Petra wanted to run up and down the streets like a child at an amusement park. She could have cried the minute her feet touched the ground on Mykonos. The motorboat had dropped her and Levi on the beach directly in front of town. The houses and shops here mainly consisted of small, two storied, gleaming white buildings. It felt like moving through some fantasy version of a Greek island. The paving stones were wide, almost as if they'd been drawn by a child's hand. The white buildings were accented with blue windows and blue railings for the stairs. People sat beneath awnings or trees bursting with bright purple and pink flowers. Petra smelled food and spices, and luxuriated in the sound of laughter all about.
She hoped that Erwin's meeting wouldn't finish till night, or early morning. She had never wanted to dance so much in her life.
"Oi! Stop racing ahead like some brat," Levi grumped, trailing her and sweating. Petra spun around and resisted the urge to flip him off.
"Sorry if I'm dressed appropriately." She wore a white cotton sundress, sandals, and a straw hat with a wide brim. "You're going to die. Why on earth didn't you wear any sandals?"
"I don't own any," Levi snapped. He'd dressed "casually" which for Levi meant black jeans, a black tee shirt, a black leather jacket, and boots. He was covered in a sheen of sweat already.
Idly, Petra wondered if his shirt was clinging to his body in an attractive way. She'd seen him topless when he swam with her, and even though she still hated him she'd been overcome by a powerful wave of lust. God, he was so compact and sleek. She'd also noted the tattoo that stretched from one arm, across his back, and down the other. It looked like a pair of wings, but she'd never been able to inspect it for long.
Even if he was an idiot for dressing this way, and even if she was an idiot for wanting him, Petra had never been more attracted to anyone in her life. Even Erwin, for all his masculine strength and impeccable physique, didn't fascinate her the way this smaller man did.
Yesterday afternoon she'd found herself fantasizing about Levi being in the pool with her, kissing her, no clothes between them. She'd imagined wrapping her legs around his waist as, weightless, she felt him slide inside of her body. It had flustered her so much she'd gone to her room to masturbate. As she was nearing the climax, Erwin had come inside, seen what she was doing, and stopped her at once. He wasn't angry, but he firmly told her that no one would ever make her orgasm except for him. Not even Petra herself.
When she asked why, he said it was because she should only ever climax while looking at and thinking of him. He hadn't been cruel about it, and in fact had 'helped' her to finish. He'd stayed with her a while in bed, but she always pictured Levi.
"What the fuck are you staring at?" Levi frowned. "My dick hanging out or something?"
"I'm thinking we should get you some new clothes." Petra turned so he couldn't see her blushing. "In fact, I think shopping would be perfect. I want to get some things for myself."
"Of course you do." Levi scowled as they wandered along the street. "Erwin's back on the boat meeting with Tybur's men, and I'm out here babysitting a girl with Daddy's fucking credit card."
"He's not my father." Petra's cheer vanished at once, and she felt an icy grip around her heart. Erwin made her feel like such a little girl, so reliant upon him. It made her sick.
"Tch. Fine."
"Besides, Erwin said I could purchase whatever I wanted." Indeed, he'd given her a card made of black metal, so heavy she'd almost dropped it. Levi had rolled his eyes and taken it from her; of course he got to 'control' it. But he didn't get to say what she could buy or how much she could spend. Erwin thought that a 'woman of the body' should be allowed a few simple pleasures, and shopping was one of them. Because Petra had been 'a good girl' recently, he wanted to spoil her.
"Okay. Let's get this shit over and done with."
Petra had never before been in the middle of rows of stores able to get whatever she wanted. Almost woozy with the freedom, she started by satisfying her rumbling gut. While Erwin controlled her diet and meal times on the yacht, here she could eat what she liked. She started with moussaka, then courgette balls, followed by stuffed grape leaves. Still ravenous, she ate baklava and Greek yogurt with cherry topping while Levi picked at a Greek salad. He shook his head as he watched her pig out.
"Such a messy brat."
"Yes. And you can't tell me what to do." She sucked honey from her fingers, and noted that Levi stared at her with rapt attention. She lathed a finger with the tip of her tongue, finding all the sticky sweetness. Unbidden, thoughts of putting his own fingers to her mouth washed over her, or even something else…
Why did she want this man so much and hate him so much at the same time?
"Where to now?" he asked.
Petra wanted to get her family something. She got a bottle of ouzo for her parents, which was some kind of sweet liquor. She found beaded necklaces and bracelets for Brigitta and a replication of a Greek warrior's helmet for Willem. Levi carried her purchases around for her, and Petra delighted in making him do such undignified, pack mule work.
While she sat in a shop and watched as a man made a pair of authentic Grecian sandals just for her, Levi smirked in the doorway.
"What?" She glared at him.
"Just think it's cute."
"What is?"
"You're on Mykonos, one of the high end retail spots in the Greek islands, and you're buying inexpensive touristy shit. It's so damn wholesome."
"I'm just buying what I like." Petra felt her face heat up; this little man was such a bastard. "I'm getting presents my family would like."
"Simple girl, simple tastes." He shrugged. "I'm not complaining. I see why Erwin wants a fresh little brat like you."
This fresh little brat doesn't want him, you fucking asshole.
When her sandals had been fitted and tied, Petra paid and stormed out of the shop. Levi followed, still chuckling as he carried her bags.
"All right. You say there are a lot of high end stores on this island?" Petra turned and flipped him off. "Let's see how much money this wholesome brat can burn."
