“What the hell would make you think that?” she asked in stupefaction. He shrugged in embarrassment.
“I haven’t really ever been around a pregnant woman before so I don’t know, do I?”
Sophie threw her head back and laughed until she cried then she reached out and took his head in her hands, cradling it against her stomach.
“Don’t worry child, I’m still that into you,” she said.
***
Elijah put on his jacket and checked the pockets for his keys as Solomon watched. He was off to play poker with his cronies from work and Samuel.
“I shouldn’t be back too late. Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” he said to Solomon.
“Don’t worry about me Grandpa; I have that research I need to do on the internet. To see if I can get into art school?” he continued when Elijah lifted an enquiring brow at him.
“Okay then, good luck with that. And if you need any help, I’m always here Sol. You’ll remember that?” Elijah asked beetling his brows at his grandson.
“How can I forget? You and Sophie keep reminding me,” Solomon said wryly.
Elijah smiled, saluted him and left. Solomon watched him go with an affectionate smile then turned to go to the study. Tony had a computer in there which he had said Solomon could use at any time. He had said something about getting him a laptop soon but what with one thing and another it hadn’t exactly been on the forefront of anyone’s mind. Solomon shrugged inwardly and went to see what he could dig up on art schools. It was a bit overwhelming to think about, every thought and action he’d taken in the past nine years had been regulated by someone else. It felt strange to just do this without asking anyone or having someone asking what he was doing.
“One step at a time Star,” he told himself then stopped short. That’s what his friends had called him in New Orleans; Star – short for Starship. That’s what his sister called him…because his mother had called him that.
“Mr. Solomon? Is everything okay?” her voice said from behind him and he turned slowly to look at Katarina. His mouth twisted in the vestige of a smile.
“I seem to have these flashes of memory every time you’re near. Do you think they’re related?” he asked her semi-seriously.
“Perhaps. I am a being of mysterious power after all,” Katarina said straight faced, surprising Solomon so much that his jaw dropped open.
“She kids. Who knew?” he said not particularly to her.
“She jokes, she kids, she cooks, she cleans,” Katarina said, further surprising Solomon. She laughed out loud at the look on his face. “Don’t worry. I haven’t been body snatched. I may have taken some of that excellent brandy in the cabinet to give me courage.”
“Courage for what?” Solomon asked, one brow raised.
“You have beautiful eyebrows,” Katarina noted quietly. “So elegant.”
“Thank you. Maybe you should go lie down before you say something…else you might regret later.” Solomon asked, torn between laughter and bemusement.
“And such a gentleman. Always looking after people,” Katarina continued like she hadn’t heard him.
“I appreciate the compliments,” Solomon said coming toward her and taking her hand. “Come let me take you to your cottage. Where’s Sam?”
“He’s asleep,” Katarina said allowing him to tow her. “He ate his sandwich and drank his milk. I told him to have a nap and he said okay. He asked if he could draw with you when he woke up and I said that he could if he slept for one hour. And he obeyed. He did that for you. Why can’t he do it for me?”
“Wow, how much brandy did you have?” Solomon asked leading her down the path to her cottage. She pulled her hand out of his grasp and stood resolutely on the path, swaying from side to side. Solomon put out his hands to catch her should she fall but left them hovering in mid air. She looked fairly stable.
“Answer me!” she demanded.
“What?” Solomon asked.
“What is it about you that makes him follow you around like that?” she asked desperately.
Solomon thought about it. “It’s not me I don’t think; it’s the drawing. His mind doesn’t work the same as…everyone else’s.”
“Tell me about it.”
“So drawing I think is his conduit and when he sees me drawing, he’s teaching himself. He’s learning how to use this medium to communicate. I think. I’m not sure. I don’t know shit really. I’m just a kid who’s been in a mental hospital with no real memories of my own. So…maybe I can relate to his feeling of isolation. I don’t know.” Solomon finished with a shrug.
Katarina stared at him like she was discovering the secrets to the universe. “You’re so wise. Why are you so wise? And good looking?”
Solomon grinned. “You’re not so bad yourself. Come on let me take you to your cottage.”
Instead Katarina turned off the path and flopped down on the garden bench.
“I try so hard, but I feel like I’m failing with him. I feel like I’m a failure as a mother,” she told Solomon miserably.
“Welcome to the club darlin’. We all feel like failures at something,” Solomon said sitting next to her and putting an arm on the bench behind her. Katarina narrowed her eyes at him in censure.
“That’s not very consoling,” she accused.
“Tough. I’m not here to console you or join your pity party,” Solomon said making Katarina open her eyes wide at him. “Nobody’s perfect honey. Deal with it.”
“You call me all these terms of endearment but you’re mean to me,” Katarina sulked. Solomon laughed at her and then stopped, head inclined to one side and a smile on his face.
“You’re such a cute drunk,” he said. She hit him on the shoulder pouting prettily.
“I’m not drunk!” she cried.
“Sure honey. Now are you going to let me take you to lie down or what?”
“Carry me?” she asked and then hiccupped and gasped, eyes wide at her own daring.
“I thought you’d never ask,” Solomon said picking her up as if she weighed nothing. She placed her hands on his chest pressing gently.
