Vindication- Ties That Bind

by Patricia Kasdan

  Travis followed her to the kitchen area laughing the entire time. “This sums up the day I have had or should I say we?”

  “I would have to agree. My day wasn’t stellar.”

  They both reached for the paper towel at the same time. When his hand touched hers, her stomach did a flip-flop. She froze where she stood, looking up into his eyes.

  She felt the tips of his fingers slowly move up her forearm. The sensation sent chills up her spine. He stopped just below her elbow and ran his fingers back down her arm. His other hand came up and slid up her arm past her shoulder and up the back of her neck, his fingers sliding through her hair like a comb. Moving ever so slowly he backed her up against the wall.

  She could see the desire in his eyes and fell the heat radiating off his body. Her own breath quickening as the distance between them lessened. He leaned down taking her face in his two hands and lightly brushed his lips across hers.

  It had been so long; she had forgotten how a kiss could make you feel. Inhaling sharply, she ran her hand up from his waist across the expanse of his chest. Oh yes, even firmer then I imagined. She extended her body and came up on her tiptoes. When he tried to kiss her gently again, she nipped at his lower lip.

  This sent a spark flying through his eyes. He leaned down and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he kissed her harder. Their hunger taking over. He carried her to the sofa and she unhooked her legs. Taking his hand in hers, she leads him through the short hall and into her bedroom.

  He turned her towards him and was walking her backward to the bed when she put both hands on his chest to stop him.

  “The lights, I want the lights on. I want to see every inch of you.”

  His laugh was full of lust. “Oh Krista, what have I gotten myself into?”

  With a flirtatious laugh, she said, “Let’s take that wine-soaked shirt off you, and you can find out.”

  She turned the light on low, and they both tumbled into bed.

  24

  Long Island 1978

  Anton did everything in his power to push down the words bouncing around his head. He couldn’t seem to shake loose what Isabella’s parents had spewed at him. He always thought of Stony Brook University as a good school. One where he could receive an excellent education and then go out into the world and prove himself. It was a good school. Doctors were born there, scientists, as well as business majors.

  His father was always saying that it was people with degrees that screwed this country up. Something Anton never believed. He thought it was the people with an education that raised the country up. He was going to be one of the people doing the raising and making a bundle doing so.

  He was sitting at the kitchen table, chewing on his thumbnail when his mother walked into the room.

  “Anton, what is wrong? You look like your dog just ran away.”

  “Nothing mom, I’m okay.”

  She pulled out a chair next to him and sat. “Nothing? I know that look. What happened?”

  “I’m just thinking about what I need to do for school. I’ll figure it out. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

  She stood up looking down at him, she knew there was more to it than what he was saying. Taking her hand, she ran it down the back of his head saying, okay, if you want to tell me what’s really going on, I’m here.”

  “I know, mom, you always are. I think I’m going to call Jeff and see if wants to work out.”

  The first words out of Anton’s mouth were “Tramp, you still got that six pack on ice? Jeff’s eyes squinted, and a look of confusion came over his face. “Wait, what? Why?", was all he could manage to say. Anton answered him by saying, Isabell’s parents, “Don’t you think they have their heads up their ass?”

  “We get along, but I think that’s only because my parents are good friends with the Welsea’s. Our families have been friends since before Isabella, and I were born,” said Jeff.

  “Your parents are so different then hers, yours don’t judge me on where I live or where I work, the car I drive and where the hell I want to go to school.”

  Jeff shook his head and said, “Yeah, my parents are cool like that. What happened? What did they do?”

  Anton took Jeff through all of the gory details without missing a condescending word. Jeff couldn’t believe these were the same people he knew all his life but didn’t doubt Anton for a second. Living the life in the Hampton, Jeff knew that meant everything to most who lived here. He couldn’t help but gloat. If he couldn’t have her maybe Anton wouldn’t either.

  “Look man, with your grades you should apply to Harvard with me,” said Jeff.

  “Damn Jeff, you too? What Stony Brook University isn’t good enough for you either?” Anton stood there clenching his fists and cracking his neck, He looked at Jeff dead on, his voice booming like thunder. “You can go to hell; I didn’t think you of all people would side with the Welsea’s. Damn, I am going to be in so much debt from Stony Brook, how the hell do you think I would pay for Harvard?”

  “Calm the hell down,” Jeff yelled back, “Go to freaking community college if you want I don’t care, but it sure the hell seems like you do.”

  Anton saw the frustration on Jeff’s face and thought he was way off base. “Sorry Tramp, this entire situation has my brain hurting.”

  “Anton, do you have any idea how hard I work for my grades, to keep my parents off my ass? Unlike you, I study, not because I want to, because I have no other choice. I wish I had what you had.” Jeff confessed.

  “Me, you want what I have, seriously man, what are you on? You have everything and anything you ask for and even things you don’t, what the freak can I have that you want?”

