by Helen Bright
“You’re not going anywhere, Tess, trust me on that. And you’ll never need to worry about money, either. Not with Kolya looking out for you. But it’s always good to have choices or options in life. It’s important you remember that.”
With that last statement, Brad left the kitchen, touching my shoulder on his way out.
Choices? Options? Yes, people like Brad and James do have options. They have wealthy fathers who make sure they want for nothing, trust funds for when they finish their degrees—which they don’t have to work two jobs to pay for—and employment to walk into when they complete their education.
From what I remember of having choices, they weren’t all that. Choosing whether I ate—or kept the house warm and electricity on so I could stay up and do my homework—was always a tough one.
The only choice I had made while being here was not to see the counsellors, and both Kolya and Franco had let me know they weren’t happy about that. So at the moment, I’d prefer not to have choices or options, thank you very much!
24
Kolya
With a headache to rival any other, I was grateful that the windows on my helicopter were tinted, yet I still needed the shade of my sunglasses. I had no one else to blame but myself, of course—staying up until the early hours, playing poker with James, Brad, Franco, Jonesy, and Kevin. Though why the hell we’d bothered to take on Kevin at poker was beyond me. It may have been the alcohol that made us brave, but it was no excuse. We all knew that we’d leave the table with our pockets so much lighter, yet we did it anyway.
I enjoyed the distraction, despite losing so spectacularly. I was happy that Brad had joined in as it kept him away from Tess. I found myself becoming increasingly irritated by the attention he showered her with. I know he’s a flirt, and I have no issues with whom he uses his charms on when he’s back home in the States. But Tess is out of bounds.
I had gotten so annoyed by him yesterday that I was about to say something, but then I overheard James telling him to leave Tess well alone. He’d said she felt like a sister to him in a weird sort of way, so he couldn’t deal with him hitting on her like he did with the girls on campus. Brad denied doing anything other than being friendly with Tess, to which James laughed then said, “Yeah, right. Tell me another, I might believe that one.”
I am hoping Brad takes the hint and keeps his distance until they fly to Greece to stay with Yannis. In the meantime, I have arranged for Franco to increase Tess’s weapons training at the range. Now that her strength has increased, she’s able to hold the rifle steady for longer, and has proved an excellent shot. She doesn’t seem bothered by any of the guns, which could have been the case, given her recent experience.
Tess still refuses to see George or Devina for counselling. She became so angry and upset with me when I’d suggested it, and I didn’t want a repeat of that. I knew that at some point in the future, some of the traumatic events of her life would come back to haunt her. But forcing her to confront them when she wasn’t ready to do so wouldn’t help her, either.
As we came in to land I saw Tess, James, and Brad around the outdoor pool. The weather had been much warmer than usual over the last few weeks, and we’d all made use of the outdoor areas.
Nan had given over some of the cooking to Tanner, who made the tastiest marinade to coat all the meat he regularly barbequed. He was territorial over the whole thing, and wouldn’t let anyone near until the steaks were cooked to perfection. My stomach began to growl just thinking about it, and I hoped it wouldn’t be too long until we sat down to eat.
* * *
After dropping my briefcase in the kitchen, I grabbed a glass of orange juice and couple of pain killers for the headache that still persisted, then made my way to the pool area, delighting in the sound of Tess’s unbridled laughter. The sight that greeted me when I got there, however, made me see red. Brad stood behind Tess, his chest pressed firmly to her back, his arms around her waist so she couldn’t escape. He yelled, “You’re going in,” before lifting her off the side of the pool and launching them both into the water.
I stalked towards the pool, reaching the edge just as Tess surfaced, spluttering and wiping the water from her eyes.
“I can’t believe you did that, Brad, you’re a pest. Just you wait! I’ll get you when you least expect it, and I’ll make it bloody count,” she shouted, swimming over to the side of the pool when she noticed me.
Brad remained in the pool, laughing. It was probably a good thing. If he got out of the pool I would most likely punch him.
“Are you okay?” I asked, helping her up out of the water.
“Yes, I’m fine. He won’t be once I’m finished with him, though. And your son. Nothing but arrogant sods, both of them.”
“I hope you aren’t including me in that? I didn’t throw you in,” James said, finally looking up from his book. “Hey, Dad, how’s the hangover?”
“Hanging on,” I told him, glancing at the book he was reading. It was one I’d almost memorised in my youth, about the progression and changes in weaponry over the last century, and the way those changes influenced the various wars they were used in.
I’d told my son on numerous occasions that we cannot create better weapons for the future without first learning about those that featured strongly in the past. Right now, it seemed as though he’d been listening, which is never a bad thing for a parent to see. So many times I have wondered whether he’d agreed to be involved in KOLCAT because it was the family business, and not because he had a genuine interest. I would hate to think he was doing it just to please me.
“Toss her back in, Kolya, she needs cooling down,” Brad yelled from the other side of the pool, inciting my anger once again as I recalled how close he had been to her near naked body before jumping into the water.
I pulled Tess towards me, holding her wet body against mine. She was wearing a one-piece swimsuit which hid the scar from her bullet wound. I was glad of it. Seeing it always had me on edge, reminding me of the day I held her in my arms as she cried out in pain and fear, her blood soaking my clothes just as her wet hair and swimsuit did now.
