have. Finally the gasp came that she had been waiting for. Atreus’ eyes were wide with horror as he stepped away from her and saw Brian at the top of the plane’s steps. Carla could not bring herself to look at Brian, already knowing the self-satisfied smirk that would play about the corners of his lips.
She had failed, she told herself.
“He told me he would kill me if I didn’t let him come on the plane,” she explained to Atreus, her eyes on the ground.
Atreus handed Dios to her, his face like stone.
“Stand back by the palm tree over there, my darling.” He took a radio from his trousers and pressed the button. “Linus, please come.”
Carla kissed him on the cheek and did as he instructed, bouncing Dios on her hip as he grizzled. She leaned against the trunk of the palm and watched them, squinting her eyes against the glare of the sun reflecting off the runway and taking deep, intentional breaths to calm herself.
“Calling security are we?” Brian laughed. “Not man enough to handle me alone? Didn’t I tell you, Carla?”
A mammoth Bahamian man in a security uniform came into sight as he walked from the other side of the plane toward Carla.
“I’m here, boss,” he announced, reading the situation immediately. “I’ll take care of this.”
“No, thank you,” Atreus replied. “This is a one-on-one situation. But would you please stand by the palm tree with Carla and Dios.”
Linus followed Atreus’ orders and shook Carla’s free hand as he approached.
“I’m Linus,” he said, smiling. “Nice to finally meet you.”
“Hello,” Carla croaked, her voice trapped in her throat.
She felt a little more comforted with Linus there to help Atreus, if needed. Brian was not small by any means but Linus was at least twice his size.
Brian swaggered down the steps like a gunslinging cowboy into a saloon.
“I’ll take you anytime, any place.”
“Then let’s end this now,” Atreus declared.
“No weapons, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide,” said Brian. “Just me and you, right here on this runway.”
“And if I win, you’ll give up, go back to England and leave us alone,” Atreus proposed.
“And if I win,” Brian returned, “you’ll admit to Carla that you’re not worth the fancy shirt you’ve got on your back. You’ll tell her that I’m the superior man and that she should go with me for a better life.”
Carla felt sick at the thought of it.
“Fine,” agreed Atreus.
“But on one condition,” added Brian. “I know Carla can be pretty stubborn at times and she doesn’t like to listen, so when you tell her that I’m the best man for her, she might disagree and want to stay with you.”
At that moment the pilot appeared at the door. “I’m looking for Mr Kostas.”
“That’s me,” Atreus answered.
“Do you require our services for a return flight, sir?” the pilot asked.
“Not just yet,” Atreus said. “Please wait inside until we have sorted this out.”
The pilot obliged, disappearing into the plane, confused by the apparent showdown.
Atreus turned back to Brian.
“So what do you want?”
“If you lose, you have to get a restraining order against Carla,” Brian explained, “so that legally she is not allowed on this island or anywhere else you may be. I don’t want her near your posh Greek house, near you, near your family or near that… kid .”
“I can’t agree to that,” Atreus dismissed. “Carla makes her own choices in life.”
Brian’s eyes flashed with sick pleasure, like he had cornered his prey.
“You scared you’re gonna lose?”
“Fine,” Atreus agreed. “You have a deal. But if you lose, we never see you again. Got it?”
“ Got it ,” Brian replied, mockingly.
He turned away as if to go back into the plane, then lunged at Atreus.
“Atreus!” Carla shouted.
Atreus staggered backward as Brian hit him, almost falling to the ground.
She had failed, she told herself.
“He told me he would kill me if I didn’t let him come on the plane,” she explained to Atreus, her eyes on the ground.
Atreus handed Dios to her, his face like stone.
“Stand back by the palm tree over there, my darling.” He took a radio from his trousers and pressed the button. “Linus, please come.”
Carla kissed him on the cheek and did as he instructed, bouncing Dios on her hip as he grizzled. She leaned against the trunk of the palm and watched them, squinting her eyes against the glare of the sun reflecting off the runway and taking deep, intentional breaths to calm herself.
“Calling security are we?” Brian laughed. “Not man enough to handle me alone? Didn’t I tell you, Carla?”
A mammoth Bahamian man in a security uniform came into sight as he walked from the other side of the plane toward Carla.
“I’m here, boss,” he announced, reading the situation immediately. “I’ll take care of this.”
“No, thank you,” Atreus replied. “This is a one-on-one situation. But would you please stand by the palm tree with Carla and Dios.”
Linus followed Atreus’ orders and shook Carla’s free hand as he approached.
“I’m Linus,” he said, smiling. “Nice to finally meet you.”
“Hello,” Carla croaked, her voice trapped in her throat.
She felt a little more comforted with Linus there to help Atreus, if needed. Brian was not small by any means but Linus was at least twice his size.
Brian swaggered down the steps like a gunslinging cowboy into a saloon.
“I’ll take you anytime, any place.”
“Then let’s end this now,” Atreus declared.
“No weapons, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide,” said Brian. “Just me and you, right here on this runway.”
“And if I win, you’ll give up, go back to England and leave us alone,” Atreus proposed.
“And if I win,” Brian returned, “you’ll admit to Carla that you’re not worth the fancy shirt you’ve got on your back. You’ll tell her that I’m the superior man and that she should go with me for a better life.”
Carla felt sick at the thought of it.
“Fine,” agreed Atreus.
“But on one condition,” added Brian. “I know Carla can be pretty stubborn at times and she doesn’t like to listen, so when you tell her that I’m the best man for her, she might disagree and want to stay with you.”
At that moment the pilot appeared at the door. “I’m looking for Mr Kostas.”
“That’s me,” Atreus answered.
“Do you require our services for a return flight, sir?” the pilot asked.
“Not just yet,” Atreus said. “Please wait inside until we have sorted this out.”
The pilot obliged, disappearing into the plane, confused by the apparent showdown.
Atreus turned back to Brian.
“So what do you want?”
“If you lose, you have to get a restraining order against Carla,” Brian explained, “so that legally she is not allowed on this island or anywhere else you may be. I don’t want her near your posh Greek house, near you, near your family or near that… kid .”
“I can’t agree to that,” Atreus dismissed. “Carla makes her own choices in life.”
Brian’s eyes flashed with sick pleasure, like he had cornered his prey.
“You scared you’re gonna lose?”
“Fine,” Atreus agreed. “You have a deal. But if you lose, we never see you again. Got it?”
“ Got it ,” Brian replied, mockingly.
He turned away as if to go back into the plane, then lunged at Atreus.
“Atreus!” Carla shouted.
Atreus staggered backward as Brian hit him, almost falling to the ground.
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