Rough Diamond (A Mafia Romance)

by Knight, Leslie

- 23 -

  Vladek

  Vladek woke with a start in the motel room. He hadn’t wanted to fall asleep but must have drifted off. Chloe was sitting up in the bed beside him, her eyes wide open and unblinking.

  “Shit, what time is it?” He asked.

  “It’s getting close to eight,” she answered, half lost in thought.

  Vladek groaned and forced himself to sit up and get his thoughts in order. “I gotta call them and arrange where to meet tomorrow, damn, my brain’s all fuzzy. Have you thought about it at all?”

  “What about in Battery Park at lunch time, it should be full of people around then.”

  “Yeah, I guess that would be good. What else do we need to think about? Ok, well after I ring them I’ll let Mirko know, I told him I’d keep him up to speed on whatever we decide, and I have to make that video as well. You should probably leave the room when I do that, just in case.”

  “Do you think you can trust him?”

  “Who, Mirko you mean?”

  “Yeah, I mean you said he was involved with these guys at some stage, in the past. And all of this, especially if they know who you are now, well, it’s not good for this Mirko, is it?”

  “No, we have nothing to worry about with Mirko. I trust him completely, he saved my life basically. He wants nothing more to do with the mafia and that old life, he’s definitely on our side and I’m damn grateful he is. That’s one guy we can definitely be happy is in our corner.”

  He rubbed his hands briskly over his face and through his hair and then got quickly out of bed. He saw the half squashed pastries lain out on the other bed, shared a smile with Chloe and then started to get dressed.

  “I’ll ring these bastards now and get it over with and then ring Mirko and make that video. Then maybe finally we can finish that meal that we never really got started with.”

  “Sounds good, that turkey sub’s been singing my name for the last half hour.”

  Vladek pulled on his shoes and went to the door. “I’m gonna go for a little walk to make the call. Even though it’s a burner phone I still don’t want to take any chances, we’re nearly through this and I don’t want to make any mistakes. I shouldn’t be more than fifteen minutes. I know I don’t need to tell you but, don’t let anyone in or answer the door to anyone else. I’ll be back soon.”

  “Yeah I know, I don’t need to be told. Be careful what you say Vlad. Say it plain, you’ll give them everything just to be finished with it. You can tell them about the video tomorrow, they won’t try anything in a crowded park.”

  He could see Chloe was looking worried again by the way her hands moved together and gripped the sheets. Maybe now they were getting closer to a confrontation with real criminals it was making her realize exactly what they were involved in.

  “Try not to worry Chloe. I know it’s getting more real now but we have a good plan. By this time tomorrow we’ll be back in Ithaca and back to our boring, mundane little lives. They’ll have absolutely no reason to come after us. It will be over, trust me.”

  All she gave him was a slight wan smile for a reply and as he shut the door behind him he cursed himself again for ever getting her involved. Why the hell did he ever say her name the day of the robbery? But even if he hadn’t that Russian from New York would still have followed her and he mightn’t have been there to rescue her.

  He walked briskly away from the motel for a few minutes before he turned on his phone. He took a few breaths, going over the plan again in his mind before calling the contact number they’d given him the last time.

  “I have the Ithaca jewels and I’m ready to hand them over.”

  “That’s good Vladek. Yes, we know who you are now and all about you history. An old St. John’s boy as well, funny how things work out.”

  “I’m not involved, didn’t want to be involved in any of this. Dimitri talked me into it, I only agreed to drive as a favor to him, and now he’s dead.”

  “Yes, they’re all dead. That seems to happen a lot in our line of work, doesn’t it? Our business often seems to be a matter of life and death. You understand what I mean Vladek?”

  “I never wanted to be a part of any of this and I definitely didn’t want to get left holding the bag. I’m in way over my head. I want to get rid of it so you can have it all, just like I said before. You could’ve just waited and let the heat die down but you had to send your goon to Ithaca.”

  “You’re talking to that goon right now. And you should understand already how it works, when orders are given orders are obeyed and the man in charge of his operation is not known for his patience.”

  “Alexei?”

  “That’s none of your concern. You’re ready to hand over our property, that’s good. I’m glad you’re deciding to be sensible. It might even save your life.”

  “You can have them and good riddance. Half one tomorrow in Battery Park, by the tall ship that’s always there, the clipper.”

  “Sure, I know it, I’ll be there. Don’t try and fuck us, we know exactly what the contents of the bag should be so don’t even think about leaving it light.”

  “I don’t want the damn diamonds, I should never have gotten involved. You can have every fucking one and then we’re done.”

  “Every damn one is right. I don’t want to have to come back and visit you, or visit that girl, the hostage. I don’t know how much she knows but she better keep her mouth shut or I’ll have to pay her another visit or her family, Chloe Walsh.”

  “You leave her the fuck out of this. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Dimitri never should have taken her.”

  Vladek’s heart heaved at the sound of Chloe’s name. Although he already knew that they knew her, to actually hear her name was a different story. He could feel his anger boiling up and had to concentrate hard to keep it in check.

