“All isn’t lost yet and we still have the engagement party. You have more than enough time to work your magic. I can keep Drake preoccupied. All I have to do is start talking about expansion and how I would want him to be head chef here. He’ll be thinking about dollar signs when you are able to get your little tulip alone.”
Colin caressed her breasts fully, kissing her neck. “What if it doesn’t work? What makes you think he would even want to settle here? And what about his monthly drug runs to Mexico?”
“The arrangement had to end sometime. Besides, the only way he can continue to be around is if he agrees to marry me. Papa has told me that otherwise, he must go. He knows too much about our family and you will never see a Shevchenko locked in an American prison cell.”
Colin paused in mid-kiss and pulled away from her. “What do you mean get rid of him? Your father is going to have him murdered?”
Mikayla glared at him with dead blue eyes. “Yes, Einstein, right here in Seattle. If he gets a call from me that Drake won’t go through with the deal and we aren’t getting get back together, he already has hit men in place. Drake won’t ever see La Jolla again.”
Her words weren’t what spooked him, but the matter of fact way she said them. Colin had never felt so out of his depth before. This was a situation that was quickly spiraling out of control. He could think of nothing to rectify this unfortunate consequence of getting involved with a woman as volatile and unpredictable as Mikayla.
***
Colin and Mikayla were fashionably late to the engagement party. They’d been too busy devouring each other in bed and later in the shower. He hated to admit it but he would actually miss her and her unrelenting sexual prowess. She was the female equivalent of his brother, and that wasn’t a bad thing at all as far as he was concerned.
He always thought women like the Samantha character on Sex & the City were a myth but Mikayla Shevchenko was one in the flesh and he loved every moment he spent with her.
Although his love life was great, he couldn’t deny that nagging feeling gnawing at his stomach. Could he sit by and watch another innocent man die without at least warning said guy what was going on? The situation would be that much simpler if Drake wasn’t fucking Deirdre. With him out of the way, he could pursue her again and she would be too heartbroken to resist his charms.
Colin tried to avoid running into her, although he knew eventually it would happen. Liam and Caitlyn had decided to hold the engagement party at one of the partner’s opulent homes since Liam had an expensive bachelor pad but had yet to buy a house in the Seattle suburban area.
The place was immaculate. While the weather was less than ideal, the home was big enough for their relatively small engagement party which consisted of less than fifty of their closest friends and family.
Colin was on his way back to Mikayla after returning from the restroom when he saw the light on in the study and heard Deirdre’s voice.
“Mom, I know it has been difficult for you and I have spoken to Drake. He wants to move here and start a restaurant with his own money. He has enough. You can move in with us. I don’t think you should live alone.”
He peeked in and realized she was on her cell phone, a Bluetooth was inserted in her right ear. She paced back and forth as she continued to listen to her mother.
“Mom, I know why you didn’t come but Caitlyn is very hurt you didn’t bother to show up. This is her engagement party and she wanted you to be here. Will you boycott her wedding too?”
Deirdre continued to pace until she looked up and they made eye contact. She quickly glanced away. “Of course I will come by to see you before Drake and I leave for San Diego. There are still some loose ends that need tying up there. It will be at least six months before we can come back permanently. I will be here for the holidays and you won’t be alone. I love you and will speak to you soon, all right? Good night and bye, Mama.”
She ended the call and ripped the Bluetooth from her ear. “What the hell are you doing, Colin? Stalking me?”
He shook his head. “I knew you were around somewhere and it just so happened I found you here after I used the bathroom. How have you been? You look well,” he said, though his fiercely beating heart made his words sound insincere and hollow to him.
“Thank you, I am well and doing better than ever.”
Her stance was one of defiance but he didn’t buy it for a second. It never occurred to him that she would ever be afraid of being in his presence. Her body language, unfortunately, said otherwise.
“Deirdre, I came here with Mikayla and—”
“Yes, I know that. Congrats from Drake and I. We both hope you will be able to keep up with her. She is a much better adversary than your university wallflower. I didn’t take you for the type to get involved with women like her, but to each his own,” she replied. “Listen, it’s been fun but I should really get back to the party.”
Deirdre attempted to walk past him. Colin grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. She had never looked more beautiful with her hair up in a chignon and she wore an elegant one shoulder bandage dress by Hervé Léger in two different shades of red, and a pair of silver high heeled sandals to match the silver clutch purse she gripped in her right hand.
Although she didn’t look frightened of him per se, her expression was one of surprise and irritation that he was touching her.
“What do you want, Colin? We have been over this more times than I care to count and surely you’re not using Mikayla—of all people—to try to make me jealous? You two make a fabulous couple and I wish you all the happiness in the world.”
“No, that isn’t what I wanted to talk about. I mean…” He could come clean and tell her everything or he could keep it to himself. If and when the inevitable happened, it was a win-win situation. Drew was off the market now that he was dating Aubrey exclusively and Deirdre wasn’t the type of person who would go through a bunch of blind dates or speed dating to find someone. She’d end up right back in his arms where she belonged.
