by Helen Bright
I couldn’t understand my reaction to this man. I’d known very few men personally—choosing to avoid them whenever I could. Seeing all the different men my mother earned her money from probably didn’t help. But I had never known a father, grandfather, uncle or any other male family member, and didn’t get on with any of the male social workers at The Willows.
Kolya seemed different. I sensed that he wouldn’t ever give me cause to doubt his intentions towards me, and even though I’d only known him a matter of hours, I felt like he was someone I could rely on. Of course, the warm, fuzzy feelings I was having towards this virtual stranger could be completely wrong. A side effect of the medication perhaps?
I pushed those thoughts aside for the moment and just enjoyed the feeling of being cared for, and as Kolya continued to stroke my cheek, I managed to fall into a long and peaceful sleep.
9
Kolya
How long had I sat on the edge of the bed, stroking her cheek? I truly did not know. Time seemed to have escaped me as I watched her eyes close when she drifted off to sleep.
I knew she was sleeping deeply, leaving no need for my soothing touch.
Yet I could not seem to stop.
Touching her was as essential to me as breathing in those few peaceful moments.
I carried on for a little while longer, marvelling at the softness of her skin. Her vibrant, coppery-red hair with its wayward curls standing out in stark contrast against the paleness of her complexion. Tess was a true beauty, naturally so.
Her youth was obvious while she lay sleeping; only when her eyes were open did she seem older. Not that she had any of the lines that appear with age, but in those dark-amber orbs you could almost see all the stress, pain, and poverty that had been her life so far.
My poor Tess. I could not believe what I was hearing when she told me about her past. The story of a child born to a drug-addict with no other family to care for her. Of how she was attacked by the man who was beating her mother. How she was placed into foster care with a genuine, caring woman, only to be taken away when fate intervened. If that wasn’t enough, she was also being hunted by despicable men who target underage girls. The fact she was recovering in a hospital bed could have made her vulnerable to those men.
I wondered, in that moment, if Tess realised how her life was about to change. She now had me to keep her safe. My protection, my wealth, my everything. If this young woman ever had a need for anything, I would see it taken care of. There wasn’t anything I would not do for her. I would move mountains, pull stars from the night sky, give her the whole world, for she deserved all of that and so much more.
After brushing my fingertips over her cheek one last time, I moved my hand away from her face, steadily getting up from my seat on the bed beside her.
I suddenly felt bereft, like I’d lost something precious—something I needed desperately. I looked around the room as if it would provide an answer as to why I felt this way. But it gave me nothing. Before I took my seat at the side of the bed, I bent low to place a chaste kiss on Tess’s cheek.
And that’s when it hit me.
An intense feeling of rightness enveloping me as my lips made contact where my fingertips had been moments earlier. I felt whole. Happy. Strong. Like I could rule the world just by being in her presence. I kept my lips in contact with her skin a few seconds longer, breathing her in, storing the scent of her to my memory.
When I finally pulled away, Tess moved her tongue over her lips before pressing them together, then sighing. She was still deep in sleep, unaware of the life-altering moment that I had just experienced. I stared down at her, unable to tear my gaze away. I knew then that Tess had not just given me my future—she would be a part of it, too. But what part she would play in my life, I did not yet know.
10
Tess
I awoke to a splashing sound which was coming from the en-suite bathroom. I carefully manoeuvred myself so I could see through the open door. Kolya stood shirtless in front of the sink as he washed his face, wearing only a pair of grey trousers.
Seeing the muscles in his tattooed back flex as he moved mesmerised me. I couldn’t tear my gaze away. When he was done he turned to retrieve something that was hanging on the back of the open door. I watched as he put on a pale-blue shirt, noting that he also had a tattoo on his left shoulder, yet none on his muscular chest and abs. I wondered what significance the body art held for him.
“Good morning, Tess. How long have you been awake?” he asked, smiling as he walked towards me.
“Not long, a few minutes at the most.”
“What would you like for breakfast? An orderly came with a menu about an hour ago. I thought I would wait until you were awake so we could eat together.”
He passed the menu along to me and I was surprised by the choice. As I read through the cooked breakfast options my stomach began to growl, and I realised I’d not eaten anything since yesterday morning. I chose a grilled full English breakfast with poached eggs, and Kolya did the same.
“I’m due in a meeting at eleven, but it’s not too far from here so I can stay until ten thirty. The doctor will be here before ten so we will know how long you need to stay in hospital. I have business in the capital today and tomorrow, so I will send Franco or Nate to sit with you. There have been no sightings of the men who were following you, but I am not willing to take any chances. They followed you to London so I do not think they will give up so easily. As soon as you are well enough to leave we will make the journey to my home near Oxford. We can go by helicopter, rather than have you sat uncomfortable in a car for an hour and forty minutes.”
“Helicopter?” I questioned, nervously.
“Yes, it will be much quicker. Barely half an hour in fact. Getting in and out of London by car is so tedious due to the many traffic jams we encounter. I always prefer to travel by helicopter wherever possible.”
