Nanny and the Beast

by Georgia Le Carre

  “April get out of here, right now!” Ivan yelled.

  I had never been so torn, as I looked between him and Yuri.

  Ivan went on, “Do you want to ruin Yulia’s life? This fucking bastard killed her parents.”

  Yuri turned to me then. “Is that what this scum told you? And you believed him?”

  “There’s a video,” I said.

  “Did you see the video?” he asked.

  “Yulia saw it, that’s why she hasn’t spoken for the past six months.”

  Yuri looked devastated his gaze centered on me.

  I couldn’t stand it. I was weakening, so I pulled out the gun and pointed it at him.

  “It’s very easy to deceive a child with a video, April. Children don’t know what can be done with photoshop,” he said to me.

  Now things clicked into place.

  I took my first real breath in God knew how long as I finally received the only answer I was searching for. My hands were shaking when I whirled around unsteadily and pointed the gun at Ivan.

  His eyes shot open in shock. “What the fuck are you doing?”

  “I believe Yuri,” I said.

  Yulia began to pull at my legs. “April no!” she wailed.

  I turned a stern gaze to her. “Do you trust me?”

  She nodded.

  “Good. Go to your bed right now and pull the covers over your head.”

  She stared at me silently.

  “Go!” I screamed at her.

  Wailing, she refused to move.

  I supported the gun with both hands, wishing in that moment more than anything in the world, that I had listened to Yuri when he’d told me to at least learn how to use the gun. Hopefully, I would somehow be able to escape here today without killing myself.

  “April put the gun down and take Yulia to her room,” Yuri said.

  I turned a helpless gaze to him. “What about you?”

  “I’ll handle myself. This fucking coward will not dare shoot me.”

  I shook my head. I felt almost giddy with fear and shock. “You take Yulia out of here.”

  Yuri took a step forward and Ivan fired a shot that somehow missed Yuri. I screamed, and so did Yulia.”

  “You think I’m fucking joking, don’t you?” Ivan bellowed. “Take another step and the bullet will go straight through your head, or maybe…” He turned the pistol towards me.

  My palms were sweating, hands trembling, and my eyes were too afraid even to blink. I thought my legs would give out on me

  “She’s the one you really want to protect, isn't she?” His gaze on me was angry. “You fucked him didn't you?” Ivan spat. “Stupid bitch. I should have known. I hope your betrayal haunts you. You’re destroying Yulia’s life.”

  “You’re the one who wants to destroy her life right now,” I yelled. “Put your fucking gun down!” I was angry, at the terror he was subjecting Yulia to, however it manifested as streams of hot tears that ran down my face and almost kept Ivan out of focus. I was now resigned to the worst, and no matter what happened, I knew that I wouldn't regret the decisions I made in this room because they came out of the purity of my heart.

  The door behind me flung open with a bang, and my heart nearly left my chest. At the deafening fire of a gun, I screamed and turned to see that Yuri had been hit, and then I don’t know how I did it, but I managed to fire my own gun. I shut my eyes and collapsed to the floor, shaking and wailing, unsure of what had just happened.

  I would never know how many minutes went by, but it felt as though the world had collapsed at my feet. A hand eventually touched my shoulder and I opened my eyes to see Alex.

  I looked up in shock at him and then turned to see two bodies on the ground. Ivan had been shot straight through the heart, and was unmoving. Jesus, I was a good shot.

  Yuri was leaning against the wall his hand on his shoulder. Underneath a wound was rapidly spreading crimson blood all over his white shirt.

  “Yuri!” I screamed and ran to him.

  He bared his teeth in a ferocious smile. “You did good.”

  Just hearing his voice almost made me pass out with relief. “Are you all right?”

  He shook his head. “No, but I will be.”

  A team of his guards came in then with a gurney, and he was laid onto it.

  The pain on his face was too excruciating for me to bear. I turned my face away and suddenly remembered Yulia. I glanced around the room. She was nowhere to be seen. “Where’s Yulia?” I asked urgently.