"I see you like a challenge, Ginger." He grinned, and this time it appeared to be genuine. "This ought to be fun."
Oh, she'd see to it he collapsed from all the fun they were going to have.
Petra had dreamed of someday going into a store that sold Louboutin shoes or Chanel bags, but now she was not only there, she could buy what she liked. She made Levi sit on a stool and watch as she paraded in and out of the dressing room in all types of ridiculous fashions. Some of these were too outlandish for Petra's tastes, but forcing Erwin's bodyguard to sit in grumpy silence as she tried on one outfit after the next was too much fun.
"What do you think?" she asked, posing in front of a three way mirror in a billowing gown of peach silk. "Is it me?"
"I don't know you well enough to answer that," Levi grumbled. "Hope to fuck I never do."
"Mmm. I don't really like it." She smiled at the saleslady, who had seen Erwin's credit card and started salivating. "But I'll take it anyway."
"You think we got enough room in storage on the yacht for all this crap?"
"I think Erwin said I get my way today." Petra flounced back into the changing room. "You don't want to disobey him, do you?"
She changed into a pair of satin shorts, smiling as she listened to Levi curse up a storm.
She bought bottles of expensive perfumes and make up palettes. Petra bought several pairs of Louboutins; some of the heels were so thin and rickety she nearly fell over, but she bought them anyway. After all, shoes were hard to carry around, and she wanted things to be as hard for Levi as possible. She bought silk scarves from Chanel, floppy hats, belts, boots, an emerald silk evening gown, designer swimsuits, leather gloves, skirts and blouses, a cashmere coat, fitted trousers, even a velvet opera cape and a black sleeveless jumpsuit with a large pink bow at the chest. It was something she'd never wear, but it spent Erwin's money and gave Levi something else to carry, so it was good.
A couple of times, Petra needed help with a zipper when the saleslady wasn't around. She opened the changing room door and motioned for Levi.
"Zip me up. Come on!"
"Fuck my life," he muttered. Petra turned and looked at herself in the changing room mirror, then at Levi as he appeared behind her like a sleek, black shadow. He noticed her staring at him, and gazed in sullen reply.
Though Petra noticed that his eyes tracked once along her body in the mirror. He seemed strangely attentive.
"Uh. Look nice," he muttered before zipping her with one fast motion. He stalked back to his seat and avoided looking at her again.
Bastard. But Petra noticed that her cheeks had healthy color in them after he was gone.
Pretty soon, the strong bodyguard was buried underneath shopping bags. Petra had them ring up several expensive purses. She got a Birkin bag in red alligator leather, wallets from Louis Vuitton, two pairs of Gucci sunglasses, one for her and one for Brigitta. She got a Rolex for her father and one for Willem, too, a necklace of pure gold for her mother. She plunked herself down in front of every jewelry counter she could find and ordered emeralds and diamonds, sapphires and rubies, silver and platinum and white gold and yellow gold and rose gold. Sometimes she got the same bracelet in three different types of gold, just to add more bulk to Levi's burden and eat more money from Erwin's account. She bought strings of pearls of every color and size. Necklaces, bracelets, anklets, earrings and rings and even a jeweled peacock pin made up of eighty-seven precious stones. She bought them all without even looking at the price. Levi swore whenever he glanced at a receipt.
"There is no fuckin' way you need this much stuff," Levi seethed as the afternoon wore on. Petra led him around, carrying a small Chanel bag and letting him carry the ten or twelve others. Levi waddled now like some furious, leather-clad duck.
"If I'm going to be a rich man's wife whose only job is to fuck him and get pregnant, I'm going to take the perks that go along with it."
The sun was beginning to lower in the sky when Petra finally showed mercy and allowed them to sit outside a café in the shade. She sipped a cappuccino while Levi panted and gulped some iced tea. He'd removed his leather jacket, and Petra saw now that his shirt was practically painted to his body with sweat. It defined the sculpted perfection of his chest, and the hard, ridged slope of his stomach. He tilted his head back to run a hand through his hair, and the line of his throat seemed to glisten. Even sweaty and disheveled, he was beautiful.
Petra couldn't help the way her thoughts danced about Levi, wanting to undress him, to feel the steel of his muscles and the silk of his skin against her palms. To feel him slide deep inside of her and ride her while she panted, screamed, shook with her orgasm and felt him climax within her body. Imagining all these things with him was now the only way she got through sex with Erwin. Maybe she wanted Levi this badly because she knew it would hurt Erwin. If Petra hadn't known the man would kill her for betraying him, she'd have tried to seduce Levi just to embarrass her husband.
Then again, Levi was undeniably beautiful. No man's body had ever inspired such lust in her. Petra either wanted to tear his face apart with her teeth and nails or lie underneath him and fuck him senseless. Her mouth watered with the mere thought of it.
"What are you staring at?" He narrowed his eyes at her.
"Um." Petra needed an explanation. "Those tattoos on your arms. What are they?"
"What do they look like?" He stretched his arms out for her inspection. "They're wings."
"But why is one white and the other one black?"
Sure enough, the wingtip that stretched along Levi's left arm was colored by his own pale skin, while the wing on the right had been inked black as pitch.
"I don't know. Guess it appeals to me." He shrugged and slurped at the ice in his glass. "Call 'em my Wings of Freedom."
He seemed almost embarrassed by the admission. While Petra could have used the opportunity to mock him, she was too interested in the story to be snide.
