Once a Greek Wife.

Chapter Two.

Unedited

Prick a Greek male's pride and the wrath of the gods would descend in dire retribution! Samantha bemused as she watched the emotions in Christos face transformed from dark fury, brooding eyes glowering to uncontained violence, his hands bunched into savage-looking fists, then followed by the savage hiss as he expelled the air from his lungs.

Silence fell in the room.

A silence that simmered with an undercurrent of tension, that made Samantha's skin prickle. It was a good minute or two before he spoke again, and then his voice was chilling

"You treacherous bitch!"

Her treacherous? Samantha had to blink hard to get the red haze to roll back, and it actually hurt to bite her tongue. She waited until her heart felt less painful in her chest as it beat, until she could speak without that betraying thickness clogging up her throat. "So it's my glass house you're quick to throw stones, Christos. How typical," she scorned.

Christos laughed, though it was a cracked and battered sort of sound. "Let me make it clear, if I decide to use stones, Samantha. I won't be throwing them I'll be firing them so fast that you couldn't possibly find the ashes of your glass house."

"Don't be dramatic." She told him in the same sort of voice, holding herself tightly in check, as if that might keep her safe from all the pain, furry that threaten to swallow her. "I know what kind of a man you're and I wouldn't be here if I wasn't ready for whatever you're willing to fire my way."

"I see the kitten got her claws," he said his dark gaze glittering with such violence

"Claws no, brains yes." She looked at him direct."But I'm not here to discuss my evolution. I'm here for our son."

A deafening silence stretched between them, dangerous, shivering with tension.

"Assuming that he's real and he's my son." He leaned back on his swiveling chair, his dark eyes blank, assessing. Now, that the Christos she failed to see through her coloured roses-goggles five years ago, a cold calculated devil. "Now where is he?"

"He's with a friend."

"Here in Greece?"

"Yes."

"I want to see him, and of course I'll demand DNA test."

There was no reason why Samantha's mouth should have gone dry or why her heart should have pounded too hard and her eyes feel too bright. It wasn't as if any of this was a surprise, not really. "I would be surprise if you didn't." She stood up."I'll be in touch"

"Not so fast, you don't think I'll let you walk out of here with my so called son, after all you successfully vanished in thin air five years ago."

"Don't be ridiculous, Christos. Why getting out of my hiding cocoon just to vanish again?"

"Why indeed? But forgive me, Samantha. I'm not willing to take my chances."

She smiled coolly at him.

"Now why don't you take a seat and let me make some few calls before I reunite with my son." His voice sardonic, he returned the smile except his was frost.

"Something to look forward to, then," Samantha had replied, with another cool smile as punctuation.

Samantha sat there and wondered if she was still in control of the situation. Christos Savakis was no puppy that can heel when you tell him to. He's an alpha of the first order. With all claws and teeth, manipulation and treachery was his life's blood, vile and scheming were his bones. But not for a second did she doubt that he would cast off his own blood, he valued the family bond and loyalty to his own blood. It was the non blood that he was willing to trample to get what he wanted at any cost.

At nineteen she was a fool not to see what he really was, under the bespoken suits. But being pushed off the cliff off and left there to die tended to wipe off the rainbow and sun look of life.

"Now time to go, dear wife."

Samantha wrenched her mind off burning thought. "Five years too late to throw the sentiments, Christos."

Five years ago, she had felt she was being swept away on a marvelous magic carpet when she had first married Christos. The magic had worn so fast when she had found her life reduced to being a cast off in the Savakis household, ignored by her husband, tormented by her mistress, her mother in law was a cold woman who couldn't care less about a nineteen years old nuisance

"Ooh but quite on my advantage at the situation we are in."He led the way to the elevator. "So tell me where exactly is he?"

"I have left him with Althea."

"So should I assume that Althea knew where you were for the last five years?"

"Don't let your imagination run with you, Christos. If I was such a fool to broadcast my location you would have been able to find me five years ago."

"True. But you must have had help, why not make an assumption? But since you're here you don't mind sharing the quite magic of your vanish act."

"Why, Christos? You don't plan to employ my act are you?" She smiled coldly. "You won't last there a week without your vintage scotch or your car toys."

He shrugged off her barb. "If a pampered princess made it, I don't see why I can't."

Before she could come up with clever reply the elevator doors opened on the underground, she was ushered to the black SUV, Christos looming behind her like a dark cloud.

"I don't know what kind of games are you playing at Samantha, but if he's real my kid I'll want him with me. And don't make any mistake I always get what I want."

"Most animals with claws do."

Ignoring her taunt, he settled himself on the back of the SUV stretching out his long legs. "You know if you were as charming as this, five years ago maybe we'd rewritten the history."

"Raking over dead ashes, Christos?" she mocked.

"Amazing how often a live ember is found."

"Not this pile of ashes."

The car weaved its way in Athens streets, she tuned out the traffic noises and thought of the ordeal ahead of her.

She had told herself repeatedly since then, that she would never see him again. She did not want Christos Savakis to take up another second of her life. She had spent fifteen months being the ideal wife. No putting a foot wrong. No letting your hair down. Dressed to the nines all the time, while her mother in law criticized at every single point, the whole Savakis treated her like antique furniture and the mighty Christos ignored her cry for help.

Samantha had a narrow escape to walk away the Savakis household alive. But Samantha was a quick study. She had a lot more to lose than her naivety these days, her son.

He shepherded her to the isolated villa, Leafless trees stood sentry over the bare branches of the high hedgerows and over to the left lay the wild expanse of the moors. Remembering the time when she used to spend time here during her school holidays.

"Now you're not about to chicken out, are you Samantha?"

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" She smoothed her hands down the side-seams of her skirt as she shakily getting out of the car.

The large diamond-paned windows were sparkling in the late-afternoon sun, which also cast long shadows over the old brickwork and heavy oak beams, the wide porch covered with rambling roses in shades of red and pink. It seemed incredibly still and quiet as they made their way to the front door.

In fact, other than the noise of their shoes crunching over the gravel, Samantha could hear nothing except the rustle of a light breeze through the leaves of nearby trees. Considerably alarmed to find the front door wide open, Samantha rushed in starting calling out Althea name and his son's. But, other than the sound of her own voice echoing in the large oak-beamed hall, the large house remained totally silent.

Something was deadly wrong.