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We come to a courtyard where a huge fountain sits, beautiful mosaics decorating the edges and inside it appears to be Poseidon, the god of the sea, holding aloft his trident as he is gazed upon by adoring water nymphs.
Despite my fear, I love it. It’s impossible not to be impressed by such a spectacle. As we pass more women sprayed gold and holding golden trays loaded with gold goblets of wine and champagne, I am delirious with trepidation.
We enter the mansion and soft music plays from somewhere, and the sound of hushed chatter fills the air. I’m guessing these guests arrived on an earlier boat, a staged arrival that has been organized impeccably.
We head into a huge ballroom, and I stare in wonder at more Greek statues and a room that wouldn’t look out of place on Mount Olympus. Debauchery rules here as the sprayed women are dancing in white cages suspended over a marbled interior and huge masked muscled men are oiled up and standing in leather robes, with leather whips in their hands. Occasionally, they flick their whip at one of the cages and low moans fill the air and despite the horror I feel, I can’t tear my eyes away.
I don’t even register we have stopped walking until an accent that sends shivers down my spine commands my full attention.
“Mikhail Romanov, you have finally accepted my invitation. I am honored.”
I spin around and almost stagger back as I stare into two deranged eyes that are opening staring at me and they are telling me Mikhail’s plan has worked, because the lust flaring in his eyes is directed solely at me.
CHAPTER 55
ADONIS
This place is something else, and as we crouch low on the ground, I raise my binoculars to observe the guests arrive. Apollo is beside me and we are dressed completely in black. Undetectable as we blend into the shadows and I must give Lucian credit, he has cleared our path perfectly.
“There should be a door behind the refuse area. Somebody will meet you there.”
Apollo hisses and I nod, my attention taken by the huge crucifix standing proudly on the highest point.
“That’s fucking creepy.” I say roughly and Apollo growls, “If I get one wish, it’s I get to nail the bastard to it.”
“Easy brother. Stick with the plan.”
I peer through the binoculars again, training them on the arrivals, and I know it’s for only one reason. Melissa.
Part of me is praying she has come to her senses and pulled out. This isn’t her fight. Not even close, and yet she is determined to see it through.
For what? A sense of misguided loyalty to a family who virtually held her for ransom. A family of bastards who always use others to get what they want. My family is no exception and I suppose Melissa’s brother is no saint either, but she is. She wouldn’t know how to manipulate if she took a degree in it. She is innocent, naive and clueless about what a wild adventure should look like. Certainly not this. Definitely not with the likes of Mikhail Romanov and Hosea Madeira. She is in too deep and I’m the fool who ever believed he could just walk away.
A flash of white and the gleam of gold drags my attention back to the arrivals and I swear my heart pants as I zoom in on the couple themselves. Melissa looks like a goddess. Aphrodite herself as she almost glides along the gold carpet on the arm of a man who would be more at home as Hades ruling the underworld. I try to blank him out and definitely her hand on his arm.
Seeing her with another man other than me is doing strange things to my heart. I can only focus on her and the pain it brings me seeing her walking in with another man. I want to tear down there and wrestle her fingers from his arm. To move between them and shield her from anyone else’s eyes. To protect, to dominate and to love.
I lower the binoculars. I can’t do this. I can’t be attached to her. My job depends on it, my heart depends on it, but my head disagrees.
I raise them again and grip them hard. My knuckles are tense, but it’s nothing to how I’m feeling inside. Melissa is walking like a virgin sacrifice, and I have no doubt where this will end.
In Hosea Madeira’s bed.
“What can you see?” Apollo whispers and I snarl, “Mikhail and Melissa have arrived.”
“Fuck?” Apollo sounds angry even though this was the plan all along and he sighs. “I’m sorry, Adonis.”
I don’t reply.
I know he is. My father is and so am I because we brought Melissa into this world and now we must watch it blow her apart.
I watch them enter the house and check the time. My heart quickens as I thrust the binoculars at my brother and hiss, “It’s time.”
He accepts them with a gruff, “Stay safe, brother, and don’t take any chances.”
Like that will be a consideration when I’m inside. I am going there for one reason only and as hard as I try, I can’t deny my feelings for Melissa anymore. Apollo has come to get his girl and so have I.
I keep to the shadows and edge toward the house. The dumpsters will provide cover should a stray guard decide to patrol this side of the island, however, Lucian has assured us he has cleared our path, and knowing his agreement with Marcos Madeira, I have no reason to doubt him.
