by TJ Hamilton
I stare at him. That’s it? He’s not going to ship those girls? And I’m supposed to believe that?
Tench loosens out of our embrace and turns to Luka and puts his arm around him. “I’m sorry I’ve listened to Dima and not to you all along. You’re a good kid.” Tench smiles at Tatiana and then turns back to Luka. “And I see that you can have a good future ahead of you. I want you to run everything within Russia for me from now on, but we’re revoking all of Dima’s operations. I want nothing to do with that shipment he was sending to Australia. Make sure all the property goes back to where it belongs. If Misha wants it, he can do it himself. Let’s see how far he gets.” He slaps Luka on the shoulder and holds his hand out for me.
“Tatiana, please come and see us in Sydney. I know my future wife would love it.” Tench smiles.
I look to Tatiana and feel my heart sink. This is too soon. She’s leaving my life as quickly as she came into it. I don’t want to say goodbye right now. I feel the tears welling in my eyes.
“Don’t cry. You’re going to make me cry,” she splutters.
I hug my friend as tight as I can. I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again. What if I want to stay with Tench now that he’s quitting this trade? What would the agency do to me then? They’d still arrest him for all the prior crimes—one of which I was a witness to. I just want happiness …
I hold Tatiana out in front of me. “Promise me that you’ll go and do that last thing we were going to do here together.” I stare at her and hope she understands that I want her to rescue the girls at Dima’s. “And think of me when you’re there. Then come to see me as soon as you can, Tia.” I kiss her on the cheek and whisper softly into her ear, “Rescue them.”
“I promise, Mia,” she says and squeezes my hand in an unwritten agreement between us.
Our hands slip away from one another as I follow Tench out the door. Tatiana cradles back into Luka and blows a teary kiss to me before she buries into his shoulder and cries.
Her demon is gone and he will never hurt her again.
TWENTY-THREE
“Why did Tatiana call you Mia?” Tench asks in the car ride to the hotel. “And you called her Tia?”
“That’s what they called us in ballet school.”
It’s not a lie, for once.
He grins. “I like it. It suits you.”
About a half hour later, Tench leaves the hotel room to pick up some vodka and Beluga caviar to take home with us. I rush over to the Shadow of Love necklace in my room and stick a dot onto the back of my ear.
“Simon? Liz? Are you there?” I speak into the diamond.
“Sissy, it’s Simon. It’s all right. We know about Mei-Mei. We’ve heard everything. We have her here in custody and are taking her back to China. Her government doesn’t take too kindly to their own siding with the Russian mafia. We’ll see you in Sydney. I’ll send Charlie around to pick you up.”
I sigh with relief. “Okay. See you in Sydney.”
“See you soon.” He signs off with our signature goodbye to each other.
I breathe in our fresh Australian air the moment I get off the plane. Even with the smell of aviation fuel and rubber on the airport tarmac, it still smells like home.
The drive back to Tench’s mansion feels right, too. I look down at my ring as my hand rests on my jeans. Part of me wants to have a life with Tench. He’s shown me a side to him that I like. And if he’s not involved in hardcore crimes, then why can’t I just choose to be with him?
The guys at the front gate all wave as we pull into Tench’s compound. We’re home, and I feel safe now. When we pull up at the front door, I inhale and exhale loudly.
“Mmmmm … home.” I smile.
Tench grins and leans over to kiss me. “You stole my thoughts.”
“You stole my heart,” I say back and kiss him before I acknowledge what I’ve actually just said. When I say that to Tench now, it feels like I mean it. Not like before, when it was part of my role. And it’s scaring the hell out of me.
I’m so torn about everything right now. Tench changed the game when he said he was ceasing all his business in Russia for a chance at happiness with me. It’s more than anyone’s ever done for me before—Nick included.
I hold Tench’s hand all the way into the mansion. When we get inside, it finally dawns on me that if I choose to stay with Tench, then I’d be losing my brother, my twin. I’d lose a piece of me.
