A Deadly Twist by Jeffrey Siger (free novel reading sites .txt) 📕

of the Junta’s fiercest opponents. They threw him in prison, and I was the only guard who made sure he was properly taken care of, which included protecting him from some of my colleagues who thought they could use him as a punching bag. Since then he’s always thought of me as a brother. But more importantly, he’s from Naxos and a legend on the island among the sort of people the reporter met with. To them, getting a request from my friend is a royal command.”

“I think ‘royal command’ might be the wrong analogy, considering their politics,” said Lila.

“Trust me, he’ll make it happen. In fact, he’s reaching out as we speak. He’ll set it up for someplace where they’ll all be comfortable, around siesta time so as not to interfere with their distinctly varied lines of work.”

“What sorts of work?” asked Andreas.

“He said we’ve got a shepherd, a chef-restaurateur, an artist, a bookseller, and a farmer.”

Yianni nodded. “And, according to Nikoletta’s notebooks, each is firmly committed to different strongly held opinions. It should be quite a get-together. I can’t wait.”

“Like hell you’ll be involved. Your pulse rate is moving up on the monitor just talking about it.” Toni pointed at blinking lights above the bed.

“That’s because my medication is wearing off, and having you so close to me is giving me intriguing thoughts.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere.”

“How about laid?”

Toni shook her head. “Please excuse his language. It must be his medication talking.”

“I think it’s our cue to leave,” said Lila.

“No, we’ve got work to do,” said Yianni.

“Your only job is to rest and get better. We’ll take care of the meeting,” said Andreas.

“But, like I said, I’m the only one who’s read Nikoletta’s notebooks.”

“We’ll read them tonight. Toni brought them here from your hotel room.”

“I still think I should be at the meeting.”

“Only if the doctors say so. And that’s an order. I also think it’s time we leave you two lovebirds alone.”

“Toni, go with them. I’ll be fine.”

“Not a chance. When you leave, I leave, not before.”

Yianni squeezed Toni’s hand and winked. “More motivation for me to get out of here ASAP.” He looked at Andreas. “Where are you staying?”

“At the home of a friend of Lila’s family, about fifteen minutes south of Chora toward a beach area known as Plaka.”

“That commute time assumes you know where you’re going. From my experience with Naxos roads, you’re in for a longer adventure.”

“Use GPS,” Toni told Andreas.

“You’re wasting your breath,” said Lila. “He’s a man.”

Andreas spread his arms. “What did I do to deserve this unprovoked attack?”

“You’re right,” nodded Lila. “It’s not your fault you were born a man.”

“Make that a Greek man,” added Maggie.

Tassos patted Yianni on the leg and waved for everyone to leave. “I think I’d better retreat before this skirmish accelerates into an all-out separate bedrooms battlefield.”

“Like I said, a Greek man. If you want to get his attention, feed him or threaten not to fuck him.”

“Maggie, such language,” said Lila, feigning horror.

“It comes from too many years hanging out with cops.”

Toni looked at Lila. “I’ll call you later and let you know what the doctor says.”

“There’s really no need for all of you to leave,” said Yianni.

“Of course there is. You’ve just been fed.” Toni smiled. “Now it’s time for that other thing.”

“What other—” Yianni’s face lit up. “Bye, everybody.”

* * *

A few minutes after his visitors had left his room, Yianni turned to Toni. “Well?”

“Well what?”

“What you promised.”

“You’ve got to be kidding. I was joking. Here you are, wired up to a monitor and IV twenty-four hours after going through a car wreck, and you want to have sex? In your hospital bed, no less, when a nurse could walk through the door at any moment.” She shook her head. “You are nuts.”

“No, just excited. After all, I survived a near-death experience, with no seriously broken bones or internal injuries.”

“But you have two broken ribs.”

“I’ve had those before. Besides, if I’m discharged tomorrow, I’ll want to have sex as soon as we’re alone at the house, but you still might be afraid for me.”

“Damn right.”

“That’s the brilliance of doing it here, while I’m hooked up to these machines. We can tell if I’m overdoing it and should stop.”

Toni stared at him. “You do realize what you just said is among the most creative lines I’ve ever heard from someone desperately trying to get into someone else’s pants? And in all my years of working in bars, I’ve heard a lot of them.”

He smiled. “So, did it work?”

She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, then on the lips. “Not totally.”

“What does that mean?”

She kissed him again and looked up at the monitor. “Your pulse is beating faster.”

“I’d certainly hope so.”

She pressed her lips against his, opened her mouth and felt him press his tongue hard against hers. She glanced up at the monitor and mumbled, “Faster.”

He kissed her more deeply and felt her hand slide under his blanket, beneath his gown, and down to where he was growing hard. She squeezed and slowly slid her hand up and down as she squeezed.

Again, she looked up at the monitor. “Faster.”

“Yes,” he whispered, “faster.”

She pulled back from kissing him. “Uh-uh.”

“What—”

Toni dropped her head beneath the blanket and brought her mouth to where her hand had been.

Neither noticed or seemed to care when the alarm went off on the monitor, and by the time the nurse responded, it was as if nothing had happened.

“Everything okay in here?” she asked.

“Yes, fine,” said Toni.

“Are you sure?” she said, looking at Yianni.

Yianni nodded, closing his eyes. “I’m sure.”

The nurse nodded back. “Funny thing about these monitors. In all the years I’ve been watching them, there’s a certain pattern they follow when I leave young couples alone in the room. Congratulations, you two rang the bell.” She smiled, stared for a few seconds at a red-faced Toni, and walked out.

“Busted,” said a still-blushing Toni.

“Me too,” said Yianni, sighing contentedly. “Thoroughly and totally busted.”

Chapter Ten

Directions to the home of