And here I was again. The scars on my legs proof that Harrison was right, I was too fucked and weak to cope with the truth.
Stepping out of the shower, I rushed from the bathroom when I heard my phone ring from my bedroom.
I hesitated when I saw Mark’s name on the screen but deciding what the hell, I answered. “Hey, Mark.”
“Where’ve you been hiding, Miss Cooper? I’ve been trying your phone for a couple of days.”
Cringing, I quickly lied, “Sorry, hectic with this magazine article and rehearsal.”
“Well, please tell me you’re free tonight. I’m actually starting to get a complex here.”
I laughed. Something inside me told me not to, but the big fuck you to Harrison side of me answered, “Sure.”
“It’s about time!” he chuckled. “Right, I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“Oh, no, don’t be silly. I’ll meet you.”
He gasped dramatically. “Not sure how many dates you’ve been on, Lily, but that’s not usually how it’s done.”
Surrendering, I rolled my eyes. “Fine. I’ll see you at seven.”
I sat on the edge of the bed after ending the call. I should be grinning. I had a date. Yet, all I could think of was Harrison, and whether this would hurt him. Then again, he’d probably be loved up with his other woman tonight, and I wouldn’t even be worth a thought.
Stubbornly, I walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out my best dress. Fuck, Harrison. Tonight, I needed to start living again, and boldly pulling out my sexiest undies, I laid them on the bed and finally smiled.
***
Mark stood smiling at me when I opened the door to him bang on seven o’clock. His eyes quickly appraised the length of me before venturing back to my face. “You look nice.”
Nice? A little part of me sunk when I noticed he didn’t look at me like Harrison did, there was no heat in his eyes, no hunger in his gaze. It had taken me three hours to look this good! Damn it!
Shaking it off, I snatched up my bag and stepped out, frowning when he led me to the car. “You’re driving?”
Opening my door for me, he nodded. “Yeah, I don’t drink.”
“Oh.” Crap! He was going to think I was a lush the rate I knocked it back.
The first thing I did, as I always did when getting into a car, was to take over the Bluetooth and fire up one of my playlists. I couldn’t help but smile when Mark didn’t complain. Harrison used to grumble like hell whenever he had to drive me somewhere, and we’d always battle over the music until he finally forfeited, and I won. Of course.
Mark glanced at me after turning down the volume and pulling away. “Finally, it’s taken me ages to get you to myself,” he proclaimed with a hint of a scowl tightening his brow line.
“Oh, you know how it is with this job,” I uttered, wincing at his tone. He seemed weird, but I couldn’t pinpoint precisely how.
“So, I take it it didn’t work out with you and your bodyguard.”
Shit.
“I’m sorry?” I questioned as if I hadn’t understood what he was talking about.
He smirked, taking a glimpse my way before turning his attention back to the road. “Harrison, is it? I saw the way he was with you after your gig. It was hard not to notice actually.”
“Oh, no, there was nothing in that.”
He nodded slowly. “Yet you’re still wearing the bracelet he gave you.”
Damn it, did nothing get past this guy?
“Harrison didn’t give me this,” I fibbed.
Mark, strangely, just chuckled. “Mm-hmm.”
This wasn’t going very well.
Taking a look out of the window, I tried to deviate from the topic of Harrison. “So, where are you taking me?”
“It’s a surprise.” Finally, he actually looked enthusiastic.
“Well, you’ll be happy to know that I love surprises.”
The first flicker of excitement bubbled in my belly when he grinned and winked at me. “Good, because you’re going to love it.”
Caution slithered into my veins, accelerating my heart rate when he pulled off the road and ventured down a dark dirt track. My arse jumped from the seat when he hit a sizeable bump, and branches scraped the sides of his car. “Umm…”
He laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not a serial killer, Lily. I’m not going to hack you into pieces and bury each part of you throughout the forest.”
“Well that’s great,” I breathed out in relief, “because I can’t run in these heels.”
His laugh deepened but when he pulled the car to a stop, the breath in my lungs lodged in my throat.