  The look on Anton’s face made Jeff laugh, “Yeah, you asshole, you don’t even study, and you ace everything. You’re going places in this world, that what my father tells me every time he sees you. Truthfully, I’m sick of hearing it," Jeff sneered. “I have always had to work my ass off to get the grades I do. With your grades, you could get into Harvard, they would pay you to attend, and with all of the grants and financial aid available, it would probably cost you less to go there than if you went to Stony Brook. You should at least apply.” Thinking to himself, How the hell else am I going to use you for business if I can’t get anyone to take you seriously? A state school education, I don’t think so.

  Anton was still trying to get a handle on what Jeff had said to him. He shook his head, rubbing his eyes then pushed his hair back. “What the hell, it can’t hurt.”

  “No, it can’t. I got a football scholarship, so I’m in. We could go into business after we get our degree.” With his plan coming together, Jeff would show his father exactly who it was that was ‘going places.'

  25

  Brooklyn 1978

  Trying to find people to buy into his potato scam was the hardest part of the con. Wanting to stay off the Russian’s radar and stay alive was the key. After a lot of back and forth between himself and Ivan, Nikolay decided the best way would be to go to bars and talk up the drunks. They purposely stayed away from the Russian establishments. They went into the Irish pubs that lined the streets in Bedford Park.

  “Ivan, you know these Irish, we won’t have to get them drunk, they’ll be half in the bag by twelve in the afternoon.”

  “You sure this is the way you want to go? We could be walking into a hornet's nest.”

  “Since when did you turn into a spineless jellyfish?”

  “Spineless my ass, I’ve heard what Eddie the Butcher does to people that cross him.”

  “We’re not even in our neighborhood. No one knows us around here. We go in and get out quick. They won’t know what hit them.”

  The pub sat facing two streets on the tip of a triangle. The weather-worn red brick that covered the building was a testament to the age of the building. You would have to be blind to miss the enormous green neon shamrock sign with a bright yellow arrow as it wrapped around the bottom and pointed to the b
uilding. Even greener neon formed Kelly’s Pub as it sat inside the shamrock, blinking away. There wasn’t anything special about this pub. They all looked the same to Nikolay.

  To Nikolay’s amazement, the music that rang out from the jukebox wasn’t just Irish music; there was a mix of rock. The entire bar was hazed over by cigarette smoke, with a hint of ale filling the air. Not one patron looked up when they walked in. The barmaid was standing at the end of the bar, leaning on her elbow, flipping through a magazine. Nikolay noticed her thick wavy blonde hair that cascaded down her curvy body like a waterfall.

  Ivan took a step closer to Nikolay saying, “We're not here for that now, keep it in your pants.”

  “Fuck off. I know why we are here. Just follow me, I have an idea.” As they walked up to the bar, she closed the magazine, looked up and smiled. A smile that didn’t reach her bright amber eyes. “Hey baby, whatcha got on tap?”

  “Me amn’t you baby, me name is Kathleen, what yee be after?”

  “Hmm, a feisty one.” The corner of Nikolay’s mouth almost met his nose he smirked so hard. He couldn’t help but think how much fun it would be to tame this one. His eyes traveled from those amber eyes and settled on her ample breast. “Two ales.”

  Nikolay threw money on the bar, took his mug and purposely found a table close to the barmaid. As they sat, Nikolay leaned into Ivan saying, “Follow my lead.”

  Ivan slightly nodded his head.

  “We need to get some buyers.”

  “If we have to, we can unload everything for at a seventy- five percent discount. That should spark some interest.”

  “Yeah, even if they unload the rubles for twice the money, they buy for, they’ll still make a bundle.”

  “Twice, they could get three times as much, with a snap of a finger.”

  “We should hold off selling. We could be making the money, not others.”

  “I told you, if we don’t pay them by the end of the week, one of us will be taking our last breath. It's not going to be me.”

  “Fine, a seventy-five percent discount will help us move everything and keep us alive.”

  Nikolay could tell she was listening. She had gone back to reading her magazine, without turning a single page. She went from standing to leaning on her elbows. He figured to get a little closer, to hear what they were saying. His hope was that she would go back and talk to the others that were at the pub or would be later.

  As Kathleen listened, her heart picked up a beat. This is what she needed. This would get her out of this horrid place and be able to stand on her own.

  When she came to America, this is not how she had imagined to would be. The streets were an ugly place. She had dreams, dreams of opening her very own shop. A natural healing shop, where people could come and find products for an alternative to modern medicine. A place of serenity, calming and uplifting. Herbs and crystals would stock the shelves, and the air scented from incense.

  Working in a pub was not the plan. It was only supposed to be until she raised enough money. She had been putting every penny away that she could, even renting a room above the pub to save even more. It still wasn’t enough. She needed more. This she thought, this was the answer to all of her prayers.

  Nikolay saw her eyes brighten and the look of surprise on her face. I got her, he thought, downing his drink, he walked up to the bar and put the glass down. “I’ll have another.”

  “Me hear what yee say. Me not be listening on purpose, yee speak loud. Can yee help me? Me have some money put away.”

  “Not here, I can meet you after your shift. Bring your money, and we can talk.”

  “Me here until seven tonight.”

  “You know the hamburger joint over on Seventh? Be there by 8:00, I won’t wait a minute past.”

  “Me be there.”

  “If you know what’s good for you, you won’t mention this meeting to anyone.”

