Later that evening....
Alexi’s head was hurting again and it was his own fault. After Kassi and Aimee left for town, he’d spent the remainder of the day reading and re-reading all the emails he’d received over the last two years. In all, there were fifty-six emailed threats, some coming just days apart, while others had intervals of more than three months.
He’d gone through each one, pulling out the specific threats and clues they contained. Then he laid them out on a timeline. As he worked, he felt a chill of horror. The threats lined up with various mishaps that had befallen Alexi or those closest to him.
A burst tire. Doctored pictures appearing to place Alexi in compromising places printed by the tabloids. Someone similar to his shape and build getting mugged outside his Paris residence. A bad engine on his private jet discovered just hours before he was to have flown to the States. Coincidences when viewed individually, but together they added up to someone intent upon causing harm and destruction.
The list continued to build, coming to an abrupt halt with Alexi’s self-imposed sabbatical aboard his yacht. He’d gone on the four-month sailing journey to not only work on building business in the South Pacific, but also remove himself from the reach of the vultures pretending to be reporters wanting to print the ‘truth.’ He was tired of always looking over his shoulder, wondering what horrible Photoshopped picture would appear next.
Since his accident, there had been no mishaps, and only veiled threats. Not like the earlier emails, but menacing nonetheless. Pictures of Gemma and Kassi started showing up approximately a month after his disappearance. It seemed the person behind these threats was not content to only target the head of the company. They intended to go after the entire family.
Alexi had been so agitated, he’d eaten dinner in his rooms, much to his parents’ dismay.
His mother had even come to see him. “You should come downstairs and eat with the family.”
“Mitéra, thank you for coming to check on me, but I’m not feeling like good company this evening.”
“Well, that is to be expected. You pushed too hard by going into the office today. You need to rest.”
“Nai, that is probably what I need to do. I will join you for breakfast in the morning.”
Tressa gave him a gentle smile and nodded. “Kalón ýpno.”
Sleep well. “I’ll do my best.” He gave her an encouraging smile and watched as she slipped quietly from his rooms. He looked down at the notes he’d been writing, feeling as if he was on the verge of discovering something important. If only Panos and Adelfo had survived... The two guards had been his sounding board these last two years, the three of them working together to flush out the person behind the emails.
Now Panos and Adelfo were gone. Sorrow welled up inside Alexi’s chest as he remembered the men who had been his constant companions and confidants these last two years. I need to do something to make things right with their families.
Neither man had been married, and to his knowledge, neither of them had children, but they had parents, grandparents, siblings, and cousins—all who had been forced to hold funerals without a body to place in the casket.
Alexi allowed himself a moment to silently remember the two men, and then he turned his thoughts to the matter at hand. Without men by his side he could trust with the knowledge of the threats, he was left with two choices. Trust someone else with his knowledge, or continue to act alone. Both options had their drawbacks. Bringing someone else into his confidence ran the risk of endangering their lives. Acting alone meant he might not be able to prevent future attacks. The blatant ownership of his yacht’s accident was proof enough that whomever was sending these threats was not writing empty words.
Alexi paced his rooms for several long moments and then tossed his notes to the floor and strode for the balcony doors. No matter how much he looked at the emails, no matter how he lined everything up, he still wasn’t any closer to finding the bastard doing these things to him and his family. The information was all right there, he just didn’t possess the right skills to figure out who was sending him the emails and why. Frustrated, he walked along the balcony and found himself coming to a standstill before Aimee’s door.
The sun was just setting, the lights from her room casting a warm glow through the windows. She sat on the couch, reading to Damien. As she turned the page, she happened to look up. After only a brief pause, she waved Alexi inside.
He entered, taking a seat in the armchair as Aimee finished the story of Aladdin and the magic lamp. Her voice was gentle. When she was finished, she closed the book. Her expression softened at the sight of the little boy in her lap, his eyes already closed in sleep. She looked at Alexi. “Let me put him down…”
Alexi immediately reached for Damien, taking him from her arms. As he did, his hands came into intimate contact with her chest. She blushed, quickly transferring Damien’s weight to his arms. “Just put him in the middle of my bed.”