"Why?"
"I don't know." But she didn't believe him. "Birds fly, they got wings. They seem pretty free, don't they?"
"I guess." Petra stared at the foamy bottom of her cup. She'd never know such freedom again. "You said you moved around a lot when you were a kid. Where did you move? Why did you travel so much?"
"You ask a lot of questions." He squared his jaw and looked away from her, towards the center of the square. A bunch of adolescent boys in board shorts and flip flops were hanging around, laughing loudly and jumping up and down on one another. Probably American tourists in Europe for the summer.
"When did you meet Erwin?"
"Why do you need to know?"
"We're going to spend a lot of time together. I think getting to know each other is a good idea."
"It isn't."
Petra huffed and leaned back in her seat. "Would you like to know anything about me, then?"
"Nope."
"Are you always this rude to your boss's women?"
"Erwin's never been married before, and the last woman he actually dated was before my time. You changed a lot of shit."
Did he seem angry about that? Resentful? He was such a secretive man, his thoughts and feelings hidden behind a beautiful but impassive façade.
"You seem very loyal to him."
"He pays me well."
"But you respect him. I can see that you do. And I don't think you respect anyone."
"Shows what little you know."
"Why can't we try being nice to each other?" she snapped.
"Well, you turned me into a fancy fucking shopping cart today, so I'm not exactly in love with you right now."
"Fine." She told herself it didn't sting, him saying he wasn't in love with her. What a prick. Petra watched the adolescent boys and thought of Eld, Gunther, Oruo. She and Nifa had talked about taking a gap year after high school and traveling the world. Petra would have given anything to be like those boys, with little money in her pocket and the world at her feet.
"What are you gloomy about now?"
"My friends and I always wanted to travel to Mykonos together. We wanted to explore Greece, and Italy, and Spain, and Morocco and on and on. I used to dream about moving to New York for college. Hell, I thought I was going to go to college." Petra plucked at her skirt, fighting tears. "There were so many things I could have been that I'll never be now."
"Yeah. Well." Levi cleared his throat, looking almost uncomfortable. "Life's tough. Though honestly, kid? You could've been like a million other women out there, early thirties, shitty boyfriend, tiny apartment, with a dead end job and car payments. All that bright promise you thought you had? People like you and me, we don't have it. That golden stuff is for people like Erwin or Hange. You ended up with a winning lottery ticket. Maybe bitching about it isn't very mature."
Petra wanted to pick up her porcelain cup and break it over his head.
"How dare you?" she whispered.
"How dare I tell you the truth?" Levi seemed angry now, though why she didn't understand. "People like me, we're good for lifting shit, fighting shit, and building shit. That's most men. Most women are gonna be good at mothering, maybe working in a shop, and, I don't know, organizing people's filing cabinets. You and me, we're not thinkers. We're doers. A man like Erwin taking us in is the best thing that could ever happen to us." He held up his hand to her, as if ordering her to stop. "So don't let me keep hearing about how fucking sad you are that you don't get to eat hamburgers whenever you want or your husband likes having sex with you. You're never gonna have to worry about being safe, or where your next meal's coming from, or being able to buy whatever you want. I knew women worth twenty of you who never got a shred of any of that. You get all that, and you act like a victim. You gotta be the most spoiled brat I ever saw in my life."
For him, the speech had been enormous. They sat in contemplative silence, and Petra wanted to kill him. More than anything in this world, she wanted him dead.
"I hate you," she said, simple and calm.
"Fine. That's your right. Now unless you wanna keep spending Erwin's money, maybe we could find something else to do." Levi picked up his jacket and slung it back on, even though he winced with how hot it was. "You like the beach?"
"Yes."
And so an hour later Petra and Levi were seated side by side on the shore, watching the waves roll in and out. Children frolicked at the edges of the water, and someone was blaring loud pop music. Petra kept one hand to her head, making sure her sunhat didn't come off in a gust of wind.
Levi had done her a favor just now. He'd cooled her hatred of Erwin and enflamed her desire to make him, Levi, suffer. Whatever it took, even if it ended up hurting her, too, Petra would see to it this prick got what he deserved.
These men all looked at her and saw nothing valuable except a uterus. No mind of her own, no worthwhile thoughts. And to her horror, Petra was starting to wonder if they had a point. Maybe this life as Erwin's concubine was the best she could have ever hoped for. A fat, wet tear slipped down her cheek and landed on her arm.
"You need more sunscreen?" Levi grunted.
"No." She glanced at him. "You should at least take your boots off. You look ridiculous."
"That's my right, kid."
He'd removed the leather jacket, but otherwise retained every last bit of his clothing. She couldn't imagine how sweaty his toes were by now. Well, good. Let him suffer a little.
Petra glanced to the right and watched those three American boys come up from the ocean. They collapsed onto their beach towels and started arguing loudly amongst themselves. One of them took out his phone and snapped a picture of them all hanging out together.
A phone.
"Oops." Petra released her hat at the moment a strong gust of wind whipped across the beach. The hat went flying across the sand, headed towards the waves. She couldn't have planned it better. "Levi. Get my hat."
"You get it. You're dressed for the water," he grumped.
"I want my hat. Get it now." She made her voice as bratty as possible, playing the spoiled rich girl that Levi thought she was.
"Tch. Fine." He got up and trudged after the hat, cursing when the wind picked it back up and hurled it further up the shore.