Brad swam to the side of the pool and climbed out. It looked at first like he was heading towards one of the sun loungers, but he quickly spun back towards Tess, who had stepped away from me to grab a towel. I intervened immediately, taking hold of the hand that Brad reached out to grab Tess with, and in a move my security would be proud of, had Brad up and over my shoulder, tossing him headfirst into the pool before he had a chance to protest.
“Dad, what the fuck was that?” James questioned with a grin.
“Payback,” I replied, then added, “James, try not to swear in front of Tess, it’s a habit she is trying to break.”
“You are my hero,” Tess declared, smiling as she leapt into my arms.
“Whoa! You nearly had us both in the water then. Is that what you want, my darling? Do you miss the pool so much that you want to get back in?” I teased, moving nearer to the edge.
“You wouldn’t,” she stated, her bare legs wrapping around my waist as her arms tightened around my neck. I placed one hand under her bottom to keep her in place, then stepped back towards her sun lounger and emptied my pockets. She shook her head, her copper curls seemed two shades darker when wet. Still holding her in my arms, I kicked off my shoes and stepped back towards the edge of the pool. She was laughing now, her mouth resting against my neck, the sound sending vibrations across my skin.
We had an audience. My son, Brad, and at least four members of my staff. Yet the moment seemed so intimate. Every feminine part of her was pressed against me, and I felt a familiar stirring in my boxers as my cock began to harden. I needed to get us in the pool, quickly, before anyone noticed. For one more precious moment, I held her body tighter against mine, then kissed her cheek and asked, “Are you ready for this, Tess?”
She lifted her head, looked into my eyes and said, “More than you’ll ever know.”
I wanted to
gaze upon her face while I asked her to clarify the words she’d just uttered with such a serious expression, but if I waited any longer, no one would fail to notice the hard-on now straining against the fabric of my underwear. As it was, I had to lift Tess higher as I took the last step to the edge of the swimming pool. I couldn’t let her feel my desire for her.
While my body was more than ready to show Tess how I felt, my mind was not. So, after one more second of what felt like utter bliss, I took that final step into the pool.
25
Kolya
I came up from under the water mere seconds after Tess, and was pleased to note she was laughing while attempting to swim away. I swam towards her, grabbing her around the waist as she reached the side of the pool. I knew I shouldn’t be doing this, but I couldn’t help myself. Seeing Brad touching her was like a red rag to a bull. It was all kinds of wrong to be so angry and possessive, and blame it on the headache, or the exhilarating feeling of jumping into the water fully clothed, but at this very second I just didn’t care.
I put my arms either side of her head, caging her in, the water lapping gently around us. My infatuation with this beautiful girl, my saviour in so many ways, had reduced me to this. A man who should know better than to be led by sexual need.
Tess grabbed my shirt, stating, “Your clothes are wet!”
I traced my fingers along the strap of her swimsuit. “What a coincidence, so are yours.”
She smiled, nervously at first, but then it turned slightly wicked. I returned her smile, my erection pulsing back to life as I leaned in closer.
“Boss.”
“What is it?” I snapped.
I looked up to find Jonesy staring down at me, the expression on his face was grim.
“Kevin needs to speak with you, immediately. There’s been a development.” I watched his eyes move from me to Tess, then back again.
I didn’t ask if it could wait; Kevin wasn’t one for unnecessary drama. Though it pained me to do so, I hauled myself from the pool, leaving Tess with just a kiss on her cheek.
It was just as well we were interrupted. If it wasn’t for Jonesy, I would have kissed the mouth I found so tempting, pressed against the body that I had no right to covet. What was I thinking? My son had been watching, along with Brad.
As soon as I thought of him I knew why I’d been prepared to cross those boundaries with Tess.
I was jealous.
On paper, he would be the right man for her. Just two years older. Smart. Wealthy. Able to support her. Probably liked the same music, movies, and whatever else would interest someone of their age. They would have more things in common than she’d ever have with me. He was competition—simple as that.
I shouldn’t even want Tess that way.
I was nearly twenty-three years older, more set in my ways. Yes, I can provide her with anything money can buy, protect her, worship the ground she walks on, and love her more than life itself. But would that be enough when she could find the same with a much younger man? And more to the point, would Tess want that? Or did she envisage something else in her future?
After stripping out of my wet shirt and trousers, I threw them over one of the poolside chairs, glad I no longer had the hard-on I’d been sporting. Following Jonesy inside, I told him to let Kevin know I’d be five minutes.
My bedroom overlooked the pool, and with the window open, I heard James tell Brad he was coming in to see what was wrong. I walked to the window and looked out. No matter the emergency, I didn’t want to leave Tess out there on her own with Brad. To my relief, I saw her heading towards the house with James, a towel wrapped around her body.
I felt myself breathe a little easier. Fuck! I had to stop with this unhealthy obsession. I needed to get my head together to deal with whatever development had emerged.
