This got the big man’s attention. He grinned ruthlessly.
“Well done, Yerik, bringing me the mother of the whore the president’s son is married to,” he said.
If Bita was angry before, his words made her positively quake. Her hand made contact with the man’s face more forcibly than when she’d hit Marin earlier. Marin sucked in a breath as her body froze in fear. The Greek man’s fingers latched around Bita’s wrist faster than a cobra struck its victim. He yanked Bita’s body in close to his.
“I am done playing with you,” he snapped. “You will do as I say now.”
Bita wrestled her hand free. “I can’t take any more of the art from the White House,” she said with a huff.
Marin snorted. “You did know what you were doing!”
“Hush.” The boot connected sharply with her hip again and Marin stifled a gasp.
“Your friend, Yerik, killed Ari,” Bita said. “He was the one who knew how to take the paintings from their frames and replace them so no one would notice. I refuse to do that.”
Ari was dead, too?Marin glanced over to Yerik, the man who would likely kill her, as well. The expression on his face hadn’t altered one bit. His cold eyes seemed to be taking in the exchange between Bita and the other man in the detached way a spectator watched a play.
“I have no need for art,” the man told Bita. “That was just Yerik’s ruse to entertain Elena.”
“Elena?” Bita looked from the Greek man to Yerik. “Who is this, Elena?”
“Elena is not important,” the man interrupted. “Neither is the art.”
But Bita seemed to think whoever this Elena was, she was very important. Her face grew contorted with anger. “What have you done?” she demanded of Yerik. “Have you double-crossed me?” She rattled something off again in Farsi, but Yerik remained stone-faced.
Bita turned back to the Greek man. “Those paintings—those paintings.” She gasped. “They were to be exchanged for paintings lost in the revolution.” She spun back to Yerik. “You promised! You said you would help me. Help us! You bastard! You know where those paintings are! You will tell me!”
She flung herself at Yerik. The mad man held himself still until one of the Greek man’s entourage quickly interceded, pulling her away and tossing her down at Marin’s feet. Bita let out a sharp cry as her body made contact with the hard, concrete floor. Marin almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
With Bita softly sobbing, the Greek man focused his attention on Marin. She tried not to get creeped out by the intense scrutiny of his obsidian eyes.
“Who is this?” he demanded of Yerik.
Yerik stepped into the center of the room. “She is my payment for Elena,” he said proudly.
Marin nearly choked on her own breath.Payment?And who the heck was this Elena person they were all so obsessed with anyway?
“Payment?” The Greek man echoed her thoughts.
“I will give you the chef and you will give me Elena,” Yerik explained. “The conglomerate no longer needs her to create the counterfeit bills. She has given them the template.”
The Greek man’s booming laugh echoed throughout the warehouse. “You fool! The conglomerate doesn’t want to trade Elena for achef.”
Yerik’s face hardened, if that were even possible. “She is not just achef,” he said quietly. “She is Max Chevalier’s granddaughter.”
An eerie quiet suddenly settled over the occupants of the room at the mention of her grandfather’s name. The Greek man’s eye’s widened beneath his bushy brows. Marin’s tormentor with the boot took a step back from her.
“Youarea fool, Yerik!” the Greek man yelled. “What have you done?” He swore violently in his native tongue.
Yerik didn’t flinch. “The conglomerate can ransom her off. Her family will pay a fortune for her release.”
Marin shivered on the cold cement. It was true. Her grandfather would go to the ends of the earth to get her back. Somehow, though, she didn’t think her captivity would be anything similar to what she’d experienced in the safe houses this week.
“No!” the Greek man argued. “Max Chevalier will not pay a drachma for her release.”
Marin wanted to protest, but she decided these men were all fools anyway, so why bother. She raised her chin belligerently instead.