  Alex responded, his eyes still on Yuri, “I took her out. She’s fine.”

  I went with Yuri and got into his waiting SUV, and we were sped to the hospital. I didn’t know how I was still functioning, but he held unto my hands as they sped along and I buried my face in his neck.

  “I’ll be fine,” he said to me. “I promise you.”

  I managed to get out some words, “You better be, or I’ll kill you otherwise, I swear to God. Please.”

  He was taken in immediately for an operation, then I collapsed, spent and haunted by the ordeal of a lifetime, in the corridor of the hospital. Not until he was somewhat stabilized did I eventually come to my senses.

  45

  Yuri

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMuMmQtGvOQ

  I Ran Out Of That Grave

  I was awake a few hours after my operation.

  I opened my eyes to see the face of an angel. My angel, seated beside me, her head lying on the bed, and one hand holding mine. She seemed to be asleep, and I didn't want to wake her, but the moment I tried to move my hand even just a little, she came awake.

  At first, she seemed disoriented, but then she registered that I was conscious, and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. “Yuri,” she gasped and came closer to me, her hands touching my face gently to feel for my temperature. “Are you okay? How do you feel?”

  “I’m fine. It’s not the first time I’ve been shot.

  I could see that those words brought absolutely no comfort whatsoever to her, so I quickly apologized. “I’m sorry,” I said and brushed her hair away from her face.

  April lowered her head to my chest and tried to hold back her tears.

  “Thank you for believing me,” I said quietly to her. “I’ve been aware of Ivan’s hand in the murder of Yulia’s parents for quite a while. I had left the room after the argument, and returned at the sound of shots to see both of them lying on the floor, dead. The video was most probably edited for Yulia to make it seem like I was the one who returned and killed the both of them. And the corpse you saw at the construction yard was the one who drove the killers away that night.”

  She remained silent as she watched me, still so visibly shaken. “Why would he do such a horrible thing?” she croaked out.

  “Yulia is the sole benefactor of her father’s estate, and it is worth almost three billion pounds. The only way to get access to any of that is through Yulia. My uncle knew that I would never, under any circumstances let that happen, but if Yulia thought that I was the one who killed her parents, then perhaps she would lean against him instead and once he got rid of me, she would be happy to give him full control. The cops have been investigating this for a while with me now. I had nothing to fear. My businesses are all legit or watertight protected. So I agreed to help them. They knew Ivan was involved in some way, they will be glad to see the video of what happened at home with Ivan…Now kiss me.” I needed to know that we were okay, and that she wasn't going to leave.

  She gazed at me for a little while, and then she came for me, her lips crushing mine in an almost desperate, teary-eyed kiss.

  “I’ve got one more confession.”

  She drew back slightly. “What is it?”

  “That night I took you to Grosvenor House Hotel, I knew your mother would be there and I was hoping you would be able to patch it.”

  Her eyes widened. “You knew who my mother was?”

  “Yeah.” I grimaced. “I had someone do some digging. I was
trying to help. I thought it would be a great reunion. I guess, I didn’t expect it to become the fiasco it did.”

  She shrugged. “I’m glad it happened that way. All my life I was chasing a dream, finally, I saw it for what it was. After that night I stopped chasing that empty promise and now I’m just grateful for all the wonderful things that I actually have around me. Charlotte, Yulia…you…”

  “I’m still sorry you had to go through that public humiliation though,” I apologized. “I swear I will never allow anything like that to happen to you again.” With my good arm, I held her to me, refusing to let go. I took a deep breath. “And now for the big declaration. April Winters, please don't leave me,” I rasped out. “I want you in my life. I love you. I think I’ve loved you for a long time, but I didn’t want to accept it.”

  Her eyes grew round with wonder. “You love me?”

  “Yes, I fucking love you and anyway, what would I do without my little wild cat?”

  She stilled against my chest.

  I held my breath as she pulled away from me.