However, Colin was not a duplicitous person by nature. Liam would have no compunction with acting this way but he saw a huge problem with his scenario. Yet again, he would get her by default and what would she do if she ever found out he knew and hadn’t breathed a word to her? The deception would be too much and he would definitely lose her forever. It was best to bide his time and hope she would tire of Drake or the asshole would make a misstep rather than lie to her yet again.
“I have something important to discuss with you and it directly involves Drake. Can we sit down?”
Deirdre walked over and took a seat on an uncomfortable two-seater chaise lounge covered in a silk pale yellow and blue flower pattern that must have cost thousands of dollars per yard of fabric. He sat beside her, albeit reluctantly.
She turned toward him and their knees brushed but she did not attempt to pull away. “What’s going on?”
Colin cleared his throat. “You’re aware of your boyfriend’s activities with the Shevchenko family?”
“Yes, I am well aware what Drake does for them. What’s your point?” She crossed her legs and picked invisible lint from her dress.
“Mikayla told me something quite shocking last night but I’m not an idiot. I know she meant it and I worry about the implications it might have for you and him.”
“Can you just stop talking in circles and get to the point, please?”
“Fine!” Colin exclaimed. He stood and began pacing. “I don’t know how to tell you this. Part of me thinks you’ll just laugh me out of the room and won’t believe a damn thing I say while we continue to have this animosity between us. I suppose I will never get used to it.
“We were once intimate and I still love you with all my heart. I don’t want you to think I am telling you this because I don’t want you to be happy. I do. It’s all I have ever wanted. I am strong enough to realize if you are better off without me then I will let you go. But whatever you think of us, please know I woul
dn’t make up lies just to get your attention. It isn’t me and it never has been.”
He finally stopped pacing and turned toward her. Deirdre’s intriguing hazel-green eyes softened and she smiled slightly. “I know that, Colin. Part of this anger and bitterness is with me and it has nothing to do with you. I still love you too. I can’t just fall out of love with you because we have been through so much and we share so many secrets and thoughts and desires. I need to grow the fuck up and stop behaving so childish about this all. I am sorry.
“I apologize for putting you through so much anger and pain. I feel like shit. I want you to be happy and I really did hope you could find it with someone other than me. We were great together, but there comes a time when a situation can change everything and for me, my father’s death and your involvement was the catalyst. I’m a liar and an awful person because I forgave you and then I took it back. I shouldn’t have done that and I can’t tell you how much that will haunt me all the days of my life.”
Colin looked at her and she stood slowly, then walked over and embraced him. She pressed her head against his shoulder and quietly sobbed. “You were the love of my life and I am not stupid enough to think I will ever feel what I felt for you for anyone else. My heart will never be that open…ever again.”
Colin waited until they separated, still holding hands. “Mikayla came here for one reason, and that is to get Drake back. She is still in love with him and I suppose he should have never caught himself in a situation with a Ukrainian mobster’s daughter, because if she can’t have him no one will. She has told me that if Drake refuses to take her back her father will put a hit out on him. He knows too much about their operation and they are afraid he might turn State’s evidence if they aren’t together.”
“I believe you. I don’t trust the woman and from the moment I met her, I knew she was still in love with Drake. What can we do? Is there anything that can be done to stop this? Do we alert the authorities? Leave the party early? What exactly are Drake and I supposed to do?”
Colin stared at her for a long time before he replied. “I think this is something you should tell Liam about. I know he’s an asshole but he is also my brother. Since this is his engagement party, he and Caitlyn should know what may or may not go down tonight.”
“Agreed.” Her hands let go of his but she didn’t turn away immediately. “Colin…thank you. I realize you didn’t have to tell me any of this. You will never know how grateful I am for that.”
He smiled back. “I love you, Deirdre. I only learned too late that when you love someone, you want to see them happy. I am smart enough to know that it can’t be with me, at least not right now.”
“But who knows what the future holds, right?”
“Exactly.”
Colin watched Deirdre as she left the room and knew he’d made the right decision, no matter whether he’d blown his chance to be with her again or not. It was simply the right thing to do. He left the study feeling better than he had in a long time. Perhaps he wasn’t such a douchebag after all, and that feeling made his heart swell with pride.
Chapter Nineteen
I ran to find Drake as fast as my Christian Louboutin high-heel sandals would carry me. He was in deep conversation with Caitlyn and Liam about stocks and bonds—not exactly a favorite topic of mine. They all held champagne glasses filled with vintage Cristal and none of them were sober.
“Hey, sweetie, where have you been? We were just about to conduct a search party for you,” Drake said, handing me a fresh glass of Cristal he’d been holding for me.
“I had to call our mother,” I said, eying Caitlyn, who glared at me. “She’s really not feeling that great tonight and she sends her apologies for not showing up.”
“Yeah, I bet she does. I will never forgive her for doing this to me.” Caitlyn looked at Liam. “Does she have any idea how embarrassing this is she couldn’t be bothered to show up tonight?”
“She’s probably still in mourning, honey. Your father died less than a year ago,” Liam said soothingly, wrapping an arm around Caitlyn’s waist.
