The Billion-Dollar Marriage Contract (19 page)

Everything here was truly
lavish
and
extravagant!

It was like those that she saw in movies, only this one was bigger and better. There were only a few seats and they looked like a more expensive version of a
La-Z-Boy
. On the far side of the wall, there stood a large, flat screen TV. It was a large plane but the interior looked like the living room of a grand mansion.

Cassia went straight to the chairs but Nikos tugged her hand.

“Let me tour you to the bedroom first. We’ll stay there after we take off so you can rest.”

Before she could react to his words, he opened a door and gently guided her inside. Her eyes widened when she saw the large bed there. On the left side was another door.

“If you need to use the bathroom, go first. I want a shower before we take off,” Nikos told her.

She nodded and entered the bathroom. At first, Cassia fumbled around because it was really hard to pull down her pants because one of her hands was placed in a sling. But after much wiggling and awkward tugging, she was able to relieve herself.

Once she exited, she saw that Nikos had a fresh change of clothes in his hands. He instructed her to go outside and strap herself in one of the seats for they would be taking off soon. She did as he asked and found herself dozing off as she waited for them to leave. A few minutes later, Nikos also strapped himself in beside her after having a few words with the pilot.

Strapped in her seat, Cassia drifted off to sleep as the plane left New York City.

When she woke up, she was on the massive bed in the room and Nikos was also sleeping
beside
her.

She jolted and then quickly sat up. Pain flared in her shoulder. She gasped and flopped back down on the bed in pain.

Nikos felt the bed dip and heard her groan of pain. He stretched his arms and pulled her closer.

She struggled and he opened his bloodshot eyes which stared at her in confusion. When the fog in his brain lifted, he quickly rolled off the bed and shook his head.
Damn it,
did he just snuggle with his wife?

To cover up his actions, he reached for her medicine on top of the drawer. He also opened the small refrigerator and handed Cassia a bottle of water.

“Here. It’s time you take your pain pills,” he said as he handed her the bottle and her medications.

Cassia took it and greedily drank down water.

“How am I here? And why are you here?” she hissed.

“I carried you here because you were out like a light the minute your back hit the cushion. I am here because I need to rest too. This is the only room here on this plane and it’s been one hell of a day. I am tired.”

Wow. She didn’t even wake up when he carried her?

“It’s a pretty large
plane
,” Cassia commented.

She hoped Nikos took the hint and left her alone.

“It’s a pretty large
bed
. Besides, I cannot fit on one of the couches. Don’t worry; injured women are not my type,” Nikos grinned and then rolled over on the other side of the bed.

She glared at his back and stopped herself from throwing one of the pillows at him.

After a few minutes, Nikos’ breathing evened and Cassia knew he was asleep. She relaxed and within a few minutes, also fell deeply asleep.

Nikos opened his eyes when he heard the intercom beside the bed ringing.

He took a deep breath and the tantalizing smell of vanilla made desire bubble in the pit of his stomach. His mind traveled back to the past when he last smelled that on Cassia’s skin during their wedding night.
He was hit with an intense need for her as vivid images of that night flashed through his brain.

He lifted his head and sought out that delightful aroma.

Cassia’s hair was fanned out in the pillow and most of it was near his nose. Apart from that, as he came to alertness, he realized that his hand was resting on something soft—
Cassia’s hip
. His entire body was spooned around her and her legs were tangled in his. Nikos was hit with a larger bolt of lust and he felt himself hardening against her.

The moment was shattered by the shrill and incessant ringing of the intercom. He sat up with a curse and grabbed the receiver.

“Yes?” he answered.

“We will be landing in fifteen minutes, Mr. Demakis,” the pilot informed him.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and glanced at his watch. Then, he stilled with shock.

Damn,
it’s been ten hours already?

He
never
slept that long. Usually it was only three or four hours, maximum. But now, he’d slept for more than double his usual time and there wasn’t even a hint of the nightmares that usually plagued him. He couldn’t remember the last time he slept like this.

Was it because of the events that happened this day?

His gut clenched and another voice spoke inside his head.

Maybe it’s because of her...

“Alright, we’ll strap ourselves in,” he replied and then set the receiver down.

