“Do you know why he came to America? What he did to the last girl, the one he was actually in love with?”
“I know all of those things,” Honey said, and even Antonis looked surprised, and whatever tirade of words he had for her to make her question Nikos’s feelings died on his lips there. “And you don’t have to speak to me about how Nikos feels about me because I already know how he feels. I know that he loves me.”
“He doesn’t—”
“I know he does,” she affirmed, feeling it in her heart. “He’s never said it, but from his actions, from the way he treats me, from the way he treats Kai, I know he does.”
They had never gone into details about their feelings, always avoiding those conversations and only focusing on the moment. And Honey liked it that way. It was easier to navigate their relationship without making it deeper, especially when, at the time, she had still been worried about Antonis. But though Nikos had never said he loved her, whenever he looked at her, his eyes were filled with so much affection that it felt like love. She had never been looked at like that before by any man; Not by Andre and definitely not by Antonis.
“I don’t believe it,” Antonis said. “My nephew is a frivolous boy who has fooled you, and I thought you were smarter than this. And even if he did supposedly love you, why would it matter? Have you not been holding my occupation against me this entire time? Nikos does the same thing I do. He’s not innocent. His hands have blood on them.”
“That’s true,” Honey admitted, thinking about the first time she had seen Nikos around her neighborhood with splotches of blood on his face and clothes. The lost look he had that night had never left her mind, especially since she had never seen it again, even after Nikos took over Antonis’s position. He had only become more resolute, and she had never seen that same innocent Nikos again.
“But he’s a good person, unlike you. He doesn’t do it by choice, but he does it for his family. He does it to feed them and protect them. He doesn’t take pleasure in harming people like you,” she said, pointedly. “He listens to me, and if I ask him not to harm someone on my behalf, he does it. Why? Because what I want actually matters to him. I’m not a doll or a toy or a gem to him. I’m just me.”
Antonis’s jaw was clenched tight enough that she could see the veins in it, and she knew he was infuriated, hearing her praise Nikos. But she didn’t care. He wanted the truth, and so she gave it.
“Antonis, I don’t want anything from you. Not your love or this house. I just want to go back home with my son,” she said, unfolding her arms. “Where is Nikos?”
She waited, and with each second that passed, her heart sank further and further until her eyes watered, hoping and praying that he had not killed him. Her heart wouldn’t be able to take it if he were truly dead this time.
“Do not shed tears yet,” he growled. “Nikos is still alive.”
She sighed with relief, clutching her chest.
“That ungrateful nephew of mine has been going around gathering up people within our family and turning them against me,” Antonis admitted bitterly. “He has been telling them about my private backdoor dealings and saying that I have stolen profits. The profits can’t be stolen if I earned them, but not everyone sees it that way, unfortunately.”
Honey’s eyes widened. She had been wondering what Nikos had been doing this past week, but she didn’t think he had been doingthat. At most, she thought he would get his father involved. But it didn’t seem to be necessary when he had that kind of dirt on Antonis. She wondered how long he had known.
“Save your tears for the real tragedy,” Antonis said. “Nikos might have taken my empire from me, but he won’t be able to take you away from me. You’re the possession I will keep until death. No one can take you from me.”
“You crazy son of a bitch,” she said in disbelief, her skin crawling with disgust. But Antonis did not care, a determination in his eyes that she had never seen before.
“I am crazy about you,” he admitted without shame. “Now, get ready for our life together because Nikos will never be able to have you again. I’m going to make sure of that.”
Honey watched as he left the room, and she stood there in disbelief, wondering if he would stay true to his word or if Nikos would be able to save her instead.
C H A P T E R
52
HONEY WATCHED AS THE SUN WENT DOWN, AND THE MOON ILLUMINATED THE SKY AS IT CLOSED AROUND MIDNIGHT. In that time, she had watched as Antonis’s men trudged up and down the stairs, carrying boxes and luggage and loading them into trucks. Antonis’s warning had remained fresh in her mind, going off like an alarm whenever she saw another box loaded.
Now, get ready for our life together because Nikos will never be able to have you again.
By the time she and Kai had made it back downstairs while being escorted by Antonis’s men, Antonis’s warning made her legs shake with fear as she sat on the couch with Kai in the livingroom. Antonis stood near the foyer, instructing his men in his native language, and it was driving her crazy that she had no clue what he was saying. She wished she could just walk out of those doors with her son, but she knew there was no escape, and she would have to go along with whatever crazy, delusional plan Antonis had cooked up.
He had told her to get ready for their life together, but she was not ready at all, and she would never be.
“What is going on?” Honey asked, and Antonis finally came over.
“Everything is packed, and everything you and your son will need, we’ll get in Costa Rica.”
Honey’s eyes widened so large that they hurt, but she was in such disbelief that she could do nothing but stare at Antonis as if he had turned into an alien before her very eyes. But that was what it felt like at that very moment because she could not recognize him at all. Had Antonis always been this crazy, or had the coma caused some screws to come loose?
“Costa Rica? What about Costa Rica? What does that have to do with me and my son?”
“Costa Rica is where we’ll be living from now on. Do not fret. I may not have the clubs anymore, but I have more than enough money that I’ll be able to take care of you and your son,” he said, and Honey’s eyes went over to the briefcases lined up on the table, filled with money. But she didn’t give a damn about that money. She didn’t care about how many millions were on that table, probably the stolen profits he had taken.
