. In some ways, it was easier to find someone’s lost son or daughter from a remote village than to track down a teen like Darren who wants to be lost in a country as modern and sophisticated as Greece. With money he could be anywhere doing anything. His poor parents must be frantic.”
Stavros turned on his side. “Has this happened before on one of the tours?”
“There’ve been a few serious health issues, but no one ever left in the middle of a tour before. Georgios has been with PanHellenic fifteen years and said he’s never had someone disappear on him.”
“It’s a bizarre situation, one we can’t solve tonight.”
“You’re right. Good night, Stavros.” She rolled onto her side away from him.
“Kalinychta, despinis.”
His silky voice permeated her body, as if it had found a home. The sensation shocked her before oblivion took over.
* * *
The alarm awakened Stavros at six thirty. He hadn’t wanted the night to end and was surprised he’d slept. Probably knowing he’d be with her first thing in the morning was the reason he’d fallen off fast. For the first time since he could remember, a woman had come into his life who excited him in inexplicable ways.
Andrea was still asleep, her shiny blond hair splayed around her. He could still feel her wrapped in his arms in the cave. Between that memory and the intensity of those blue eyes fastened on him last night, it was all he could do not to move closer and draw her into his body. But until the boy was found, he needed to focus on matters that could have an adverse impact on everyone involved.
He packed up and started putting everything in the Jeep. When he went back for the hamper, he discovered Andrea had awakened and was rolling up the bedroll.
“Good morning, Stavros.” Her smile filled his body with warmth. “How long have you been up?”
“A few minutes.”
“Don’t tell me if I snore. Some things are better not to know.”
She looked so beautiful with her hair in attractive disarray it took all his self-control not to kiss her voluptuous mouth. “You were quiet as a mouse.”
“So were you. I think.” Despite the seriousness of their situation, she didn’t take herself seriously, a trait that appealed to him. They both chuckled.
He took the bedroll from her and put it in the back of the Jeep. She joined him a few minutes later. He noticed she’d brushed her hair and put on a frosted pink lipstick he’d love to taste before he started on her.
Stavros was thunderstruck by his strong physical attraction to her. But right now he needed to concentrate. “Let’s go find Darren.”
Once they got in the Jeep, he drove back out to the road that led into Panagia. He stopped in front of a cafeteria, where they went in for rolls and coffee. The proprietress recognized him and hurried over to their table.
He questioned her about Darren and showed her his picture from the cell phone. She said she hadn’t seen the American teenager in her café, but she’d call the police if he came in.
For the next half hour, they made the rounds of the bike shops. No one had seen the missing teen. When they went back to the Jeep, Andrea turned to him. “I think we should drive to Thassos and watch for him at the marina. He may have stolen someone’s bike in order to get there.”
“Or maybe he hitched a ride with some local.”
“Let’s check out all the bars and tavernas at the docks. He could be hanging out near the ferry landing stage.”
“The police will be searching everywhere, but we’ll add our eyes.”
For the next two hours, they covered the waterfront, but didn’t see anyone who resembled Darren. “Stavros? Let’s go on board the ferry that’s loading and take a look inside the vehicles. I know the police will have already done that, but maybe they missed something. What do you think?”
He saw the pleading in her eyes. It tugged at him. Neither of them wanted to give up the search, even if the police had already looked here.
“You’re reading my mind again.”
This was the first ferry of the day leaving for Keramoti. If Darren wanted to get off the island as fast as possible, this would be the one to take.
After parking the Jeep, he paid the fee and they walked on board, following the line of passengers. Since it was a Saturday of full-on summer, crowds of tourists slowed the lines down. He saw two police officers working the line.
Those people with cars had parked them end to end along the sides of the open air hold.
While everyone else went up on the deck to watch their departure, Stavros and Andrea inspected the interiors of each vehicle. All were empty. There were several small trucks. They eyed each other before he looked in the back of the first one. It was filled with lawn mower equipment.
Andrea moved forward to look inside the back of the next truck parked farther down. Stavros knew she’d found something when she came running toward him. “Quick,” she whispered. “There’s a tarp covering something. I thought I saw movement and I don’t dare lift it off without you.”
He grasped her upper arms. Their mouths were only centimeters apart. It was a miracle he restrained himself from kissing her senseless. “You stay here.”
Her breathing sounded shallow. “I won’t let you do this alone.”
Stavros inhaled sharply. “Then stay behind me.” After letting her go with reluctance, he walked to the pickup truck in question and took a look for himself. In the next instant, he climbed over the tailgate. Reaching down, he removed the tarp. Sure enough, a body dressed in jeans and tennis shoes was wedged between several packing boxes. A pair of brown eyes stared up at him in shock. His head was resting on his backpack.
“Darren Lewis.” Stavros spoke in English, standing over him. “Stay where you are.” He pulled out his cell phone and called the police lieutenant.
After a moment the other man answered. “Kyrie Konstantinos? I wish I had better news for you.”
“Our worries are over. We’ve found the missing teenager on board the ferry in Thassos town. He’s hiding in the back of a white pickup truck.”
“My men said they searched every car.”
“This teen has been elusive. Contact the ferry captain and tell him not to leave shore yet. Despinis Linford and I will detain the Lewis boy until you arrive.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Stavros helped Andrea up over the tailgate. She thanked him and sat down on one of the packing boxes. By this time, the teen was sitting up, but he didn’t try to get away.
“Darren? I’m Andrea Linford from PanHellenic Tours. This is Mr. Konstantinos, the managing director of the Konstantinos Marble Corporation.” Not anymore. “We’ve been looking for you since you disappeared yesterday.”
He averted his eyes.
“Your tour director, Georgios, and your teacher, Mrs. Shapiro, have been frantic. Your parents were notified of your disappearance and are on their way here.”
The boy went a sickly ashen color. “My mom and dad are coming?”
She nodded. “That’s right. The police will take you to them in Thessaloniki.”
“I’m eighteen and don’t have to see them if I don’t want to.”
So that was what this was about. “Nevertheless, they want to see you,” Stavros stated. “Whatever is wrong, nothing can be resolved by running away.”
“I hate my father. I never want to see him again.”
The pain in his declaration wasn’t lost on Stavros or Andrea. “Then you have the legal right to be on your own,” he said. “But you’re in a foreign country and have broken the law by stowing away in a truck that isn’t yours. You have some explaining to do to the police and they’ll insist on speaking to you and your parents.”
Darren was fighting tears. “I don’t want to talk to them.”
“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice while you’re still on Greek soil.”
Andrea got on the phone to her boss to tell him the good news. Before long, everyone, including the tour bus group, would know that the crisis had been averted. But the boy’s nightmare was just beginning. From past experience, Stavros knew what it was like to be at loggerheads with his own father and had some compassion for Darren, whatever the problem.
“If you’re hungry or thirsty, I’ll get you something,” Andrea volunteered after hanging up. She had a sweetness in her that wasn’t lost on Stavros.
“I don’t want anything.”
“You must have had a bad night. Tell us how you got away from the quarry, Darren.”
“I hid underneath someone’s truck. When the police walked off, I got inside the back.” Andrea and Stavros exchanged glances. “After it stopped at a village, I jumped out and walked down here during the night. While the cars were lined up to board the ferry, I got underneath another truck.”
