Fifty Shades of Greek- Freed Read online

  Chapter 3

  I watched as Darien got dressed, quietly, from my spot on the bed. There was hardly any light peering through to determine that it was morning, yet. I yawned and stretched then rolled over to watch him put on his usual all black-attire, including a skinny black tie. He didn’t always wear a tie but when he did. I thought he looked as sexy Clark Kent.

  “I’m going to rip that off later,” I called softly from the bed.

  I guess I startled him because he jumped a little. “Sorry, did I wake you?”

  “No, you’re fine.”

  He smiled and then made his way over to the bed. He leaned down and kissed me fully on the lips. “You think you can rip a thousand-dollar Italian tie?”

  “One, that’s a ridiculous amount of money for a piece of cloth. And two, I know I can, baby!”

  He chuckled. “Meetings are scheduled for all day. I won’t be back until later tonight. I’m hoping that this merger will go quickly and easily. That this will be done in moments and not months.”

  I shook my head and sat up, pulling the duvet we’d made love on all night closer around me. The ropes had been picked up and placed back in some unknown location. “You’ve been an uncle to an infant for months now and still no patience.”

  “Yeah well, Cassie kind of screwed this up. We were set to buy and then she offended the owners of the company. Now they are thinking twice and want to meet with me personally.”

  “Ol’ Cassie….offending people. Who would have thought?” I rolled my eyes at the mention of his trash ass cousin’s name.

  “Don’t start, Allanah.”

  I rolled my eyes again. “No, don’t you start Darien.”

  He gave a huff then leaned over and kissed me again on the lips. “I’ll see you tonight, I gotta go.”

  “Bye,” I said but he was already darting from the room and off to start his workday.

  I flung myself back onto the plush bed and curled back up into a ball. Sleep began to overtake me again and I let it. I needed this rest and my meeting with the lawyer wasn’t for a few more hours. I think my nerves kept me from fully resting; I wanted to know what Shane Collinsworth knew about Dana.

  Around eleven o’clock, the alarm on my iPhone went off and my hand found it tangled up in the sheets of the bed. I sighed sitting upright in the bed and gave stretch. My bones gave a much-needed crack and I went looking for my suitcase.

  I found it by the door and flipped through a few pairs of black tights before finding black jeans. I selected a black top as well and that was the moment, I had decided that Darien and I had another thing other than Alex in common. We wore a lot of black clothing as if we had been in mourning all our lives. I headed off to take another shower and wash the sex from my body. I didn’t need to meet this lawyer smelling like I had been taking back shots half the night.

  Eventually, I left the penthouse feeling cute and took a cab over to Collinsworth and associates. Taking a seat in the lobby, after the receptionist offered me some weak ass coffee, there was nothing left to do but stare at the carpet. She had assured me that he would be with me as soon as he could. I played a few games on my phone and went through the ten million photos of Alex I had on my phone. I stopped on one of him and Darien together and bit my lip. To the outside world, people would think they were father and son. I had seen a few pictures of Mikos around the Kiriakis mansion and he and Darien could have been twins. A shiver went through me and I closed out of the photos.

  “You must be, Allanah,” a voice said and I turned to meet a very handsome Shane Collinsworth.

  “I am,” I stood and shook his extended hand.

  He wore a fresh grey suit with a pink tie. His shoes looked extra shiny and he had teeth as white as paint. His head freshly shaved gave him a black Mr. Clean type of look but there was a certain flair to him. I couldn’t place my finger on it, exactly.

  “Well, follow me on back,” he said and together we went into his back office.

  Shane held the door open to his office for me. As I entered, I surveyed the landscape. It was neat and everything was in its place. The office was neat as a tack, and only a few things were out on his desk, with an Apple laptop that set open and waiting. Shane closed the door behind us and we then both took our seats.

  “Allanah, it’s so good to finally meet you,” Shane spoke again and it kind of broke the slight tension in the room.

  Honestly, I hadn’t noticed how on edge I was till his voice sliced through to my ears. He had a very kind voice.

  “Yes, I’m happy to meet you as well. I’m a little nervous.”

  I started to cough out of nowhere. It was that type of cough that was dry and heavy at the same time and you felt like your throat was closing up on you. Shane handed me a cup of water he had poured, and I took it from him. Sucking it down like it was water from the Holy Grail, I finished and held onto the cup.

  “You okay?”

  “Nerves,” I replied.

  “Understandable. Okay, let’s get down to business.” He tapped the paperwork in front of him. “Once you sign these documents, the money will set up for you. You already sent your banking information over for us so, I’ll get these into the insurance company.”

  “How did you meet my sister?”

  The words tumbled from my lips and landed at Shane’s feet. He had answers to a few questions, and I needed to know the answers. I watched his face and he seemed taken aback by my demeanor. I wanted to know about Dana and what she been up to.

  He took a breath, “Dana became a client through her employer.”

  I frowned. “I wasn’t under the impression that she had a job.”

  “She…she was employed.”

  “By who?”

  “I can’t release that information to you, unfortunately. Attorney-client privilege.”