"Hey. Can I use your phone a minute?" Petra asked the American kids. Thankfully, she spoke perfect English.
"Oh. Hey there!" One of the boys, a rather short kid with a shaved head, cocked an eyebrow at Petra. A real teenage Casanova, this one. "Yo, Jean! I'm giving this hot chick your phone, FYI." The kid plucked the phone out of the other boy's hand and gave it to Petra.
"Huh? Conny, you asshole! My mother's gonna kill me if I run up charges! She's been going on about how international calls are expensive."
Petra let the kids argue and punched in her father's cell phone number. Her heart galloped as she heard one rings, then two. Please Papa, please pick up…
"Hello? Who is this?" Her father sounded on high alert; he obviously didn't recognize the number.
"Papa, it's me."
"Petra?" He gasped, then shouted for her mother to get over there. "My little Pet. How are you, darling? Where are you?"
"I'm fine, Papa. I'm fine." Already the tears were flowing, but she had to stay strong for him and her mother. "I'm in Greece. How are you all doing?"
"Greece? My, my." Petra heard her mother speaking rapidly in the background. "Mama wants to know if you're safe."
"Yes, I'm very safe. I'm having a wonderful time. I have everything I want." Petra only just managed to keep a choked sob from escaping. "And you're all safe?"
"We're fine, angel. I'm just so glad to hear your voice." Her father started to cry. "Damn, I promised I wouldn't do this. We miss you, baby. I'm so sorry about all this, Petra. I'm so, so sorry."
"Don't be sorry. I'm so happy, like I said." Petra could no longer hold back the dry, wrenching sobs. "I'm…I'm s-so happy…"
Her father kept weeping into the phone, and Petra heard her mother speaking but couldn't make out what she said.
"Please forgive us, Pet. Please forgive us."
"I'm not, I'm not mad. I love you. Tell Brigitta and Oruo and Nifa, I love them. I miss them." Petra wanted to sob like a child, beg her mommy and daddy to come and take her home. She was scared and in pain. She wanted the world to be small again, a nightmare or a fight on the playground, something her parents could easily chase away. "M-Maybe we can all spend Christmas together?"
"Sure, angel. Yes. That would be nice." Her father sniffed. "He doesn't know you called us, does he?"
"No."
"Sweetheart, we'd better hang up now. I don't want to put you in danger."
Petra couldn't speak, she could only nod and cry.
"We love you, angel. My darling, we love you so, so…"
There was another sob, and then the line went dead. Petra hung up the call and tossed the phone to the boys, too deep in her own misery to breathe.
"Uh. Hey, miss? Are you all right?" one of the Americans asked. He was a sweet-faced boy with freckles and earnest brown eyes.
"Marco! Of course she's not all right," the tallest boy, Jean, said. The shaved head kid, Conny, looked at Petra like he didn't know what to do with her.
"Um, I'm fine. Thank you." Petra wiped her cheeks. "My, uh, grandmother's sick in Austria. It's a long way away."
"Austrian chicks. Nice." Jean nodded in an attempt to appear wise. "I love your accent. It's very, you know, nice."
The kid was trying to flirt with her. Petra forced herself not to laugh hysterically; he'd probably take it the wrong way.
"Ma'am, are you afraid of that man you're with?" Marco asked. He looked so serious as he watched Levi chase after the hat. "Would you like us to escort you anywhere?"
What a little angel. But even if she left, she'd have to go back to Erwin. She'd always have to return to him, or she'd be risking her family's lives as well as her own. She could never outrun Erwin.
But…if she wanted to get even with Levi, this was a way. If she 'got lost' for a while and sent him into a tailspin, he'd probably suffer while trying to find her. If he had to tell Erwin he'd lost her, Erwin would probably do something drastic to his failed bodyguard. Even if Petra ended up punished as well, it would be worth it for Levi to suffer. If he felt Erwin's wrath, it would be worth every bit of repentance.
"I have an idea," she told the boys. Petra nabbed one of the shopping bags at random, and smiled to see Levi's wallet on the towel beside her. He'd removed it from his pocket so it was easier to sit at this angle. She snatched the wallet and her new Chanel purse. "I have my credit card and a big urge to spend. Why don't we get out of here and have some fun on the island?"
"Seriously?" Jean's mouth dropped open. The boy had a very long, almost horse-ish face.
"Dude, let's go." Conny was on board immediately. Marco remained unconvinced.
"Um, should we ask your husband, or—"
"He's not my husband. He works for me. I find him so annoying sometimes; I like to ditch him and have fun." She winked at the boys. "I especially like to have fun with cute young men."
By now, Conny and Jean were pulling Marco to his feet, and Petra was slipping into her sandals.
"This doesn't feel like a good idea!" Marco hissed.
"Dude, hot older foreign chick wants to be our sugar mama. Don't ruin my dream!" Conny kicked Marco in the butt as Jean dragged the boy along.
"Where to first, Miss…?"
"Petra." She grinned as she hurried off the beach, the three boys guarding her back like a protective shield. "Petra Ral."
What a pain in the goddamn ass. Levi finally nabbed that stupid straw hat just as it was about to wash out to sea. He sneered at a little kid building a sand castle, causing the brat to erupt in tears. Tch. Man, he was in a foul fucking mood. That stupid kid, wailing about how she didn't have her freedom anymore—
Because she doesn't, and you fucking know that.