He took a few more minutes to get his bearings and willed himself to be calm. He felt really rested and for the first time in a long time, he felt a great sense of well-being.

He sighed and reached across the bed.

“Cassia...wake-up,
agape mou
. We’re in Greece.”

It took a few more gentle shakes before Cassia roused.

“What time is it?” she asked.

“I think the sun’s just about to rise.”

“Where’s your home? Is it the one in Athens with your grandfather?” Cassia asked as they strapped themselves in. It seems as though sleep also took out her crankiness.

“No. I do not live with my grandfather anymore. I have my own home.”

Nikos clasped her seatbelt for her for she could not use her right hand.

“Where?Santorini? How are we going to go there?” she asked

“No. A private island.Skorpios
.
We’ll land at Athens first. Take a car towards the docks. And we’ll go there by riding my yacht
.
”

Cassia’s jaw fell again at that revelation.

“Skorpios?Seriously? Wow. I applaud you at the way you showed off
all
your shiny toys today, Nikos. I loved the way you topped it off with an island worth millions of dollars,” she half-mocked and half-groaned.

Skorpios
was one of the most exclusive islands in Greece. It used to belong to an old Greek Tycoon before Nikos managed to get his hands on it. People said it was so beautiful that it was likened to
Paradise on Earth.
The fact that it was a private island meant that there were no overexcited tourists, no busy establishments, nothing to interrupt a perfect vacation.

“Yes.
Our
home’s beautiful. By the way, it’s not millions of
dollars
. It’s millions of
euros
,” Nikos bragged.

Cassia snorted.

She knew she would
love
the island.

She knew it was very beautiful.

But what she hated about it was that Nikos called it
their
home.

She had no intention of sharing any home with him even if he was the King of England and they
were to live in the Buckingham Palace itself.

“What did you do?!” Sebastian roared.

“We couldn’t get hold of Nikos Demakis. He was simply too slippery. But we knew we needed a source of money so we tried to capture his wife instead.”

A muscle in Sebastian’s jaw ticked with anger at his men’s incompetence. Also, another emotion assailed him but he tried to push it away.

“What happened?” he asked in a deadly whisper.

“We failed because the mercenary, that bastard Smith showed up. It seems as if he was watching her and he knows of us already.”

This time, his hands itched to draw his weapon. Alex Smith had been too much of a nuisance to him already.

“Many of our men died and they escaped. Now we’ve lost them.”

The man flinched after he delivered his report. He waited for his boss’ burst of anger but he seemed deep in thought.

Sebastian’s phone rang and he moved away from his men when he saw who was calling. It took him several minutes before he returned to them with a smile on his face.

“They’re in Greece. If my guess is correct, they’d be heading to Demakis’ private island. Get them there.”

“Right away, boss!”

“And Kristoff? Do not fail me this time.”

November 19, 2013
The Amphitrite (Nikos’ Yacht)
Somewhere in the Greek Coast

“It’s going to be a thirty minute ride to the island. Make yourself comfortable,” Nikos told Cassia and gestured towards the deck where there were several plush chairs. “The sun will rise in a couple of minutes. It’s a beautiful sight to watch up deck,” he added.

Cassia quickly climbed and settled herself on one of the sofas. She chose one near the railing of the boat and closed her eyes as she savored the cool air against her cheeks. 
She looked excitedly to the horizon.  It had been a long time since she enjoyed life’s simple pleasures like looking at the beauty of the sun as it rose.

While waiting, she found herself dozing off but she instantly awoke when she was picked up from the sofa and cradled into a hard male body.

“Wha--?”

“Shh. There are people following us. We have to go below deck where it’s safer,” Nikos whispered.

Cassia craned her neck to catch a view of what was happening before they went to hide. She noticed three smaller vessels behind theirs. She also saw their bodyguards with their weapons drawn. Two of them were behind Nikos, quickly ushering him below deck.

Fear took hold of her once more and she tightened her grip on Nikos. The moment he closed the door to their bunker below deck, the unmistakable sound of gunshots were heard.

“What’s happening?” she hissed.

“Get down!” Nikos shoved her on the floor.

He covered her body with his and Cassia lifted her hand to cover her ears. The sound of heavy gunfire was followed by the shouts of her guards and their assailants. Cassia’s fear increased with every minute that passed. Nikos continued to hold her against his body to protect her but when she looked up she saw that he was pale and that his body was clenched tightly.