“Let’s go out for dinner tonight, gorgeous. Let’s celebrate being home again.” Tench raises my hand and kisses his ring on my finger.
“Do you think you could get us into the chef’s table at Aria restaurant?”
“Is my name Joe Tench?” He laughs.
He calls out to Toni and asks him to organise everything for us as he holds my hand and pulls me up the stairs like a horny teenager. I follow him up the staircase to his bedroom. No one actually needs to know my true feelings for Tench, do they? As long as my brother believes I’m just here for the agency, I can surely stretch this out until Tench proves he’s choosing a different path. This suits me perfectly too. I can just enjoy my life with Tench right now without judgement from anyone. This is simply business as usual.
We peel the clothes from our bodies and watch each other as every layer strips away. I love watching Tench. His European skin shimmers and makes me just want to run my fingertips all over it. He can’t take the torture of me standing naked in front of him either, and he races over to me and scoops me into his embrace. He lifts me up with ease and I wrap my legs around him and grip onto his waist. Our mouths find each other’s easily and I just want to drink in every ounce of him.
He walks with me into the bathroom and pulls the lever on both sides of the shower. The shower space instantly steams up. Tench pushes me against the wall. I tense from the icy-cold marble on my back, and Tench finds the wetness below and slams into me. I moan in pleasure and smile.
“I remember the shower.” I grin.
Tench doesn’t reply. He continues to push himself in and out of me with solid movements. My body reacts with an instant buzz.
“Fuck Joe, I’m gonna—”
I don’t get to finish the sentence when I start to reach the peak in my climax already. Tench stops and drops me to the ground and snatches himself out of me. My body screams for him to come back and finish the job. I pulse all over and rub the wet hair from my face to see him. He spins me around and bends me over in front of him, and drives himself inside me again. My legs buckle but Tench grabs around my stomach just in time and pulls me back into him. I groan in absolute ecstasy. I feel him swell just before he lets out a roar. He pulls me harshly back into him and empties himself inside me. I love this feeling … because I think I love Joe Tench.
A beautiful red Ferrari is parked and waiting out the front of the mansion for us to go to dinner in. It’s magnificent. I haven’t seen this car before.
“Ah, thanks, Toni. I haven’t driven this baby yet.” Tench smiles.
“She’s a beauty. Is it new?”
Tench nods. “She arrived just before we left for Russia. It’s the latest model. The F12berlinetta. She can go zero to a hundred in 3.1 seconds.” Tench beams with pride. “Did you want to drive it, gorgeous?” He waves his hand out.
I shake my head and chuckle. “Thanks, but you drive it. It’s your baby.”
Little does he know, I only just started driving again. When Nick gave me his car. A ball of guilt sits in my throat.
Toni opens the passenger door for me and I sink down into the seat. The interior is handsome in a light-tan leather. It smells amazing. The seat sits snuggly around me and Tench gets in and the engine kicks in with the press of a button. I smile. I’m beginning to see why Tench loves sports cars so much. We throttle down the driveway and weave around the streets towards the city centre.
Tench pulls up near Aria restaurant in front of the Opera House. He gets out and walks around to open my door. I take his hand and step out, looking up the s
treet to see Nick’s apartment building right next door to where we are. I take a breath. If Nick hadn’t died, this would’ve been an easier decision to make. I had my life set. I was getting Tench put away for everything he’d done, and I was going to live my life with Nick somewhere away from here, out of the country, where no one could find us. It was a simple equation.
Now, everything’s messed up. I think I might be in love with the guy I’m supposed to be targeting, and I don’t know how to get out of this.
A flash of light startles me and my concerns quickly drift off. Tench holds his hand out towards the photographer who’s trying to get the shot of us together. The restaurant must’ve tipped him off. Are we really so interesting that paparazzi want to get photos of us all the time?
