Of The Drakos Kind ~ Book 2

9 - With Love in His Hand

The travel to Athens took a little over thirty minutes for Rayne then there would be another fifteen minutes to reach Papagou. She had left and not left and re-left the villa four times that morning. She wasn’t going to see him. She wasn’t going to hear his voice. This wasn’t a reunion. This was going to be a moment she had been needing but dreading for nearly six years. She wasn’t ready but was also sure, she never really would be.

 Reaching the cemetery, Rayne brought up the directions to the headstone per Kris’ instructions. Walking with lead feet made it all the worse. It was like marching to her own death in some ways. She thought of Zane in that moment. Darius would have loved him more than life itself. Zane was soft and thoughtful like Darius in many ways.

 Turning the corner there was his name, plain as day. ‘Darius Ryker Drakos’ In loving memory of a son, a brother and a light the world allowed to extinguish too quickly. He left us all but carried the love in his hands til the end.’

 She was weeping. Reading such words brought it all crashing down. She was dead inside when she realized how he would never come back, so many years ago. She was angry that she wasn’t afforded the right to mourn and have closure like all those others that new him. She wanted to just see his face one more time.

 “I am angry with you.” She said out loud. “You left me when you promised to only be gone a few days.” Her pause was full of tears, full of sorrow. “I wasn’t ready to be without you. We didn’t get much time but what we did I have never forgotten Darius. You left me with a son. He looks so much like you both. His personality is half of each of you. Dammit Darius. This isn’t...” She couldn’t finish her words.

Placing her hand on top of the headstone the dead leaves from the tree overhead fell revealing a hand engraved in the top of the tombstone. In the hand, melted into the concrete was her necklace, Love with the word love on the side. She looked at it in shock and reread the epitaph on the headstone. Had they found the necklace in his hand really? Had the last thought been of her? She put her head in her hands and let the tears fall. She stood there for nearly twenty minutes sobbing touching the headstone with nothing else to say. She missed him and the reality of the moment standing there caused her to close the door of hope, the door of doubt and the door of anger. He would forever have her love with him, no matter where he was. And that thought comforted her more than any other.

 “Rayne?” The voice startled her. Turning to see Angelos standing there, she wept harder. While they didn’t look exactly the same, seeing Angelos in all his Drakos traits made her weak. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and let her weep. Kissing the top of her head and stroking her hair he knew this should be Kris but happy that he could at least offer his brother’s best friend some comfort.

“I... I thought I would be so much stronger. He has been gone so long. I …”

“You weren’t given this opportunity Rayne,” He paused before saying what came next. “Kris told me everything. I came because we didn’t want you to do this alone. Kris would have been here if possible.”

 She nodded knowing that if Kris were close enough this would have been a things she wouldn’t have to endure alone.  Her face changed from one of sadness to concern. The tears stopped and she backed away from Angelos.

 “Wait. Everything?” she said with almost a terrified look on her face. How long had he been standing there? How much did Kris actually tell his brother? She of course never would condone lying but Zane was a child she wanted to protect above all else and the uncertainty of how Dimitri would handle such a situation was upsetting.

” Well, everything but the son you just mentioned. I suppose I understand why he didn’t tell me. So is it Darius’ or Dimitri’s?”

 “There is honestly no way to be sure. I mean I was in love with both of them and sleeping with them both. He is so much like them both. Angelos you can NOT tell him. This is mine to tell when I ready and I can’t fight his anger, money or power. Please Angelos,” She started crying again, “Please don’t tell him.”

 Angelos started to tear up slightly. This woman was so in love with his cousins but so afraid of Dimitri’s wrath she didn’t fathom he was still head over heels in love with her. A son? Even Angelos wasn’t sure how Dimitri would handle this news. He couldn’t hurt this woman more than Dimitri’s actions already had. Karma had seen fit to gift him the woman he sought after six years and he as damn sure not going to jeopardize anything by messing with Fate’s plan for Dimitri and Rayne.

 “You have my word. I will say nothing. This is for you to tell, not me. But thank you for trusting me.” Rayne leaned in and hugged him once more. “I do need to tell you one thing more about Darius and how he died.”

“Ok…” her response questioning.

 “Upon investigation, the private Drakos jet was tampered with and the they haven’t found out by who. So his death was not for any other reason but sabotage.”

“Sabotage? That makes it so much worse Angelos. I am glad to know this but hope they find who did it.” The tears flushed down her cheeks more. She was sure her makeup was a mess and her body needed food. Reaching her hand out, Angelos took it smiling.

“Can we go get some lunch? We have a few things to discuss.”

“We do?” Angelos asked curiously.

 “Yes, I want to know everything about Dimitri over the last six years. Good, Bad and Ugly. Also we should discuss why you have Billee’s lipstick on your neck and also why you smell like her perfume when I hug you.”

 Angelos’ laughter bellowed throughout the somberness of the cemetery as they exited. It was quite clear what both brothers saw in Rayne physically but five minutes alone with her mind and mouth, everything else was extremely clear.