Alexi strode through the rooms, doing as she asked. He covered Damien with the thin blanket he found folded nearby. He turned down the lamp and then switched on the bedside monitor.
Aimee stood in the doorway, watching him carefully. He walked towards her, and she backtracked for each step he took forward.
He pulled the door mostly shut behind him. “How long will he sleep?”
Aimee shrugged. “Most of the night? Kassi and I tired him out in town earlier.”
“Good.” Alexi reached out and took her hand, pulling her into his arms and smoothing her hair back from her forehead. He searched her eyes for a long moment, but found it hard to read the emotion he saw there. Aimee was not indifferent to him, the reactions of her body said as much. But she was seemingly determined to ignore the chemistry between them. Alexi turned towards the room, leading her back to the couch.
“What are you doing here?” Aimee tugged her hand, but he refused to let it go. “Does your head hurt again?”
Alexi seated himself in the center of the couch. When she didn’t immediately move to join him, he pulled her hand lightly, forcing her to settle next to him, their thighs and hips touching. He threaded their fingers together and then settled their joined hands high on his thigh. His heart raced, and he inhaled slowly, the fragrance of her shampoo mixing with her unique scent and ratcheting his libido up another notch.
“Alexi?” She tugged her hand once more. “Does your head hurt?”
He met her eyes and then let his gaze travel down her body, wondering what her reaction would be if he were to lay her back on the couch and make love to her. He could see the way her nipples had hardened beneath her shirt, and yet there was wariness in her eyes.
“You had a good day.” She’d left her hair down. When she nodded, he lifted his free hand and pushed it beneath the curtain of her hair. Silky waves flowed over his hand as he lightly massaged her neck. “You are tense. Relax.”
Aimee made a noise, opening her mouth twice before finding her voice. “Alexi, what are you doing?”
He moved their joined hands up so he could kiss the back of hers. “What do you think we’re doing?”
Emotions crossed her face. Indecision. Attraction warring with reluctance. It was all there for him to see. Challenge. He’d always liked one, and Aimee presented one he could not resist.
She tried to shrug the hand massaging where her neck and shoulder met away. “You never answered my question.”
Alexi moved his hand forward, brushing his thumb over her lips. “Yes, my head hurts. No, that’s not why I’m here.”
“So, this?” She indicated their joined hands and how close they were sitting. “This is why you’re here?”
Alexi held her gaze while his thumb brushed her lips once more. Her breathing had sped up. He could see her pulse beating at the base of her throat. Her eyes were dilated, and a slight flush spread over her cheeks. She’s curious and interested.
Deciding to test the waters, he lowered his lips to hers. Just before their lips touched, she turned her head to the side, presenting him with her cheek. Alexi hid his smile. Interested but still fighting her attraction to me. I can be patient. For a while.
He kissed her cheek and then moved back from her, still keeping their hands joined for now. He waited until she turned to look at him, silently questioning his actions. “Do you like puzzles?”
Aimee’s forehead creased. “Puzzles? You mean the little pieces of cardboard with part of a picture on them?”
Alexi shook his head. “Maybe the word I’m looking for is riddles. Or mysteries.”
Aimee tugged her hand once more. “Let go.”
“Okhi. I like having you close to me.”
“Why are you talking to me about mysteries?”
“I have one I need solved, but the people who would know how to solve it cannot know that I am me. Not yet, anyway.”
“I’m not following you. What people are we talking about?”
“I.T. people who know about computers and how to track things. People who can find information others are trying to hide.”
Aimee raised an eyebrow. “You mean like hackers? Do you know people like that?” She shook her head before he could answer. “Don’t answer that, of course you do. Money can buy anything, right? Just snap your fingers and people will be jumping to do your bidding.”
Alexi frowned at her. “Money cannot buy everything, and I’ve never snapped my fingers at people.”
Aimee rolled her eyes, “You may not have actually snapped them, but the effect is the same. You like being in control.”
“I will not deny that. My position requires a certain amount of control. But, to answer your question, yes. A hacker would be able to get me the information I need to solve my mystery. I’m sure the people working in the I.T. department at Moustakas Shipping possess such skills, but asking them to do something like this would result in too many questions being asked.”