Levi hated it when his conscience managed to come out of hibernation and nag him. He winced and paused on his journey back to their beach towels, seething inside. After what he'd endured growing up, he more than anyone should understand what it felt like to have no control over your choices. Your body. She wasn't a bad kid, just a brat. Every time Levi looked at her, he became furious…with himself.
Stop thinking this way. She's gotta learn that life's not perfect. She learned it in a much cushier way than you did.
Resolved, Levi trudged back to the towel…and saw only the shopping bags. Petra was gone.
Oh no. Fuck no.
You better be swimming, you little bitch.
But Levi glanced quickly at the water and saw that she was not there. Oh, that fucking…
Then he got a prickling feeling on the back of his neck. His second sight, his heightened senses, that intuition that his old bastard uncle had mentioned being a family trait once. Levi glanced to his left and saw those three American boys shuffling along the beach together, almost in lock step. Like a trio of penguins waddling away, shoulder to shoulder.
They were leaving the beach, even though they'd left their towels behind.
Fucking. Bitch.
Levi charged at them, kicking up sand and knocking over someone's water bottle. When the person cried out in anger, he flipped them off and kept running.
His arms pumped, his vision was fire, and he was going to bludgeon those stupid kids in the head before taking Petra and, fuck, he didn't know what he'd do. Spanking her was Erwin's job.
You asshole.
He told himself to shut up, and ran faster.
"Uh. Ma'am, that guy you were with is coming our way!" Marco squeaked.
"Shit." Petra looked around in fear. Her chance was dwindling… "Do you guys have a bike or anything?"
"Oh man, dude! This is gonna be, like, a chase!" Conny practically cheered as he grabbed Petra's wrist and tugged her after him. "I told you guys mopeds were a good idea!"
Petra could have cried in relief as Conny hurried her over to one of two faded red mopeds parked along the street. He sat on one and had her sit behind him, an arm around his waist as he started the bike.
"Jerk! I should be the one driving her!" Jean snapped, looking pissed as he and Marco climbed onto the second moped.
Levi was faster than any other man she'd ever seen before. Petra gasped.
"Go. Hurry!" she cried.
Conny started the bike and drove off at a high speed. Petra giggled, loving the wind in her hair. She turned in her seat and saw Jean and Marco speeding along behind her. Somehow, Levi was still coming for them. In fact, he seemed to be running faster than ever. And this was in hot black clothes and leather boots. The man was a machine.
But even a superhuman like Levi couldn't keep up with two mopeds. Petra squealed as Conny wove around a couple of pedestrians and bicyclists, nearly running them into a wall. But the kid only whooped with excitement as he made a left turn and drove them deeper into the town. Jean and Marco were soon behind them, and Levi was nowhere to be seen.
Petra clapped, cheered, and hugged Conny around his shoulders. He got so excited he almost crashed.
After ten minutes or so, they pulled over and stopped the bikes. Petra leapt to the ground, laughing and twirling. She was free! For the first time since her marriage she was alone, unsupervised. It was heaven.
"Yo, that was sick." Conny jumped up and down, pumping his fists in the air. "Oh, man, Sasha's gonna freak when I tell her. Serves her right for staying in Rome for the freakin' food."
"There was also that Niccolo guy she met," Marco said, wiping sweat from his forehead. The kid looked around, very solemn. He was probably a boy scout. "Um, ma'am, are you sure we can't take you to the police?"
"No. There's nothing they can do." Realizing how that sounded, Petra laughed. "I mean, everything's fine."
"So. You said you were in the mood to spend some cash. What'd you have in mind?" Jean asked, striking a pose against his bike. He was trying very hard to be seductive.
"Well." Petra took the black card from Levi's wallet. "What kind of trouble do you think we can get into?"
"Dude. No. Fucking. Way." Conny gaped as he cradled the card in his hands. "Fuck, I heard about these things. You gotta have, like, a million in the bank just to get one of them! You're, like, super rich, huh?"
"What, you're in the mob or something?" Jean asked, clearly joking.
"Ha! Oh yeah, that's me. I'm a mob boss's wife who's run away from her handler and is looking for some alone time."
The boys all laughed at that.
"But I'm very happy to spoil my three handsome rescuers." Petra grinned. "What would you like to do first?"
"This is the best day of my life," Conny whispered.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Hange hissed into the phone. "You lost her?"
"Keep your fucking voice down. You want Erwin to hear?" Levi snapped, hurrying over to some guy hanging by his moped on the street. Thank fuck Levi still had some cash on him. He took out a few crisp hundreds, shoved them into the guy's hand, and then pushed him off his bike. As the kid stammered in bewilderment, Levi started the thing and headed down the street. This BlueTooth shit was the best; let him talk and left his hands free to steal people's bikes.
"I'm just impressed. She's done what hardened criminals and corrupt politicians couldn't."
"Don't sound so fucking amused."
"I want you to know how delighted I am by all this."
"Yeah, and if Erwin finds out, you get to be delighted at my fucking funeral!"
That sobered her a little.
"What's the plan?"
"I'm riding around looking for her and those stupid kids. I think she's still got her phone with her. You can, like, locate her with that, right?"
"I should be able to, but I can't leave right now. You just caught me in a smoke break."
"Tell Erwin you need out for the little girl's room! I need you for ten minutes."
"You know when Tybur's people are on board, everything locks down. You know there's no wiggle room. Look, Levi, do you think it's possible that Tybur…?"
