Doukas by Demetra Georgiou
Introduction
“Do you happen to be familiar with the term misappropriation of funds, Akis?” Not much phases me, but as I sit opposite the badly beaten man, I struggle to control my temper. “It’s when—let’s say—a collector like you tries to pocket our protection money. And from what I can recall, this is not the first time this happens, so we’re talking about the systematic theft of funds.”
A sick sound comes out of Akis as he coughs, and blood trickles down his chin. “I swear, Boss, it’s all a misunderstanding.”
Scoffing, I get on my feet. This scum dares to insult my intelligence.
“So, if I hadn’t run into you tonight, you wouldn’t have gambled the money away?”
I stare at him calmly, a moment before my fist connects with his throat. His gurgling sounds are the only response I need. He doesn’t even lift his hands to protect himself as I pummel him over and over again. Why would he possibly think he could get away with our money? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that lapses such as this are not forgiven in our line of work.
When I’ve had enough, I nod at my foot soldiers, and they circle Akis. Smirking, I head for the drink cabinet. This will be messy. The stupidity of some people never ceases to amaze me. Akis, one of my former debt collectors, has a sizable liquor collection. Not bad at all. Pouring myself a glass of a twelve-year-old bourbon, I turn to watch the rest of the show.
We pay our people well, but Akis’ townhouse is exceptionally lavish. I don’t know much about furniture but, judging from the electronics and the artwork, I’d say that I’m looking at close to half a million. I knew that his late stepmother was well-to-do, but I was under the impression that most of the money was gone within a year of her death.
As Ioannis and Kostas get into action, I barely refrain from sighing my irritation. If my brother, Victoras, had kept an eye on Akis as I told him to, I wouldn’t be wasting my afternoon. Now, I have to get my hands dirty and use this lowlife to send a clear message to others who might entertain similar thoughts. I glance at my Rolex and estimate this will take a while. Suddenly, I’m tempted to take out my gun and plant a bullet into his pathetic skull. Get it over and done with.
Ioannis comes to me, wiping sweat off his forehead. “Not much longer, Mr. Tremes. Will it be the usual?” he asks and reaches for a clean glass in the bar cabinet. After he’s poured himself some soda, he slams the freezer’s door with such force that frames and other shit fall on us.
“Watch it!” I warn.
“Sorry, sir,” he apologizes and pushes away some shards with his foot.
My breath catches in my chest as I pick up the broken picture frame from the floor.
Eyes blacker than a starless night and hair the color of the earth itself captivate me. I’m holding the image of an ethereal being in my hands, and my mind can’t function well enough to comprehend that she can’t be real. I remove the photo from the broken frame. Two girls are smiling brightly, but only one matters. I know Veta, Akis’ stepsister, but not the other girl.
Someone asks me a question, but it only registers when silence befalls the room after the voices have faded.
When I was eleven, in one of my parents’ many efforts to make my brothers and I bond with my half-brother Victoras, they took us to Disneyland in Paris. On our first visit to the park, my older brothers Alcaeus and Victoras decided to ride on the biggest rollercoaster in Europe. I tried to put on a brave face, thinking that my twin brothers and baby sister were lucky because they were too young to ride.
I was taking quick and shallow breaths, readying myself for what was to come, but in the end, we all screamed like little girls. In those precious moments, before the rollercoaster started, I felt my heart beating loudly and a dull sound thumping in my ears.
And here, at this exact moment, the very same thing is happening again. The girl smiles at the photographer, and I imagine how it’d feel if she were smiling at me. I trace my thumb over the paper and touch her cheek. Her hair is away from her face, and I can clearly see her devastating features. If I close my eyes, she’s in front of me, laughing and calling my name as I pull her into my arms. I would do anything for that to happen.
I know my thoughts are illogical, but it’s as if this girl is calling out to me. I haven’t seen her before, but I know her. Something within me is intrinsically linked to her.
A noise draws me out of my musings, and I march decisively to the human punching bag that coughs, crumpled on the floor. Once again, I sit opposite him, motioning for the guys to take a break.