Aimee looked at him for a long minute. “I might know someone. What exactly are you trying to find out?”
“You know hackers?”
Aimee nodded. “I worked for a lobbyist organization. They have a few on staff, but we all pretend they are just programmers. What do you need to find out, specifically?”
“I need to know who is sending me some emails.”
“That’s all? Really?” Aimee asked in disbelief.
“You’re acting as if it’s rather easily accomplished.” Alexi squeezed her hand more tightly.
“That’s because it is. I used to have to figure out who was sending certain emails to my bosses all the time. It takes some special software and being able to log into a not-so-public server, but it can be done. Unless they know to re-route their IP address to a dummy account, and then it becomes exponentially more difficult.” Alexi stared at her. She blushed. “What?”
“You are not what you seem to be at all, are you?” Alexi grinned. He liked the way she blushed whenever he complimented her. “I find you intriguing.”
“Intriguing? Hmmm, not sure that word ever made it to my wish list where guys were concerned.” Aimee hesitated. “About that hacking you need done…I could try.”
Alexi shook his head, reaching up with his free hand. He let her hair flow through his fingers. “Your hair is like spun gold.”
“You don’t have to butter me up with flowery words. I’d be happy to see if I can track your emails.”
“I could not ask you to do such a thing.”
“Why not?” Aimee asked. “And you didn’t ask, I offered.”
“And you think because you offered I should accept?” Alexi asked with a twinkle in his eyes.
Aimee nodded.
“That is éxochos!” When she frowned, he translated for her. “Excellent. I shall allow you to help me with my email problem, and you shall allow me to help you with your school tuition.”
Aimee’s eyes widened as she realized he’d set a trap for her. “That’s not… No! Okhi! I don’t want you to pay for my school tuition. I’ll either figure out a way to pay for it myself, or I won’t go. I won’t owe you…”
“Who said you would owe me? We are making a trade, you and I.”
Aimee looked at him, shaking her head. “I don’t accept help…”
“If Gemma was offering…?” Alexi began.
“She and Leo think they are going to buy my photography equipment. I’m not going to accept their help either. I don’t understand why everyone thinks they have to help me. I’m not incompetent or weak!”
Alexi frowned. “Did I imply that you were either of those things?”
“No, but you obviously don’t think I can take care of myself. I’m an adult and I’m not a charity case!”
Alexi chuckled. “You most certainly are an adult and I did not imply that you needed my charity. Why can’t you accept my help? I did not offer to do your schooling for you, just to make the opportunity to attend available to you. Most people would be appreciative of such offers.”
“Not me. I don’t want there to be strings attached to these so-called gifts and there always are. Always.”
Alexi was unhappy with her answer. “You’re wrong, but why don’t we leave that subject alone for now? Are you still willing to look at my emails?”
“Sure.” Aimee nodded. “Can you bring up the account using my computer? I’ll need to upload them to the larger server and decrypt them.”
“Nai. I can do that.”
Aimee nodded and then retrieved her laptop, opening up the correct program and then asking him to enter his login information. She watched as he scrolled down the list of emails, noticing they all seemed to originate from the same IP address. “These should be child’s play if whomever sent these isn’t jumping addresses.”
She copied the sender’s information from the bottom of an email and then copied it directly into the search bar on the server she was tapped into. “This could take hours, or only a few minutes.” When Alexi continued to hover over her shoulder, she turned her head. “Might as well sit back down.”
Instead of sitting as she’d suggested, Alexi began to pace. When his hands absently began rubbing at his temples, Aimee set her computer on the table to continue working and went to him. “You’re giving yourself another headache.”
Alexi stopped before her, their bodies only inches apart. “I need this to work.”
“What’s in those emails?”
Alexi stared at her for several long moments, hesitating. Finally, he decided that she deserved to know something of the situation. “Do you remember when I was in D.C. several years ago?”
“I do. Gemma was head over heels in love with you, or rather, who she thought you were. I saw you from the apartment window a few times and always felt bad for snooping.”