“You’re so hard. Are you hard all over?” she whispered.
“Oh sister, you do not want to go there,” Solomon said, strain in his voice. Katarina peered up at him, studying his face so closely that he blushed.
“You have the most…interesting face,” she told him.
“Oh God help me,” Solomon said mostly to himself. He carried her into her house and deposited her on the sofa.
“Get some rest, I’ll see you later,” he told her.
“Aren’t you going to stay?” she protested, pulling weakly at his hand.
“Oh Jesus,” Solomon murmured.
“You take the Lord’s name in vain a lot,” she noted.
“Well it’s that or taking other things which you are in no position to give in your current state so please let my hand go so I can leave.”
“You sound scared,” Katarina said, keeping a light hold on his hand. He could easily have disengaged it if he wanted to.
“Oh I am. I’m terrified right now.”
“Terrified?” Katarina asked smiling as she ran her finger up his arm. He closed his eyes. “Why are you terrified?”
“I don’t want us to do something that you might regret when you’re sober.”
Katarina laughed and laid back, eyes closed. “Why would I regret it?” she whispered.
“Oh Jesus fucking Christ on a bicycle,” Solomon breathed.
Katarina giggled and her hand dropped. She was asleep. Solomon closed his eyes and breathed in and out for a bit. Then he took the small blanket that lay folded on the seat and covered her with it.
“I will see you later…Katarina,” he whispered to her and then left, closing the door securely behind him. That had been too close. Maybe he ought to take a leaf out of Katarina’s book and have himself a drink too. He shook his head.
“Eyes on the prize my boy,” he told himself as he headed to
the study, adjusting the fit of his pants as he went and cursing everything.
Chapter 7
The boat drew up against the quay at six pm. Tony and Sophie were already changed for dinner. Tony had tried to persuade Sophie to go home but she would not be dissuaded from coming with him.
“Your battles are my battles. You’re not going to face this alone,” she said and would brook no further comment on the matter.
“I married a crazy woman,” Tony grumbled but he could not quite hide his smile.
“You will deal,” Sophie told him snaking her arm into his. He smiled at her and she smiled back.
***
Roman Petrov was standing in the second floor manager’s office looking over the accounts with Crowley when he heard the step. He did not have to turn around to know who was standing there but he did anyway – because it didn’t do to keep your back facing this man.
“Kos,” he said.
“Roman,” Kos replied.
“What can I do for you today?” Roman asked.
“I am hearing rumors Roman, about the police and charges being leveled against us.”
“Where did you hear that?”
“And here you are; operating from your son’s office. I thought he didn’t know about your side in his business.”
“He gave this business to me to run for him.”
“Just like that?”
“Yes,” Roman said looking Kos coldly in the eye.
“It is a trap,” Kos said with certainty.
“No, it isn’t.”
“You know this for sure?”
“Yes I do.”
“What about the police?”
“My son thought he was being embezzled and he involved some auditors. But we fixed it and the police were not called. In fact, he was so grateful for my help he gave me this outlet to run.”
Kos smiled and nodded. “Well done then Roman. In that case, my cut increases to 50% of all business transacted here, plus 100% of the money laundering.”
“As you wish,” Roman said.
Kos nodded his head, studied Roman thoughtfully for a minute and then left. Crowley came to stand next to Roman, watching him go.
“You think you convinced him?” he asked Roman.
“No,” Roman said with a sigh.
“So now what?”
“Now…we wait and see what happens,” Roman said and turned back to the books. “Come, we have work to do,” he said.
***
Cara set out the plates on the table, trying to ignore the shaking in her hands. Mikhail was sitting in the corner seemingly absorbed in the evening paper but Cara knew better. They were both nervous about tonight and what would happen when Anton confronted his father. Roman had been so set in not letting Anton know a single thing about the dark things that crawled beneath the neat façade of their lives but now he had caught a glimpse of it, he wouldn’t rest until he knew it all. Would Roman really tell him or would he do as he had vowed to if it ever came to light and cut him off forever? Were they right to facilitate this confrontation or should they just have left well enough alone?
“We’re doing the right thing, aren’t we?” she asked her husband of thirty years.
“I don’t know Cara,” He replied shaking his head.
“Well…I guess it’s too late now,” Cara said as they heard the bell over the door toll as someone opened the door.
“Mik?” Roman’s voice drifted down the stairs.
“Down here,” Mikhail replied and they heard Roman’s footsteps descending.
He reached the bottom of the stairs and nodded to Cara and then he looked from one to the other. “What is wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing is the matter Roman, why do you always assume something’s wrong?” Mikhail said standing up and gesturing for Roman to step fully into the room. “Dinner is almost ready. Let me pour you a vodka, calm those nerves of yours.”
Roman said nothing but let himself be propelled forward and grasped the glass that Cara put in his hand. The frown did not leave his forehead however.
“Sit,” Mikhail said practically depositing him in the seat. Roman let himself be seated but as soon as Mikhail had also sat back down he turned to him with a stern expression.
“Okay, now tell me what is wrong,” he said
Mikhail sighed with resignation. “Your son knows.”