I didn’t know what to say to him. I was grateful to him for caring about my physical comfort, but a helicopter?! And he said he was taking me to his home. I must have looked a little confused as he then started to explain further what would be happening.
“It is my understanding, from what you have said, that you are homeless, have no family, and have been living on the streets. Obviously, that is unacceptable, and as I told you yesterday, you saved my life, so I will make sure I give you a good life in return. That starts with a home and food in your belly. You can continue with your education and I will see to it that you are financially secure. I also want to make sure you are kept safe, and the best way to do that is for you to stay with me and my staff. As you are aware, I have my own guards and a security team around me at all times. Apart from that incident yesterday.”
Kolya took my hand in his and kissed my fingers once again. Looking into my eyes he said, “I wish you hadn’t been hurt, malyutka, but you saved me, so now your life is bound to mine. I will see you thrive and become strong, happy, and successful. If there is anything you need you will have it without question.”
A knock at the door interrupted Kolya as he was about to say something else. He went to the door and held it open, allowing the porter to wheel in our breakfasts.
* * *
A short time after our breakfast plates were taken away, two doctors and a nurse came into my room. A tall man with salt-and-pepper hair introduced himself as Mr Grayson, and his colleague, a beautiful Indian lady, was Dr Rath.
I found out that Mr Grayson was the surgeon that had removed the bullet from below my collarbone. He said I was lucky. As it was on my left side, if it had been a few inches lower it could have caused irreparable damage to my heart. He explained details about where the bullet entered and said that he had no difficulty removing it. He seemed to think there would be no significant nerve damage, but said I would be quite sore for some time.
Mr Grayson said that due to the amount of blood loss and my previous injuries, he would be happier if I stayed in hospital another night. He recommended phy
siotherapy to aid movement, and offered to help set up some private sessions at Kolya’s home. It appeared that he and Kolya were friends, as they began some verbal sparring about winning their next game of squash. When Mr Grayson got up to leave, Kolya followed him out of the door, telling me he would be a few moments, and that Ivan and Nate were outside the door on guard duty if I needed them.
Dr Rath began asking me questions about my pain, telling me to lift my arm in certain ways to see how my movement was affected. She advised me that I would be getting a sling to support my arm during the day, which should lessen the pain and strain on the wound site. She also said that as my stats were looking much better, she would get my catheter removed and I would be able to get up and move around.
She enquired whether I had ever been anaemic. I shook my head and said I hadn’t, as far as I was aware. Dr Rath then asked if I had heavy periods and I had to admit I did. She advised me that my blood count had been very low, even considering the blood loss from being shot, so they’d given me a transfusion during surgery. She told me they’d like to repeat my blood tests and would start me on a course of iron tablets if needed, then asked if I would like to discuss starting on a contraceptive pill—to regulate my periods and make them less heavy. She said she would be more than happy to talk to me about it before I left.
Kolya came back into the room so I once again shook my head, saying nothing. I didn’t want to talk about periods, contraceptives or anything of that nature in front of a man.
He stood at the end of my bed and stared at me.
He seemed tense, and for a time bore no movement apart from his heavy breathing. I didn’t ask what was wrong; I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. But something told me it had a lot to do with what he and Mr Grayson had discussed after they had left the room. No doubt confidentiality about medical records and past admissions went out of the window when someone was paying for hospital treatment at one of the best private hospitals in the country.
I shivered—suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable, but while I was here there was very little I could do about it. I’d told Kolya what had happened to me when I was attacked by Philip Casey, but if he’d had it explained by a doctor, or seen it in writing, I suppose it would sound much worse than it did when I skirted around the story.
“Do not fear me, malyutka. I have told you before, I will never hurt you,” Kolya said as he came towards me. Dr Rath, who was still busy marking something off my hospital chart, looked up at Kolya as he spoke.
“Dr Rath, may I have a word with Tess for a moment? I have to leave for a meeting shortly and I will be gone most of the day,” he said rather abruptly.
“Tess?” Doctor Rath questioned. This surprised me really, as Dr Rath was obviously not phased at all by Kolya’s very commanding presence. Her petite stature seemed to grow a little in height when she sensed my apprehension.
“It’s okay, Dr Rath, thank you.” I smiled, hoping to alleviate any concerns she had for my welfare. She picked up the rest of my charts and with one last look back at Kolya, she left the room.
I felt empowered by Dr Rath’s actions. Looking Kolya in the eyes I told him, “Go on then, get it over with. Something you’ve been told has pissed you off. Spit it out, Mr Barinov, instead of growling at the staff.”
He seemed taken aback, either by my words or the fact that I called him by his surname. I had shocked him, but he didn’t look angry. He just looked sad. Now anger I could have taken. I was used to seeing that. But he looked like he just felt sorry for me. I couldn’t take that look, so I turned my head as much as I could without causing myself any pain and whispered, “Just leave me alone… Please?”
