Excerpt of "The Heiress of Santorini" - Chapter One, Part Four

The elevator stopped on her floor, and the doors opened. Stepping inside, she pushed the button to the basement. As the doors were closing, she thought she heard a noise coming from down the hall. On an impulse, she pressed the button for the doors to reopen. Could someone else be left in the office? She peered down the hallway with her finger on the elevator button, keeping the doors from closing. Holding her breath, she tried to pick up the slightest noise… but there was nothing. All she could hear was the pounding of her heart. You’re acting ridiculous, she thought and released the button. As the doors closed and the elevator started going down, she exhaled loudly.In the basement parking garage, she walked to her car, parked a little farther from the doors. Being the daughter of a policeman, Alexandra had learned to be cautious and pay attention to minor details other people normally ignored. Her conscious noted the lights were out across the majority of the parking deck. That’s strange. The lights normally stay on all night. The hair stood up on the back of her neck, and she glanced around warily. Damn! The feeling that someone was watching her sent her rushing to her car. Trying hard to control her trembling, she managed to unlock the door on the third try. She climbed in, locked the doors, and turned the ignition on. The sound of the convertible’s powerful engine coming to life gave her a sense of relief. Thank God, I never leave the car with the top down, she thought and drew a deep breath, letting it out slowly.She backed out of her parking space and drove up the curve towards the entrance of the parking deck. Turning around a corner, she noticed a black Chevy truck parked on the side. The lights were out, and she couldn’t see much. However, she would swear two men were sitting inside. Pressing on the gas pedal, she sped right past it. Out of breath, she glanced at her rearview mirror to make sure the truck wasn’t following her. Pulling out of the parking deck and onto the main street, she checked the mirror again… nothing.Anxiously, she took her cell phone out and called John.“Where are you?” he answered, immediately.“On my way…” She couldn’t keep her voice from trembling.“What’s wrong?”“Nothing,” she lied.“Alex?” he insisted.“Well, I’m not sure. I think someone was watching me.”“What? Are you okay?”No, she thought. I’m not okay. I’m scared to death.“Alex?”“I’m fine. I’ll be home in a few minutes.”“I’m already here.”Thank God, she thought. She hated the idea of being alone right now. Thinking of John being there, she felt better. Everything is fine, she reassured herself. It’s just that stupid article that got me all wired up.“What about dinner?” she asked, trying to sound normal.“I’ve made some spaghetti.”“John, that’s great!” Alexandra replied, realizing she had nothing to eat all day. “I’ll stop to buy some wine.”“No need. I’ve taken care of everything.”“Okay, then! See you in a little bit,” she said, ready to hang up.“Alexandra, wait!” John urged her.“I’ll be fine,” she reassured him. “I know you’re trying to keep me on the line, but I’m fine, really. I have to go now and try to concentrate on the road. I don’t have my Bluetooth earbud with me, and you know how I hate driving with one hand.”“Well… just be careful!” He sighed.She hung up and kept driving. From time to time, she would check her rearview mirror for the truck. A couple of times, she thought she saw it a few cars behind, but she couldn’t be sure. It’s only my imagination. She contemplated and decided to put it right out of her mind.Twenty minutes later, she pulled in the driveway of her apartment complex. Checking to make sure that the truck was nowhere in sight, she grabbed her stuff, opened the door, and walked towards her apartment building. The relief of knowing John was inside kept her moving.Glancing around once more, she spotted a black Mercedes sports car parked in the dark down her dead-end street. Whose car is that? she wondered, having never before noticed it in her neighborhood. There I go again. She reprimanded herself for being so suspicious, but at the same time, she picked up her pace towards the entrance of her apartment building, keeping a wary eye on that car. Reaching the front door, she let out a deep breath. “Everything’s going to be all right,” she whispered. Then again, that warning bell going off inside her head was hard to ignore.***Mark Taylor observed Alexandra closely from inside the Mercedes, where he’d waiting outside her apartment for the past two hours.Seeing the stunning brunette walking towards the building, he inhaled deeply. She was even more breathtaking than in the photos. He loosened up his tie, watching her climb the front steps. Her suit hugged her body like a glove, and the short skirt barely hid an inch of her endless, beautiful legs.His mouth went dry, and his breath caught in his throat. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.She opened the front door to the apartment building and stood there for a minute until it closed, probably wanting to make sure nobody snuck inside behind her. Cautious girl, he thought with admiration. Looks and brains—a killer combination! Then again, what did he expect? Deep down inside, he’d known she would be that way.

I’ll be posting a new section every Friday. The novel will be published soon by Booktrope.