Authors: Aleka Nakis
“Mm,” he groaned. His eyes widened when she piled more onto his plate before going to change her tomato and egg splattered t-shirt.
She returned to find him dumping the plate’s contents in the trash, proving he didn’t even find it fit enough to give it to the stray cats. Clearing her throat, she made her presence known.
He erupted with laughter and threw his arms up in the air. Catching his breath, he walked toward her, encircled her waist and pulled her against him.
“You can scratch chef off the list of career choices.”
She smacked his shoulder and gave him her best pout. “But I followed Anna’s recipe to the letter. She said it was foolproof.”
“Maybe foolproof, but not Sammy-proof,” he said, laughing whole-heartedly and placing a kiss on her head. Continuing to chuckle, he draped his arm over her shoulder and guided her toward the front door. “Let’s go to the
taverna
and eat. At least there, we won’t have to drink our lunch.”
She dug her heels in and stopped moving. She gestured towards the kitchen. “I need to finish cleaning up.”
Glancing at the horrendous mess, he shook his head. “Oh yeah, scratch domestic goddess off the list too.” And a new bout of laughter overtook him. “Come on,
agape mou
, we’ll clean up after we get back. Or better yet, leave the door open and maybe the cats will start without us.”
“Very funny,” she said, pretending to be annoyed. Struggling to hide her own smile, she flung her hair over her shoulder and sashayed out the door.
*****
It was a hot and lazy afternoon, and the villagers headed home for the day’s siestas. Demo and Sammy sat with Manoli and Anna, enjoying a delicious lunch of stewed green beans in the quiet
taverna.
“But I did exactly what you said,” Sammy repeated, defending her cooking. “It just didn’t look like your—”
“Or taste like it,” Demo finished. “We’ll be back for dinner tonight. That is,
if
we can clean the kitchen by then.” Both men laughed, and Anna winked at Sammy.
“It worked. He’ll never want you to cook again.” Anna bobbed her head and the women joined the men, laughing in pleasure.
They talked and ate, enjoying each other’s company. Sammy really liked the other couple. They were so easy to be with.
Demo and Manoli discussed Brad’s disappearance, expressing concern about him not surfacing yet.
“I’m growing more uncomfortable each day he’s not found. It means he’s doing something right,” Demo said.
“I don’t like it either. It gives him more time to find Sammy,” Manoli added. “In a peculiar way, I wish he’d show his face here, and then we could settle this.”
“He won’t,” Sammy said. “You two are the type of men who deal with your problems head-on. Brad doesn’t.”
“That quality only makes it worse for us.” Demo drummed his fingers on the table as he spoke. “We can’t grow complacent and comfortable. We need to stay alert. I think he’s close to making a move.”
“I agree,” Anna chimed in. “I can feel it in the air, and something isn’t right. I hope I’m wrong, but you know what they say about a pregnant woman’s intuition.”
She was right, and Sammy could feel it too. Demo continued to drum his fingers and Mano rubbed his chin. The women gave each other knowing looks and made a point to change the subject.
“How are you feeling, Anna?” Sammy asked.
“Much better. No morning sickness for the past three days, so I’m no longer dreading breakfast. I’m actually famished when I wake up.”
The group settled into two separate conversations; the men in Greek, the women in English. The tension dissipated, as if the gentle breeze of the Cretan afternoon carried it away into the mountains.
“I don’t know. It must be something in the water here. I’m always hungry when I get out of bed,” Sammy said empathetically.
“Hmmm, that sounds very interesting.” The other woman waggled her eyebrows in fun, and they simultaneously burst into schoolgirl laughter.
Sammy enjoyed the expressive facial contortions the Greeks used: like raising their brows for questions, fun, and so much more. They displayed their emotions so easily. It was all new to her.
Recovering, Anna straightened and moved her bottom on the chair. “What worries me is that all my pants are too tight already. I want to look good pregnant, not frumpy.”
“You’re gorgeous and glowing. I hope I look half as beautiful when I’m pregnant.” The words fell from her lips before she could catch them and she instantly regretted them.
Demo was silent. She couldn’t see him, but she could feel his gaze searing her back. He had been very patient, and he was giving her the time she’d requested, but she knew he was waiting for an answer to his proposal.
When the condom had broken in the morning, he didn’t even appear concerned. He had said it was God’s choice to give them a gift if the time was right. Knowing that an accident was practically impossible for her, she had assured him it was safe, but now she wondered what it would be like to have a part of Demo growing in her womb.
Her hand covered the top of her jeans, and she turned to meet his dark questioning gaze. She owed him an answer, and she had to give it soon. Every hour she spent with him chiseled another piece of her heart to leave behind when the time came for their relationship to end.
“Help me clear the table and we’ll make some
frappé,
” Anna said. She rose and took the dishes into the kitchen.
Ten minutes later, Sammy turned off the water in the sink and removed the apron she had worn to do the dishes. Anna frothed the fourth
frappé
and dropped the final ice cubes into the glass. They had just started for the table when they heard the loud commotion.
A young woman wearing torn hiking pants ran along the road, screaming loud.
“Please help him. He fell, and he’s wedged between two boulders.”
In an instant, Demo was holding her shoulders and yelling to be heard over the frantic girl’s screams. “Where, where is he?”
“He won’t answer me,” she shrieked. “He’s dead. I know he’s dead!”
Demo’s fingertips turned white where he squeezed the girl. “Where is he?” He repeated loudly.
“He fell fifty meters, and then he stopped between the boulders. Oh God, oh God!” She wouldn’t tell him where, she just kept screaming and sobbing.
