Vengeance (COMPLETED)

Part 9

Catarina hurries after me as I head back to the harbour. Atticus confirmed I was free to leave the dinner and head back to my room, but Catarina clearly is not on board. I don't know how she manages to catch up to me in her heels when I'm in sneakers, but she stops me right as I step onto the boat.

"Erin, please," she insists. "I know this is a lot. I know you don't want to be here. I know you don't trust us."

"I don't want to hear it," I brush her off.

"But woman to woman, they're right. These guys are nothing like their father."

"That's what they keep telling me."

"They're trying to make up for all the bad their father's done. They really are. I promise they would never hurt you. I mean it, never."

"They brought me here against my will."

"It was the only way they could get to you. Simpson refused to let them help!"

Her words just confirm my suspicion that they've been wanting to get their hands on me this whole time. For all I know, they could've set the whole thing up — arranged for those men to snatch me in the parking lot just so they could rescue me and come off looking like the good guys.

"Why would I believe you?" I ask. "You're one of them."

"I'm married to Santos, yes, but I knew his father, too, and I would never have married him if he was anything like him," she insists. "They would never hurt anyone. They just wouldn't do that."

"What, so they're good criminals?" I snicker. "They're the mafia. They profit from harming others. It's their entire business model."

"I swear, they're not like that!"

"If you haven't seen it, then they're just hiding it from you."

"I know it sounds stupid, but they're good guys."

"No, they're not," I shake my head. It's just not possible.

"Please," she begs. "Just... give it more time."

I won't. I'm getting out of here ASAP. And I already have a plan.

I barely get any sleep. My mind is racing all night, thinking of the best possible way out of there. I know we're going onto the mainland, so that will be my best chance. I don't know where I'll go or how I'll get back home, but none of that will matter if I don't manage to escape in the first place. The threat of Vassilis' men used to scare me, but at this point, I'm not even sure if there is a threat, or if the Stavros' have set this all up and tried to manipulate me into staying with them out of fear. I use a pair of underwear to secure my stake to my thigh. It's not much of a weapon, but It'll do. I wear the comfiest shoes available to me, and a plain black dress. Pants would've been more convenient, but men seeing my underwear is the least of my concerns right now.

"I'm sorry about last night," Atticus speaks up once we're on the boat. "My brother shouldn't have told you that."

I shrug. "It's better I know now."

"Are you feeling okay about it? You know we don't want you doing anything you're not comfortable with."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got overwhelmed."

Atticus nods his head, shifting his gaze back out to the sea. I look around, too. It really is beautiful here. The sun reflects off the water, and the view of the islands around us is beyond picturesque. I hope I never see it again.

The town we arrive at is called Kalamata. I'd never heard of it before, but I think it's the same one our plane arrived at. It's bigger than I expected, and busier. Café's and restaurants line the harbour, feeding the shoppers heading in and out of the boutiques. There's definitely no Sephora here.

A sinking feeling sets in my stomach. What if Atticus is telling the truth and Vassilis really is after me? His men could be anywhere here, waiting for their chance to grab me.

"What's wrong?" Atticus scans my face.

"Nothing," I shake my head. "I'm fine."

"There's no need to be anxious. We're protected here."

"His men could be here."

"They will be, but that's what we want. We want to be seen together. My father needs to know you're with us. He has to know he can't get to you. It'll piss him off, and he'll do something stupid. Just stay with me, and you'll be fine."

He brought a whole slew of security. There are five guards with us and another 5 in the other boat. One of them helps me onto the dock, stabilizing me on the wooden planks. Atticus' hand finds mine. I pull away instinctively.

"Come in, it'll piss him off more," he encourages.

"Yeah, enough for him to change his orders," I respond. "They'll kill me on the spot now."

"We both know that's not his style. He likes to draw this stuff out. If anything, it'll just make him want information from you — more reason to keep you alive."

Good point. It won't impact my escape plan, either.

"Fine," I give in. Our fingers intertwine, forcing us closer together than I would like. He smells nice, like apricots and something earthy, I can't put my finger on. We head over to the shops, first stopping at a small pharmacy where I pick up a handful of make-up and hair products. Atticus pays at the register and has one of his men carry the bag. We then move from boutique to boutique, grabbing items off the rack. Some are more expensive than others, but I don't feel guilty about Atticus paying. He's the reason I need new clothes in the first place. I try to be as strategic as possible, picking out a mix of dresses appropriate for the island, and comfortable clothes I can fight in. It isn't until we reach the fourth store that I see my chance. There's a back door by the change rooms, tucked away out of sight. Atticus is getting tired of shopping, so he won't be as prepared as usual. He won't expect it, either. I've been going along with his plan so far, holding his hand every second we're out in the street. I'd be stupid not to try. If I get out of this door, I'll hide out in an alleyway until tomorrow, and try to get a boat out of here.