Until you {uncompleted}

Chapter 43

"You have got to stop doing that." I said out of breath.
"Why?" he whispered into my lips then he placed another kiss on my cheek before stepping back. For some reason I wanted to follow after him, stroke his chin and feel the raw stubble there. But I stood my ground. This wasn't the time.

He rounded his desk and sat down. "The black boxes aren't in the study. They're with Liam. I thought you might need them after I was gone. If you asked he would have given them to you. That's the problem, Nila. You don't ask. And before you say anything, you're right. It's partly my fault. I want you to trust me without trusting you myself. It goes both ways. From now on we don't hide anything from each other. Got it?" he said.

I walked over to him, pushed his chair away and placed myself on top of the desk in front of him. "Got it! Now let's start with you. What were you doing in London?"

He smiled lazily and leaned back. "I wasn't in London."

"You said you were going to London. You even took the private jet and called the pilot in front of us."

"Yeah. The jet did go to London. I just wasn't in it. Everyone thinks I was in London this past week even the pilot. But I wasn't."

"You're trying to drive me crazy, aren't you? Just spit it out for God's sake. Where were you?"

He laughed and tapped my knee. "Here and there."

"Explain." I said trying to be patient.

"Atish Ozkan. One of the biggest arms manufacturer in Turkey.  Know him?"

"I might have heard of him. Yes." I replied cautiously.

"Cut it out. He has an entire file dedicated to him in your black boxes. You never give them to me without checking them out."

I sighed. "Oh alright. I know him. What about him."

"He's one of our biggest suppliers as you will know. And Xavier thought it would be a good idea to drive a widge between us. Take him to his side and worm himself into the weapons industry." Damien said.

"That bastard is getting cockier and more daring every day."

"What he doesn't know is that there's something between us other than business."

A slow mischievous smile crept into my face. He pinched my thigh. "Don't even say it sweetheart."

"Ouch, " I laughed "I wasn't going to say anything."

"Focus. I'm telling you something important here." he sighed and replaced his hand on my thigh.

"Okay. Sorry." I tried to look chastened.

He suddenly looked serious. "Nila. What I'm about to tell you is very .. Erm.. Private. Very few people know this. And I'm trying to trust you. Atish is married to my sister."

"What sister? You don't have a sister. " I exclaimed. That was a shock. If I though for a hundred years I wouldn't have guessed that was what he will say.

"Yes. I do. Nila. You might as will find out since you are a part of the family now."

"But.. But. Believe me I looked extensively into your family background. And I do not admit that lightly. There was no mention of a sister. Legitimate or otherwise."

"After my mother's death. My father was very upset. He was going through a rough time. In that year, he had a secret relationship with a married woman. When it ended. She left with her husband to Paris. Fifteen years later her husband died and left her with the fourteen year old girl he thought was his. By that time, my father was dead and I was head of the family. She approached me saying that she wanted her daughter to get to know her family. I decided after confirming that Se​le​ne was truly my sister to keep her away. I sent her and her mother to live in Istanbul thinking it will keep her safe from our world. Liam and I of course kept in contact with her and we're very close. But imagine my surprise when a few years later she met and fell in love with the kind of man I was hoping she'd never meet. "

I was dumbstruck but first things first." And you just accepted that. " I asked incredulous.

He laughed. " Of course not. But that's a story for another time. The bottom of it is. Atish and I came out of it all as brothers. And we have a very profitable business together. That is something Xavier will have a difficult time breaking."