“Sir?” Akis half-asks, half-pleads.
“I have good and bad news, Akis.” I pause for effect, almost seeing the fear seep from his pores. “You’re going to live, but recuperation will be rather long.”
Kostas parks the Mercedes outside my family home, and I pocket the photo of the girl.
Rushing inside the house, I head straight to the home office.
Alcaeus is my oldest brother and head of this family. They call us Lords, even though many don’t know how we got that nickname. For years now, my family has been the major power holder of Attica—Athens included. Our power was won over time, and we solely answer to the Royals, the ruling family in Greece.
Walking in our father’s footsteps, my four brothers and I make sure that nothing happens to either the Royals’ status quo or our power. This has been happening for generations, and we are quite happy with this arrangement.
The house is quiet as I walk down the hall towards the huge mahogany door. Without knocking, I enter the large office. The same office my father used for business when he was alive.
“About time,” Alcaeus greets me from the wet bar and lifts his glass, silently offering me a drink.
I shake my head. The working day might be long gone, but I still have things to do and places to go. I look around me with a rueful smile. A warning would have been nice.
I sigh, annoyed. “If I knew we had a full house, I wouldn’t have come.”
“Why, asshole? You think we’re not a fit company for you?” Icarus, my younger brother, tries to goad me.
“My thoughts exactly,” I answer as I take my seat. The little shit asked for it.
“Shut up, all of you,” Alcaeus seethes. “I’m getting a bloody headache with all four of you in the same room.”
“We must be improving then since I only just got here,” I remark, loosening my tie.
The collective chuckles all around the table make my older brother shake his head. Despite being our boss and the head of this family, Alcaeus happens to be one of the best men I know. He’s the reason we’re still standing together and hold more power than ever.
When our father, Nikolaos Tremes, was murdered nine years ago, we were all in disarray, the business in shambles and our enemies closing in. Alcaeus stepped up, killing the leader of the family who had ordered the hit on our father, and pledged loyalty to the Royals.
And then there was us—a bunch of barbarians—with not much in common aside from the fact that we like each other. Even the twins, Giorgos and Icarus, are completely different. Our sister Harmonia, the youngest child in the family, keeps us grounded. Undoubtedly, we would die for each other, but for Harmonia, we’d hazard a thousand deaths. To me, she’s still a baby, and I hope I won’t have to shoot some fucker who dares to look at her the wrong way.
“A little bird told me that Akis is still breathing.” Victoras’ voice brings me back to the present.
“I texted you,” I say, tossing my phone on the table.
What is their fucking problem today? Have they always been so irritating?
“True. But, still, it’s kind of perplexing. This isn’t like you, Doukas,” Alcaeus observes as he sits at the head of the table.
No shit!
“I have my reasons.”
“Is it something we should know about?”
“I need to figure out some things on my own.”
I don’t even hear them breathe, but no one is more shocked than I am. Never in my life can I recall a single moment when I’ve acted impulsively, let alone spared someone’s life. But this time, something feels different. My need to find out more about the girl in the picture is greater.
Something chimes, and a few seconds later, Victoras springs up as if the place is on fire. “Shit, we forgot Harmonia. Come on.” He motions to the twins, who promptly jump up and follow my older brother out.
“What’s happened?” I ask anxiously.
Secretly I hope there’s a brawl somewhere. I could use a good fight. I don’t usually like to get my hands dirty, but this day is full of surprises. The image of the girl in the photo flashes through my mind, and I take a deep breath. Absently, I reach inside my jacket to make sure her picture is still there, and I breathe a sigh of relief when my fingers touch the glossy paper.
“Harmonia is expecting them at the shooting range,” Alcaeus says, shaking his head. “I swear that girl is getting weirder by the day. This afternoon she was at a spa, and now she’s cleaning up shotguns.”
That’s Harmonia for you.
I look at my watch, contemplating my options once more. But I don’t need to think any longer.
Muttering a ‘fuck it’ to the wind, I stand and do my jacket up. “I’m going out to grab some dinner.”
“Great, I’m starving,” Alcaeus says, patting his stomach.