  Shane seemed to get nervous under my gaze. I wasn’t going to let up. I would be Darien’s left nut he knew more about Dana than anyone else. Leaning forward, I sized him up.

  “Shane….me and you are going to get really familiar. I need to know what my sister was up to and why she decided to leave me with a baby that I didn’t even know she was having. Me and her son deserve to know.”

  He continued to look nervous. “Look, all I really know is that she had to give up the baby…the company had said something about a baby being an inconvenience with her contract. I set up the agreement for both her and the father.”

  “And?”

  “And that’s it.”

  “So, you knew Mikos too?”

  He again looked extremely pensive. I don’t think he had planned on me wanting to delve into Dana and her life. I think he had thrown the money in my face and had hoped that would be the end of all this. Sweat appeared to form at his brow and I watched as he quickly dabbed at it. For all his pretending, Shane was still a child playing at being a lawyer. He was probably a year or two removed from law school.

  I took a deep breath and realized that I had been leaning forward in the chair that I occupied. My skin was becoming heated and crazy Lana threatened to spew forth.

  “Shane, I just want to know about my sister’s life. She has a child and I can’t tell them to much about the last year of her life.”

  He regained control of himself as well and started to shuffle the papers. He placed them in front of me and then smiled. “Ms. Haughton, please sign the documents. This is what you need in order to get on with your life.”

  I rolled my eyes and picked up a pen that sat in a cup holder. “Okay, you have literally been of no help.”

  His face went stony and I decided to stop trying. If Shane, actually did know of something there was no way he was about to spill the beans. I stood up and so did he. I stood up at the same time he gathered the papers and stuck out my hand to shake his.

  “It was nice to meet, you Allanah. You can expect the check to be split with half going into the trust for Alexander and the remaining going into your account.”

  “Thanks for nothi
ng,” I smiled and as our hands connected.

  Something fell into my palm and I almost said something out loud, except I watched as Shane placed a finger over his lips as if shushing me. I frowned and looked down at what he had handed me and saw that it was a key on a keychain. I had no idea what it would lead to and I looked back into his face trying to determine if he was going to tell me.

  “Maybe I should walk you out,” Shane said.

  “Yes, my driver is waiting to take me back to my apartment.”

  We exited out of the law firm’s back office, past the lobby and onto the busy street. Shane and I didn’t look at each other as he spoke. I could tell he was nervous, probably more nervous than anyone I’d ever met.

  “I didn’t want to talk in there. Also, I’m super paranoid. I only knew Dana for a short period of time. She was involved with some shady people.”

  “Oh God…’

  “Be quiet and let me finish.”

  “Sorry,” I fiddled with my hair wondering where my driver was. I peered around but my ears were still listening.

  “The key is to an apartment in Manhattan, not too far from here. The rent had been paid up for two years but it’s coming to an end pretty quickly so you should get over there soon before anything disappears. I have no idea what’s in there. Just know that Dana was forced to sign over the baby to you because the relationship she developed with his father was forbidden. The people she got into business with said she still owed on the contract she had with them.”

  “Who are they?”

  I watched as the town car parked right in front of us. I prepared myself to get into the car with these details that were being thrown my way about Dana. I was getting kind of overloaded.

  “All Dana ever mentioned was one name, Miyazaki.”

  “Huh?”

  “That’s all I know. That was who she worked for and I get the feeling she didn’t even like mentioning that name.”

  I watched Shane look around, paranoia creeping in and under his skin, for a moment before walking forward to get into the car. His eyes looked worried and I gave him a wave goodbye. “Thank you for all your help.”

  The door of the car closed behind me and I could see Shane go back inside through the tinted windows. The office door that had his company name on it closed behind him and the car glided out into traffic. I checked my phone, and I guess I hoped for a text, Darien. I couldn’t figure out why I wanted or even expected that. I think I had started to crave that man’s attention. I wanted it; I wanted to feel something other than I had been feeling in the past. There had been trysts with other men; I’m pretty sure I had been involved with a married man but never cared to investigate.

  I hadn’t loved any of those men though. I hadn’t felt what I was starting to feel with Darien. A small part of me that I kept tucked away, worried maybe it wouldn’t be returned. That the affections I was starting to develop, had developed, would be scoffed at.

  My brain needed to shut off.

  I would take those feeling and shove them into a closet. Darien and I had our arrangement in place. We would love and raise Alex and when that time came, we would step out of the role of mistress and master.

  I looked the key over in my hand. I could figure out even more threads of what Dana’s life had been like. I wanted to desperately to solve the mystery of my sister; maybe it would free me.

  Chapter 4

  The driver dropped me off in front of the penthouse shortly. Once I safely back inside, I figured I would do a little research on the mysterious name that Shane hadn’t wanted to give. I had just gotten settled onto the couch, with the iPad, when a knock came on the door.

  Frowning, I wondered who it could be. Darien had a key so he wouldn’t knock. Peering through the peephole, familiar blue eyes stared straight ahead. I rolled my eyes and popped the door open.

  “Shouldn’t you be in London?”

