by Helen Bright
What kind of grandparent does that?
As far as I’m concerned, the woman is poison; the kind of person that family and society are better off without.
* * *
The air here in Inverness seemed so much fresher than in Oxford. Definitely cleaner, anyway. We’d had dinner in the castle’s large, oak-panelled dining room, then came out into the garden for drinks and dancing.
The gamekeeper’s father had played the bagpipes on our return from church, which Kolya was thrilled about. I had to admit it was a nice touch, and definitely something to remember. The piper’s name was John, and he’d told me so many tales of his life here on the estate, both as a boy helping his father on the shoots, then when he, himself, had been head keeper. The job had definitely been a tradition in their family, and one that John was extremely proud of. I liked him. He was genuine. As was his son—also called John. Both were now well on their way to being drunk, and their accents seemed to become so much stronger as the drinks flowed.
* * *
I left the party and made my way down to the loch, wondering how long it would take one of Kolya’s guards to join me. As it turns out, it was about thirty seconds.
“How come you left the party?” Franco asked, before launching a small stone which skimmed the surface of the loch.
“Had enough,” I admitted, then nodded back towards the guests. “Go back and have a few drinks. You don’t need to babysit me.”
“Nah, I’m good. I can’t tell what the fuck these Scottish guys are saying anyway.”
I laughed, teasing him about his own accent. Franco is the epitome of every Italian American gangster movie I had ever seen. With his black hair, dark eyes, and heavy New Jersey accent, he could have walked straight off a mafia movie set. And when he got annoyed or frustrated with me, his accent seemed to get stronger. I’d often mimic him, which made him laugh.
Franco smiling and laughing was something every woman should see. The man is gorgeous, and he knows it.
All the guards had worn suits—something that Kolya should get them to do all the time, not just when they accompany him on business. They were definitely worth a second look, with Franco being the hottest of them all.
“So, Tess, how do you feel about today? The wedding, I mean?”
I shrugged my shoulders, because truth be told, I didn’t really know how to feel about my fake wedding that wasn’t really fake.
“Do you regret it?” he asked.
“It wasn’t what I wanted,” I told him, truthfully.
“You could have married me, I did offer,” he said, in all seriousness.
I held his gaze, waiting for some smart remark I was sure would follow. It didn’t.
“You were serious about that?” I questioned.
“Wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t.”
“But why, Franco? Why would you offer to marry someone you didn’t even love?”
He looked away for a moment before he answered, skimming another stone across the water.
“I did it because you needed me, and I wanted to do it.”
“I don’t understand. Are you yet another one that feels guilty because I was shot? Like you have something to atone for?”
“Wasn’t me that agreed to let those fucking idiots do lead detail that day. I ain’t got nothing to atone for, sweetheart.”
“I don’t know how that would have worked—us being married. I don’t even know how this will work. With Kolya, I mean,” I told him.
“Sure you do, Tess. We all saw this coming. It was gonna happen with or without the threats to you.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.
“Honey, I don’t know how innocent you are, but you must know that when a man looks at you like the boss does, he wants to be doing a whole lot more than holding your hand,” Franco said with a smirk.
“You’re wrong,” I told him.
“How about that kiss in church? I’d say a man who kisses his bride like that is planning on being inside her on their wedding night.”
“All for show, Franco.” I was shocked at how forward he was being. It wasn’t like him at all.
“Is that what he said? That it was for show? Then he was lying to you or himself. Probably both. Sweetheart, the boss is all in when it comes to you. Question is, what do you want? If this isn’t it, you sign whatever papers are needed and get the hell away as soon as you turn eighteen.”
“What if I want to stay?”
“Then you better make sure you’re staying for the right reasons.”
“I’d miss you all if I left. This is the only family I have, apart from Jean. I don’t know if I could give you all up.” It hurt to even think about it. But if Kolya wanted a divorce when I turned eighteen, I might not have a choice.
Franco took my hand. “You ain’t getting rid of me that easy. Besides, you can’t shoot for shit, so I need to keep up your lessons.”
“That is so not true,” I stated, laughing as I bent at the knees, scooping up water from the loch and splashing him.
“What the fuck, Tess?! I swear if you weren’t wearing such a pretty dress I’d pick you up and throw you in.” He was smiling broadly, and I could tell he was tempted to do just that. But I loved this dress, and I didn’t think a dip in the loch would do it any good.
“Hey, guys, what are you doing down here? You’re missing the party,” Brad yelled, walking swiftly towards us.
“Oh, fuck! That’s all you need,” Franco muttered under his breath.
