by Kimmy Love
Heather squeezed him tighter still.
“So,” Yuri said. “Now you know you're marrying a killer.”
“Stop saying that, Yuri, it's not true. Never think of yourself like that.” She exhaled and wiped the tears away. “What a pair we are.”
He pulled her to face him. “We have come from two very difficult backgrounds. We survived them and now we have to survive that Lemar guy, and we can.”
“But now I can just call his bluff, can't I?” Heather asked. “I mean, you know everything about me so he can't blackmail me anymore.”
“I don't think it's going to be that easy,” said Yuri. “Now I know what kind of person we're dealing with, I would imagine that you telling him I know about your past will only make him pull out his trump card.”
“His trump card? What's that?” asked Heather.
“Well, what's the thing you've been so dead set against, the one thing that exposes you and finds out everything about you, whether you like it or not, and then tells the world?” he asked.
“The press.”
“That's right. I'm pretty sure if you tell him to take a hike, the newspapers will be his next move. How would you feel about your story being all over the papers?” Yuri raised an eyebrow.
“I couldn't deal with that. I couldn't show my face to anyone. How could I? I'd have to go into hiding and what good would that do to your career, your profile? People would lose all respect for you. It's the kind of story that could ruin your business, Yuri.”
“Well, it's for that very reason that we need to put a permanent stop to Lemar.”
“But when you say permanent...” She rose slowly to meet his eyes. “You don't mean to kill him, do you?”
“Well, we both know I'm not capable of that. But somehow, I think all we need to do is let him know that the possibility might await him if he doesn't back off once and for all.”
“But I know Lemar,” Heather got up and crossed her arms. “All he'd do is laugh in our faces if we confront him with threats like that. He'll know we won't back it up.”
“Who says it will be us doing the threatening? I still know people, Heather. I'm not proud of it but some of those old gang members eventually made their way over here. They've set up their own rings, own cartels and they make a lot more money here in New York.”
“And you can call one of these people to speak to Lemar? I mean they wouldn't really shoot him or anything right?”
“You just leave the finer details to me,” Yuri said extending an arm so Heather would sit with him again. “Just tell me where they can find him; the less you know the better.”
Heather leaned her head back onto Yuri's chest. His heart rate was even again. He stroked her hair, she closed her eyes and, bit by bit, they both fell asleep until the sun seeped in between the gaps in the drapes.
The Final Chapter
Janey was jumping up and down for joy when Heather confirmed that the wedding was still on. “I knew that couldn't be it,” Janey sang down the phone. “You guys are made for each other. Besides, I've never been a bridesmaid before.”
“Well,” said Heather. “It's time we went out for some much needed retail therapy. It's time I bought the dress.”
Janey yelped in the background but Heather's mind went back over the two days she and Yuri had just spent after he had finally told her all about his past. Yuri had been quiet; she’d seen his eyes staring off in the distance and didn't want to question him. Instead, she spoke weddings and dresses and didn't ask Yuri how his plans to get rid of Lemar, once and for all, were going.
Lemar, she thought, would be unaware of the changes in their arrangement and Yuri had told her not to pick up his phone calls under any circumstances. But, when it came to the day of picking out a wedding dress with Janey, Heather's mind was still very much preoccupied. She met Janey early in the morning and by the afternoon; they had been to practically every bridal shop imaginable.
“I swear you'll have to have something especially designed for you, Heather. Nothing you've seen has been good enough,” Janey sighed as she sat out in the show room of one of the largest wedding dress shops in the city, while Heather tried on yet another dress.
Heather could not decide on the right style. Everything seemed to suit her but nothing seemed right. She knew full well that her mind wasn't entirely on buying a wedding dress but there was no way she could confide as much in Janey. Heather was going through the motions, keeping occupied until her problem had been resolved.
“We're running out of places to try,” Janey said. She was sipping yet another glass of complimentary champagne, her third of the day.
Heather came out of the dressing room in a lace, figure hugging dress with a fish tail. It trailed far behind her and the assistant helped her onto the small platform on the show room floor. It was surrounded by three full length mirrors. Other shoppers stopped their shopping, in awe of how beautiful Heather looked.
“I love it,” Janey said. “What do you think, Heather?”
Heather pulled a face.
“I knew it.” Janey stood, throwing her hands in the air. “Okay, we've been at this for hours. We're never going to find the right dress.”
The shop assistant scowled at Janey. Heather stepped off the platform and looked at her apologetically. It had taken ages for the girl to fasten all the diamond clasps at the back.
“Why don't we give Yuri's personal assistant a call?” Janey suggested.
“Susan? Why?” Heather tried to hobble her way back out to the changing rooms.
“Because,” said Janey, “from what you tell me about her, she knows everything and everybody in this town. If there's some shop or designer we've missed, she'll have the answer. Go on, call her.” She gestured for Heather to hurry on back and pick up her cell.
Reluctantly, Heather made her way to the back room to find her cell. She dialed Susan, but was nervous about speaking to her. Since the last time they met for dinner at Yuri's apartment, the atmosphere between them had grown extremely frosty. Heather hadn't been looking forward to the next time they met or spoke. She was sure that Susan had her down as a gold digger and, therefore, bad news for Yuri.
