Page 50 of Weeping Roses
“Um, it was Marsha Steele wanting to arrange a meeting tomorrow.”
Still, he says nothing, and that makes me speak even faster.
“Selfridges. The roof top restaurant. Apparently, she has a proposition for me.”
His eyes flash and the anger deepens, but all he says is, “What time?”
“Um, two-thirty, I think. I’ve got her number and she told me to call her when I get there.”
“And you were going to tell me when, exactly?”
“Tonight, I guess.”
I shrug as if it’s no consequence, but it is to him. I’ve known him for such a short time but I already realize he’s a man who likes all the information. I should have told him immediately but then again, why should I? I’m my own person and he is a stranger who will leave soon and I make the decisions in my life, not him, so I glare at him with a defiance that obviously doesn’t escape him.
For a moment, he stares at me as if waiting for the rest and then, after a tense while, he leans forward and whispers firmly, “I will say this only once. I need to be informed of anything relating to the reason I am here immediately it happens. That way you stand a chance of surviving the storm that has broken at your door. This is not a game, not a trivial matter, and not anything you are used to. I am here to protect you, to guide you through and to stack the odds in our favor. So, word of advice, don’t hold anything back, no matter how trivial, because we are not dealing with men with any fucks to give.”
I sense the blood draining from my face and my mind is racing. What started off as a fun game isn’t quite so appealing now.
The waiter appears with the dessert menus that Valentin waves away with a gruff, “The check, please.”
His expression leaves no room for argument and the waiter scurries away with a respectful nod.
I’m surprised when his expression relaxes and he reaches for my hand and raises it to his lips and whispers, “I’ve got you, Polly. I won’t leave you to face this alone. We will work it out together, but you must trust me because I’m all you’ve got.”
All I’ve got. Ain’t that the truth? I’ve been alone for some time now, but have never felt more alone than I do now. I have nobody to turn to, to talk things through with, who won’t judge or has my best interests at heart. All I have is a man who is probably extremely bad for my heart, who will do what he can but will inevitably leave me in the end.
As I stare into turbulent eyes that threaten an immeasurable storm, I feel vulnerable, weak and so alone the best place for me would be to run back to Sussex, bolt the door and lie under my covers until the world ends.
CHAPTER 29
VALENTIN
Polly is shit scared and I feel responsible for that. She has stumbled into a world she knows nothing about and I dread what could have happened to her if I hadn’t stormed into her life. She is a weak target that would undoubtedly be disposed of, and all because of my father and his involvement with her aunt.
We leave The Savoy and as soon as we reach my car, I waste no time in pulling into the traffic, my men close behind and in front of me. It’s standard procedure anyway, but now I know who is in town and is already several steps ahead of me, safety is now the most important item on the agenda.
Nikolai Barinov is bad news. He works for the president under the radar and is paid a small fortune for his loyalty. If he is involved, so is the president and I wonder what my father discovered that is making them so reckless.
I have no doubts at all that the president was involved in my father’s death in some way or another. Either my father discovered something he could use against him, or the president’s enemies got to him through my father. It’s a mystery that is almost impossible to solve because lies and secrets run like a dark thread through the tapestry of our heritage and answers don’t come easily.
This is bigger than I thought and my first step is to discuss it with my brothers and yet I’m wary of even communicating what is in my mind right now.
Polly is silent and I can almost reach out and touch the nerves swirling between us and as we pull up beside her house, I say with a deep sigh.
“I’m sorry, malyshka, this is a world you know nothing about. You must be nervous about that.”
“Nervous?” She shakes her head. “Call it terrified. I don’t like it, Valentin. I want to go home and forget any of this happened.”
“You are home, remember?” I tease her gently because Polly is right to be scared, but I don’t want to terrify her more than she is already.
“You know what I mean.” She sighs heavily. “And we were having such a lovely time.”
For some reason, the disappointment in her voice makes me smile because she is right about that. A lovely time isn’t something I consider when I live the life I do, but with Polly it’s different. She is a bright light in a dark existence and like most animals, I am drawn to it. I seek it out and crave it even, and what I learned tonight changes nothing. If anything, it makes me more determined to protect her with a ferocity that doesn’t escape me. I want to see the flame burn brighter, not be extinguished, and now there is even more of a reason to discover what the hell is going on.
We enter the house and Artem follows me, his face like thunder, and I sigh inside. Business must always come first and so I turn to Polly and say with a sigh, “I must attend to business. Try to get some sleep, rest, or whatever you usually do with your time.”
“Business?”