Protected By Him (The Greek Brothers Book 4) Read online

  “Look, I really need to go. Now. I have to report a crime.”

  Ries smiled at her and played with a lock of her chestnut hair which escaped the clip. “Do you really need to go?”

  “Yes. Please move. I must get to the police.”

  Ries sobered a bit then and gave her a quizzical look. “The police?”

  “Yes. I witnessed a crime and…I told the officer inside. He didn’t believe me.”

  “I saw you speaking to the police but did not know it was about something official.”

  “I saw someone selling stolen items…”

  “Truly? You witnessed this?” Ries asked with an arched brow.

  “It doesn’t matter. I need to find someone else who will listen to me.”

  “I would be very willing to listen to you,” Ries told her, once again crowding her and pushing his hand in her hair. Stephanie grabbed his hand and pulled it down, ignoring how nice his touch felt.

  God this is wrong. This man is a drunken stranger. He won’t even remember this conversation tomorrow.

  “Come to the yacht with me. I promise to listen to you and if I can help…”

  Stephanie shoved him out of her way, giving herself a few inches to get away from the wall. “Get out of my way. I need to find someone who is sober and cares more about seeing justice done than adding another notch to his bedpost.”

  “That is not what I was…”

  She gave him a disgusted look and hurried down the sidewalk. She pulled her dress tightly around herself, wishing she’d worn jeans and a t-shirt instead. Ries’ actions had been nothing more than she should have expected from a spoiled rich boy. He’d promised to listen to her story but she was sure it was just a ruse to get her to his yacht.

  Prior to coming to Greece and taking this job, Stephanie had never given a second thought to her looks. The guys she’d known back home hadn’t bothered to hit on her and she’d always been treated like one of the guys. Here though, she was treated like nothing more than a sex object. The men who frequented the bar only cared about what she looked like on the outside and whether or not she was willing to play their flirtatious games.

  She wished she could find someone who would to both. Appreciate her as a woman, and as a scholar. But such a man did not seem to exist.

  As she headed for the police department, she felt a sense of despair. She once believed that once she graduated from college, she would find her place in the world where she would be respected and treated as an equal. Ries had just reminded her that not only was that not likely to happen professionally but the police officer out front had also proven to her that even the legal system was biased against her.

  Chapter 2

  Ries Kafatos watched the young beauty take off down the sidewalk, slightly perplexed in his inebriated state that she hadn’t wanted to join the party. He’d been collecting women all evening, promising them a night of debauchery the likes they’d never seen before. So far, he’d collected a harem of ten willing women who had agreed to join him on his yacht for a night of drinking, dancing, and other carnal pleasures.

  He leaned against the building for a moment, smiling as he imagined the look on Damon’s face when the news of Ries’ latest party hit the papers. He’d made sure to invite a local journalist willing to get the inside scoop. After all, Ries’ playboy antics were for naught if he couldn’t draw attention to himself and irritate his older brother.

  Damon was the oldest of the three Kafatos brothers and while Ries knew he meant well, he was an overbearing and controlling perfectionist. Due to the untimely death of their parents, Damon had been forced to take the reins of the family business while he was still in his teens. Nicolai and Ries had been too young to help with the business at the time, leaving Damon to shoulder all of the burdens upon his lanky frame.

  Now that the three brothers were all adults, they’d each assumed a role to play. Damon was the controlling dictator, overlord and self-proclaimed ruler of the family. Nicolai played the role of pacifier, constantly trying to smooth things over between the other two brothers. As for Ries, he’d assumed the role of screw up and playboy. His outrageous antics and propensity to draw the media’s attention kept the tension between him and Damon near boiling point. It was a role which kept him from having to handle any responsibilities in the family business.

  Playing the role of philanderer wasn’t hard for Ries. His ready charm with an endless supply of money made playing the spoiled, rich boy easy. Irritating Damon was just an added bonus.

  “Ries. Man, you out here?” Chris Parker’s voice called from the sidewalk.

  “Here.”

  “What are you doing outside? You’ve got a bunch of women inside waiting for the party you promised them.” Chris had been Ries’ personal assistant for the last three years and was responsible for keeping Ries from crossing the line too far. Ries appreciated Chris’ frequent saves when he flirted too closely with disaster but always pretended to resent his assistant’s interference.

  “Followed a cute little thing out here but she didn’t seem inclined to play.” Ries pushed away from the building and wavered just slightly. He turned and looked down the street where Stephanie had disappeared, a frown appearing on his brow. “Maybe I should go after her? She sounded upset.”

  “Maybe she was upset that you were hitting on her?” Chris suggested.

  “No. She saw something…”

  “You’ve had too much to drink to be out here wandering around on your own. You certainly shouldn’t be chasing after some gal who already turned you down,” Chris told him, coming forward and slipping Ries’ arm over his shoulder. “Let’s get you back inside. There are plenty of beautiful and willing women waiting for you.”

  Ries sighed and allowed Chris to turn him back toward the bar’s entrance. “You think I drink too much?”

  “I know you drink too much,” Chris replied. “That’s the reason I have a job.”

