Summer Storm (Broken Circles Book 1), page 19
“Tayte’s not daft, not by a long shot. I don’t care what this looks like, he wouldn’t betray you this way. He loves you, we all do. He’s had plenty of opportunity to power grab, just like the rest of us. Waiting until you’ve got one foot out of the door makes little sense. No matter what it appears to be, I’m hedging a bet Tayte’s not going into this blindly. He might be the one to give you the out you want.”
“I think he has his own ambitions,” I said, wondering if Sandir was right.
“Possibly. All we can do is wait for word. Lev stays in the shadows for a reason, but he’s always been the man to say what goes. He needs someone at the helm and if not you, then he’s looking for a replacement. There’s only one other person I can see who could slot in right behind and pick up where you left off.”
That person was definitely Tayte, Andrey only voicing what we all knew. Tayte knew this business inside out, everything, having made himself indispensable and sure he had his foot in every aspect of what we did. He was dedicated, more so than the others at times.
“Then we wait for Tayte or Lev, one of them will want to talk soon.”
“All right.” Greg clapped his hands together. “In the meantime, let’s get these books done for the clubs. Gonna take a bit longer without Tayte but I’m not in any hurry to be anywhere. Anyone else?”
I thought about Jolie at home, hopefully still resting. It wasn’t like I was welcome to turn up any time I pleased, or at all, so I put my head down and did the administrative work we didn’t trust anyone else to do. The four clubs owned by the organisation were full of drugs and runners, the books seriously fudged, unlike Caulder’s which was all above board. Caulder’s was going to make an honest man out of me, I’d had the plan in my head since I’d bought the place years ago and I’d kept the bar as clean as a whistle for good reason. These other four were rat infested cesspits I couldn’t wait to be rid of. They had the potential to be so much more, yet they served a purpose and made some hefty cash which was why we’d left them as they were. A scant refurbishment every few years, some serious bribery to local coppers and the places ran themselves with insignificant problems. Honestly, we’d been lucky to run them as long as we had.
“Profits are decent on all but this one,” Sandir pushed a ledger into my hand, pointing to a line of numbers. “At a cursory glance anyway, I’d have to look deeper.”
“Not running at a loss though?” Because I had a Colombian drug lord I had to pay at the end of every month. Damn, I was so tired of it all.
“Not yet, I can see a downturn the last four months, don’t know if it’s caught up or not.”
“Okay, we’ll prioritise there for the next few weeks, see what we can figure out.” I wanted to close down those clubs and be shot of them, unfortunately it wasn’t my call, so juggle it was until I got the fuck out.
My phone buzzed on the table, Tayte’s name flashing over the screen. A text, not a call, which really pissed me off. Reading the single word he’d sent, I threw my phone across the room, a sardonic laugh ringing around the room.
“Sorry. He said he’s fucking sorry.” All eyes were on me and rightly so, I was a hair’s breadth away from tipping the table and ripping the room apart. Instead, I hung my head and took in a huge breath, letting it out again slowly. “I think we have an answer as to what Lev’s plan is. Did Tayte just betray me?”
“No.” Sandir was the first to dare to speak. “No. Not Tayte. I don’t believe it until I hear it from the idiot’s mouth myself. There’s an explanation.”
“Then what the fuck is he sorry for?” I exploded, jumping to my feet, the chair crashing to the floor.
The hurt was immense, my heart squeezing so painfully hard. Tayte was my friend, my brother, one I’d had for over twenty years and he’d left me feeling sick to my stomach. Way to break the camel’s back, as if the old bastard hadn’t done enough to me already. Christ, I was finished here, Lev could go fuck himself. Walking off into the sunset right this minute without a second glance back had never been so appealing.
Shaking out the creases of my jacket, I shoved my arms into the sleeves and straightened the lapels. Grabbing my phone from the floor, I walked past the table, past my men, and to the door.
“I’ll see you guys later.”