  He threw money on the bar, looking at Ivan, cock his head towards the door. Turning back towards Kathleen and said, “8:00.”

  Once outside he ran down the details of his conversation with Kathleen. “Twenty minutes, we were in there for only twenty minutes and got a fish on the hook. Just think about the money we’ll reel in.”

  “Let’s hope she doesn’t say anything to anyone else. We don’t need her bringing a friend to talk her out of it.”

  “I told her to come alone, that’s why I pick the burger joint. She’ll feel safer.”

  “Depending on how much cash she has on her, we may be able to offload everything.”

  “Everything? If that’s the case, I’ll just go buy more potatoes.” Nikolay couldn’t catch his breath he laughed so hard.

  26

  Snoop

  Jeff ended his call with Krista, called for his car to be brought around, he grabbed his coat and was out the door. His new chauffeur was standing at the curb with the car door open when he exited his building. As he was getting back behind the wheel and closing his door, Jeff barked out, “Take me to Doltz.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  When they arrived, Jeff didn’t wait for his chauffeur to open the door. He pushed the door open and exited the car. Without looking over his shoulder, he said, “Wait for me.”

  He walked past the receptionist and straight into Doltz’s office. Without even a hello he bellowed, “We need to end this, Doltz.”

  “Close the door and lower your voice. I have clients out there, and don’t slam it.”

  Jeff glared at Doltz but closed the door. He dropped himself into the visitor's chair with a huff. He scrubbed his face with both hands, and he looked over to Doltz’s and again said, “We need to end this.”

  “End what? What do WE need to do now?”

  “I just got off the phone with Krista. She’s hanging on like a rabid dog, one that needs to be put down.”

  “I did what I could and not to mention, Evan didn’t get out, so I’m not sure what you want me to do.”

  “Her parents, she won’t let go of her parents.”

  “Did you expect her too?”

  “Yes Damn it, exactly, that is what I expected.”

  “As you said, she’s in a dangerous profession, and she is snooping around Camden, not a very safe place.”

  “Let me figure this out. It has to happen this week, before the shipment. It has to look like an accident, a happenstance. It can’t be linked back to us.”

  “We could hand her over to the Russians. We let them know she the granddaughter of Nikolay; they’d do the job for us.”

  “Are you crazy? They find out we are having problems with the FBI and the DEA; we’ll be the ones they do the job on. She’ll be the least of our worries. We take care of this ourselves. I’m not ending up in a vat of acid.”

  Jeff thought back to the stories he heard about Anton’s father, Nikolay. Not wanting Anton to know that Jeff family was connected to the Bratva, he never shared them with Anton. He always figured that one day he’d find out where Anton’s father hid the millions he swindled out from the Bratva. Krista was his last hope, and now he was going to have to squash that. I’d rather be alive and not know, he thought.

  Thinking back to what his family had told him, Jeff knew that Nikolay tapped into a con that the Brava had going on. When they found out, they ended him.

  27

  Rosa

  As she pulled into the parking lot, a shiver ran down her spine. Krista had put many felons behind bars, never giving it a second thought. The fact that her brother was behind those cold institutional walls made her heartache. She knew she would have to be processed through, like any of the other visitors she saw entering the building, FBI or not. She wasn’t going to question an inmate, but to visit her brother. Not wanting to leave her firearm in her car, she took her badge and slid it into her outside pocket. It was only 7:30 in the morning and people were flowing into the building like a broken water main.

  When she walked in, an officer immediately escorted her to a side room. “Special age
nt, I presume you have your sidearm. What inmate are you visiting?”

  “This isn’t work-related, it’s personal. I didn’t want to leave my piece in the car. I’m here to see Evan Levell, my brother.”

  The officer raised his eyebrows just enough to tick Krista off. Inhaling sharply, she calmly said, “Life is full of surprises, good and bad.”

  “Understood, I need to see your ID and secure your sidearm. Are you on the visitor's list?”

  “Yes, I called yesterday. He’s in the Special Housing Unit (SHU).”

  “I see, you’re right here. Fill out this paperwork, and I’ll get you in.”

  Sitting in the waiting room to see her brother, felt surreal. Never in a million years would she had guessed the path her brother’s life would take. She thought of her parents and life that was stolen from them.

  Their mother and father were great parents. She could picture them the summer before the accident when they spent the day at West Hampton beach.

  Her father Anton, barbecuing, there was music filling the air as the waves crashing on the shoreline, life was perfect.

  Anton laughed as he said, “Evan, bring me a beer and come help me barbecue. We need to get the ladies fed before they start getting cranky,”

  Evan tried to swat Krista with a towel saying, “Be right there, we definitely don’t want to deal with a cranky Krista." Jumping out of the way before it made contact, with one eye open a little more than the other, she said, “I always was and always will be faster than you Ev, when will you learn little brother?” With a smirk on her face, she swatted at him and got him good.

  “Little brother! Excuse me; we share the same birthday. It’s just because you are so little; you can move fast. I, on the other hand, have so much muscle, it weighs me down," Evan said as he straightened his back and shook his head to and fro looking like a bobble head.