Excerpt of "Deadly Secrets" - Chapter One, Part Three

As the ship came around a small peninsula, Helena held her breath,looking at the cubed-shaped, white houses of Chora—as the town of Mykonos was commonly known—glowing in the sunlight. Picturesque windmills and countless churches were scattered higher up on the hill, composing a breathtaking picture.
The port was overflowing with life. Numerous ships and colorful fishing boats were anchored everywhere, while dozens of little shops were scattered all over the waterfront. People strolled along the dock, enjoying the beautiful, sunny day.
The ship moved closer, and Helena’s heartbeat accelerated. Conflictingemotions of excitement and anxiety made her feel dizzy and disoriented. She felt as if she were floating loose in time and space…
Helena saw people sitting at tables outside the cafes in the shade of pergolas, lazily drinking their afternoon coffee while kids attacked their ice creams, piled to the top with fruits and nuts. She was soimpatient; she could hardly wait for the ship to dock. Squeezing her way through the numerous passengers, she managed to be among the first ones to walk off.
Once she stepped foot on the ground, she felt lost with so manypeople around—passengers disembarking the ship and workers running back and forth, carrying luggage and boxes.
She stood undecided, letting her eyes wander over the colorfulsurroundings and listening to people talking in Greek… so fascinating and so different than speaking Greek at school.
Helena had been bilingual since birth. After they moved to England,her mother had sent her to a Greek school in the afternoons, so she continued her education in the Greek language, as well. Speaking Greek helped her remain connected to her late father and the life she was forced to leave behind.
Suddenly, she realized people were staring at her. She could see admiration mixed with curiosity in their glances. She knew she had inherited her mother’s tall and slim stature along with her long, silky blonde hair and expressive blue eyes. Among the dark-haired Greeks with the bronzed by the sun bodies, her pale complexion left her out of place.
Where is my ride? By now, they knew she was coming. She hadn’t written from England, as she wasn’t sure whether she was going through with this visit. When she arrived in Athens, though, she called her Aunt Sophie and told her she was on her way to the island.
Sophie Sistakis was her father’s younger sister, and Helena rememberedher kind face with warm, brown eyes surrounded by long, black hair. Her aunt was only eight years older than her and used to take her for walks on the beach, play games with her, and read her stories. She felt ashamed she hadn’t talked to her aunt in all these years. Though her mother didn’t have the right to keep her away from her family, Erin had been scared and heartbroken.
Somehow, Aunt Sophie understood, and she never tried to invade their privacy.
The surprise in her aunt’s voice wasn’t unexpected, but the pleasureand excitement she expressed helped Helena move beyond her uncertainty. She didn’t have to explain anything before her aunt had made her feel loved and welcome, simply telling her to catch the next ferry home. Home. Yes, she was finally home.
“Miss Sistakis?” She jumped, hearing a deep, sensual voice with a thick Greek accent directly behind her.
She turned to face a tall, seductively handsome man with jet-blackhair shining in the sun and the most amazing dark brown eyes she had ever seen. She always considered herself tall, being five feet eight inches, but she felt like a child in front of him. He stood at least five inches tallerthan her, but his size didn’t intimidate her. The way his dark, captivating eyes looked at her made her feel small and vulnerable, though.
The handsome face with the strong jaw, and the well-built, muscular body under the sun-tanned skin, accelerated her heartbeat and caused her mouth to go dry.
Helena hadn’t realized she was staring until she saw the amusementin his eyes and a smile appeared on his inviting lips. He’s laughing at me, and he has every right to do it, she reprimanded herself.
“Yes, I’m Helena Sistakis… and who are you?” she questioned in English, her voice nothing more than a whisper.
The man seemed to hesitate for a moment, searching her face. “I’mDimitris,” he replied finally. His name struck a chord somewhere deep inside her. Bewildered, she studied him for a minute. No, she thought. If we had met before, I would definitely remember such a hunk.
As his captivating gaze roamed over her, Helena felt butterfliesin her stomach. Nervously, she licked her lips and dug her nails into her palms.
“Has my aunt sent you to take me home?” she inquired, straightening her back and trying to steady her trembling voice.
“Yes. I’m ready to go when you are. My car is just around the corner,” he replied in Greek, obviously aware she spoke it fluently.
She reached for her suitcase, and her hand froze on the handle. Theman from the ship stood a few feet away, staring at her, seeming totally unaffected by everything going on around him… Helena noticed the round face with the small, piercing eyes that reminded her of a snake. Her blood turned to ice. “What on earth?”
“Is everything all right?” Dimitris questioned.
Helena didn’t respond, totally absorbed by the hostile expression onthe stranger’s face.
“Helena…” Dimitris’ voice next to her ear and his warm hand on her arm brought her back to reality.
She glanced at him, puzzled. Dimitris’ eyes were fixed on her,searching her face. Then he peered at the other man.
“Who’s that? Do you know him?” he asked.
“No,” she whispered. “First time I saw him was on the ship. Heseemed to be watching me…”
“Wait here!” Dimitris ordered her and strode towards the man dressed in black.
Helena watched as the man hesitated for a moment, turned on hisheel, and rushed towards the street. Dimitris swiftly took off right after him, like a panther going after his prey. He was closing in on him when a black Mercedes appeared speeding out of nowhere. As the brakes of the car squeaked right in front of the man, he opened the back door and jumped inside. He had barely closed the door when the car launched forward. Dimitris arrived at the street right at the moment the Mercedeswas disappearing around a corner.
Helena took a deep breath, unable to move. What was that all about? Who was he? What did he want?

I’ll be posting a new section every Tuesday and Friday but if you rather not wait, here are the links to buy the book:
Buy it at Amazon
Buy it at Barnes & Noble