Tayte and Irina had the answers I wanted, and I was going to get them, come hell or high water. I’d been a good little soldier, hadn’t I? Fuck Lev for doing this to me, any speck of respect I’d had for the man had dissolved and I no longer cared for any wrath he threw my way over the discontent I felt toward Tayte. I wasn’t an unreasonable man, Tayte could have come to me any time and told me what his intentions were, now all I did was question the long friendship we’d had and if it had been genuine, or if he had just been biding his time, knowing there was an expiration date down the road. I didn’t want to believe it, wouldn’t until I had all the facts before me. But one thing was certain, Tayte and I would never be the same, this ruined us.
Jolie
Four weeks had passed since the altercation with CeeCee and I hadn’t heard a peep from her again. No big deal, and a quiet relief. I also hadn’t seen or heard from Yannick either. He hadn’t been in the bar, hadn’t visited the flat, and I hadn’t seen hide nor hair of the car he drove or the men he usually had in tow. It was like Yannick Ischmov had never existed to me and I was confused about how to feel. Torn between having missed an opportunity or thanking the heavens I’d had a lucky escape. The heart warred with the mind constantly and wasn’t that just a kicker?
Back at work full time, both teaching and serving, nothing was particularly exciting in my day-to-day life, exactly how I liked it. Sometimes, just sometimes I yearned for the little spark of excitement Yannick had injected into boring old me the handful of times we’d been together.
One night of sex was all it had been. A kiss or two here and there did not make a relationship. Late at night when thinking straight was almost impossible due to being exhausted, I’d climb into bed and fantasise about dark tattoos and soul burning eyes, about another life, and waking up cocooned in heavy arms. Those nights were always cruel and left me waking up discontented and disillusioned.
We weren’t meant to be. All I could settle for were the few short memories I had and make them do.
Sunday being my only day off, I planned to use it wisely. After grabbing a few hours sleep, it was time to stock up the fridge and the cupboards. Bills were paid, tips had been good, and splurging for a change crossed my mind, maybe even treating myself to something new to wear. Yeah, an afternoon on Oxford Street was just what I needed, I could pop into a supermarket on the way home for groceries.
Getting into the centre of London didn’t take long, and although it was relatively busy, I still ambled along the street in the glorious sunshine, window shopping, since Oxford Street was expensive. Stopping outside Harrods, I gazed at the ornate window displays in awe. I’d never been inside, hadn’t ever had a notion to but with curiosity getting the better of me before I could second guess anything, I was wandering through the fancy gold doors, feeling like an imposter and loving it all at the same time.
Jolie Summers did not belong in a shop like this but what the hell? I could browse, and if I saw something I liked, I could save for it, right? God, it was so posh I took a second to look down at my trainers and grimace. Yet, I coveted the ostentatious nature of the whole place, the building was enormous; I could easily while away a few hours. Oher people shopping, I noted, were just like me - ratty trainers, jeans and t-shirts, though there were others dressed a little fancier. The more I walked, the less I cared about the clothes I wore.
The Beauty Apothecary smelled awesome as I roamed through, glancing in glass cabinets housing beautifully ornate bottles of scents, and pots of Lord only knew what. I used soap and water on my face, cheap make up I bought from Boots down the road. They hid the price tags on some items, the lesser expensive ones, still marked up and eyewatering for a girl like me.
Resisting temptation to stop and sniff the delights, I ended up walking through to the men’s department fancying an ogle at the gorgeous models plastered on the walls. Formal menswear was where I saw him. Yannick Ischmov, with one of his men, Greg, talking animatedly with a salesperson. He was smiling, hands casually crossed over his chest, and looking a damn sight better than the men in fancy suits on the adverts surrounding me.
I tried to backtrack without looking where I was going, inadvertently bumping into someone behind me. They gave out an almighty yell as I stepped on their toes and all eyes fell on the commotion I’d created, while I couldn’t drag mine away from Mr sex on a stick a few feet away from me. As Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman said - Big mistake. Big. Huge.
Yannick’s head snapped around, his sharp gaze settling on mine, initially stern, then melting into the smile I’d missed so much. It seemed to be a smile all for me, and bloody hell, it was good to see him, so good.