  Andrew Kiriakis stood on the other side of the door, grinning from ear to ear. “Hey sis, how are you?”

  I closed the door behind him as he came in and gave a whistle. “Wow, Darien knows how to spend doesn’t he?”

  “Sure seems that way. And you never answered my question.”

  He turned back around to face me. “They’re having a tech conference here for the next few days. Mom told me that you guys were here. Wanted to stop in and see both you and Darien.”

  We both crashed on the couch at the same time and I sat facing him. I picked the iPad back up, the metal cool on the tips of my fingers. Andrew looked around in a manner that told me he was bored to death.

  “So what have you been doing since you left?” I asked.

  “Not much. I started seeing someone,” he dropped the news casually.

  “Oh,” I replied as Safari popped up into view. I had no idea where to start with that name I’d been given. I was just going to let Google do its magic.

  “Yeah, she’s kind of a great girl. Tall, blonde, beautiful.” Andrew’s fingers clicked against his jean-clad thigh and I realized how different he dressed from his brother.

  “Bringing her to meet Jocasta anytime soon?”

  He frowned. “Hell no.”

  “Why not?”

  He continued to frown. “I said I was seeing her. I’m not marrying her.”

  I put the iPad down onto my lap, slightly interested now. “Why not bring her to meet everyone? Your brother practically through me to the wolves.”

  Andrew laughed loud and deep. “Darien would never have let anything happen to you. Plus, my mother actually likes and cares for you. You were family the moment Alex was in your arms.”

  It was my turn to frown now. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re family, Allanah. My brother cares for you and so does everyone else. It almost feels as though you’ve always been there.”

  “I guess so,” Andrew was giving me pause at his words.

  I didn’t want to think further on them and then opted to make coffee. Once Andrew agreed, I got up and went into the kitchen area and started to look for whatever I could find. Darien’s assistant had brought over groceries while I was out, thankfully.

  Once I found the coffee and put it on, I came back and took a seat. Andrew was playing on his phone quietly but stopped once I sat down.

  “So, tech week?”

  “Yep,” he said.

  “God this is kind of awkward,” I said referring to both of us. I hadn’t had much social interaction outside of Darien and the baby. My skills were severely lacking, and I was afraid at any moment I might try and feed him applesauce. Mentally, I chuckled. “Wanna know something crazy?”

  “Always,” he replied, his interest peaked. I could tell by the way his eyebrows raised.

  “I think I may have found something out about Dana and Mikos. I’m not exactly sure what. But I hadn’t seen Dana in about a year and a half. Then boom, she pops up pregnant with Alex and she’s in a coma.”

  Andrew leaned forward. “Does Darien know?”

  “Not yet. He hasn’t called me all day. And the lawyer seemed really spooked that I was asking questions. He wanted me to get the money Dana left me and go on with my life.”

  “That is a bit odd.”

  I nodded in agreement just as the coffee pot signaled it was done. I pulled down two coffee cups moments later and Andrew came over to sit at the counter. He took his with cream; I prefer just straight black. Sliding the coffee over to Andrew, I noted the time on the clock and wondered if I would hear from Darien at all today.

  “Would you let it go? If it were you and you thought you could learn more about Mikos’s life?”

  Andrew sipped then shrugged. “Mikos was a dick to me as a child. He had a mean streak in him….he tried to burn me one time. Held my face way to close to a fire but my mother stopped him. After that, she never left me alone near him.”

  My eyes grew big and I gasped in shock. “Wow. That’s some intense shit.”

  “Yup,” Andrew said. “But, maybe Dana saw so
mething good in him. I say figure out what your sister was up to.”

  I drank the rest of my coffee and finally, Andrew decided he was going to leave. He asked me to make sure to let Darien know that he’d come by and something about dinner. I agreed and closed the door behind him.

  I again checked the time with thoughts of Darien on my mind. Which then turned into wondering what my baby Alex was doing. This was the longest I’d ever been away from him. I was starting to kick myself because I was ready to get home to him.

  To take my mind off slobbery kisses and the smell of baby powder on fresh clean skin, I started washing up the coffee mugs. When I was finished, I surveyed the apartment Darien owned and had furnished. The entire space was nothing but grey and concrete. There needed to be splashes of color and children’s artwork displayed everywhere.

  I heard the door open and it snapped me from my thoughts. Darien’s dark head popped around the corner and when he saw me a smile graced his lips. I found myself smiling back.

  “Hey gorgeous,” I saw that he had a bouquet of red roses in his hand along with a vase.

  I was taken aback. A girl didn’t get roses every day and I took them from him immediately and gave them a sharp inhale.

  “How was your day?” I found myself asking, watching as he moved to put water in the vase.

  “It was long. And stressful.”

  “I know what’s good for that,” I shrugged and he cut his eyes over to me and I laughed loudly. “A massage you jerk. I’m not giving you a blow job or any sex to help you relieve stress.”

  “But why not, I’ve been thinking about you all day.” His tone had turned dark and he was already starting to sport an erection.

  JESUS CHRIST!

  “Are you not mines?” He asked and came behind me just as I was putting the roses into the vase.