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You need to talk to a detective in Athens, he said. I can arrange for your safe
transportation there, and they will talk to you about what to do next.
My sat phone buzzed. It was my father.
Don t answer it, the officer advised. It can wait.
He arranged for a police speedboat to take us to Athens.
This is the fastest way to get you there. We ll take you to Piraeus. That s the seaport.
This will give us time to investigate this matter.
What, like we were making things up?
It didn t matter how much distance we put between the small islands and us, Thane
and I kept looking over our shoulders as we sped towards Piraeus.
At the seaport in Piraeus, an officer waited to greet us. He escorted us to a waiting
police car and I could see people staring at us, as if they wondered what bad things we d
done to get arrested.
The officer s English was patchy, but Thane spoke fluent Greek and translated back and
forth. The ancient seaport glistened like a jewel in the sun. Not that we could enjoy it. He
spoke in rapid-fire Greek as he took us to the police station. He wanted me to call my father
from their landline, which would record the entire conversation.
Tell him you have left Upper Koufonisia and that you are in Naxos, waiting for a plane
back to Athens. Tell him you are worried about Thane, that you think something bad is going
to happen. Try to get him to confess.
I agreed. Thane and I sat together in the interview room, sipping coffee. I made the call,
aware of prying ears and eyes.
Dad?
Leo, where are you?
I m in Naxos.
Alone?
Yes.
What about Thane?
I think he s back in Upper Koufonisia.
Where?
BURNT ISLAND A.J. Llewellyn
128
I don t know, Dad. Last I heard he was staying at a place called Melissa s.
He disappeared from there this morning.
How do you know?
I called him, he s not answering his phone. I knew he d checked in there.
How?
He told me.
I knew this was a lie. I was entrapping my own father and it killed me.
Dad, something bad happened last night.
What? he asked, his tone terse.
I found two men following us. One of them had a gun. I think somebody else is
following Thane.
That s ridiculous.
No, it s not. The same man came to my room.
My father went silent.
Shit, Leo. I told you to get off the fucking island. Thane Covey is trouble. A major
accident just waiting to happen. Why didn t you listen to me?
I did listen to you. It s not like things happen quickly out here, but these two goons& I
don t think they re detectives. I think they re contract killers.
For the money I m paying them, they better be, my father said.
I swallowed. Hard. My whole life everything I knew and loved about my dad came
crashing down around my ears. My head buzzed so loudly I couldn t hear a word he said.
You there, son?
I m here, Dad. You re not serious are you?
If you re lying to me and you re still with that cock-sucking maggot, you ll soon find
out, he said.
He ended the call.
Jezebel. Jesus H. Christ. What would he do to her?
We all sat in silence. The police officers all sat back in their seats.
He has your dog, Leo. I m really worried he s going to hurt her, Thane said.
Me, too. I lost it then. My God, Thane. He really wants to kill you.
Love and hate& not too much distance between them when you are& The officer
circled his temple with his index finger.
BURNT ISLAND A.J. Llewellyn
129
Write down your address. We ll notify the New York police and have somebody go to
your father. He will be arrested. We will make sure your dog is okay.
I gave them my father s home and office details.
This is the number for my vet, I said. He may take the dog there.
Thane and I waited in the outer office until a policeman came and told us that my father
had been arrested at the veterinary hospital after trying to strong arm Dr Lang into putting
my precious baby to sleep.
Antonis and Thelis were arrested at Athens airport without incident and Thane and I
were free to fly home.
* * * *
Two days later
My mother had flown home after I d called her with the news that Dad had been
arrested.
We picked her up at the airport.
I knew he was crazy, she said. She and Thane seemed to hit it off instantly.
He invited her to join us at his parents home for Sunday lunch. Oh, boy. Mom was
impressed.
After dinner with my mother at a Greek café, we realised we still had island fever and
would have to make a return visit to the Cyclades.
We returned home to Jez, who ran around Thane s massive Soho loft, clunking into
everything with the huge cone on her head.
She keeps biting herself. We have no choice, Thane reminded me when I lamented for
the hundredth time how sorry I felt for the dog.
Thane and I had spent every second since our return together in his amazing
apartment, and Jezebel had quietly informed me through her body language that she wanted
to spend the rest of her life with Thane.
He kissed me, fed her a piece of leftover lamb from our dinner then led me to the
bedroom. I was a willing victim.
We fell onto the bed, our hands tearing at one another s clothes.
BURNT ISLAND A.J. Llewellyn
130
What? he asked me, lying on top of me, one hand supporting himself, the other hand
stroking my face. What s wrong?
What if your parents hate me? I blurted.
They ll love you, he said.
Thunk. Clunk. Skid. Clunk. Pant. Pant. Jez had found her way into her new doggy bed
next to Thane s wonderful sleigh bed.
He stripped me quickly, a man on a mission. He licked and sucked my cock to full
attention. I sighed as he took off his clothes. He thrust apart my legs, my ass straining to
reach his wonderful, intrusive tongue. He lapped at me, his hands gripping me like a ripe
melon as he feasted on me.
I scrabbled for the box of Japanese condoms. I tore off the top of a square green foil and
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