Roman leaned forward and the grooves in his forehead got deeper. “What does he know exactly?”
“How Anastasia and Vladimir died for one,” Mikhail said.
Roman cast Mikhail a sharp glance but said nothing just looked at him like he wanted him to continue. “That’s mostly it,” Mikhail said.
“How did he take it?” Roman asked after a long silence.
“He took it pretty well considering,” Mikhail said.
“I see. And he did not ask to see me?”
“As a matter of fact, he did. He’s coming over tonight to talk to you.”
Roman glared at him and Mikhail stared back in defiance. They heard the car pull up outside and both looked up at the same time.
“I have nothing to say to him Mik,” Roman said.
“Well then you tell him that,” Mikhail said and nodded his head for Cara to let Tony in. Roman’s eyes narrowed but he said nothing. Cara went up the stairs and let Tony and Sophie in and then came down, with them following in her wake.
“Papa,” Tony said stopping short as he came into the room.
“Anton,” Roman replied, then he turned to Sophie and nodded, “Your name is Sophia?” he asked. It was the first time he’d ever spoken directly to her.
Sophie hesitated, opened her mouth to correct him and then shrugged and nodded.
“I congratulate you on your marriage, you got a good man there,” Roman said. Tony laughed bitterly at that.
“No thanks to you,” he said. Roman studied him critically but said nothing.
“What do you want of me?” he said finally when the silence had gotten so thick you could slice it.
“The truth,” Tony said.
“The truth? Ha! What is that?” Roman said derisively.
“Something you’re not too familiar with I imagine,” Tony said.
Roman paced thoughtfully around the room. “You with your judgment; you stand there and say things to me when you have no idea-“
He cut himself off, turning abruptly to pick up his glass of vodka and drain it. “I don’t have time for this,” he said brushing past Sophie on his way up the stairs. Tony grabbed hold of his shoulder, a fierce expression on his face. Roman faced him coldly, looking him in the eye.
“What? You would fight your father?”
“If that’s what it takes.”
Roman twisted his shoulder out of Tony’s grasp and inclined his head in acknowledgement. “You have a right to the truth; but I am not going to be the one to give it to you. I’m sorry Antonov, son of Roman, but you are just going to have to be satisfied with that.”
Tony stared at his father for a long time and then nodded his head in acknowledgement.
“Okay then Papa; I respect your right to keep your secrets. But stay, let’s eat.”
Roman looked him in the eye, studying his face, looking for lies. He nodded his head and then turned back to the table. “Let’s eat then,” he said.
Tony and Sophie drifted to the table and Sophie let out a breath slowly, that had escalated and then de-escalated fast! She thought. She wondered why Roman felt that he couldn’t tell Tony the truth especially since he practically knew it all anyway. But Tony was right, tonight was not the night to press things. Slowly and carefully was the way to go. She smiled at Roman, moving from Tony’s side to sit next to him.
“So, announcement,” she declared smiling at him, trying to defuse the tension in the room.
Cara looked at her expectantly while both Mikhail and Roman poured more vodka in their glasses. Tony just sat woodenly not looking at anyone.
“I’m pregnant,” Sophie s
aid. Everyone at the table froze in shock. Roman looked up, staring at her, eyes wide.
“What did you say?” he asked.
“I said I’m expecting,” Sophie said and then took a deep breath, smiling nervously.
Roman looked at Tony. “Is that why you married her? You got her pregnant?”
Tony grasped his cutlery so hard he bent the fork. His mouth was a thin harsh line and Sophie was afraid he would literally explode.
“I’m six weeks along actually, so no,” Sophie said. Roman glanced at her in surprise. He hadn’t been expecting her to speak again. He stared, open mouthed at his daughter in law and then nodded his head with a wry smile.
“My felicitations. May your pregnancy be healthy and free of troubles. And may your children prosper.”
“That’s a nice thing to say. Is it a traditional blessing?” Sophie asked.
“No. It is what my brother said to me when I told him my wife was pregnant,” Roman replied. Mikhail smiled.
“I think it’s something the Scots say…is it Cara? At least it sounds like it,” he said.
“It does sound like it, but I can’t guarantee that you’re right,” Cara said smiling back.
“Well anyway, we had two healthy children and at least one of them has prospered,” Roman said. His voice was flat without intonation and Sophie did not know how to respond to it.
“I have indeed prospered in recent times. I married the woman of my dreams and we’re having a child together. What more could a man ask for?”
“What indeed,” Roman agreed eyes on his plate.
“Well…”Sophie said. “This is nice.” She drew in a breath and then sighed, eyes on her plate.
***
“Well that was awkward,” Sophie said as they walked arm in arm to the car.
“That was a farce of biblical proportions,” Tony agreed.
“It was a start. We had a conversation, your dad talked to me – he congratulated us on the baby. Y’all had vodka together. We finished a whole meal. This is progress,” Sophie said.
“You always were a glass-half-full type person,” Tony said affectionately.
“I always was? You mean since you knew me when I was in pigtails?”
“Girl I knew you before you knew yourself.”
You Complete Me: A BWWM Single Parent Older Couple Romance (Brothers From Money Book 1) Page 18