“Oh, wow,” I said with a deep sigh and climbed from the car.
A small clearing spread out before us. In the centre, a tartan rug was spread out, and a pretty wicker picnic basket sat to one edge. A bucket of ice with a bottle proudly protruding from it held down one corner of the rug. What must have been fifty different coloured tealights lit up the area, casting a soft glow. To finish it off, a small campfire warded off the chill of the winter air and repelled the shadows from the looming overhead trees.
No wonder Mark had frowned at my choice of clothes, the six-inch heels I wore posing a problem in the undergrowth.
“Sorry, I forgot to tell you to dress down,” he whispered from behind me. His breath was warm on the nape of my neck, and I shivered.
“This is stunning. I can’t believe you went to this much trouble.”
“I’ve been waiting for this night for a very long time, Lily. The occasion deserves something special.”
I turned around. His face was barely an inch from mine, and leaning forward into a kiss, I was left stunned when he took a step back.
“All good things come to those who wait,” he proclaimed with a cheeky wink. “And I can guarantee tonight will be worth waiting for, Lily Cooper.”
I nodded, realising he was right. What the hell was wrong with me; rushing in so quickly? Embarrassed, I turned away from him and slipped my heels off.
The rug was a little rough under my legs when I sat down, but I soon forgot about that when Mark popped the cork on a bottle of expensive champagne and handed me the single flute.
“To tonight,” he toasted, clinking his glass of water against my glass.
“To tonight,” I echoed with a smile.
I watched as he produced several yummy foods from the basket and filled the space between us with it all. I couldn’t help but think he was building a wall in the middle of us, but that was silly because he’d been more than enthusiastic about taking me on a date.
Realising I was famished, I dived straight in. “This is so good,” I mumbled around the food. Taking a quick sip of champagne, I set it down and fished in my bag for my phone when I heard the faint text alert.
“Anything important?” Mark asked.
“No, just Bec.”
Shoving it back in my bag when I realised I was being rude, I smiled at Mark and reached for my glass.
“Are you trying to get me drunk, Mr Denver?” I smirked when I found he’d topped up my glass.
Tucking a piece of runaway hair behind my ear, I held a breath when he whispered. “Oh no, I need you to be completely sentient for what I have planned for you tonight.”
That was more like it.
Biting into a strawberry, I licked the juice from my lips and washed it down with a mouthful of fizz. “And what better setting. This is so beautiful.”
“A special place for a special lady.”
“Smooth talker,” I laughed, knocking back more champagne. This stuff was really good. I was used to cheap plonk, and I made a promise to myself to indulge in a bottle every payday now that the band was doing so well, and my bank manager liked me again.
“Am I keeping you awake?” Mark laughed when I yawned.
Stretching out on the rug, I pinched the bridge of my nose and rubbed my tired eyes. “Sorry, long night last night, and the heat from the fire…”
I was so comfortable, and resting m
y head on my arm, I gazed at a swiftly blurring Mark. “That cham-pange is… is str-ong…” I slurred. Bloody hell, I’d only had two glasses; it must be one hundred percent proof.
“Hmm.” I nestled into Mark’s hand when he stroked it across my hair and down my cheek.
“That’s okay, Lily. Sleep. I’ll be here when you…”
I didn’t hear the end of his sentence.
Thirty-five
Harrison
“Harry, take a look at this.” Jimmy motioned for me to look at the laptop he was working on as soon as he let me into his apartment.
Something hadn’t sat right with the note that Lily had received, and I’d asked Jim to see if he could find anything out. I didn’t take Lily’s belief that it was sent by Ann either. Yes, she was a bitch, but she was also a thick bitch. Quotes weren’t her thing. So, if Ann hadn’t sent it, then who had, and why?
Peering over Jimmy’s shoulder, I looked at his screen.
“I ran the quote through the system, and although it’s mainly associated with a kid’s movie, just look at one of the results.” Jimmy clicked on a link, bringing up a still of old video footage.
