The Renegade Billionaire

He took the bedroll from her and put it in the back of the Jeep. She joined him a few minutes later. He noticed she’d brushed her hair and put on a frosted pink lipstick he’d love to taste before he started on her.

Stavros was thunderstruck by his strong physical attraction to her. But right now he needed to concentrate. “Let’s go find Darren.”

Once they got in the Jeep, he drove back out to the road that led into Panagia. He stopped in front of a cafeteria, where they went in for rolls and coffee. The proprietress recognized him and hurried over to their table.

He questioned her about Darren and showed her his picture from the cell phone. She said she hadn’t seen the American teenager in her café, but she’d call the police if he came in.

For the next half hour, they made the rounds of the bike shops. No one had seen the missing teen. When they went back to the Jeep, Andrea turned to him. “I think we should drive to Thassos and watch for him at the marina. He may have stolen someone’s bike in order to get there.”

“Or maybe he hitched a ride with some local.”

“Let’s check out all the bars and tavernas at the docks. He could be hanging out near the ferry landing stage.”

“The police will be searching everywhere, but we’ll add our eyes.”

For the next two hours, they covered the waterfront, but didn’t see anyone who resembled Darren. “Stavros? Let’s go on board the ferry that’s loading and take a look inside the vehicles. I know the police will have already done that, but maybe they missed something. What do you think?”

He saw the pleading in her eyes. It tugged at him. Neither of them wanted to give up the search, even if the police had already looked here.

“You’re reading my mind again.”

This was the first ferry of the day leaving for Keramoti. If Darren wanted to get off the island as fast as possible, this would be the one to take.

After parking the Jeep, he paid the fee and they walked on board, following the line of passengers. Since it was a Saturday of full-on summer, crowds of tourists slowed the lines down. He saw two police officers working the line.

Those people with cars had parked them end to end along the sides of the open air hold.

While everyone else went up on the deck to watch their departure, Stavros and Andrea inspected the interiors of each vehicle. All were empty. There were several small trucks. They eyed each other before he looked in the back of the first one. It was filled with lawn mower equipment.

Andrea moved forward to look inside the back of the next truck parked farther down. Stavros knew she’d found something when she came running toward him. “Quick,” she whispered. “There’s a tarp covering something. I thought I saw movement and I don’t dare lift it off without you.”

He grasped her upper arms. Their mouths were only centimeters apart. It was a miracle he restrained himself from kissing her senseless. “You stay here.”

Her breathing sounded shallow. “I won’t let you do this alone.”

Stavros inhaled sharply. “Then stay behind me.” After letting her go with reluctance, he walked to the pickup truck in question and took a look for himself. In the next instant, he climbed over the tailgate. Reaching down, he removed the tarp. Sure enough, a body dressed in jeans and tennis shoes was wedged between several packing boxes. A pair of brown eyes stared up at him in shock. His head was resting on his backpack.

“Darren Lewis.” Stavros spoke in English, standing over him. “Stay where you are.” He pulled out his cell phone and called the police lieutenant.

After a moment the other man answered. “Kyrie Konstantinos? I wish I had better news for you.”

“Our worries are over. We’ve found the missing teenager on board the ferry in Thassos town. He’s hiding in the back of a white pickup truck.”

“My men said they searched every car.”

“This teen has been elusive. Contact the ferry captain and tell him not to leave shore yet. Despinis Linford and I will detain the Lewis boy until you arrive.”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

Stavros helped Andrea up over the tailgate. She thanked him and sat down on one of the packing boxes. By this time, the teen was sitting up, but he didn’t try to get away.

“Darren? I’m Andrea Linford from PanHellenic Tours. This is Mr. Konstantinos, the managing director of the Konstantinos Marble Corporation.” Not anymore. “We’ve been looking for you since you disappeared yesterday.”

He averted his eyes.

“Your tour director, Georgios, and your teacher, Mrs. Shapiro, have been frantic. Your parents were notified of your disappearance and are on their way here.”

The boy went a sickly ashen color. “My mom and dad are coming?”

She nodded. “That’s right. The police will take you to them in Thessaloniki.”

“I’m eighteen and don’t have to see them if I don’t want to.”

So that was what this was about. “Nevertheless, they want to see you,” Stavros stated. “Whatever is wrong, nothing can be resolved by running away.”

“I hate my father. I never want to see him again.”

The pain in his declaration wasn’t lost on Stavros or Andrea. “Then you have the legal right to be on your own,” he said. “But you’re in a foreign country and have broken the law by stowing away in a truck that isn’t yours. You have some explaining to do to the police and they’ll insist on speaking to you and your parents.”

Darren was fighting tears. “I don’t want to talk to them.”

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice while you’re still on Greek soil.”

Andrea got on the phone to her boss to tell him the good news. Before long, everyone, including the tour bus group, would know that the crisis had been averted. But the boy’s nightmare was just beginning. From past experience, Stavros knew what it was like to be at loggerheads with his own father and had some compassion for Darren, whatever the problem.

“If you’re hungry or thirsty, I’ll get you something,” Andrea volunteered after hanging up. She had a sweetness in her that wasn’t lost on Stavros.

“I don’t want anything.”

“You must have had a bad night. Tell us how you got away from the quarry, Darren.”

“I hid underneath someone’s truck. When the police walked off, I got inside the back.” Andrea and Stavros exchanged glances. “After it stopped at a village, I jumped out and walked down here during the night. While the cars were lined up to board the ferry, I got underneath another truck.”