I dropped my wet boxers in the laundry basket in my bathroom, then threw on my gym shorts and a T-shirt. After I’d spoken to Kevin, perhaps a workout would help? Something to get my blood pumping—somewhere other than my groin.
* * *
Kevin was busy in the room where he monitored all my security. On one of the large screens I could see a news channel that was currently on pause.
I took a seat and waited until he finished a telephone conversation with Rasheed before I spoke to him.
“Kevin, Jonesy informed me of a development you needed to speak to me about. What is it?”
“Jonesy and Nate have already seen this, and I’m just waiting for a few of the others to join us before I replay it,” Kevin told me. He sounded despondent, and I got the feeling it pained him to tell me whatever he’d learned.
As if on cue, the door opened and in walked Franco, Lucas, Ivan, and Jonesy. Kevin hit play and switched up the sound.
Police have confirmed a body found by dog walkers in marshland near Fellbrook Woods in Doncaster, is believed to be that of missing teen, Sarah Crowther. Fifteen-year-old Sarah was reported missing from local residential children’s home, The Willows, twelve weeks ago, along with another resident, seventeen-year-old Tess Robertson. Police at the scene were unavailable for comment, but early reports suggest that the teenager may have been murdered.
Kevin stopped the video there, then proceeded to show me a new missing persons appeal for Tess. It stated they believed she was in danger and wanted people to come forward if they had any information about her, or her whereabouts, however insignificant they thought that may be.
Fuck! This was it. The carefully constructed bubble I’d built around Tess since she’d saved my life had burst. I shook my head, speech evading me for a moment.
“Boss, we’re gonna need to get the recording and letter from Farid Ali to the police as soon as possible. No one knows she’s here so we’ll have a few days to think how we protect her going forward,” Franco said with a sigh.
Jonesy shook his head. “Not being funny, Franco, but it only takes one of the nurses at the hospital to see this news report and the photo of Tess. She’s hardly someone who blends into the background with all that red hair and pretty eyes. She had us guarding her the whole time, and the boss was there night and day. It won’t take long before they come looking for her here, or at the hotel. They’ll either think Tess has met the same fate as that other poor girl, or she’s involved in her death somehow. Either way, the police won’t fail to act if they get reports she went home with the boss.”
Jonesy was correct: the police had no choice but to act—and quickly. We couldn’t be complacent about this, not anymore.
“Lucas, I need you to take the letter and recording to the police force that’s dealing with this investigation. Obviously, we need to deliver it anonymously, but I want it done tonight, in case Tariq and Hassan Akbar try to make a run for it.”
“Okay, boss, I’m on it. It’ll take about three hours by car, give or take. There’s the foster mother, too. Has anyone contacted her to see if the police have been in touch? She might be able to tell us if the boys in blue have had anything to say about Tess.”
“I called her about ten minutes ago on the burner phone you gave her, but either she didn’t have it on her, or she was with the police and couldn’t talk. I can try her again now,” Kevin told me, tapping the keyboard and putting the call on speakerphone.
“Hello?” Jean answered in a tearful voice.
“Hello, Jean, it’s Kolya. I assume from the sound of your voice you have received news of the body the police have found. I am so sorry for your loss.”
I heard Jean choke back a sob before trying to clear her throat.
“The police have just left. They were here over an hour this time, asking me the same questions over and over. I have to go to the station later and make another statement about when I last saw the girls. I already did that when they first went missing. I don’t know why they’d think I’d change my statement now. If they’d been bothered enough to act when Tess first told them what Sarah was doing with those men, then she’d still be alive.”
Je
an started crying again, so I let her have a few moments, saddened beyond belief that this poor, caring woman was alone in her grief. Suddenly, I had an idea.
“Jean, my team and I have been collecting evidence against these men. I’m sending one of my guards, Lucas, to deliver it to the station. He needs to do so anonymously, so as not to implicate us. We are linked to Tess, so if it was found to have come from us, it could cast her in an unfavourable light as far as the investigation goes. If Lucas could accompany you into the station, he could find a way to leave it unseen. If we post the evidence we risk losing it, and the delay would allow these men to go into hiding.”
“Yes, of course, it needs to be delivered straight to them. He could pick me up and escort me inside the station. I could make some comment about him being a good neighbour for dropping me off or something. To be honest, those on the front desk generally seem quite ignorant, like they hate doing that job so don’t want to make an effort. Or because they’ve seen so many drunken fools they can’t wait for their shift to be over. It would take them a while to notice if someone had left something.”
“Perfect. I will make sure Lucas has your number and address. He should be there in around three hours. I would feel better if you had someone with you tonight. He cannot stay at your home in case the police come back, but I am happy to book a suite in a nearby hotel for you both.”
“I don’t want to be a burden, Kolya. I know you’re a very busy man. I’m glad you have Tess with you. I know I can’t say anything to the police about her whereabouts, but knowing she’s safe means everything to me. I have a place in my heart for all the children I’ve fostered over the years. But Sarah and Tess…”
Jean began to cry again, but I didn’t have time to give her words of comfort. I made my apologies and once again expressed my sorrow over her loss, then made my way to the study to retrieve the package for Lucas. I wanted this done as quickly as possible, so he needed to leave immediately.