  In truth, his job was not only to monitor Ries’ penchant for drinking to excess but also talk him down from attempting idiotic stunts while drunk. Chris didn’t mind making sure Ries was having a good time – within reason. Ries had a tendency to attempt crazy and daring stunts when he got really drunk. It was Chris’ job to direct Ries’ attention elsewhere.

  “You don’t have to worry about me tonight. I invited those two police officers inside.”

  “To the yacht?” Chris asked for clarification.

  “Sure. They were eyeing the booth and I walked over and introduced myself. I could tell they were a little suspicious because I’m not from here. I promised to only bring good publicity to Stavros.”

  Chris stopped Ries and shook his head, “You invited two police officers to the yacht? Ries, what were you thinking?”

  “Well, I saw them talking to that beauty who took off.”

  “The girl who turned you down?” Chris asked, trying to follow Ries’ train of thought.

  “Yes. She was talking to one of the officers, and she seemed kind of upset, but they just blew her off. I thought maybe I could find her around the back and almost collided with her attempting to get there.”

  “The woman who was talking to the police? You ran into her?”

  “Not quite. Anyway, she didn’t want to party, and she was really upset about something. She was trying to get to the police station.” Ries pressed a hand to his temple and then took a calming breath.

  “Didn’t she talk to the officers inside?”

  “She did, but for some reason they didn’t or wouldn’t help her. She said something about a crime being committed and then pushed me away and took off.” Ries turned and took a step in the direction Stephanie had gone moments earlier. “She seemed really upset.” Chris’s hand on his arm stopped his forward momentum.

  “I’m sure she’ll be fine. Let’s go gather up your harem and head for the yacht. Do you still want to invite those officers? I could go talk to them for you.”

  Ries considered that question as they h
eaded back inside the bar and then made a decision. Stephanie seemed like a beautiful young woman and was really upset, and yet, the police didn’t help her.

  “Don’t say anything to the police. That was probably a bad idea on my part. Let’s gather up the women and head out.”

  Upon reaching the booth, Ries found himself surrounded by gorgeous women from different countries. Tall, short, all colors of hair, all gorgeous, and all ready to party the night away. “Ladies, did you miss me?” he asked, although without his usual measure of enthusiasm.

  Realizing that all was not right with the local police and worry about Stephanie stole some of his enthusiasm for the party he’d been planning all afternoon. Two women hooked his arms with their own as they towed him towards the exit. Ries smiled down into their eyes, doing his best to put the incident with Stephanie out of his mind.

  “I can’t seem to remember any of your names,” he commented to the dark-skinned beauty on his left and the blonde on his right.

  “That’s alright, you don’t need to know our names to have a good time,” the blonde informed him with an inebriated giggle.

  Ries smiled and squeezed her closer, “That’s right. I don’t, do I?”

  “Ladies, if you’ll get into the limo and slide all the way to the front, I believe we can all fit into the one vehicle,” Chris said as he held open the rear passenger door.

  “We don’t mind getting cozy, do we girls?” one of the women asked.

  Ries guessed by her accent and coloring that she was French, but everything was slightly blurry and after all, he didn’t really need to know their names or where they were from. They all knew the score, and that this was a one-time event and, in the morning, Chris would ensure they were all returned to wherever they needed to go to resume their lives.

  Ries waited as the women climbed inside, looking back inside at the place where the two officers sat, nursing their drinks. He frowned and asked Chris, “Do the police consume alcohol while on duty in your country?”

  Chris followed his eyes and shook his head, “If they did and anyone reported it, they’d be out of their jobs rather quick.”

  “That’s what I thought, as well.” Ries made a mental note about the policemen. First, they ignored a woman in distress and now they were drinking while in uniform and presumably on the job. The situation deserved more thought, especially if he was going to be in the area for any length of time and possibly needing their assistance.

  “Did you forget something?” Chris asked, gesturing toward the open limo door and raising a brow as Ries continued to stand on the sidewalk.

  “No. I believe everything we need is already inside.” Ries climbed into the limo and found himself surrounded by the women once more. It was obvious the women were waiting for him to decide what came next and suddenly Ries found himself struggling to hide his true feelings. Everyone who looked at him saw a carefree, party boy who didn’t have any concept of the future or concerns about anything other than his own personal gratification. It was all that anyone had ever seen in him, from the time he’d turned sixteen and entered the party scene.

  In reality, Ries hated his life and the perception people had of him. The expectations they placed upon his shoulders to always be the life of the party and expecting him to thumb his nose at society. He didn’t want to be the party boy but he’d created this life for himself and now he felt trapped by it.

  I’m incapable of doing anything else. No one expects anything from me and that’s exactly what I give them. Nothing tangible. I’m the rich, handsome, wealthy playboy who’s always up for a good time. I couldn’t even help a woman on the street. I just let her walk off to fend for herself.

  “Ries, you okay?” Chris whispered as the limo pulled up to the docks.

  Ries shook himself and then nodded, “Never better. Ladies, I hope you brought your suits.”

  “And if we didn’t?” one beauty asked, leaning forward and giving him a glimpse of her ample cleavage beneath the short top.