“The world doesn’t revolve around you, unfortunately,” I said to my sister. I drank down half my champagne. “And speaking of issues, I need to talk to the three of you—somewhere private—right now.”
Liam glanced at me, and I wish his stare was merely friendly but there was lust there, which was a complete and utter turn off when he was supposed to be enjoying himself at his engagement party. “I know just the place to go.”
We all followed him to a private garden on the estate where there weren’t any guests. There was an awning, which came in handy because it had begun to sprinkle. Caitlyn was wearing a strapless ivory bandage dress, which fit her like a second skin, and six inch Yves Saint Laurent Tribute heels. She was taller than me by two inches, and the extra height advantage was intimidating.
“What’s this about, Deirdre? If you say anything about Colin, I will shoot you myself. Why can’t you two just grow up and act like adults? You aren’t the first couple to break up and you won’t be the last.”
I felt like knocking her the fuck out and that wasn’t a good thing in my present state of mind. She’d managed to alienate both my mother and me with a few carefully chosen harsh when everything had not gone according to her schedule. I found this to be ridiculous and unnecessary. If she was this bad now, what would she be like for her wedding? A major bridezilla no one would want to work for, for sure. Of course, everyone would happily line up to help because she had too much time on her hands and plenty of money.
“Colin and I spoke. He’s the one who told me what was going on so there’s no animosity there,” I said. “I’m not sure if you are aware, but he is dating Mikayla Shevchen—”
“Oh my God,” Caitlyn cut in. “You don’t mean the daughter of that notorious little man who runs the Shevchenko cartel? She’s going to turn our engagement into some kind of folly from The Godfather, except all the criminals are Ukrainian! Liam, make them leave now!”
“For once I agree with my sister,” I said under my breath.
Drake took my left arm and walked me a few feet from Liam and Caitlyn. “What the hell is going on? Your sister has been acting like a major bitch and drama queen of the century all evening and now you suddenly agree with her?”
“What is this all about?” Liam yelled out to us.
We joined the engaged couple again. “Drake doesn’t even know,” I said. “I wanted to tell you all at the same time. Apparently, Mikayla has set it up for some hit men to assassinate Drake…tonight…here at the party.”
“What? That’s insane!” Drake exclaimed. “Why would she want to do that? And why would you believe this silly story? Just because Colin told you? This is getting ridiculous.”
“It’s not a silly story if it’s true,” Liam said. He looked like he was taking the news a lot more seriously than Drake. “Why does she want to do something foolish like that in public?”
“Colin said she is determined to get Drake back and if she can’t have him then he has to be…taken care of.” I looked at Drake. “Apparently you know too much about their business. If you aren’t prepared to be family then they consider you a threat. You have enough information on them to send the entire Shevchenko mafia to prison for the rest of their natural-born lives.”
Drake’s goofy smile disappeared and his face became stone-cold sober. “You aren’t kidding about this? They want me dead?”
Liam placed a steady hand on Drake’s shoulder. “Not to talk of the obvious, pal, but if I was them and you were working for me and you didn’t plan on becoming family…I’d kill you too. Better to be safe than sorry. You have no ties to them and there is nothing to say you wouldn’t turn them in one day. They can’t just take your word for it. Even I know that.”
“So what should we do? I don’t have a clue,” I said. “Maybe we could just slip away?”
“I think that would be a great idea,” Caitlyn spoke up. “You have a spare k
ey to my condo. You two should sleep there for the night and we can address this at breakfast tomorrow morning. You can come by Liam’s and we’ll all talk about where we should go from here.”
As much as I hated to agree with my sister yet again, she had a point. We wouldn’t be safe at the hotel, and Mikayla was staying with Colin in the same building where Liam lived, so that wasn’t exactly the smartest plan. No one knew about the condo that had been in our family for a generation and we’d inherited the property when our father died.
“What about a vehicle? They had to have seen our rental,” Drake said.
“Take my car.” Caitlyn handed us the keys to her 2013 Volkswagen Touareg Lux. I stared down at the key, which was also the fob as well, although she had a keyless entry system and the vehicle didn’t require the key to start up once you were in it. All you had to do was push a button and the vehicle started on its own.
“Are you sure about this, Caitlyn?”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t want any drama at my engagement party under any circumstances. It’s fine. We’ll meet tomorrow.”
“Since I am the one who started all this mess, why don’t you two come by?” Drake suggested. “I will cook anything you want, my treat.”
I could already see the wheels in my sister’s head turning. “Oh yeah, I wanted to talk to you about something. Liam and I think it would be great if you could be our chef at the wedding. We ate at Rouge and the food was to die for!”
I grabbed Drake’s hand. “We’re going to see if we can sneak out. We’ll talk more tomorrow morning, okay?”
“You don’t have to sneak out,” Liam said. “Caitlyn’s car is parked in the garage. Go through this door right here and to the garage.”
Liam opened the French doors and we followed them inside. They led us straight to the garage where Caitlyn’s SUV was parked between a Range Rover and a Porsche Cayenne Turbo.
Only Love (The Atonement Duet Book 2) Page 15