"No. They didn't take her. Last I checked he didn't have American teenagers on his payroll."
Of course, if Willy Tybur had taken Petra, then Levi might as well slit his wrists right now. Erwin loved him, but he would never forgive Levi for giving that Tybur shithead such a valuable piece of leverage.
"Okay. I'm going to wait for our next break. I'll run the search on Petra's phone and text you the details. I hope you find her before then. Ugh, good luck."
"Thanks, Four Eyes." Levi disconnected the call and kept searching. He'd left his leather jacket behind, but fuck it. He felt better now with the ocean breeze in his hair. It was also kind of nice to know that he could tell Hange all this and have absolutely no worries that she'd snitch on him. Hange hadn't been born a criminal like him, or bred into it like Erwin. She'd been a university professor, denied tenure for some stupid political activity, left unemployable until Erwin gave her a second chance. Then, once she couldn't walk away, he kept her.
When Erwin found something he wanted, he never let go.
Didn't matter if that brat wasn't interested in being Erwin's bride, she was going to get used to it. And when Levi had her back, he was going to make real certain she knew how badly he could fuck with her life if she didn't play by his rules.
Look at you. What a big, strong man you are, threatening scared young women.
Tch. Why the fuck did he have a conscience, anyway? Levi kept riding through the streets, on the lookout for a redhead, three idiots, and two mopeds.
"Best meal we've had on this trip, hands down." Conny belched and poured some more red wine, spilling a little on the tablecloth. "I looked this restaurant up on my phone. Turns out it's the best place in Mykonos. High class living, bitches!"
Petra laughed and had some more wine herself. She'd treated them to an early dinner at a swank eatery. There'd been ouzo, wine, grilled octopus, scallops, seared lamb shank and an incredible seafood risotto. They were finishing up a chocolate soufflé and espresso.
"I never get to drink this much at home," Jean said, a little wobbly as he poured himself more wine. His cheeks flamed. "Uh, I mean, I have wine all the tine. Wime all the time. Uh. Shit."
Petra laughed. "It's okay. You Americans are such Puritans about alcohol."
"Yeah, I loooove Europe," Conny said. He waggled his eyebrows. "The women are so much spicier."
She could have died laughing. Marco was the only one who had stuck to sparkling water throughout the meal. He looked a little uncomfortable.
"So you boys are enjoying your break from school?" Petra asked.
"Oh, we graduated." Jean struck a casual pose and nearly fell over. "We're men."
"We graduated high school," Marco said. "We're on a trip with a bunch of our classmates as a sort of goodbye before college."
"Why do you have to make us sound so lame, yah lame-o?" Conny snorted and nudged Marco.
"Where are your friends?"
"Well, Sasha's shacked up with some hot Italian guy in Rome, Bertholdt and Reiner are in Amsterdam, Annie's visiting her aunt in Madrid…" Conny got a sly look. "And Mikasa and Eren are doin' it in Paris."
"Shut up. They are not!" Jean barked. "Armin's with them! They're just sightseeing."
"Yeah. She's sightseeing Eren's dick."
"Jean has a crush on Mikasa," Marco explained.
"I don't! She's just one of my many women." Jean tried swiping a hand through his hair but hit himself in the face by accident.
"I think you're all very sweet." Petra smiled. "You remind me of my friends back home."
"You never told us what brings you to Greece, Petra." Marco looked attentive.
"Oh. My father's very, very rich. He works for one of those giant German conglomerates." Petra swigged more wine. "I'm holidaying with his credit card, but he insists on having one of his security guys follow me around. That's why I was so glad to get away from him with you charming gentlemen."
"Man. Being a rich, hot European must be, just, the best." Conny drooled.
Petra paid the check and they emerged into a hot twilit world. The sunsets in Greece were spectacular, a mélange of oranges, pinks, and blood reds. With the boys chortling around her, Petra almost felt like her old self again. The simple girl with a big laugh and big dreams.
"Hey. Why don't we all go dancing?" She grinned. "I know I can get us into a great party."
"Awesome!" Jean wobbled a bit. "Um, though I'm not sure we're gonna look super cool." They were all of them in beachwear.
"Again. Daddy's credit card." Petra winked. "Don't leave home without it."
"You are a goddess!" Conny fell at her feet in worship as Petra urged the boys onto the mopeds. She and Marco drove, as they were the sober ones. Petra laughed as she sped along the streets, and wondered if Levi had let Erwin know yet that she was missing.
After all, this could not be her life. She was Cinderella, with a magic spell that lasted only until midnight.
So she'd better enjoy the next few hours.
A little while later, Petra walked into a beachfront club with a pounding dance floor and a pool. She'd picked out a sparkly mini dress, black and sleeveless and, quite frankly, slutty as hell. She loved it. Marco was the only one who'd opted not to purchase club clothes. Jean and Conny were outfitted in outlandishly tight pants and shirts. Conny also had some kind of blingy medallions on. The boys looked like they were in heaven.
Petra hurried to the bar and got them all a tray of shots. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been wild like this. Her whole life had changed when she was sixteen and Erwin had made her his fiancée. From then on, she'd been monitored at all times, not allowed even to go to school dances or out clubbing on the weekends. This felt like all the high school and college shenanigans she never got to have crammed into one night. She was determined to make the most of it.
"Another round! Woooo!" Conny yelled. They had two more shots each, and Petra was feeling weak but joyful. The colors shimmered around her, the dance floor was packed with beautiful people, and the music thudded all the way to her core. She whirled around and around with her hands in the air.