Tench grabs my hand and leads me into Aria. The lone paparazzo continues to snap away until we’re through the doors. We walk upstairs and are greeted by the hostess at the reception. The smells wafting out of the restaurant are already making my stomach dance with excitement. A box of jingling glassware comes towards us in the arms of a very short person. A head pops around the box. “’Scuse me.” I hear a familiar voice.
“Charlie?”
The jingling stops and Charlie shoves the box on the countertop and leaps at me.
“Oh my God, you’re home! Holy shit I’ve missed you.” He holds onto me.
I squeeze him tight. He’s one person who I know will be excited for me. Charlie never judges me, no matter what.
I see Tench smiling from over Charlie’s shoulder and I smile back to him. “Charlie, I have some news.” I grin and he immediately picks up my left hand and stares at the enormous black diamond on my finger.
“I knew it! You two,” he squeals and hugs Tench.
Tench chuckles and hugs him back, and smiles over at me. “Thanks, Charlie. I couldn’t have done it without your help.”
“Pardon?” I frown.
Charlie shrugs and rolls his eyes. “Well, who else would help him pick out the perfect ring for you?”
I stare at Tench with surprise once again. This all feels so right.
“Why don’t you join us for dinner, Charlie? We’re just here at the chef’s table.” Tench points to the door next to the reception desk.
“Oh no, I don’t want to intrude. Thanks anyway, Joe.”
“Charlie, you’re not saying no!” I demand. “I haven’t seen you for almost two weeks. I want to tell you all about our trip.” I smile at him and wink. “Plus, you might as well help us with setting a date, seeing as you will be my wedding coordinator.”
“Okay, twist my arm, then,” he says. “Let me grab my stuff downstairs so I can make notes. This is going to be huge.”
TWENTY-FOUR
I wake up with Tench draped around me. This has become a habit I don’t want to break.
Tench seems the most relaxed that I’ve ever seen him. This is right. Our wedding plans last night with Charlie just cemented my feelings for Tench. He wants our wedding in November, on his late mother’s birthday. I thought that was a touching idea, and it gives me six solid months to plan everything. Tench wants it here, at the mansion.
Tench’s arm twists around me and I smile to myself. He has six months to prove to my brother and the agency that he’s out of any criminal dealings now. Surely my brother will see that this is what I want, and allow me to have the happiness that I deserve.
“Good morning, gorgeous,” Tench whispers from behind me.
I roll over and meet his gaze. Between the sheets, our naked bodies instantly react to one another and I’m soon on top of Tench, riding him in the exact definition of a good morning.
I meet Tench down in the kitchen for breakfast after I have a shower. Mrs Oktar beams the biggest smile as I walk in.
“Oh, darling girl. Come here. Let me see this ring.” She rushes round to me.
I hold my hand out to her and she studies it for a moment. She frowns and looks up at me and across to Tench. “It is very beautiful, but why a black diamond? In my country, black signifies mourning. You’re not in mourning; you should be at the happiest time in your life.” She laughs.
“This has special meaning to us.” Tench tries to pacify her disapproval and I nod.
“Come and have some breakfast, Miranda. I’ve prepared you all your favourites this morning.”
The marble island is set up beautifully. All the finest silverware has been laid out with crisp white napkins and crystal champagne flutes for us. An enormous platter of fruit is spread out in front of the settings with pastries and pancakes. Mrs Oktar has outdone herself today.
Still, I can’t relax and relish in this breakfast feast. There’s one thing I need to do today that has been playing on my mind for a while.
“Joe. There’s someone special that you need to meet,” I say as I pick out pieces of fruit and a croissant.
“Yes?” Joe answers.
“My cat, Flossy. I want to go back to my place and bring her here, if that’s okay with you?”
Tench frowns. “Unfortunately I’ve never been too much of a cat person.”
I feel my anger rising. This is not what I wanted to hear.
“But I would love for your cat to come here.” He forces a smile out.