“I’m so sorry,” I gushed apologetically, turning my attention to the woman I’d trampled on.
“It’s fine, love. Though I don’t know why you’re running from that,” she smirked, discreetly tipping her head toward Yannick. Hell’s bells, he was standing right there at my side, Greg off to his right.
“Hey, Bunny,” the cheeky bugger said as he winked and gave me a little wave. “Making a nuisance of yourself?”
“Shut up,” I mumbled, embarrassed.
“Behave, Greg,” Yannick scolded lightly with a hint of mirth in his voice. Both of them were rascals.
“I was, ah… looking for the food hall?” My answer was lame, but it was all I could come up with on the spot. I could buy an extremely expensive sandwich for my dinner, then bolt to save face.
“Let me show you where it is,” Yannick offered. “Greg was just taking off.”
“I was?”
“You were. I think we’re done for the day.”
“But…”
“See you tomorrow,” Yannick smirked at his friend.
I knew a brush off when I heard one and I had to give credit where it was due, Greg didn’t argue too hard.
“Was great seeing you again, Bunny.”
I dared a look at Yannick, who was watching Greg walk off toward the man they’d been speaking to earlier. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets again, in his jean pockets, and I didn’t know which was better. Business or casual, he looked like a wet dream dressed up in both. If I wasn’t standing in a busy shop next to the man and with an audience, I would have fanned myself because he was seriously too sexy for his own good.
“He do everything you say?”
“Pfft. Not recently, no,” he laughed.
“But normally?”
“Yes. Now, you mentioned the food hall?”
“Ah, yeah. Something for dinner, thought I’d splash out for a change.” I laughed at my own lie. Splashing out, yeah, looking for the food hall, no.
Yannick raised his eyebrows at me, then grinned. “Harrod’s isn’t splashing out, Jolie. Let me take you to dinner, somewhere we’ll get our money’s worth and not pay forty quid for a pissy little piece of pate on toast.” I couldn’t help laughing yet covered my mouth to curtail the faux pas. Yannick took hold of my wrist to stop me. “I love your laugh. Don’t hide it, please.”
Four weeks he’d been missing from my life, and time had not dimmed the effect he had on me. He was still so easy to be around, to relax with, and I’d forgotten why I’d insisted he was a bad idea. In fact, right there, he was looking like the best idea I’d had in my entire life.
“Okay,” I conceded. “Lead the way. Fair warning, if you take me to the local chippy, I’m going to buy some of those pickled eggs rendering my mouth too awful to kiss.” Oh, where had confident Jolie popped up from? And kiss? Come on, just lay me out and strip me already, Yannick had this utterly insane effect on me I was powerless to ignore any time I was in his company.
“Nothing wrong with some fish and chips, but no, not today. I’d like to spoil you a little, if that’s okay?”
There was no harm getting food together, truth be told, I was eager to reconnect even if it led to nothing. “Fine. Just so you know, I don’t do fancy, it makes me uncomfortable, so choose wisely.”
“Well, then. We have something in common.”
I looked him over, arching a disbelieving brow, the expensive jeans and loafers telling a different story. “I somehow doubt that.”
“Gonna prove you so wrong, Jolie.”
He probably would, he had a glint in his eye that said I was way off the mark with my assessment. I figured this man was full of surprises and very much not what he looked like on the outside. I’d seen glimpses of it, he was an oxymoron of sorts, I guessed, probably taking a lot of pleasure in proving people wrong. The man was a timely reminder that what you saw on the surface was not the guts underneath and I’d do well to remember the Yannick Ischmov people whispered about was not the Yannick Ischmov he presented to me. Smoke and mirrors? He didn’t seem the sort, not really, but I’d been duped before, swept up in attraction and ignored everything else around me, so I proceeded with caution and let him take me for an early dinner.
I just hoped I wouldn’t regret it at a later date.