  She looked into my eyes. “I’m not going anywhere, my love. It would be too hard to leave a man you are so crazy in love with that you’d kill another human being for and die for if necessary.”

  My eyes filled with tears. “God, how I love you, April.”

  Epilogue

  April

  16 months later

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQBW6G0hSrs

  (Speak Softly Love)

  “I hate you.”

  I smiled at the statement as Charlotte adjusted the bejeweled tiara on my head.

  “I’ll never forgive you for this. You have access to billions and this is the wedding you chose? A quiet remote Scottish castle and a chapel? Aren’t Russians supposed to be big spenders who love to show off?”

  “You know me, Charlotte. I like things simple,” I murmured, more amused than offended. “This is what we both want.”

  “Whatever,” she concluded. When she was done, she turned me around so I could see myself in the long mirror.

  “I’m getting married, Charlotte,” I whispered, looking at myself in awe.

  “If you aren’t, then you’re sure going to look silly in that get-up in the church,” she quipped.

  I smiled. “You’re crazy.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know. Come on Cinderella, time to meet the Prince.”

  We walked together until we got to the entrance of the beautiful chapel in Dornoch, and joined my handful of bridesmaids and flower girls. Charlotte turned to me. “Go get him, tiger.”

  And for a moment, I felt a pang of sadness for Charlotte. I was leaving her. She was the most beautiful person I knew. She’d seen me through ups and downs and she had no one. “Your turn will come soon,” I said softly.

  Yulia ran up to me then, looking angelic in her flowing white dress and flower crown.

  I lowered myself down to her height.

  “You look beautiful April,” she said.

  I placed a kiss on her cheeks, tears slowly gathering in my eyes.

  When I rose, I was immediately rebuked. “Not today,” Charlotte scolded. “We did that last night and this morning. No more tears, you’re marrying the man of your dreams.”

  “I know,” I said, unable to contain my joy. “I’m so happy, and terrified. What will the future hold?”

  “Billions…er…I mean joy,” she said with a laugh as she gently patted the corners of my eyes dry. “Unending joy and happiness. Yuri will make sure of that.”

  This answer chased all my fears away. “He will.” I smiled and turned.

  Charlotte’s uncle came in then and offered me his arm.

  With gratitude, I slipped my arm through and Charlotte fell in behind.

  The music began and I was ushered ever so gracefully into the small private chapel. It wasn't full, but beyond beautiful. Yuri and I had taken care to only invite the people that really meant something in our lives. Those who had touched and cared for us in one way or the other, along our journey to eventually finding each other.

  So although the castle was packed with the press waiting to record the wedding of one of the most desired bachelors in the world, inside were only our closest friends and guardians.

  I lifted my gaze to meet Yuri’s at the end of the aisle, and my heart swelled with so much love and pride it felt as if it would burst. He was breathtaking, and I almost couldn’t walk fast enough. Dressed in an impeccable dark suit and vest, with his hair brushed away from his face, I felt the tears rush back to my eyes.

  My man. He was beautiful, in every way possible.

  Charlotte’s uncle handed me over to him, and I placed my hand in his. We said our vows. I never once looked away from the magic of his eyes. Then Yuri drew me in for a long, deep kiss. The church faded, the world dropped away. There was no one else, but us. Just us. Our mouths, our bodies, and our hearts beating together.

  When he eventually pulled away, I was breathless. The church came back into my consciousness. I heard the applause of the entire chapel.

  "I love you, Mrs. Volkov,” he whispered to me. “With all of my heart. Thank you for choosing me.”

  I pulled him into my arms, and spoke the words I knew deep down in my soul, “I love you more, Mr. Volkov. Thank you for choosing me.”

  THE END

  Yes, Charlotte gets her HEA too. :)

  Set in a castle in Wales, hers is the next story.

  Look out for:

  The Man In The Mirror

  In the meantime, if you’re into gorgeous billionaire Russian Mafia bosses, here are some sample chapters from:

  You Don’t Own Me

  Chapter 1 (Sample)

  Dahlia Fury

  ‘Oh, my God, Dahlia, you have to help me,’ Stella, my best friend and roomie cries. She has burst open my bedroom door and is standing at the threshold theatrically wringing her hands.

