Whatever It Takes
Page 39
“So where’s our first stop?” Zain asked. “You didn’t tell me much other than we were driving north.”
“Edinburgh. Three days there and then we go into the highlands. Just have a place to stop off on the way that old Helen said wasn’t to be missed at any cost.”
Zain huffed. “Did you know there’s a place called Dull in Perthshire. Can we go there?”
Roman chuckled. “Maybe.”
“It’s twinned with Boring in Oregon. So we have to go there as well.”
“Why not?” They’d planned a trip to Oregon and Zain had already booked the ten days off, though whether he’d be able to take them was another matter. The National Health Service was notoriously fickle when it came to rotas.
“We’re not going to Gretna Green are we?” Zain suddenly asked. “Because I didn’t pack my tux.”
“No, we’re not going to Gretna Green.” Though Roman did have a small box ready to produce at the right moment. The top of a mountain, assuming he could persuade Zain to walk up there.
Both he and Zain had indefinite leave to remain in the UK, which kept them safe as long as they didn’t leave the country for an extended period. After Roman’s ill-advised offer to marry Zain so he could stay in the UK, marriage hadn’t been brought up. In any case, Roman marrying him would probably have made no difference.
Zain had never mentioned marriage. That quip about Gretna Green was the closest he’d ever got. They ought to discuss it. Maybe before Roman pulled out that box.
“Will we be going to a castle?” Zain asked.
“Yes. A couple.”
“Do you think it’s a castle Helen wants us to see?”
“I don’t know. She said it was a surprise.” Roman had put the postcode and town into the satnav and they were about five miles away.
“Probably standing stones. I know how much you like those. We are not taking one home. We already have enough rocks to build a wall. When the floor gives way, I bet the insurance will get shirty over your collection.”
“You’re the one who keeps picking up ordinary pebbles and persuading me to take them home. You’re a menace on the beach. Oh look, Roman. The holes in that rock make it look as if it’s a face. No, they didn’t. Oh, is that a fossil? No, it wasn’t.”
“I did find a shark’s tooth at Herne Bay.”
“You did but you remember you thought it belonged to a dinosaur?”
“I did not.”
They bickered good-naturedly the rest of the journey.
When they eventually reached the village, there were no brown tourist signs that would indicate the presence of something of interest. Roman turned left when told to by the satnav to find himself driving up a street of fairly smart detached houses probably owned by people who commuted to Edinburgh.
“You have reached your destination,” said the satnav.
“There’s nothing here,” Zain said.
Roman pulled up, his heart pounding. Was this what he thought?
“You think we should ask someone if we’ve missed some spectacular sight?” Zain said. “Shall I go and knock on the door? Ask to see the ancient settlement in their back garden? Roman? What’s the matter?”
Oh God. Roman couldn’t move.
Zain waved his hand in front of Roman’s face. “Are you okay? What’s wrong? Need CPR?”
“Five years training and you think CPR is the answer?” He took a deep breath. “Come on.” He climbed out of the car and Zain joined him.
“This house?” Zain asked. “Did some famous rock collector live here? Still lives here? Maybe you should call Helen for more directions.”
“We don’t need directions. We’re where we need to be.”
Roman walked through the gate and they made their way to the front door. Before he knocked, he hesitated. Maybe all he was supposed to do was look. But he knocked.
Arkady opened it, looking a little older, but otherwise the same. Zain gasped. For a long moment, Roman just stared at him. Then Arkady opened his arms and Roman stepped into them. Roman was…relieved, pissed off but not surprised. Not really.
“You too,” Arkady said to Zain.
Zain moved forward and was drawn into the hug.
“Can you come in?” Arkady asked.
“I wasn’t told I couldn’t.” Roman tugged Zain with him into the house.
“Come into kitchen. Have drink. Tell me as much as you can.”
He and Zain opted for the offer of cloudy lemonade and they sat in a garden room looking out onto an immaculate lawn edged with colourful flowers.
“Your work?” Roman asked.
“I find I have a talent. Green fingers.” He laughed then shrugged. “I have to do something with my time.”
“They told us you were dead,” Roman said.
“Did you think I was?”
“Sometimes I could convince myself you were, others times I thought not.”
“Not dead thanks to you.” Arkady smiled at Zain. “Spasibo.” Thank you.
“Nichevo,” Zain replied. It was nothing.
“You teach him Russian?” Arkady looked at Roman.
“He’s very good. Almost fluent in swear words.”
Arkady laughed. “They told me your fingers kept me from bleeding to death.” He smiled at Zain. “You didn’t have to help me and you did. At one time I wanted you dead and you end up saving my life. I think a lot about that.”
“Zain’s just qualified as a doctor.”
“Congratulations.”
Zain was clinging to Roman’s hand. “We’re living in your house,” Zain blurted. “We sold your stuff. I’m sorry.”
“Not a problem.”
“I don’t understand why everyone had to think you were dead,” Zain said. “Why couldn’t you have just carried on with what you were doing so that Roman didn’t need to?”
“There were threats. I had outlived my usefulness. The FSB were pushing me.”
Roman swallowed hard. “You were working for the FSB?” That did surprise him.
“A little. Just like you.”
Oh God.
“We do what we need to do. Me dying enabled the British to take action against some of my clients. Some you knew nothing about. Ones who’d kill me if they thought I was still alive. I’m still useful to the British. I know enough for them to keep me safe.”