Yannick
In the month since I’d last seen Jolie, much had changed, and I wanted to spill all and sundry to her over our early dinner, even if she’d have no idea what I was talking about. There was a time and a place, I reminded myself, sharing a meal together was not the ideal moment. Having her company, craving it in fact, negated the need to spill everything in her lap, I didn’t want to get into the nitty gritty about how my life had done a one eighty. I was still a little fragile, having a night off from thinking morbid thoughts yet again, was the most appealing idea I’d heard in a month.
I took Jolie to a little hole in the wall burger bar which appeared shabby on the outside, yet wholly incredible once you passed over the threshold. I’d been eating there for years, we were all on a first name basis with the owners. Late Sunday afternoon was the old geezer’s son’s shift, which meant I’d get peace to eat with Jolie because Kristoff wasn’t nosy like his old man and didn’t natter my ears off. He could take a hint.
Jolie didn’t look the least bit offended - and bloody hell did I love that - as I ushered her through the tiny red door. “Fuck,” she groaned. “Smells amazing. The taste better be as good.”
“I assure you it’s better. You’ll love it here.”
“And there I thought you only graced five-star establishments with your presence,” she mocked.
“You wound me, Jolie,” I said, clasping a hand to my chest in mock disbelief. Jesus, I felt the years melting away, the stress dissolving, and I’d only been in her company for thirty minutes. Right there, I vowed there was no way Jolie fucking Summers was walking away or tossing me out of her life again.
Finding a table at the back, I slid into the bench seat beside her, getting as close as I dared without being intrusive. I wanted to make a good impression, then get a guarantee she’d see me again, I was reluctant to leave without one.
In among the shit fest that had been the last month or so, I’d thought a lot about this woman, deliberately staying away from Caulder’s while I untangled the deep-set roots I had to Lev and Irina. I’d promised myself the next time I saw Jolie, it would be to ask for a chance with a clean slate. Meeting in Harrod’s had almost seemed like fate, almost, because my slate wasn’t quite clean yet. But it would be soon, real soon, the tethers were almost frayed through.
“I haven’t seen you at the bar.”
Kristoff placed a jug of water and two glasses on the table along with the menus. I mumbled a thank you without looking up. “I stayed away on purpose,” I said to Jolie.
“Because of me.”
“Yes, and no.” I wasn’t lying to her. “I needed to work on a few things.”
“And did you?”
“I did, yes.”
She twirled the empty glass in her hand before putting it down on the table in front of her and filling it with water. “How’s that working out for you?”
“The family business no longer owns me. I can, and will, walk away without repercussion.”
“That must feel good.” Next, she poured water into the second glass and nudged it toward me.
“Thank you. And, yes, it feels good. Been a long time coming.”
Tilting her head down, she moved closer as she spoke. “Organised crime. That’s the official term, right?”
“Suppose so. I have a legitimate business too.”
“Caulder’s.” She nodded, and I was thankful she recognised my bar for what it was, and she knew it was legitimate. Besides, I didn’t see Jolie working in an establishment that was shady in any way.
“Caulder’s is my focus going forward.”
“Good. I’d hate to see you in jail, or worse, dead.” If only she knew I should have gone to jail or died for the crime I’d committed all those years ago and many since. Taking a sip from her glass, she lowered her voice again. “You’re out of all your dodgy shit? For good?”
“I am. And I was coming to Caulder’s next week. Coming to see you.”
“Well,” she sighed. “That’s all sorts of flattering, Yannick.”
“Let me guess, it doesn’t get me anywhere?” That familiar weight of disappointment settled in my gut and I second guessed myself yet again.
“Nope. Not with me.”
“Damn!” I swore a little too loud. “So, what is it going to take, Jolie Summers, if flattery gets me nowhere with you?”
“The flattery I can live without. This burger here…” She pointed to the Monterey Jack stack on the menu. “Not so much.”
“Consider it done,” I laughed heartily. “On one condition.”
“What?”
“You let me do this again.”
“Wine and dine me?”
“Yes, with water and burgers if that’s what takes your fancy.”