But, Heather didn't want there to be any animosity between them because she was well aware of how valuable a friend Susan was to Yuri. If this was a time of coming clean and keeping all their cards on the table, then perhaps it was time to try to make amends with Susan. She couldn't have their last conversation hanging over their heads, especially as the wedding was well and truly on. It was time to build bridges.
Heather emerged from the changing room with a smile on her face.
“Well?” asked Janey, who was draining the last of her champagne while waiting for Heather to change back into her own clothes again.
“She's directed me to some place not to far from here. Apparently, it's a little known boutique but she said at least three actresses have gone there to buy their wedding dresses.”
“What are we waiting for?” Janey asked, grabbing her hand. She pushed the empty champagne glass into the bridal shop assistant's hand and they left.
Just about half a block away and down a side road, they came to the place that Susan had recommended. Janey wasn't too impressed by the exterior of the shop when they first arrived but after being let inside and saw the styles of the dresses, she felt the search may finally be over.
“This one!” Janey said, holding up a dress with a broad grin on her face.
Heather gave her a knowing smile and nodded her head. The whole business with Lemar and the money he was trying to extort from Yuri left her for that moment.
“I think we're on to something,” she said as she headed for the changing room, hotly pursued by the dress fitter and her assistant.
While Heather was inside the changing room being dressed by the staff, Janey was waiting in the main shop after having been served with yet another full glass of complimentary champagne. She accepted without hesitation and started looking at veils.
“How's it looking?” Janey called in to Heather.
“So far so good,” Heather called back.
The shop assistant had finally fastened the intricate line of buttons up the back of her dress and Heather stopped to look at herself in the mirror before going out to show Janey.
“It's beautiful,” a voice just behind her said. Heather looked up and saw Susan inside the dressing room. “Could we have a moment?” Susan asked the dress fitters.
They smiled and nodded and obediently left the two of them alone. Heather turned to face Susan.
“You came,” Heather said, allowing a smile to spread across her face.
“Yes, I hope you don't mind,” said Susan, blushing. “I didn't want to fall out with you, Heather. I really like you as a person and I know Yuri loves you. And, well, he told me about...”
“What?” Heather asked fidgeting uncomfortably from one foot to the next. The dress bunched up on the floor around her as she was in bare feet.
“He didn't think you'd mind but he told me all about... your past. I suppose the most important thing was that you'd come clean about the money,” said Susan, lowering her voice.
Heather was on her guard again. “So you came here because now you know all about me and you want me out of his life? Is that it?”
“I'm not a judge, Heather,” she said.
“Well, you've certainly been judging me.”
“Only because I was afraid for him. You see, I already knew about his past. He took me into his confidence a long time ago. But he came here and turned his life around completely, all on his own. I have a lot of time and respect for that man as you can imagine. His childhood was...well, you know all about it,” Susan said.
“Yes, I do and he and I have an understanding, Susan. Have you come to give me your opinion on that too?” Heather smoothed the front of her dress.
“Not at all, Heather, look, please, don't hate me.” Susan stepped closer. “Yuri needs people on his side; I know you are and you know I am, too. But I want us all to be on the same side. It's important that you and I get on, don't you think?”
“I don't have a problem with you, Susan. I would be protective of my best friend, too.” Heather's voice softened. “What you said to me was right; I shouldn't have lied to Yuri. But you have to believe me when I say, I lied because I couldn't stand to lose the one precious thing I've ever had in my life. I would give my life for that man and by lying to him, I thought I was fighting for him, to keep him. But you showed me I was doing it wrong.”
“So you don't think I'm a complete bitch?” Susan cracked a smile.
“Not in the slightest. I'm glad Yuri has someone watching out for him the way you do, Susan. He's a lucky man.”
“Well, more so now that he has you.”
Heather walked to Susan and took her hands. “Friends?” she asked, smiling.
Susan put her arms around her. “Of course we are and I'm very happy to be your friend, Heather.” She stepped back and took in the design of the dress. “You look beautiful, by the way. I think this could be the one.”
Heather turned back to the mirror. “I'm still not sure.” Then, turning to Susan. “I suppose Yuri told you about how he's going to put an end to the blackmailing, right?”
“Only an outline,” said Susan. “The less I know about it, the better, he says. And that goes for you, too.”
“So when is it all supposed to be happening?”
“Well, judging by what I overheard while he was on the phone earlier, I think it's tonight. By tomorrow, your problems will all be over.”
“Thank God,” Heather said. “Then we can get on with our lives. I was dreading tomorrow. That was when I was supposed to meet Lemar in that seedy bar with the money. You have no idea how glad I am that I don't have to ever go back there.”
They both smiled.
“Come on,” Heather said. “Janey will think I've fallen asleep in here.”
***
A few hours later, with her wedding dress bought and waiting alterations, Heather was back at the apartment, eating dinner with Yuri.
“I finally got lucky on a dress. It's simple but unique looking – well, I think so anyway. The girls agreed.” Heather said, pouring Yuri some wine. He said nothing but picked up the glass, put it to his lips and placed it back on the table without drinking.