The two guards who were with them in the room crawled towards the door. When the sounds of mayhem stopped, they quickly dragged one of the tables towards the door as a buffer. Then, they reached for the radio behind them and tried to communicate with the others.

No one answered.

Their guards tried to radio the tower near the docks. Cassia sighed with relief when she heard another voice. Her guards quickly relayed their situation and asked for backup. Nikos also added that they should call Alex Smith for he was his head of security and gave them the number. Now, all they could do was wait.

“Nikos—“

“Shh. It isn’t over,” he whispered in her ear.

Cassia shivered at the thought. She saw the fear in Nikos’ eyes and it made her panic. He was a calm and composed man and if there was something that caused him to be like this, then their situation was really grave.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open.

Cassia screamed but her loud cry was drowned out by the sound of more shots fired. There were muffled thuds as bodies fell onto the wooden floor. Then there came the metallic stench of blood. Quick as a flash, she was jerked upright and shoved behind Nikos.

“Greetings, Mr. and Mrs. Demakis,” one of the masked men approached them.

“Stay back!” Nikos shouted.

“Don’t worry. We’re not here to hurt you. We only need you to come with us willingly.”

“What do you want? The boat? Take it! It’s yours!”

“I already told you what we want. We want you to come with us willingly and no one gets hurt.”

The man approached them and Nikos aimed a kick at his groin. He landed a solid hit to the man’s privates and he doubled over in pain and growled something in Greek that Cassia didn’t understand.

All the remaining armed men quickly rushed towards Nikos and separated both of them.

“Cassia!” he shouted as he kicked and punched his way towards her.

But he was trapped and he was only one man against many.

“Nikos...please...stop it. You’ll just hurt yourself further,” Cassia pleaded.

Two men also grabbed her and tied her hands behind her back. This caused her arm to throb painfully and she felt as if her wound was reopened. She was not able to stop the gasp of pain that escaped her lips.

“No! Don’t touch her!” he shouted.

There was a crazed look in his eyes and it made Cassia very afraid of him. She remembered the rumor about his kidnapping. Now, she was thinking it wasn’t a rumor at all. Nikos wouldn’t be this afraid if he had not experienced it firsthand.

“Stop struggling, Mr. Demakis, or we’ll carve her skin,” one of the men shouted.

He appeared to be their leader. He grabbed Cassia, retrieved a serrated knife from his pocket and held it against her neck.

Tears spilled from her eyes and Nikos’ throat clenched with fear. When he was kidnapped, he was also held like that. He could still recall the fear he felt then and how he felt when he thought he was truly going to die. Now, his wife was facing that.

“Let her go!” he snarled.

“Behave and we will,” the leader replied.

Even though it was hard, Nikos let the fight leave him and he just slumped forward in his captors’ grasps.

“Good.”

He was hauled to his feet and then dragged from the lower bunk. Cassia was also dragged behind him and he winced with her every gasp of pain. They were led up the deck and transferred from his yacht to one of the boats.

They were forced to sit on the edge and their hands were tied to the railings on each side of the boat.

When the men left them, Nikos moved closer to Cassia.

“Are you all right?”

She nodded.

“I swear I am going to get us out of here. I won’t let them do to you what they did to me before,” he vowed.

Her eyes widened. “I had no idea that the rumors were true Nikos. The company’s PR department covered it all up. They didn’t even tell me what happened. I’m so sorry.”

Nikos’ gut clenched. Antonio was right. It was not that she didn’t care what happened to him; she simply did not know.

“Don’t be. It’s all in the past now. But I won’t let it happen again. We will escape as soon as we can,” Nikos replied.

The men approached them again and placed blindfolds over their eyes. They’ve been travelling maybe over an hour or close to an hour. Maybe they were already near and the men didn’t want them to see the location. Their bound wrists were removed from the railings and then they were tied together. Nikos’ right hand was handcuffed to Cassia’s left.

They were led from the boat toward some sort of vehicle. More minutes passed before the vehicle went to a stop and they were dragged by their kidnappers once more.

Their blindfolds were finally removed and both Cassia and Nikos blinked at the brightness of the lights.