“What do you mean?” I whispered.
“Come on, Tess. You must have noticed that the boss doesn’t like Brad being anywhere near you when he’s not around.”
I shrugged my shoulders as Brad approached. I hadn’t noticed anything much over the last two days. I’d been too busy.
Franco leaned in to whisper in my ear before leaving us. “I’m guessing thirty seconds, sixty tops, before the boss is down here staking his claim.”
He winked then walked away, heading along the side of the loch.
“I was hoping I could dance with the bride, but when I turned around you weren’t there.”
“I wanted to get away for a few minutes. Catch my breath and all that.”
Brad nodded and stared out over the water.
“Kolya seems happy, but then how could he not be? He has a beautiful new bride.”
“You have a silver tongue, Brad. Do you use it on every female you meet?” I questioned, then blushed furiously when I realised the double meaning behind my words.
Brad smirked, and was just about to say something when Kolya cut him off.
“James was asking where you’d gone, Brad. He told me to tell you he thinks the ghillie’s daughter is a sure thing.”
“Well of course she is, being as I have a silver tongue and all. Maybe I better go and show her just what my silver tongue can do?” Brad blew me a kiss as he left, which seemed to infuriate Kolya.
“How’s James?” I asked, trying to drag his attention away from Brad’s retreating form.
“He’s trying to charm the cook’s niece. I think her name is Dianna. He was asking her to dance with him but she was playing hard to get.”
James hadn’t been happy about us getting married. From my room I’d heard him go on a rant about my age and the reasons why we were doing it. He’d said if Kolya really wanted to, he could find a way to hide me from the police. Kolya had disagreed with him, explaining that if I didn’t come forward, I could be considered a suspect in my best friend’s murder.
James said he’d always hoped if his dad ever got married again, it would be because he’d finally fallen in love with someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. That’s when they’d gone quiet, and I hadn’t heard any more. James seemed fine about it today. He’d stood beside Kolya as his best man, which was as it should be.
I’d asked Jack to give me away. He said he’d be proud to do so, and Nan had cried happy tears seeing her husband walk me down the ais
le.
“You are away in your thoughts again, Tess. Tell me, my darling, what are you thinking about that keeps taking your attention away from our day?”
“Actually, I’m thinking about the wedding.”
“Ahh. It was a beautiful ceremony. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Some of it,” I muttered. Then added, “You and James looked so alike when I saw you at the altar. I like you in this colour. It really suits you. It makes your eyes seem even bluer.”
Both he and James had worn matching grey suits, with ties that matched the colour of my dress. Nan had done well in picking them out. The flowers she’d ordered had also been perfect, the bouquet especially so. Pink and cream carnations with white baby’s breath, surrounded by various bits of greenery and tied with deep-cream lace. Beautiful. I knew it was tradition for the bride to toss the bouquet, but I didn’t know if I could bring myself to do it.
“You are deep in thought again, my love. If something is bothering you, let me know so I can share your burden. After all, we are husband and wife now, it is my duty to take care of any worries or fears you have.”
“Don’t, Kolya.”
“Don’t what, my love?”
“Don’t make out that what we did today matters. The vows we took, the words we repeated. We had to ‘put on a show, make them believe it’s real.’ Isn’t that what you said?”
I turned to walk away from him. I’d had enough. Literally.
Kolya grabbed me by the arm, yanking me back to him almost painfully.
“Do you really believe that, Tess? Did you not feel anything at all when you spoke those vows? I know what I said after I kissed you. I saw the look on your face. You were shocked—my kiss was unwelcome. I tried to make light of it to make you feel better.”
“Yeah? Well you failed. Epically!”
“I see that, and I am truly sorry.”
“This day—the big rush we had—has been so stressful. I suppose all weddings are. But with learning of Sarah’s death and the worry over the police finding me… It’s been too much, Kolya. But when you kissed me…my first ever proper kiss, by the way, I felt for a moment or two that everything would turn out okay, and that the wedding was meant to be. But then…”
“Then I said it was all for show. I am sorry, Tess, if I could take it back I would. But I can’t. Let me make it up to you. Please?”
“How? The moment has passed. You can’t do anything to change that now.”
“I can kiss you again, and this time you’ll know it’s not for show. That it’s more real than any that’s ever been.”
I sighed and shook my head. A few days ago I’d dreamed of this: of Kolya wanting to kiss me and so much more. But not now. Not after all this disappointment. I wanted to go to bed and forget about the day. But I also knew what tomorrow would bring when I went back to Doncaster to give my statement to the police.