She carried on talking to him but Yuri seemed preoccupied. It was as though he looked through her rather than at her. Heather put it down to the stress of what would be happening with Lemar and whomever Yuri had paid to see him off that night. She was worried stiff and so must he, she thought. Her remedy was to keep on talking, staying off the subject as much as she could, but Yuri was obviously running the whole sordid matter over and over in his head.
Because of her, he'd had to resort to a world he wanted to forget. She was close to running to him and begging forgiveness for bringing all of this trouble to his door but she knew full well Yuri wouldn't see it like that.
They barely spoke all evening and Heather sat on a large armchair in one corner of the room, reading, afraid to bring up the subject, afraid to say anything at all. Heather looked at the clock for about the hundredth time that night. She had no idea what time things would happen but on looking at the time, she saw it was almost midnight.
Heather was sleepy but remembered something Susan had said earlier: “Tomorrow your problems would be over.” If they slept, now, the two of them, tomorrow would come around sooner. No more waiting to see what their immediate future held.
“I'm going to bed,” Heather said and stood up to stretch. She walked to the sofa where Yuri lay looking up at the ceiling. He had not moved from that spot for ages. “Coming?” she asked, looking down at him with a fake smile.
“Hmm? Oh no,” he said. “Actually, I need to pop out for a few hours.”
Heather panicked and stood looking at him with absolute horror on her face. “What do you mean you're popping out?” she asked in a shaky voice. “You think I don't know what's going on tonight?”
Yuri looked at her open mouthed. He knew exactly who'd given Heather that snippet of information. He sat up. “Susan wasn't supposed to say anything about tonight.” Yuri ran a hand over his hair and got to his feet.
“Well, maybe she wanted me to stop this happening.”
“What?”
“Since when did you decide you were going to go along tonight and get involved?” asked Heather. “This isn't what you're about anymore. I'm sorry, Yuri, I have to stop you. We're close to having Lemar leave us alone so we can get on with our lives once and for all. You just leave all of this to whomever is supposed to be dealing with Lemar, please.” There was desperation in Heather's eyes.
“I have to make sure everything goes to plan,” Yuri said, avoiding looking at her now. “They've gotten in contact with Lemar. They've lured him to secluded port under a bridge in a quiet part of town, making him think he's there to be part of a big drugs deal. He thinks he's in with some big gangster types who've heard about his reputation. He was so conceited, he bought the whole thing.”
“That sounds like Lemar, but I don't get why you need to be around,” she said.
“It's part of the deal, Heather. I asked that I saw the operation in action. They're going to be wired, I'll be out of sight but I get to listen in. It's a precaution. I just didn't want anything coming back to us, okay? So I wanted to know it all went well. Then I could sleep – finally. After this we're back to you and me, Heather.” He gently held her arms. “We move on. That crook was a glitch in our lives.”
“I'm coming with you.”
“Oh no, no you don't Heather. This is exactly what I didn't want.” He held up open palms and started putting on his shoes, then his jacket.
“Forget it, Yuri,” she said. “You and me start now: for better or worse, we're in this together and you won't get me to back down.”
Yuri looked at her, pursed his lips together and shook his head. “Are you going
to be this stubborn when we get married?”
“Worse,” she said.
“You've got one minute to get ready.”
Yuri and Heather drove across town in the dead of night. Yuri parked the car just to the side of a strip of warehouses that were either disused or all locked up for the night. In front of one of them was a large pile of old storage boxes. Yuri parked the car so that it was obscured from the boxes but had a view on the river just on the other side of an empty walkway. Just overhead was a bridge over which cars and vans trundled noisily along. Other than the traffic passing, it was quiet.
Yuri turned off the headlights and the engine. Heather thought she saw a figure approaching on foot but couldn't sure. She put it down to her imagination because the lone figure seemed to disappear somewhere by the water's edge.
“Where are they?” Heather asked, looking from one side of the walkway to the other.
Yuri put a finger on his lips. “Heather, it's one thing that you're here, but you have to listen to me now. You say nothing and you keep perfectly still.” He said these words directly into her ear, she felt his breath hot on the side of her face. She nodded.
Immediately after they settled back in their seats Heather heard the wheels of another car approaching the desolate warehouse buildings. It rolled in slowly and parked opposite them, by the river's edge. It was only when the headlights of the dark car cast its beam on the river that she noticed the tall, skinny figure of Lemar by the stone steps leading to the cold water below. That was the figure she had seen arriving. She swallowed hard and flicked an eye at Yuri who was putting an earpiece firmly into his right ear.
From what she could see, there were two men in the parked car opposite. She saw Lemar move towards the dark car. She noticed that familiar bobbing walk he did when he was approaching people he wanted to impress or to show he meant business. She knew he moved like that when he was scared, too.
Lemar walked towards the dark car and shielded the beam from the headlights with his hand. He was wearing gloves, she noticed. He was also wearing a dark, hooded jacket. The hood was up over his clean shaved head and he wore scuffed jeans that sagged at the knee. He said something to the men but she couldn't make out what. Heather took another look at Yuri. He was stock still with eyes fixed ahead.