"Let's dance!" She grabbed Conny and Marco's hands.
"Hey! Check this out." Jean appeared out of nowhere with a tiny plastic bag that contained four blue pills.
"Viagra? I know you need it, man, but I don't!" Conny laughed and Jean hit him.
"Shaddup! This is the big new party drug. I heard all about it in Rome. It's called, like, Giant or something."
"Titan?" Marco looked concerned.
"Yeah, that's it! It's supposed to be like ecstasy but ten times as good. Like, it makes you feel like you're sixty feet tall and every part of you is sensitive. Amazing."
Petra paused; she had been drunk as a teenager, but she'd never done drugs before. If something went wrong…
Then Levi will be in even bigger trouble, won't he? And so what if it kills you? At least it'll get you away from Erwin.
Dark thoughts, but she meant them.
"Let's do this." She took one of the pills from Jean and swallowed it, washing it down with a gulp of beer. Conny and Jean followed her lead, though Marco refused.
"I think this is a bad idea!" he said.
But Petra didn't hear him. The most incredible euphoria had just wrapped itself around her like a giant hug. Giggling, she rushed onto the dance floor.
Four Eyes had told Levi that Petra's cell phone signal led to this stupid club. Levi parked his moped and shouldered past the guy at the door. When the bouncer nabbed his arm, he twisted the guy's nuts and left him in the fetal position.
Where the fuck was that girl?
Levi kept his arms glued to his sides as he tried to navigate through a sweating, shrieking mass of spoiled rich kids and drug dealers. Some tanned chick with a belly button ring grinded up on him. When he shoved her aside, she cussed him out. Some alph-hole looking jerk with a buzzcut tried to get tough with Levi. Levi shoved him into the pool and moved along.
Erwin still didn't know. He was still handling those damn negotiations on the yacht. This could still be all right, so long as Levi found the girl in time.
Levi left the pool area and pushed his way into the club proper. The music rattled his vision and lanced his eardrums. Why the fuck did young people like this much noise?
He stood by the bar and searched the dance floor. Strobe lights and pinks, blues, purples all flashed across the slim, dancing bodies. Levi was glad he didn't suffer from seizures, 'cause this shit would've killed him.
And then…
There.
He saw flashes of the little redhead as she hopped around, her slim arms raised above her head. She looked half naked, and her slip of a dress flashed with sequins.
Time to nab the runaway.
Levi scowled and shoved people aside as he made his way to the floor.
Petra loved touching her face and hair. It felt like ripples of pink electricity were crackling from her fingertips. Every part of her body felt ticklish and sexy. She giggled as she twirled into Conny. The boy looked slack-jawed with the combo of alcohol and drugs. Petra rubbed her hands along his shaved head and giggled.
"You're a fuzzy fuzzy fuzz."
"Yeah, tha's me." Conny lurched into someone else. Jean was pumping his fists to the beat and dancing like a white American boy, while Marco only swayed side to side, looking unhappy.
"You."
Petra froze when she heard Levi's voice in her ear. Erwin's bodyguard looked like a short, sexy volcano about to erupt out the top of his head.
Fuck, maybe it was the drugs talking but he was gorgeous. That shirt hugged his biceps and clung to his densely muscled frame. Petra swayed her hips back and forth, giggling as she shoved him. She felt so good right now.
"You are coming with me right fucking now." Levi grabbed her wrist.
"Nuh uh, nuh uh. I, I'mma scream." Petra pulled away and screamed once, twice, tea-kettle shrieks as the music vibrated through them. She wasn't loud, but people noticed her screaming at the brooding man with the 'don't fuck with me' attitude.
"Hey! Don't touch her like that," Marco said. Oh shit; he couldn't take on Levi.
"Levi, Levi, if you touch them I'll scream so loud and get, um, police." Petra smacked his face to let him know she meant business. Levi looked about ready to break everyone's legs.
But she saw the understanding in that scintillating blue gaze. The floor was too packed; too many witnesses. Maybe Levi could take on an entire club, but he wouldn't get out of it with his privacy intact. He could draw attention to Erwin.
Petra knew that her Cinderella night was almost over. She pressed close to the horrible sexy man.
"If you dance with me one time, one dance, I'll go quietly."
"Tch. Fuckin' sure," he growled. "You must think I'm a real dumb cunt."
Such language.
"Uh huh, I mean it. I will. But dance first." Petra winked at him, almost laughing at his sour expression. The three boys danced nearby, looking wary. "Dance, Levi. Dance and we'll go home."
"You're high as balls." He looked ready to throw her over his shoulder, but remembered where they were. He snarled. "Fine. One fuckin' dance, you brat."
Petra giggled. It was a deal.
She started swaying back and forth, the sensations pinging through her brain like fireworks. God, he was such a treat, or a snack. Whatever kids called it, he was hot. Petra danced up closer to him, laying one arm across his shoulder. Dancing closer.
He spun her around and pressed up against her back, his hips grinding in perfect syncopation with her own.
Oh. Shit.
Petra had imagined Levi would dance like he did everything else: robotically and with maximum irritation. She hadn't anticipated that he'd move his body with sinuous grace. His hips molded perfectly against her own, moved with the rhythms of her body. Petra felt him behind her, around her, the jackhammer of his heart against her spine.