  “You seem to care about her Vladek, very touching. Just remember, we know who she is, we know where she lives and we know all about her family and friends. I had a nice little chat with her father yesterday, a sick man, broken and weak. So let’s just be clear, you’ll give over the stones tomorrow, every last one, otherwise there will be consequences for you and the people you care about.”

  “You fucker.”

  “It was good to chat Vladek. I’ll be there tomorrow to pick up our property just where you want so let’s hope we can conclude this deal without any more complications. Just remember what’s at stake, and don’t fuck with me.”

  The last words were spat out like a venomous threat before he hung up. Vladek spun around in fury once the line was dead and kicked the nearest wall, his eyes hunting fast for a more appropriate target. But there was no one close to pick and fight with and nothing to break.

  He seethed and stomped but there was nothing he could do. That fucker had been in Ithaca and had gone to Chloe’s father. Who knew what he did or said or what threats he made? Chloe would be devastated when she found out and if anything had happened to her father she’d never forgive him.

  He just couldn’t tell her, not before they did the drop. Once he handed over the jewels and they finally had the mafia out of their lives he’d tell her, when they were safely on their way back to Ithaca. The only reason she hadn’t been using the phone was in case they could somehow be traced. He knew she was already worried about not being in contact with her dad.

  He didn’t know if Chloe would ever forgive him for bringing such chaos and trouble into her life. In some ways she was the best thing that ever happened to him, but maybe his mess was finally catching up. He didn’t deserve a girl like Chloe. He was trouble and despite his best efforts to escape his past it stuck to him like poison and infected everything he tried to do.

  After a few minutes his external rage settled down to a quiet internal fury, focused and cold. There was no way he was going to let those bastards destroy his life again, not when everything was beginning to look so good. Back in control, he rang Mirko to bring him up to speed.

  “Vladek, I tho
ught I would have heard from you sooner.”

  “Sorry Mirko, there were some things to arrange. I did what we discussed, I’ve arranged to hand over the lot tomorrow, Battery Park, Manhattan.”

  “Yeah, I know it. What time?”

  “Lunch time, half one. Those fuckers man, the guy who came after Chloe paid a visit to her sick father as well. They just fucking destroy everything, don’t they? I told them I didn’t want anything to do with it, that I’d give them everything and didn’t even want my cut anymore and they still show up and fuck things up. I’m gonna make a video as an insurance policy, record everything I know about them and the robbery. Will you keep it for me and send it to the police if anything happens? I’m gonna record it later.”

  “Sure, I’ll do that, it might work, send it to me once you have it done. Just so you know though, it looks like Alexei is behind this operation and he can’t be expected to behave rationally. He’s a mad dog and I think it’s about time someone put him down. We’d both sleep a lot easier with him out of the picture. I have some unfinished business with Alexei that needs to be finally put to bed. Where are you meeting in the park?”

  “By the tall ship there, the clipper.”

  “Ok, I’m gonna be there too but I’ll keep well out of sight. If anything goes south I’ll back you up but you won’t see me otherwise. I want to follow those diamonds and see where they go. I think it’s about time I settled an old score. There’s something he did that he’s never paid for fully, something I’ve been meaning to take care of for a while and now sounds like the perfect opportunity.”

  “I don’t know Mirko, that sounds pretty risky. I don’t want to get involved in anything like that.”

  “Don’t worry, you’ll be far away before I make my move. It’s got nothing to do with the diamonds and I’m not interested in them. Alexei’s got plenty of enemies and no one will be sad to see him go. It will never get back to you or the girl.”

  “Chloe. I hope not Mirko, I don’t want her involved in this anymore after tomorrow. Any chance I have with her is probably already fucked up but I don’t want to make it worse.”

  “It won’t be, don’t worry. If you like her that much you’ll find a way to let her know, you’ll make it work. Be careful tomorrow and keep a cool head. Give them what they want and get out of there.”

  “I will. I’d love to smash one of their faces in but I know what I gotta do.”

  “Good, you do that.”

  “Thanks Mirko.”

  Once he ended the call he hurried back to the motel. He wanted to tell Chloe, knew he should, but he didn’t want to say anything to upset her, especially before they finally got the Bratva off their backs.

  They had to just see that part of it through first, follow through with the plan and then once they were on the way back he would tell her. Surely she’d understand why he decided to wait. He knew she’d be upset but there was nothing they could do and they’d drawn all the mafia’s attention away from Ithaca anyway.

  He didn’t like to keep a secret from her but it had been so good earlier and he didn’t want to spoil the mood. Once they handed over the diamonds he’d tell her and she could use her phone again as well. They’d travel back as fast as possible.

  Having reached this decision somewhat reluctantly he tried to get his thoughts in order. They still had a lot to discuss and it was important that they kept their heads clear and free of distractions. Even though they were doing the handover in a public place their lives were still on the line and they couldn’t afford to be careless.

  He approached their room with a heavy heart, convinced he was doing the right thing but knowing also that she’d really want to know. Everything would be better tomorrow, they would be over the worst and could leave all the death and mayhem of the robbery behind. Then they could get back to their lives again and Vladek was determined to that he and Chloe would have some kind of future.