  Stella is a well-known drama queen so I don’t panic. I mute my video and turn towards her. ‘Calm down and tell me what’s wrong.’

  ‘I have a massage client in less than an hour and I’ve just realized that I’ve also got another client coming here.’

  See what I mean about drama. ‘Just cancel one of them,’ I suggest reasonably.

  ‘I can’t do that. The one who is coming here is that crazy rich bitch from Richmond who told me she is going to recommend me to all her crazy assed rich friends in Richmond. She’s probably already on the train. And the other is a Russian Mafia boss.’

  I frown. First of all, I didn’t know she had a Russian mafia boss as one of her clients. Must address that one later, but not yet. ‘So what do you want me to do?’

  ‘Can you stand in for me?’

  I shake my head resolutely. ‘Nope. Absolutely not. You’ll just have to tell the Mafia boss that you can’t make it.’

  ‘I can’t do that,’ she wails. ‘One of the clauses in the confidentiality agreement I signed was that I would never miss any of my appointments once I agreed it unless it was a life or death situation.’

  ‘Huh?’ I cock an eyebrow. ‘He made you sign a confidentiality agreement?’

  She makes an exasperated sound. ‘Yes.’

  ‘What kind of person puts an unreasonable clause like that into an agreement with their masseuse?’ I ask, genuinely surprised.

  ‘Dahlia,’ she screams in frustration. ‘Can you focus, please. I’m running out of time here.’

  ‘It’s simple. Go on to the Mafia boss, and I’ll tell your other client when she arrives that she can have a free massage next week.’

  ‘No, she can’t come next week. She is away, and anyway, she’s in pain and really needs me.’

  ‘So tell the Mafia boss that you can’t make it because you have a life and death scenario.’

  ‘You want me to lie to Zane?’ she asks incredulously.

  ‘If that’s what his name is,’ I reply coolly.

  She comes into the room and starts pacing the small spac
e like a caged animal. ‘I’m not going to lie to him. He’ll know.’ She stops and stares at me. ‘He’s got like the coldest most piercing eyes you ever saw. It’s like they can see right through you.’

  I laugh. ‘I can’t believe you said that.’

  ‘I’m serious, Dahlia. Lying to him is out of the question.’

  ‘Well, then you’ll have to let the rich bitch down.’

  ‘Did you not hear me? She’s in pain. Oh, please, please, can you help me this time. You can have my fee and I’ll owe you big time.’

  ‘No,’ I say clearly. The solution to her problem seems obvious to me —she should cancel the Russian guy.

  ‘I’ll do the dishes for a whole month,’ she declares suddenly.

  I pause. Hmmm. Then I shake my head.

  ‘I’ll do the dishes and clean the apartment for a whole month.’

  I hesitate. ‘Even the bathroom?’

  ‘Yes, even the bathroom,’ she confirms immediately.

  ‘I’d love to help but—’

  ‘Two months,’ she says with a determined glint in her eyes.

  My eyebrows fly upwards. I open my mouth and she shouts out, ‘Three fucking months.’

  To say that I am not tempted would be a lie. I HATE cleaning the bathroom. I am very tempted, but I can’t actually take her up on her offer even if she offered me a year’s worth of bathroom cleaning.

  ‘Jesus, Stella. Just stop. You know I’d love to take you up on your offer, but I simply can’t massage like you. I just about know the basics and rich bitch’s problem sounds complicated. For all I know, I’ll just end up making her back worse and instead of giving you a glowing recommendation to all her rich friends she will do the opposite.’

  Stella fixes her hazel eyes on me. ‘I wasn’t thinking of her.’

  I look at her, astonished ‘What?’

  ‘He just needs a simple basic Swedish. Just exactly what I’ve already taught you. You just need to put a bit more effort into it. He likes it really hard.’