“Welcome to your new place. It isn’t as good as the luxury you’re used to. But then again, you don’t have any choice,” the man laughed and his men followed.

It was a small, windowless cell. There was a pallet and some blankets in one corner and then a toilet and sink in the other one. Aside from those items, there was nothing else. The walls were also bare and it was made of cement and not bricks.

“What do you want with us?” Nikos growled.

“Man, I just work here. Save your questions for the boss. But what I can tell you Demakis is that you seem to have pissed off the wrong people.”

What
?

Where did that come from? Nikos racked his brain for a list of his enemies.

He knew he had many because of the competition in the business world. But he didn’t know of one who would go to great lengths such as kidnapping him.

He simply had no clue.

“Money? How much do you want from us?” Cassia asked.

“Ma’am, again, I just work here. Better ask the boss. I think he’ll be arriving pretty soon,” the leader sneered.

Who could these people be? Was this truly just all about the money? If it was, it would be easy. Once he gave them whatever they wanted, they’d be set free. But if the leader was right and there was something about revenge in this, then they were doomed. They wouldn’t be leaving this island at all until the person’s idea of vengeance had been satisfied.

“You two best behave until the boss arrives. If I catch anything funny, you’re in for some serious trouble,” the man told them before he turned around and left.

The door shut after him and they were plunged into total darkness.

Cassia panicked instantly and Nikos felt her jolt. He quickly wrapped his arms around her.

“It’s okay. I’m still here,” he whispered softly.

She relaxed a bit and he felt her lean against him.

“What are we going to do now?”

“We are going to find a way out of here. I do not know if this was the same island that Antonio and I escaped from but I have a feeling it is.”

“Can’t we just give them whatever it is they need?” Cassia asked hesitantly.

“If there was one thing I learned before, it was that these people never really negotiate. If they’re in it for the money, it would be easier. But you heard what the man said.
If I pissed off someone then this may be something about revenge. Maybe one of us pissed someone off enough that they had us kidnapped.”

Cassia was silent for a long time as she tried to recall if she made any enemies.

“I don’t think someone hates me enough to do this. Well, maybe my grandfather then,” she scoffed.

“Why would Costas want to do that?”

“I don’t know. He hates me. If ever I pissed someone off, I think it’s him.”

Nikos gritted his teeth as he let her lie roll through him. How dare she lie to him about her grandfather again? It was a well-known fact that Costas doted on her. She was his only granddaughter and heir! He gave her everything! He even caught him for her when she set her eyes on him. How dare she say this now?

“Cassia, stand up,” Nikos ordered. “I need to check our cell for anything we can use and if we could really escape.”

They were still handcuffed together and in order for Nikos to walk around their tiny cell, he would have to drag her with him. Cassia stood up but she winced in pain from her wounded shoulder. Nikos approached the bars and tested their strength as he pulled. They didn’t budge.

He sighed and slammed his palm forward.

“Now what?”

“We watch the guards. We find one that would be easy to bribe.”

“Bribe?”

“
Ne.
In these men’s world, money is everything. If we find one that would clamp its jaws on the bait then maybe we could escape.”

“I hope we find one,” she sighed heavily.

“I will keep watch. You take some sleep first.”

She nodded and they both settled back to one corner of their cell. Nikos grabbed the blanket from their pallet and wrapped it around his wife as best he could. When her breathing evened and she was deeply asleep, he bent his head just so he could inhale her sweet vanilla fragrance – a small reprieve from all the chaos.

**********

“Call whoever has access to your money and tell them to wire one hundred million dollars to your account now!
We also want you to transfer your company stocks to us! Have them ready the certificates!” the harsh words were followed by a punch that made Nikos’ lips bleed.

He was sitting on a simple wooden chair with his hands tied behind his back. He was so weak from the beating he received that he was barely awake. His kidnappers then doused him with cold water which instantly made him alert.

“No,” he growled.

The leader of his kidnappers raised his hand and his goons began to punch Nikos in the chest and in the stomach. He tried to curl into a ball to avoid the pain but his bindings restricted him. One punch to his chest knocked all the breath out of his lungs. He also felt that
his wound reopened and that it was bleeding freely again. He spat out blood but still he refused to do what they wished.