“Is that…?”
“DAC Nikolay Kuznetsov, yep,” Jimmy confirmed, peering over his shoulder at me. “But this is where it gets interesting. It’s a news clip from over two decades ago before he was even in the force. Kuznetsov was at the opening of a local orphanage in his hometown in Russia.”
“An orphanage? Kuznetsov?”
“Yeah, well I’ve looked over the worded part of the article and apparently, he funded a few children’s homes back in the late nineties, making it his mission to find each kid a family. But, look at this…”
He clicked play…
“As an orphan myself,” Kuznetsov spoke to the people congregated for the grand opening, “I know how hard the struggle is to fit in, and the longing to just belong. I was lucky, someone came along and gave me a chance at life. I was given a family. But some children aren’t that lucky. I know how scary it can feel without the protection of a family. This world is a cruel one and can sometimes be lonely and isolating, and having a family means no one gets left behind or forgotten…”
“Fuck!” I breathed out when Jimmy paused the recording, dropping into the chair beside Jimmy.
“Yeah, our quote. Right there!”
“We need to find out who adopted him.”
“Ahead of ya’,” Jim informed me with a smirk. The look he gave me had me sitting up straighter. “You’re not gonna believe this, Harry.”
Pulling over another laptop, he flicked through various open screens and stopped on one.
“Are you shitting me?” I asked as I pulled the screen closer and gawped at the image before me. “Kirill Volkov, the Bratva Boss, adopted orphans?”
“Yep. Didn’t believe it myself until I checked more databases. It’s in black and white on numerous documents. Kirill Volkov adopted a number of Russian orphans.” He paused. “Including Padraic Fedorov and Odiana Yeltsin.”
“No wonder Kuznetsov interviewed Lily on the sly, he was just protecting his fucking brother!”
“Mm-hmm. Looking at the records, it seems it’s now a tradition for the Russian Mafia to help out some poor orphan kids. Yulian Markoff, the boss of the Bratva now, still adopts to this day. Definitely a few palms greased there, no way would any judge in any land allow the mob to take in homeless kids. Although I’m quite positive it’s to build his army, Harry, Russians are big on family and all that, so maybe he actually has a heart.”
A thought occurred to me, and as I opened my mouth, Jimmy halted me. “Way ahead of you once again, big guy. I know Lily was adopted by the Coopers, it’s no big secret, and shit, this couldn’t be coincidence, so I did some digging.”
This time he didn’t bring up any page on his laptop. This time, he turned in his seat, so he was facing me. I braced myself when he took a deep breath. “Lily Cooper was born Anastasia Yaroslav. She was born to a Russian woman who was taking refuge in the States when she gave birth to Lily… and her fraternal twin brother.”
Thirty-six
Lily
Oh God, how much had I drunk? My head felt thick, my body heavy, and I struggled to open my eyes. My mouth was so dry I had to peel my tongue off the roof of my mouth.
“Welcome back, sleepy head.”
I lifted myself upright, the blanket Mark had placed over me falling to my waist. “Oh, my God. I’m so sorry.”
He smiled. “No worries.” He held up a book, waving it at me. “I’ve been catching up with a bit of Shakespeare.”
Snorting, I reached for a bottle of water. “I wouldn’t have had you down for a Romeo and Juliet sort of guy.”
“What can I say, I like being mysterious.”
I nodded and narrowed my eyes. “Hmm, you really are.”
“Eat!” he declared, forcing a piece of ham into my mouth. “I get the feeling you’ve not been eating properly for a while. No wonder you fell asleep on me.”
He was hurt. I got that. If my date had fallen asleep when I’d gone to so much trouble, I’d have been miffed too.
“I’m sorry, Mark. Really I am.”
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s no bother. Really.”
“But you’re thinking this hasn’t really gone the way you thought,” I posed, reading him correctly.
He shrugged. “I dunno, Lily. I’m attracted to you, don’t get me wrong.”
“But?”
“But, I kind of get the feeling you’re hung up on someone else.”
