Violet’s father was bound, lying on his side. His mouth was taped shut, wrists and ankles tied tight enough to cut off his circulation.
The moment his eyes found mine, they widened in confusion. He didn’t know me, but very soon he would.
I crouched in front of him, close enough that he couldn’t look anywhere else.
“Welcome,” I said, “to my little slice of paradise.”
His breathing quickened, chest rising and falling in sharp, panicked bursts.
“This,” I continued, tilting my head slightly, “is the place where nightmares come true.”
Muffled sounds escaped beneath the tape.
“You don’t know why you’re here?” I asked, my tone almost curious.
His answer was a desperate shake of his head.
“You threatened Violet.” His body went rigid. “And you threatened my daughter. Violet’s and my daughter.”
Behind me, I heard Dimitros inhale sharply. “He threatened them?”
I didn’t turn around.
Because right now, there was only one thing that mattered, and it was teaching a lesson about what happened when you threatened those I loved.
FORTY-FOUR
VIOLET
Weeks of bliss had slipped by. We had a routine, and I’d started slowly exploring the possibility of offering some of my sessions via FaceTime or online. So far, the department and clients seemed receptive to it.
However, today was a Saturday and I intended to enjoy it with my daughter.
The city had fully awakened into spring with orange and lemon blossoms perfuming the air. Athens hummed around us with the commotion of the in-between season: not yet crowded with summer tourists, but alive with locals reclaiming their streets and coffee shops.
And in the middle of it all, I was deliriously happy.
It was almost frightening. I couldn’t remember ever feeling like this. Even when I had Lily, there had been the shadow of our father’s presence. It’d hindered the complete feeling of joy. We had to tiptoe around him, and while Lily and I loved each other and would do anything for each other, we were always on our guard.
Now, nothing stood in my way.
I loved Lykos, Dimitros, and Aria, and somehow, impossibly, they loved me too. Not out of obligation or expectation, but freely.
It was the kind of love that didn’t demand anything in return and was protected from the shadow of my father.
And now that I knew how wonderful it was to have unconditional happiness and love, I was terrified of losing it. I knew I’d have to keep Aria a secret somehow because I still hadn’t forgotten my father’s threat.
I couldn’t underestimate how far he was willing to go.
That thought hindered some of my happiness.
What if they were taken from me? The loneliness that would follow would undoubtedly feel unbearable now that I’d tasted this kind of fullness.
I gave my head a subtle shake, pushing all thoughts away. Today was too beautiful to surrender to fear.
Aria and I had spent the entire afternoon wandering through quaint shops, drifting from one sunlit avenue to another. Flowers spilled in bursts of pink and purple from balconies above us, and the pavement radiated the day’s warmth through the soles of my sandals.
Shopkeepers called out in cheerful Greek, clearly familiar with Aria, and my wonderful daughter introduced me to everyone and translated everything for me when we stumbled into conversations with locals who spoke no English.
