‘You know that Roula and I were briefly promised to each other—’
‘Oh, please,’ Galen cut in. ‘You were kids. Anyway, she married Golden Boy...’
‘I know that, and so does Roula, but her brother Nemo—he’s my head of security...’
‘Another reason never to employ family or friends,’ Galen said, because Nemo was a brute and had made his life hell.
‘You’re right,’ Costa agreed. ‘Because when I brought Mary here for the first time he tried to set her up as a thief. I now believe he wanted to break us up...’
Galen frowned at Costa’s ominous tone.
‘I tried to speak to Roula about it—she’s been odd for weeks...’
‘And?’ Galen snapped, impatient for information now.
‘On her birthday she found a gas cylinder hidden in her brother’s garage. She recognised it from Dimitrios’s boat.’
‘She’s sure?’
‘Sure enough that she went to the police. They’re taking it very seriously. It would seem there have been several suspicious transactions made by Nemo.’
‘You’re saying that Nemo killed Roula’s husband to clear the way for her to marry you?’
‘He hasn’t been charged,’ Costa said, and then added, ‘Yet. But there’s a lot of resentment there. Now that I’m rich, Roula’s family are bitter that they pulled out of the arrangement.’
‘She’s not a piece of real estate.’
‘Tell that to Nemo.’
Galen closed his eyes.This place!
‘The Drakos family are going to kick off, and her family too, when they find out that she was the one who informed on her brother—’
‘I get it,’ Galen cut in. No wonder Roula had been upset yesterday.
‘If you offered Roula a temporary—’
‘No.’ Galen shut down Costa’s solution straight away, for he did not bring his personal life to work in any way shape or form. ‘Arrangements have already been put in place. But I’ve got the guest apartment. Tell her she’s welcome to use that.’
‘Roula can’t know I’ve discussed this with you!’ Exasperated, Costa waved a hand. ‘Believe me, I have tried to help, but she says she has it all under control. Mary approached her last night, but she was quickly shut down...’
‘Then maybe shedoeshave it under control.’
‘Galen,’ Costa said. ‘Roula was going to walk into the police station without a lawyer.’
Galen swore.
‘Roula will only take the job if she thinks it’s a genuine one.’
‘Then I’ll find her something...’
‘Something!’ Costa gave an incredulous laugh. ‘Galen, she’s very career-minded. Believe me, she’s not going to leave here for some admin role in one of your offsite offices, but a temporary PA position for Galen Pallas would look good on her CV...’
‘I don’t like this, Costa.’
On so many levels Galen did not like it—he did not want his worlds colliding, and he chose his staff carefully. He loathed emotion and drama—the very things this island thrived on.
There was another issue too, but he pushed that out of his mind for now. Instead, he thought of a day long ago, when a little girl had walked away from her friends, from her own brother and the children who had beaten him, and bravely insisted on being his friend.