He hesitated for a moment and I thought he would do as I asked. Instead, he sat on the edge of the bed and lifted my right hand, kissing each of my fingertips. It was something he’d done before but this time, his kisses lingered on each finger. He then took my hand and laid it against his cheek
“Do not be angry with me, little one. I know you told me all about yourself and what happened, but to see it all written down came as quite a shock. My anger is not with you, although you held much back, it seems. I am angry with the man who hurt you, even though he is dead, and I’m angry that you were ever in that situation in the first place. I’m also angry that you were placed somewhere that enables people like the men your friend was involved with to come anywhere near you. And, I am sad that you are in pain after putting your life in danger to save mine. I wish I could trade places with you right now to take your pain away.” He leaned forward and whispered softly in my ear, “I will give you the world.”
His breath was hot against my cheek as he pulled away and I turned to face him. Our faces were so close at this point, that when he leaned towards me once again, I thought he was going to kiss my lips. So I held my breath and closed my eyes. Instead, he pressed his forehead to mine, saying, “I don’t want to leave you, but I have to go.”
I kept my eyes closed as he pulled away this time. I could feel the blush creeping up my neck and cheeks, not daring to meet his eyes. I heard him gather his things together and watched him open the door. Kolya turned to say goodbye and I gave him a small wave as he left. When he was finally gone I let out a huge sigh. What the hell was wrong with me? Why did I think such a gorgeous, sophisticated, wealthy guy would want to kiss me? And why would I want him to?
I had sworn off the opposite sex with ease. I mean, if the men my mum brought home weren’t enough to put me off, the lads at school definitely had. I hadn’t had a boyfriend since I was in junior school, and I didn’t think holding hands with Craig Smith during assembly counted as having a real boyfriend.
Sarah used to wind me up about not going out with anyone, and I used to say that if Johnny Depp was to come along I would date him in a flash. Sadly, Johnny never came to visit me so I remained single. But imagining someone like Kolya Barinov wanting to kiss me was ludicrous. A homeless, inexperienced seventeen-year-old. What a catch I was. Not!
Kolya was probably just doing his bit for the poor when he was being nice to me, or trying to appease his misplaced guilt that I had been shot instead of him.
I decided to put any thoughts of my first kiss out of my mind until Johnny Depp came calling. After all, I figured there was as much chance of that as being kissed on the lips by Kolya. It did feel nice when he kissed me on the fingers, though. I wondered why he did that. Was it a Russian thing?
My thoughts were interrupted when Maria, the nurse from yesterday, came in to remove my catheter.
11
Tess
Nate stayed with me the rest of the morning. I felt comfortable with him. He was smart and funny, and we’d played checkers for an hour or so (I told him we called it draughts here in England but he said that sounded lame). He brought me a number of fashion magazines, a balloon, and a teddy with get well soon on it. I was touched by his kindness and told him so. He said that I was one of them now so I should get used to it.
Nurse Maria came by about an hour after lunch and asked if I wanted to get a bath or shower. I was desperate to go and soak in a warm bath but needed help washing my hair. I wasn’t really happy about someone seeing me naked—even when I was in hospital before I hated it. But I wanted to feel clean and I couldn’t do it myself.
Nurse Maria was very thorough when washing and conditioning my unruly hair. She had a similar hair type and said she knew how hard it was to tame.
Once I was out of the bath, Dr Rath came to examine my wound and put a clean, dry dressing over it. By this time, I was in a lot of pain. All the day’s activity had been exhausting, and strong pain medication left me drowsier still.
Nate came back and sat quietly beside my bed, reading one of the magazines he’d bought me, while I fell into a deep and restful sleep.
* * *
When I awoke, Nate had gone, and in his place was an extremely tall hulk of a man who introduced himself as Ivan. He had a strong Russian accent and seemed to be a man of few words.
“Hello, I am Ivan. You want to eat?” were the words he first greeted me with. Due to his sheer muscular bulk and furious look about his face, I wasn’t sure what to make of him. But I recalled the words that Kolya had said—that I had nothing to fear from him or his staff—so I decided to try and be friendly.
I held out my hand to him, saying, “Hello, Ivan, I’m Tess, and I am very pleased to meet you, finally. Kolya said you’ve been guarding my door. Thank you for that.”
Ivan just stared at me for what seemed like minutes, and I wondered if he hadn’t understood what I’d said, given the strength of his accent. But just as I was about to drop my hand, he leaned forward in the chair and took my hand in his, giving me such a vigorous handshake that I flinched a little in pain. Ivan stood up and apologised, a bright red blush spreading quickly over his pale face and neck. I assured him I was fine, but I could tell he didn’t quite believe me.
Trying to make conversation, I asked him if he came from the same part of Russia as Kolya. Ivan pointed his index finger back at himself and said in a proud voice, “I am his cousin.”
I smiled at him and he smiled back, nodding his head. He didn’t look much like Kolya, apart from the fact that he had the same brown hair, but he must have stood at least seven inches taller. I’d seen Kolya’s muscular chest and back this morning, yet I could tell through his clothing that Ivan was bigger—like a professional body builder. That, combined with his height, would scare the shit out of most people. His eyes weren’t as pale blue as Kolya’s, but when he smiled they sparkled a little, making him look kind of handsome and semi friendly. Still intimidating as hell, though.