  “Well, then I guess you’ll just have to do without,” Ries suggested blandly. The women looked at him for a minute and then laughed when he waggled his brows and confided quietly, “I personally never wear a swimsuit. I just don’t see the need.”

  They talked amongst themselves and Ries leaned back, his thoughts going once more to Stephanie. I hope she’s okay. She needed help. Why didn’t I offer her something tangible?

  Chapter 3

  Stephanie delivered the next tray of drinks, flirted a bit with the older Middle Eastern gentlemen at the table, and then headed for the next table in her area. She kept looking around the bar for the two men from the night before, starting to question her own sanity in the face of everyone else’s disbelief.

  After leaving the bar the night before, and the unfortunate encounter with Ries whatever-his-name-was, she finally made it to the police department. Only one officer was on duty and she told him her story, only to have him also suggest that she hadn’t really seen anything worthy of investigating. The bar was dimly lit, she’d just finished working an eight-hour shift, and since she didn’t have any evidence and couldn’t name the men involved, in the eyes of the officer the incident simply hadn’t taken place.

  She’d even mentioned it to Terri when she’d arrived for work this afternoon, and Terri also had told her she must have been seeing things. “No one would conduct that kind of illegal activity out in the open. Get real,” Terri had told her with a small laugh as she’d walked away to start her shift.

  Maybe I just thought I saw something nefarious? Is my life so boring that I’m now conjuring up conflicts when there aren’t any? Stephanie shook her head and headed back to the bar, stopping short when she spotted Ries. She observed him from the other end of the bar, and it was obvious the man was nursing a humongous hangover. His head was hanging low, his color was slightly off, and his jovial personality was completely missing.

  She watched him for a long moment, thinking that at least he’d been willing to listen to her. He had been so focused on getting her to party with him, she hadn’t truly given him a chance to help, but he’d seemed concerned at least. Even more than the police officer she’d originally told her tale to.

  She blew out a breath, nodded thanks to Tomas and headed to deliver the drinks, bringing her directly past Ries. She didn’t look at him until she heard him call her name in surprise.

  “Stephanie? Tikanis?”

  Stephanie turned around and shook her head at his words, “I don’t speak Greek.”

  “I asked how you were,” Ries informed her.

  “You remember me?” she inquired skeptically.

  “I was not so drunk that I wouldn’t remember a beautiful woman in distress. You didn’t even give me a chance to help you solve your problem,” he softly accused her.

  “You would have helped me?”

  When he nodded, looking even paler with the movement, she took a step closer and told him softly, “You would be the only one then. The police are not interested in what I saw.”

  “You obviously saw something,” he agreed with her.

  Stephanie gave him a shy smile, realizing that his eyes had never once strayed from her face. He’d not commented on her skimpy outfit, nor had he stared at her bared limbs with lust blazing in his eyes. He was looking at her. Listening to her. He was concerned for her. It was the first time since arriving in Greece and taking this job that Stephanie had actually felt like a person and not an object to be lusted after.

  “I know what I saw but I am beginning to think maybe I made it all up. No one thinks what I saw is possible.”

  “Everything is possible,” Ries told her, moaning softly and dropping his head into his hands. “I can’t believe I am this hung-over.”

  Stephanie smiled and reminded him, “You were fairly drunk last night.”

  “But after meeting you, I didn’t drink anymore.” Ries hung his head for a moment, murmuring softly as if his words were meant only for his own ears, �
�By Hades, I feel like hell warmed over.”

  Stephanie gave him an indulgent smile and he realized that she was patronizing him. “Truly, I didn’t have anything else to drink. I know my reputation precedes me but I was worried about you.”

  “While I don’t know about your reputation, I find it hard to believe you even gave me a second thought. You don’t even know me,” Stephanie told him.

  “I know you were distraught last night and needed help.”

  “Well, that was then. Tonight, it appears that you are in need of help. I recommend drinking plenty of water and staying off the booze tonight and possibly tomorrow. If you want to kill yourself that is a rotten way to go.”

  Ries looked at her, his eyes going blurry again and he scrubbed at them, wishing he knew why he was feeling terrible. Seeing her turn her back to walk away, he sighed and slid off the bar stool, intending to go back to his room and sleep off the rest of this sickness. His feet barely hit the floor before it was spinning, the floor rising to meet him as he tipped forward. He reached out for the bar stool, his hand hitting it hard as he took a stumbling step; he couldn’t seem to get his balance.

  Suddenly, Stephanie was there, her arm around his waist, holding him steady. “Hey! Are you okay? You look like you’re going to be sick.”

  “I don’t feel well, at all.”

  “Want me to walk you back to your room? My shift is over in a few minutes and I can leave now. I don’t know if you should be alone right now,” Stephanie offered.

  Ries raised a brow at her and then answered, “Yes.” He truly wasn’t feeling up to being amorous, but if she was offering, he’d do his best to perform. He reached an arm around her shoulders and then squeezed her close for a moment, brushing his fingers up the side of her neck. “I can’t promise anything but I’m willing…”

  Stephanie stiffened and met his eyes. “I wasn’t propositioning you; I was simply offering to help you back to your room. Nothing else.”