Okay.
“That transparent, huh?”
He smiled, handing me more food. “I’m not blind, or stupid, Lily. I noticed the bangle as soon as you opened the door to me this morning.”
“This thing?” I pulled the bracelet off my wrist and flung it aside. “See, it really doesn’t mean much to me, Mark.” I sighed in defeat when he looked at me sceptically. “But, you’re right. There is, or rather has been, something between Harrison and me. I’m not even sure what it is, but…”
The sound of an approaching vehicle cut short my explanation, and when headlights lit up the area, me and Mark got to our feet.
“Liam?” I squinted at the figure that climbed from the car.
“Hey, sweetheart.”
“What are you doing here?”
Liam’s eyes flickered to Mark, and they narrowed. “Harry sent me to fetch you. He’s found something from the note. I’m to take you back to his immediately.”
“What the fuck?” Mark hissed, taking a step forward. “Can you not see we’re in the middle of something here?”
“Oh, I can see, alright. But unfortunately, your little plan didn’t work!”
“What fucking plan?” Mark raged. “The only plan I had was to give Lily and me some alone time without having to ward off the fucking paparazzi!”
Liam laughed, but I gasped when he lifted a gun and aimed it at Mark.
“Liam! What the hell are you doing?”
“It’s okay, poppet. Harry will explain.”
Mark stood gawping at Liam, his hands held up. “Jesus, Lily, I know Harrison’s got a thing for you, but this is a bit over-the-top, wouldn’t you say?”
I turned to Mark, my head shaking. “I’m so sorry about this.” I was going to kill Harrison when I got my hands around his throat! Walking over to Liam, I put my hand on his wrist. “Liam, there’s no need for this. Just put the gun down!”
“In a second,” he remarked.
The scream that tore up my throat and exploded around us when Liam fired a single shot, the bullet embedding bang central in Mark’s forehead, had all the wildlife scurrying for cover.
I couldn’t get any words out, shock leaving me frozen. Even my heart stilled as I watched Mark slump to the ground, his lifeless body bleeding out onto the plate of cold meats that he had fed me from not minutes before.
My phone rang from inside my bag, but I couldn’t get my legs to move.
“Sorry you had to witness that, Lily,” Liam said as he put his arm around me and lifted my trembling body.
My head shook from side to side, but I couldn’t seem to make anything work. My senses were off, and the only thing I could concentrate on was my continually ringing phone.
“I have to answer that.” Even my own voice sounded alien. The world had tilted on its axis, obscuring everything, and making even breathing dreamlike.
“No, you don’t. It’s okay. Let’s get you somewhere safe.”
I didn’t argue or fight Liam when he gently placed me in the passenger seat of his car. He didn’t even check on Mark; he just climbed in beside me and drove away.
Thirty-seven
Harrison
“Fuck!”
Although Mark Denver had a perfect bullet hole in the middle of his forehead, Jimmy still pressed two fingers to the dead man’s neck to check for a pulse. “Nothing.”
“Well done on passing your detective's examination, Jim.”
“Hey,” he held up a hand. “Don’t take this out on me.”
I groaned, dropping to my haunches when I spotted Lily’s bangle wedged beneath Mark’s arm and the rug. Where the fuck was she? Lily’s bag was laid beside a pair of heels, and I made a quick scan of the area for any underwear. The setting was romantic, and I didn’t like how angry that made me. If this prick had touched her, I’d bring him back to life just so I could detach his cock from his balls and be the one to witness his very last breath.
Walking to Mark’s car, I narrowed my eyes at another set of tyre tracks. They stopped short before more lines showed the car had reversed the way it had come.
“Gonna have to call this in, Harry,” Jim informed me with a grimace. “Can’t cover this one up.”
I nodded. “Before you do, I think it’s about time we paid your Superintendent a visit.”
Jimmy rolled his eyes and groaned. “If I get my P45 over this, you’re buying me breakfast for the rest of my life!”
Reviving Heaven Page 17