her hair was caught up in a chignon. Elegant, refined, restrained. All as her father wanted.
Sighing she turned away from the mirror and gazed out the window at the placid Aegean Sea. The sun had begun to set and the tranquil surface shimmered with myriad lights. It was beautiful, and it was the only view she’d had for the last five years. She had not been off this island since she was eighteen and returned from convent school.
Her life, she thought, not for the first time, had simply been a matter of exchanging one prison for another. But tonight she wanted to be done with prisons.
She didn’t know if Theo Atrikes was the one who could help her achieve her freedom, but she intended to find out. In her few minutes’ hurried conversation with him he’d shown more finesse and authority than any of the other six she’d spoken with. One of them, she remembered, had actually stammered and backed away from her as if she were some Gorgon or harpy.
But would Theo Atrikes be willing to break her out of this gilded cage? Would he accept her trade of information for freedom?
There was only one way to find out.
As she headed downstairs Ariana heard the muted clink of glasses and low rumble of conversation. Her father, with what she considered a rather sadistic impulse, liked to entertain his victims before they attempted to disarm the virus. He showed off his daughter and wife, provided a lavish meal, the best wines from his cellar.
Then the hapless hopeful was given one of the villa's best bedrooms, and when dawn rose and a last meal had been served, her father ushered him--they'd all been men so far--into the study where the virus-infected computer was kept. The man had just one hour to attempt to disarm the virus, and meanwhile her father set plans in motion to destroy the technowizard who’d thought he could best him. It was a devious and ruthless way to rid himself of any potential competitors, presented as no more than an entertaining challenge.
"Ah. Ariana." Miles Leotokos turned to her with a shark-like smile as she stood on the threshold of the same room she’d seen Theo in earlier. Now he was dressed in a charcoal grey suit, the only splash of color a crimson tie. She felt herself, incredibly and ridiculously, start to blush.
Had his cheekbones always looked so sharp, his eyes so dark, the twist of his mouth so sardonic? She was being absurd. The last thing she wanted to do was develop some kind of schoolgirl crush on this man. He was her possible means to an end, nothing more.
Belatedly she realized she’d been too busy considering the hard angles of his face to pay attention to the introductions being made. Theo arched an eyebrow, inclined his head in acknowledgement.
"I didn’t know you had a daughter, Miles."
"She’s very precious to me," Miles replied. "I make sure she is protected."
That was a rather innocuous way of referring to her imprisonment, Ariana thought wryly. She refused to give in to the dark bitterness that always lapped at the fringes of her mind, the edges of her soul. She would not let her father steal her spirit.
Theo raised his glass to his lips, his gaze resting thoughtfully on her. "A wise decision, I’m sure," he murmured, and she knew he was wondering why she’d sought him out earlier. Let him wonder. She would use this evening to decide if he was a worthy savior; only then would she tell him her intentions. Lifting her chin, she met Theo Atrikes's assessing gaze with a hard stare of her own, and yet she could not keep a shiver of awareness from stealing through her when, his eyes glinting, he slowly smiled back.
CHAPTER TWO
Theo watched Ariana sit at the opulent table laid, apparently, for his benefit. Leotokos had clearly spared no expense in preparing for his guest--or victim, as the odious man most likely thought of him. With his paunchy middle, wet lips, and darkly flashing eyes, Miles Leotokos reminded Theo of a fat spider crouching eagerly in wait to entomb his
Sighing she turned away from the mirror and gazed out the window at the placid Aegean Sea. The sun had begun to set and the tranquil surface shimmered with myriad lights. It was beautiful, and it was the only view she’d had for the last five years. She had not been off this island since she was eighteen and returned from convent school.
Her life, she thought, not for the first time, had simply been a matter of exchanging one prison for another. But tonight she wanted to be done with prisons.
She didn’t know if Theo Atrikes was the one who could help her achieve her freedom, but she intended to find out. In her few minutes’ hurried conversation with him he’d shown more finesse and authority than any of the other six she’d spoken with. One of them, she remembered, had actually stammered and backed away from her as if she were some Gorgon or harpy.
But would Theo Atrikes be willing to break her out of this gilded cage? Would he accept her trade of information for freedom?
There was only one way to find out.
As she headed downstairs Ariana heard the muted clink of glasses and low rumble of conversation. Her father, with what she considered a rather sadistic impulse, liked to entertain his victims before they attempted to disarm the virus. He showed off his daughter and wife, provided a lavish meal, the best wines from his cellar.
Then the hapless hopeful was given one of the villa's best bedrooms, and when dawn rose and a last meal had been served, her father ushered him--they'd all been men so far--into the study where the virus-infected computer was kept. The man had just one hour to attempt to disarm the virus, and meanwhile her father set plans in motion to destroy the technowizard who’d thought he could best him. It was a devious and ruthless way to rid himself of any potential competitors, presented as no more than an entertaining challenge.
"Ah. Ariana." Miles Leotokos turned to her with a shark-like smile as she stood on the threshold of the same room she’d seen Theo in earlier. Now he was dressed in a charcoal grey suit, the only splash of color a crimson tie. She felt herself, incredibly and ridiculously, start to blush.
Had his cheekbones always looked so sharp, his eyes so dark, the twist of his mouth so sardonic? She was being absurd. The last thing she wanted to do was develop some kind of schoolgirl crush on this man. He was her possible means to an end, nothing more.
Belatedly she realized she’d been too busy considering the hard angles of his face to pay attention to the introductions being made. Theo arched an eyebrow, inclined his head in acknowledgement.
"I didn’t know you had a daughter, Miles."
"She’s very precious to me," Miles replied. "I make sure she is protected."
That was a rather innocuous way of referring to her imprisonment, Ariana thought wryly. She refused to give in to the dark bitterness that always lapped at the fringes of her mind, the edges of her soul. She would not let her father steal her spirit.
Theo raised his glass to his lips, his gaze resting thoughtfully on her. "A wise decision, I’m sure," he murmured, and she knew he was wondering why she’d sought him out earlier. Let him wonder. She would use this evening to decide if he was a worthy savior; only then would she tell him her intentions. Lifting her chin, she met Theo Atrikes's assessing gaze with a hard stare of her own, and yet she could not keep a shiver of awareness from stealing through her when, his eyes glinting, he slowly smiled back.
CHAPTER TWO
Theo watched Ariana sit at the opulent table laid, apparently, for his benefit. Leotokos had clearly spared no expense in preparing for his guest--or victim, as the odious man most likely thought of him. With his paunchy middle, wet lips, and darkly flashing eyes, Miles Leotokos reminded Theo of a fat spider crouching eagerly in wait to entomb his
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