“Kolya, all I want just now is for you to be my friend. I want what we had last week, before all this blew up around us.”
“If that’s all you want, my love, then that’s what I will give you. But we’ll have to share a room tonight. The staff here will expect it. How about we watch a movie and chill for a while? We can grab some food on the way up. I noticed you ate very little today.”
“Sounds good to me,” I told him. And it did. I needed the friendship we shared, the comfort I knew I would feel from having him beside me. A kiss or anything else would be too confusing right now. I needed familiarity. New and exciting experiences could wait for another time.
30
Kolya
I hadn’t planned on spending my wedding night watching vampire movies—but that’s just what I had done to please my bride. Interview with the Vampire plus a glass of brandy and champagne had been enough to lull Tess into a deep sleep. Though I wouldn’t call it peaceful.
She lay next to me with her head on my chest, her coppery curls covering my upper body. Every now and again she would tense up and whimper, which was tearing my heart in two.
What did she dream of that caused her to react so? Was it the thought of going to the police tomorrow? The death of her friend? Or was it I who caused her restless slumber?
In my haste to make her mine, I had not considered that Tess would need to know of my emotional investment in the vows we made. I thought that baring my heart and soul would be just too much for her after everything that had happened. Not revealing my true feelings for her had tainted the whole ceremony in her eyes, and my words after I’d kissed her ruined everything else.
I did not deserve to breathe the same air as her, never mind share her bed. And yet, I was lying beside her on the night of our marriage, stroking her cheek as her breath fanned the hair on my chest.
My wife has a forgiving nature, although not so forgiving as to allow me to kiss her again. Not tonight, anyway.
My plan for the night had been for more of those delicious kisses while my hands roamed her body, learning the feel of the curves I’d denied myself for so long. I hadn’t planned on taking it further than that. I knew Tess wasn’t ready for more—not yet. And despite how much I wanted her, I could not live with myself if she ever felt pressured into sleeping with me.
Tess denied me the kisses I craved, asking me instead to be her friend. Strangely enough, that meant more to me than if she’d wanted me to make love to her all night long. Tess needed me. She needed the comfort of our friendship, the connection that joined our very souls. We had time enough for everything else that came with being husband and wife, and our firm, unbreakable friendship will give our marriage a solid foundation.
I know that when we finally consummate our marriage, the act will be perfection itself.
I hadn’t expected Tess to be a virgin. She’d never mentioned a boyfriend before, but I assumed that someone so pretty would have them queueing up to date her. Therefore, when she told me that my kiss had been her first, I’d been speechless. But then…when I thought about what that meant—that I would be the first man to touch her, to take her body with my own—I felt elated.
Before that can happen, we need to get all the upcoming police business over and done with, then I can take care of those vile men who wanted to hurt my wife. Although Hassan Akbar had been arrested, I began to fear his brother, Tariq, had left the country. I’d placed a call through to a private investigator I knew, hoping that he could shed some light on Tariq’s whereabouts. If he has left the country, it is possible he would have fled to Pakistan.
Wherever Tariq is hiding, I will find him.
The British judicial system suffers from rules and morals I simply do not share, so I will take action, if necessary, to prevent him escaping justice—even if that means I have to serve it to him myself.
I hate to think about Tess having to make a statement tomorrow. She told me how the police had spoken to her after the death of her mother: how they accused her of selling her body, believing the worst of her because of her mother’s profession. She had run from the same detectives when they came to the children’s home when Sarah had gone missing. They were people that should have been protecting her instead of throwing disbelief and scorn her way.
I will never let anyone treat her poorly again. Tess is my queen! If I witness anyone disrespecting her, whatever rank or title they hold, I will make sure they suffer.
I will wait as patiently as I can for her while she speaks with the police, though it won’t be easy. Knowing she has Oliver going in with her will help. He will make sure she’s treated fairly, and with the respect she deserves. I want them to know from the start, my wife is more than just a runaway…she’s a better person than they’ll ever be. A decent, caring, brave woman that means more to me than anything. The woman I love with all my heart and soul.
My wife.
My life.
My Tess.
The End
Coming Soon
The Runaway In Love
The Runaway Trilogy: Book 2
Also by Helen Bright
The Night Movers Vampire Series:
My Love Forever
Blood & Secrets
Gregor’s Reason
Sergei’s Angel
About the Author
Helen Bright is forty something, married, mum of two grown up daughters, and has grandchildren that are the light of her life.
She lives in Yorkshire, UK, and often bases her novels in and around the county.
For more information:
www.helenbrightauthor.co.uk
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