  PART THREE

  - 24 -

  Chloe

  It was a warm and sunny spring morning and the low sun hurt her eyes as they drove towards Manhattan. She could already see the tops of the skyscrapers that marked their final destination.

  She’d been wide awake since five and had known the moment she woke there was no chance of settling down again. They’d shared the bed and she’d fallen asleep in his arms, the second time in three days.

  He’d been distant when he’d come back from making the calls the night before and told her of the arrangements. She could understand it, with every hour it got closer and more real. But with every passing hour they were also closer to freedom.

  She’d stepped outside while he made his video confession with the jewels, recording everything he knew about the raid and who was involved. When she came back in, he had them all spread out on the bed. Even in the dull artificial light of their room they glittered and sparkled seductively.

  She’d let the loose stones tumble through her fingers, marveled at the craftsmanship of the bracelets and even dared let Vladek fasten the exquisite necklace around her neck. She’d joked about keeping some of them but wasn’t funny. Too many people had died and for all their dazzling sparkle they’d brought nothing but chaos and danger to their lives. The jewels were tainted and poisonous and both of them felt better when they were hidden away again back in the bag.

  They’d made love again before they fell asleep but it had been slower and more tender than before. He’d been gentle and patient and it had gone on for long time, like a thoroughly sensuous massage. It seemed the more she got to know Vladek, the more she discovered. He wasn’t just an impulsive petrol head who happened to send her senses haywire. He had a calm and tender side as well and she remembered how they’d spent those long perfect hours lost in their books in the cottage by the lake.

  He had been quiet since morning and she longed to reaffirm their connection but knew it was better to wait until they got rid of the monkey from their backs and the Bratva were firmly in the rear view mirror.

  They’d gone over and over again how they would do it but Vlad wasn’t happy with her decision to be there. It was true, she didn’t need to be there but they had come after her as well and she’d been shot at. She wanted to see it through to the end and she wanted to do it side by side with Vlad.

  It had almost become a full scale argument but she’d stayed firm. She’d become a different person and wasn’t prepared to sit on the sidelines. She hadn’t chosen to be involved but that’s what happened and now she wanted to see it through to the end.

  They took the George Washington Bridge over the Hudson and drove down through Midtown towards Lower Manhattan. Once off the freeway and the larger roads the car was quieter and Chloe had the feeling of moving right into the eye of a tornado.

  “It’s so weird now,” she said “that we’re finally almost there and it will soon be over.”

  “Look, I know you want to be there with me when I hand over the bag but it isn’t safe. You don’t need to be involved, there’s no reason. Stay close and film the handover instead. I don’t want you with me.”

  “I’m involved in this Vlad, I want to see it through.”

  “But you’re not fucking involved Chloe. You didn’t steal the diamonds, you didn’t kill anybody. You were just the damn hostage, I wish you weren’t but that’s all you were. The only reason they came for you was because of me, they were looking for me. You don’t need to be there when I hand it over, it’s a risk you don’t need to take and I won’t let you take.”

  “Damn it Vlad, I’ve come all this way and I want to be there and be sure they’re finally out of my life and won’t be coming after me later.”

  “If you’re there with me they’ll only think you’re more involved than you are. You’ll give them even more reasons to consider you a loose end. Leave it to me, you stay close and watch and try and film it and that at least will give us some more leverage.”

  As much as she wanted to be there with him she had to admit he was talking
sense. She was getting caught up in it all, in the excitement, in hiding out and being on the run but she knew it wasn’t a game. He was trying to protect her and she had to swallow her pride.

  “Ok, fine, we’ll do it your way, but I don’t like when people boss me around. I’m used to taking care of myself and making my own decisions.”

  “Yeah, well sometimes you gotta listen to people who are looking out for you.”

  “Right, fine, you don’t have to be an ass about it on top of everything.”

  He gripped her hand. “Look it’s tense, I know, but it’s almost over. I just wanna keep you as safe as possible. I feel responsible, they never would have gone near you if they weren’t looking for me. I know you want to see it through and you have no idea how happy I am that you’re here with me, but this part I gotta do alone. This part is not for you.”

  She felt tempted to sulk about it but made the effort not to because she knew deep down he was right. They needed to think clearly as well, both of them because despite their planning they’d be foolish to underestimate the Bratva.

  Chloe loved New York and under normal circumstances she’d be wide eyed with pleasure and drinking it all in. It had a special kind of atmosphere, so cosmopolitan with such a strong distinctive energy that was like no other place in the world.

  There were police everywhere as well which didn’t help their stress levels. They knew it would be like that and it was a double edged sword. On the one hand the heavy police presence made it less likely the Russians would try any funny stuff but as long as they had the stolen jewels the risk of getting questioned with them in their possession was high.

  By the time they passed the financial district and got close to the park they were still an hour early but it wasn’t easy to find somewhere for the car. It took them almost twenty minutes to find a space and they still had a ten minute walk to reach the rendezvous point.

  With the engine off the car was suddenly quiet and the air felt thick. Chloe put on her sunglasses, smoothed back her hair and wished she’d brought something to help keep her fingers still.