Sammy walked up to the hysterical woman and smacked her across the face. “Where is he?”
The girl stopped sobbing, placing her hand across her reddened cheek, “In the gorge, about two miles down the road by the big olive tree.”
Demo released her and looked for Manoli. His cousin was running for his car.
“I have the ropes and helmets in the trunk. Let’s go.”
“Ropes and helmets?” Sammy asked Anna.
“They’ve been rappelling in the gorge since they were teenagers. The cousins wanted to go together for a trip, but Demo wouldn’t agree because he didn’t want to leave you alone. Even Tony and Teddy are coming up tonight to try and convince him. It’s their idea of a guy party.”
Sammy glanced over to where the girl had been, but she had disappeared. She was probably running back down the road.
Manoli and Demo zoomed past them in the car, and yelled for them to bring the Hummer.
Sammy followed Anna back into the kitchen. “Shouldn’t we wait for mountain rescue?”
Anna continued to crank an emergency radio and held up her hand for silence when static came over the speaker. She spoke in Greek and finished with one English word. “Hurry.”
“The Hummer, Demo said to bring it.” Sammy realized the key was at the house, and ran out the door. “Stay here. I’ll get the keys,” she screamed as she ran.
“Sammy, wait!” Anna called.
“I’ll be right back,” she answered, waving her arm curtly over her head.
Sammy ran so fast, her heart beat fiercely in her chest. She bounded through the front gate and was about to throw open the door when a hand closed over her mouth and pulled her back.
“Shh,
agape mou
,” Demo whispered, dragging her behind the ancient olive tree in the yard. “You can’t go in there. It’s a set up.”
From the corner of her eye, Sammy saw Manoli behind a different tree aiming his shotgun toward the front door. Her voice vanished and she couldn’t speak. If anything, she worried that if she opened her mouth, she’d lose her lunch.
“You said he’d play head games and try to separate us. This is exactly that type of maneuver.” He removed his hand from her lips.
Her gaze darted between Demo’s face and the front door. Was Brad really here?
“Trust me. I’ll explain later.”
Sammy felt her stomach turn over again and placed her hand against her mouth as she gagged on the revulsion building within her.
“Manoli will take you down to the square. Stay inside the
taverna
and don’t come out until I come to get you,” Demo ordered.
“No,” she said in desperation. “You can’t go in alone. What if he’s waiting for you? What if—”
“Daniels isn’t expecting me. Remember, he thinks I’m in the gorge?” With his hands on her upper arms, he squatted down to look her straight in the eyes. “Go with Manoli.”
She hesitated and refused to move her feet. She couldn’t leave him. Brad would be furious if Demo walked in instead of her. And what if she could talk Brad out of doing anything crazy? Make a deal?
“My brother and Teddy are almost here. They’ll be my back-up.” His eyes pleaded with her. “Please, Sammy. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you.”
She nodded, releasing a flood of tears as she agreed. He handed her to his cousin. The tears burned her cheeks as her lead-filled legs took steps toward the village square. Manoli kept a tight arm wrapped around her and guided her through the trees. Fog settled around her as she fought the urge to run back to Demo.
Brad has taken everything from me. My baby.
A heavy sigh culminated into a low painful groan
. My future. I’ll never have children now. But, no! He won’t take Demo from me. No! I won’t let him.
Screeching tires sounded on the road to their right. Tony and Teddy sped by. A gunshot rang out.
Sammy screamed and collapsed into Manoli’s arms.
This had to be a dream. Sammy couldn’t be here with him. She’d left him.
I left you! You can’t hurt me again!
“Come back here!” Brad hollered and yanked her by the hair.
She stumbled, falling to the floor.
“No!” She sobbed.
But it was too late. He kicked her in the stomach with a force that sent her down a flight of stairs.
“Slut,” he muttered as he passed her and stormed out of the room.
Blood!
“Oh no, Oh no.”
She crawled on the stairs and pulled herself up.
Sammy was no longer in her New York bedroom. She was in Pappou’s house overlooking the gorge.
She was holding a box of poisoned chocolates, truffles.
“You kicked me in the stomach,” she cried.
“You liar!” He yelled and pulled her around to face him. “You threw yourself down those stairs to kill our baby. Now you owe me one.”
Sammy tried to focus on the light, to wake up from the nightmare, but Brad pulled her back in.
No, never again! He wasn’t going to hurt her. She was strong here. She could fight him.
She shoved at his chest, running as fast she could to the gun cabinet. Grabbing Pappou’s carbine, she chambered the bullet. Just like someone else had taught her.
Then she heard him. He was calling her. He was with her.
Demo.
“
Ferte nero
.” Demo ordered. He repeated it in English. “Water, now!”
He held the limp body of the woman he loved in his arms as he walked into the house.
“No, no. Don’t touch me!” She shivered and beat her fists on his chest.
“Sammy, open your eyes. Sammy, please.”
“Don’t. No!”
Demo’s gut twisted. The bastard’s presence had done this to her. When she opened her eyes, he was going to pull the bastard out of the police car and beat him to within an inch short of his life. Then again, he might forget how to measure.
“Wake up,
agape mou
. I’m right here.”
The third time Demo repeated the same phrase, her eyes fluttered. It took a moment for her to focus, then she bounded up and buried her face against Demo’s neck.
“Is he dead?” She asked in a panicked voice.
“No, nobody is dead.” Demo reassured her and continued to stroke her hair.
“But I shot him. He was only five feet away. I shot.”
Demo stared at his brother in horror. Tony shrugged and raised his palms. Manoli did the same.
Shock. She was in shock.
“Sammy, you didn’t shoot anyone. You had a nightmare.”