“We never actually met.” Alexi saw a blush creep over her cheeks. She refused to meet his eyes. Interesting! Could it be that Aimee was attracted to me even back then? Did she secretly wish I was dating her instead of Gemma?
Alexi gave her a searching look and then turned his thoughts to the threats. “Back to the emails… They’re threats. I began receiving them while visiting the States. At first, I didn’t pay them much mind, but then they escalated. They seemed to be only directed at me so I took myself away from my family…”
Aimee stopped him with a raised hand. “That’s why you left so suddenly, isn’t it?”
“Nai, that is why I left so suddenly. I couldn’t risk staying near Gemma and allowing her to get injured. I was protecting her.” He looked Aimee in the eyes. “I was right to leave. My yacht sinking was no accident, but an act of sabotage.”
“I don’t understand. How did someone sink your boat in the middle of the ocean? Gemma said you got caught up in a terrible storm.”
Alexi started pacing again. “We did, which makes no sense. My yacht was equipped with state-of-the-art radar equipment that could identify storms and disturbances as they occurred. We never saw the storm coming that sunk my ship.”
“Maybe the person threatening you figured out a way to hide the storm from your equipment?”
Alexi shook his head in denial. “That is not possible, at least…I don’t think it is.”
Aimee laughed derisively. “One thing I learned while working in Washington D.C. is that almost anything is possible with the right funding and motivation.”
“Vlasfimíes!”
Aimee stepped back at the vehemence in his voice. “Okay, I might not know what that word means, but it sounded like you were cursing?”
Alexi gave a single nod, his face showing how frustrated he was with this situation. “I am going for a swim to work off my frustration. Join me?” He looked towards the mostly closed bedroom door. “I can send for a maid to stay with Damien.”
Aimee bit her lip.
Alexi watched her expression carefully. There was a longing in her eyes to do exactly as he’d suggested. The chemistry between them was almost overwhelming. When her eyes moved down to his lips and her tongue moistened her bottom lip, it was all he could do to stay still and not claim her lips.
He wanted to kiss her again, a full-on, mouth-to-mouth, body-to-body kiss that made one’s entire body stand up and take notice. The kind of kiss that led to more.
She lifted her eyes back up to his. He saw a burning need mirroring his own. She nodded.
Alexi wasted no time, using the room phone to summon a maid from the main floor.
“Get your suit.” He told her.
“The program?” She nodded towards her computer.
Alexi looked at it. “We’ll leave it in my rooms where it won’t be disturbed.”
Aimee nodded, disappearing into her room. Alexi carried the laptop into his suite. When he returned, one of the senior maids stood in the room. As he gave her instructions, Aimee returned, a skimpy bikini in hand. A powerful jolt went through Alexi’s body at the thought of seeing Aimee with only those thin scraps of fabric to cover her.
Aimee smiled at the maid, handing her the baby monitor. “If he wakes up please come get me.”
The maid shook her head, looking to Alexi for help. He interpreted Aimee’s request, and beckoned Aimee to follow him into his rooms. He showed her the computer set down on a round table. “Will it be okay like this?”
Aimee looked the still working program over and checked that the laptop was securely plugged into the wall socket. “Yes. It looks like this could take a while. Whoever is sending you those emails doesn’t want to be found.” She pointed to the screen where a map of the world was outlined on the screen and a network of red lines crisscrossed back and forth across the screen. “Each of those lines represents another place the signal is being relayed.”
Alexi looked at the screen. “Those lines will eventually lead us to where the emails originated?”
“They should. That scan is only of the most recent email.” Aimee brushed her hair out of her face. “What are you going to do if it does lead you to the person making these threats against you?”
Alexi clenched his jaw. “I will make them pay.”
Aimee shivered. “I thought you were the nice twin.”
Alexi gave her a feral look. “No, I’m the patient twin. My patience has run out where this individual or group is concerned. I won’t quit until they are found and stopped.” He reached for her hand. “Let’s go swim.”
He was determined to either conquer his attraction to her, or give free rein to it. Sexual frustration was not something he was willing to endure when it was obvious there was mutual attraction between them.