"You dance good," she whispered. Petra ground her ass against him, expecting him to move away in discomfort.
Instead, his arm snaked around her waist and held her against his body. Petra saw that wing tattooed on his skin, that wing wrapping around her body. Like he was an angel taking her into heaven.
Petra writhed against him, spun out of his embrace.
Levi took her hand and pulled her back. Her arms were around his neck. Petra had never danced with anyone her size; their eyes were locked together, bodies moving in perfect unison. It was better than any sex she'd ever had.
It seemed like all the club lights turned pale blue, the same color as his eyes. Petra fell into that blue, the color of the Arctic ice. She wanted to die down there, drown in the beauty of those eyes.
Her heart kept beating faster and faster. Levi spun her, pulled her back, let her feel the rock hard planes of his chest.
Every inch of his muscular frame was on display. He moved with the grace of a ballet dancer. Something so strong should not also be this swift. Petra's body hurt with desire, especially the sleek space between her legs.
Levi kept his hands on her waist, moving her the way he wanted her to move. He was utterly masterful. She was going to climax on the middle of the floor if she wasn't careful.
"Oh. Yes," she moaned. "Levi. Oh."
She turned and gave him her back, reaching up and running her fingers through his hair. His hands traveled up and down her body, stroking her tender flesh, driving her to the point of orgasmic madness.
This Titan thing was the best drug ever.
As Petra spun back around and clung to him, she felt how her lips burned for a kiss. She needed to quench the fire; only this small, beautiful man would do.
He'd started dancing because it was a good way to keep her occupied while he edged them off the floor. The three Americans had stopped looking so worried when he and Petra started to move. Levi could have been slowly herding her away from this place, back to the moped and to a shop where they could ply her with coffee and figure out what drug she'd taken.
But then she started to really move.
Petra's vibrant red hair was disheveled around her face; looked like it'd been rumpled after a night of earth-shattering sex. Her amber eyes glowed beneath the lights, and her lips were pink and parted. That little club dress she had on shimmered with sequins and hugged the delicate curves of her body. His gaze traveled along her tight little stomach, the mild flare of her hips, her toned legs.
In the span of two seconds, he went from wanting to kill her to wanting to kiss her.
Levi moaned without thinking as she drove her succulent little ass against his crotch and moved to the beat. He hoped she couldn't feel how hard she'd made him, how sensitive to her touch he was. A rush of breeze from the wrong direction could make him come at this point.
When he pulled her back to him, she broke away and spun off. She flipped her hair, dancing low to the ground as she gazed up at him with those soft come-hither eyes. She worked her way up his body, rubbing her leg against his.
He'd never been this hard before. He looked at her delicate neck and collarbone, the glimpse of cleavage her dress allowed, those flushed cheeks and lips. She was the wild feminine element tonight, in control and loving it as she played with him.
Levi had never wanted a woman like this before. He wanted her naked and underneath him, needed it. He wanted to sheath himself in that soft, sweet cleft between her thighs. All the frustrations he'd had with her through this hot, exhausting day had climaxed and combusted. His desire burned through his gut like wildfire.
He hadn't danced in a long time, didn't much like it. But he knew how to dance. He was good at everything physical. When Levi rolled his hips against hers, her eyelids fluttered and she cooed with soft, erotic joy. He needed to taste her.
He needed her, badly. Fuck Erwin, fuck Hange, fuck the world. He needed this woman. The rage he'd felt only heightened the feelings of desire. Her white skin was luminous under the club lights. He wanted to taste the honey of her flesh and mouth.
"Fucking gorgeous," he rasped as she moved close against his body again. They rose and fell, rubbing against each other.
"Yes, Levi. Yes."
As the music ended, there was that moment of excited human voices with no beat to back them up. For a second, she could hear him.
"You're an amazing dancer," he growled. Petra wrinkled her nose and giggled.
"Yes, yes." She wound her arms around his neck. His lips burned for her kiss as she drew nearer. "Yes, my Levi."
My own Levi.
But he couldn't think of Erwin now, not when Petra was in his arms. His heart pounded; he needed to get her alone, get her naked. Feel how wet and soft she was.
Levi was rock hard, and he loved it.
"Come on, baby. Let's go," he whispered in her ear.
"Mmmmm. Yes." She fell against him, her chin upturned, a smile on her lips. "Oh kiss me, Levi. Kiss me."
Lost, he was fucking lost. His hatred of her only turned the lust into an inferno of desire. Kiss those lips, and he'd die a happy man. Even if he died tomorrow, it would have been worth it.
"Petra," he croaked, and took her in his arms. One kiss. Just one.
As he leaned forward to plant one on her lips, Petra suddenly went limp in his arms. Swearing, Levi cradled her against him. Was she dead? To his immense relief, her pulse was still there.
"What the hell did you guys do to her?" he roared at the Americans. The boys looked ill.
"Uh. W-We just had some wine. And shots." The tall, gangly kid with the horse face tugged his friends' sleeves. "And Conny got us some tabs of Titan."
"That was you, bitch!" Conny snarled. The freckle-faced kid grabbed his other two friends and yanked them away.
"Hurry. Hurry!" he squealed.
Levi would have chased them, but Petra had lost all consciousness. She slumped in his embrace, loose with the kind of bonelessness that can only come from one of two things: death, or an overdose.
And one usually led to the other.
"Fuck!" Levi screamed, taking the girl into his arms and shoving his way through the crowd towards the exit.