“But you had to give up everything,” Roman said.
“It was time.” Arkady took a deep breath. “You might not have wanted to take over but I guess they gave you no choice.”
Zain clutched Roman’s hand.
“Be careful,” Arkady said. “Don’t stay so long in this world and become so entangled that you can’t step away. They need doctors in Canada, yes? You have enough money to buy your way into America.”
“I have your money, but I thought you had a cousin in Vladivostok?”
Arkady made a dismissive gesture. “I had no one I cared for as much as you. What use is money to me here? I can’t buy anything big. I can’t do anything to draw attention to myself. It’s a half-life compared to what I had but at least I’m still alive.”
Arkady looked between them. “You tried to push me away from fire toward safety and I still kept beating at flames thinking it would be okay. You were right. I was wrong. I know what you said to them and what you didn’t say. You were always loyal and faithful.”
I wasn’t.
“Above all, I am sorry for what Dima did to your father. If I’d had any idea…”
Roman curled his fingers inside Zain’s hand.
“I failed him,” Arkady said. “I should have listened to your father but I thought I knew best. I wanted to see you before they move me again, to ask if you are happy. They say no but I insist. One last time.” Arkady smiled. “You’re still together, which tells me you must be happy.”
“We are,” Zain and Roman said at the same time and smiled at each other.
“Then some good has come from all this. My attitude…has mellowed over
time. I see what’s important in life. I play a lot of golf.” He laughed.
“Are you happy?” Roman asked.
Arkady shrugged. “I miss…things. This is third house. New name. New history. Nice widow live in village. Lonely like me. Younger. She thinks I’m retired Russian lecturer.” He chuckled. “Life is different but I feel safe here. Occasionally they come and ask more questions but they take care of me. If they don’t, we know who will. If they can find me. They have long reach and long memory.”
Roman nodded.
“You better not stay. I have few visitors. Someone might wonder. I have something for you. I’ve kept them for a long time.”
When he came back into the room, he opened his fingers and the breath caught in Roman’s throat.
“My serphinite and alexandrite.” He gave a short laugh.
“I found them in the garden and guessed they were yours. The alexandrite changes colour. Every time I looked at it, I thought of you. A chameleon.” He chuckled. “I give them back to you.”
“Thank you.”
More embraces before he and Zain walked back to the car.
“Oh my God,” Zain muttered. “I didn’t fuck up. He didn’t die.”
Roman smiled.
“And I can’t tell anyone. Shit.”
Arkady stood at the window and watched as the car pulled away from the kerb. He smiled fondly after the young man who he might have had killed who’d ended up saving his life, and the man who was more than a son who’d pushed him towards this new existence. Maybe being dead wasn’t so bad. He drained his lemonade.
The End
About the Author
Barbara Elsborg lives in Kent in the south of England. She always wanted to be a spy, but having confessed to everyone without them even resorting to torture, she decided it was not for her. Volcanology scorched her feet. A morbid fear of sharks put paid to marine biology. So instead, she spent several years successfully selling cyanide.
After dragging up two rotten, ungrateful children and frustrating her sexy, devoted, wonderful husband (who can now stop twisting her arm) she finally has time to conduct an affair with an electrifying plugged-in male, her laptop.
Her books feature quirky heroines and bad boys, and she hopes they are as much fun to read as they are to write.
She loves hearing from readers and can be contacted at bjelsborg@gmail.com If you’d like to hear about future releases please ask to be put on her mailing list.
Other books by Barbara Elsborg
Contemporary MMs
Whatever it Takes
The Story of Us
Edge of Forever
Cowboys Down
With or Without Him
Every Move He Makes
Give Yourself Away
With or Without Him
Falling (Fall and Break book 1)
Breaking (Fall and Break book 2)
Drawn In
Dirty Games
Zeke’s Wood
Paranormal MMs and MMMs
Second Chance
Archangel’s Assassin
Dirty Angel
Bloodline (Norwood book 2)
The Demon You Know (Norwood book 3)
A Faerie Story - MMM
Contemporary MMFs
Anna in the Middle
Susie’s Choice
Girl Most Likely to
Talking Trouble
Just What She Wants (novella)
Starting Over (novella)
Contemporary MFs
Strangers
Summer Girl Winter Boy
Kiss a Falling Star
An Ordinary Girl
Perfect Timing (Bedlingham brothers book 1)
Something About Polly (Bedlingham brothers book 2)
Doing the Right Thing (Mansell brothers book 1)
Finding the Right One (Mansell brothers book 2)
Digging Deeper
The Princess and the Prepper (novella)
Snow Play (novella)
On the Right Track (novella)
Short Stories (MF)
Saying Yes
The Bad Widow
The Gift
Dragon Race
Two Birds, One Stone
Romantic Suspense (MF)
Chosen
Crossing the Line
Paranormal MFs and MMFs
Perfect Trouble MF
Power of Love MF
Kiss Interrupted MF
Jumping in Puddles MF (Norwood book 1)
Rocked MMF
The Small Print MMF
Worlds Apart MMF
The Consolation Prize MF (Trueblood book 1)
Falling for You MF (Trueblood book 2)
Lightning in a Bottle MF ((Trueblood book 3)
The Misfits MMF(Trueblood book 4)
Fight to Remember MMF(Trueblood book 5)
Lucy in the Sky MF (sci fi)
Taking Stock MMF (sci fi)
Just One Bite MF novella