An hour later, after I’ve left Tench to tend to business, as he always puts it, I get into the elevator at my apartment building and swipe my card for access. Tench admitting to me that he doesn’t like cats has thrown me, and I can’t seem to shake it. I step out onto the foyer of my floor and race for my apartment. I push the door open and find Simon and Liz stroking Flossy on the couch. I look at my old cat in Simon’s arms and see she’s suddenly aged.
“Flossy?” I scoop up my little friend and nuzzle into her fur. “I have been the worst pet owner.” I plead for forgiveness.
Simon gets up and puts his hand on my shoulder. “Mia. I have some bad news,” he says gently.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“There’s some new intel in on Tench.”
I roll my eyes and gather Flossy’s things and start putting them in her basket to take back to Tench’s.
“We intercepted a conversation between Toni and Miss Stephanie,” Simon tells me. “That shipment of girls left Russia the day before we did. And there’s an earlier shipment that’s arriving today.”
“But Tench told me he abandoned all further dealings in Russia?” I’m confused.
“He’s Joe Tench, Mia. Don’t tell me you actually believed his act? Come on, sis, I thought you were smarter than that?” My brother scoffs at me.
Yes, I did fall for his act, and fell in love with him. How could I be so stupid? Maybe Tench is freeing the girls when they get here? No! That’s definitely blind love talking.
I shake my head and try to shake the feelings I have for Tench, who has never really been honest with me. We’ve never really been honest with each other, for that matter. Did I really fall in love with him, or just with the idea of being happy?
“One last thing while I’m on such a roll with bad news. I don’t think you should be taking Flossy over to Tench’s.”
I frown. “Why?”
“She’s too old, sis. She just won’t handle the move. The vet got called up here twice when we were away. She had two seizures. They think there’s a clot somewhere in her brain. They don’t know how long she’s got.”
This last piece of bad news is the showstopper and I finally succumb to sadness and fall to my knees and sob. Flossy, as faithful as always, comes to rub around my legs. I pick her up and cry into her soft grey fur. This morning everything was perfect; my life felt happy again. Now my cat’s dying and my fiancé is still the evil criminal he always was. Now I’m nothing but a fool.
“Mia.” Liz puts her hand on my shoulder. “We’ve got to get down to the wharf. The shipment is coming in this afternoon. You’ve come this far; it’s time to finish the job. This is your opportunity to take Tench down.”
I look up at Liz. How can I do that now
when I’m so broken inside?
“You were trained to do this, Mi,” my brother says. “Your moment has come. Tench is bringing young Russian girls into your country and selling them as sex slaves. You can’t stand by and just watch this happen. It goes against everything you’ve believed in. I know who you are Mia, and a life with Tench is not you.” Simon gives a triumphant speech.
Liz weighs in on Simon’s persuasion. “You can do this, Mia.”
I nod back. Yes, I can do this—I just wish my heart would believe it.
“Let’s finish this, then I can come back to Flossy. Where I should’ve been all along.”
TWENTY-FIVE
I’m dressed in a black flight suit, just like Simon and Liz. Mrs Oktar was right; this is the colour of mourning, and today I am in all kinds of grieving. We sit in the back of a van facing each other in two rows. The rest of the agency’s tactical intercept team is assisting us, led by my brother.
The van rocks as we wind our way down to the water’s edge. A rifle rests on my lap, but I’d rather be using a pistol.
My pistol is strapped to my leg. It’s not my old FLOS pistol; that’s in Russia somewhere. But this one should do the job. The Kevlar vest around my torso feels restrictive and heavy, and the webbing with spare magazines around my waist feels uncomfortable. I pull my gloves on and eye my empty ring finger as it disappears inside the leather.
Simon looks deep in thought as he goes over all his notes for the job. I feel nothing inside me anymore. There’s nothing. It’s all just a big, black hole.
The trip out to the wharf feels like it’s in slow motion until we finally come to a stop. Showtime.
Everything I’ve done in the past year has led to this point. The hours spent with Tench were all to reach this outcome, and now that I’m here I don’t know how to feel about it.