by Brit Vosper
He raised his eyebrows and stared at me as he thought about it. Then nodded slowly. “If that’s what you need from me, yeah, I’ll do it.”
“I want to know one thing first.”
“What?”
“Where’s Darryl’s boy?”
He held my eyes. “In Prague with his mother.”
I wasn’t sure if he was trying to project sincerity, or if he really was genuine. “You didn’t hurt him? You didn’t sell him?”
He baulked like he was offended. “Is that what he told you?”
I nodded. “He said you threatened him with his son. That you’d torture him and send him away to be sold.”
He shook his head and kissed his teeth. “Fucking hell, Darryl.”
“It’s not true?”
“No, of course it’s not. He told you what you needed to hear. I wasn’t supposed to be mentioned at all. Darryl played you. He made sure you had no choice but to do it for him.”
“Why did you want him dead?”
“I didn’t. Darryl put himself in that position. He had massive gambling debts and owed a hell of a lot of money to the wrong person.”
“Why didn’t he tell me he had gambling debts?”
“Would you have killed him?”
I cocked my head to the side. It was his own fault, I probably wouldn’t have done it if he’d told me that. “Who did he owe?”
“Vincent.”
I huffed. Vincent was a notoriously vicious loan shark. You didn’t go to him unless you absolutely had to. Death would have been the least of Darryl’s worries.
“He had no hope of paying and he feared for his family. Darryl came for help. I couldn’t pay that kind of money, and they wouldn’t stop chasing him while he was alive. He only had one option. I know Vincent well, but I can’t influence his business. That also meant I couldn’t be implicated. So, I arranged to steal the shipment as I knew he wouldn’t fuck with Gian and his business.”
“And you did all this for him out of the kindness of your heart?”
“No, there were benefits for me, as you know. It worked for me, too. But I didn’t expect you’d be the one to kill him.”
I sighed. “Neither did I.”
Silence fell over us once more. I studied him as he leant forward and rested his head in his hands. I’d misjudged Marcus. Unsurprising, considering the only information I had. Now, though, I’d have to forget all that. If he was going to run the business, I’d have to work with him. I’d have to trust him. He was my father and I should give him a chance to be in my life. To get to know me.
We did have one thing in common. “Tell me about my mother.” He sat up straight and looked at me with interest. “I remember her, but not much more than vague images and disjointed memories. My… Gian wouldn’t talk about her. What was she like?”
He smiled and his eyes lit with warmth like he was looking at her through me. “She was a lot like you. Headstrong, argumentative, rebellious…” He laughed. “She had this passion, a fire in her that no one could put out. She was beautiful and fierce.”
I sighed as I pictured her angelic face, smiling at me as she kissed me goodnight. “I remember her always being loving. Gentle and fun. I never saw her without a smile.”
“That’s because she was around you. You were the most important thing in her life. All she lived for was you.”
His smile rose but I could see the sadness behind it. He loved her dearly.
“She would’ve done anything for you… she did.”
I smiled back. “I wish I knew her.”
“You do. She’s every bit a part of you.”
That was a comforting thought. I looked like her, but I never realised I was so much her double. It was nice to think I carried her with me.
The door opened and my heart leapt through my chest. I shot to my feet as the nurse came in. She held a pleasant expression and a small smile, but that didn’t tell me anything.
Please, God, don’t let it be bad news. “What’s going on?” I snapped with more force than I’d intended.
She came forward and stood in front of me. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come back sooner. We’ve been busy.”
My hands balled as I held myself back from shouting at her. Just get on with it. Tell me!
“It was a nasty wound. It ruptured his liver and led to extensive bleeding. There was also damage to the intestine and surrounding tissues.”
Oh, God, no! The dread pulled me forward, and I clutched my mouth with my hand. It was bad news.
“We’ve stemmed the bleeding. The surgeon is working on repairing the damage and cleaning the wound. But he’s stable, for now.”
I dropped the hand from my mouth and stepped towards her. My heart pounded in my chest. “He’s stable? That means he’s gonna be alright, yeah?”
She nodded cautiously. “There might be complications so I can’t give you any certainties, but for the moment, he’s out of any immediate danger.”
I laughed. Deep and hard with the sense of elation. The tension gave way from my limbs and I had to lean over before I fell to the floor. It was like the valve had released from my despair and I could laugh to relieve the pressure.
“Olivia?” Marcus placed a hand on my shoulder and I turned my head to see him smiling at me. “Are you okay?”
I straightened with giddiness and wrapped my arms around his neck, still laughing. “He’s going to be alright!”
He held me back tightly and pressed his head against mine. “Yeah. Everything’s gonna be alright.”
Epilogue
Aaron
Three Months Later
We parked up outside the large red brick building in Soho. It’s unassuming facade nestled amongst the shops and tourists. It may not have appeared much to anyone walking by, but this building held a great memory for me.
I opened the car door and smiled as I looked up, remembering the first time I saw it. The day I met Olivia. The day she threw her drink over me and overturned my life.
Marcus pulled away from his phone and told the driver to park up elsewhere and wait for our call. Then turned back to his conversation.
Since he’d taken over the Syndicate, he didn’t have much time to spend on casual meetings. We’d had to dress this as lunch and catch up. Little did he know, we had news for him. My smile widened as I thought about it and climbed out of the car. Not even the pain in my side could diminish the grin.
Marcus finished his call and joined me on the pavement. Then narrowed his eyes at me. “What are you so happy about?”
I shrugged. “Just life.”
He rolled his eyes, but smirked all the same. “I’ve not seen that smile off your face in months. You’re worrying me.”
Gesturing to the tall black door, I ushered him towards it. “Says you. Your trademark scowl hasn’t been making much of an appearance lately.”
He turned back as the doorman let us through and pointed to his smirk. “Don’t be fooled by this. I’m always scowling on the inside.”
I walked over to the desk and the well-dressed receptionist nodded. “Welcome back, Mr Mason. Are you here to see Ms and Ms Romano?”
“Yes. They’re expecting us.”
She nodded. “Please, could you sign in?” Marcus and I did as she asked while she tapped away at the keyboard. “They’re on the fifth floor in the main bar.”
“Aren’t they always?”
We entered the lift to the side, and I felt a pang of excitement lurch in my gut. Like the lift had moved too quickly, but the doors hadn’t even closed. I couldn’t wait to see her. It had only been a few hours since we left our new house for London, but any time away from her was too long. When I said I never wanted to leave her side again, I meant it.
Marcus turned to me after the doors had closed. “What’s this about, anyway?”
My rising grin threatened to give the game away. I cleared my throat. “Not much. Just a catch up.”
He nodded but his eyebrow raised. “Yeah, because you two leave your litt
le love nest for anything less than an emergency. Even then, not without a fight.”
“Olivia had to come for a meeting. They’re selling one of their businesses. We may as well meet you while we’re down this way.”
“Yeah, right. May as well.” He didn’t believe me.
The lift arrived on the fifth floor and we made our way down the sleek wooden corridor to the main bar. Walking through the door, I spotted her sitting at the far table arguing with her sister. It was like seeing her for the first time and it made me stop in my tracks.
I paused to take in the majesty of her. The light from the floor length windows seemed to blaze only for her, sending golden tones through her dark brown hair and warming her olive skin with a radiating glow. She was even more beautiful now than she was then.
When my eyes met with hers, my heart fluttered. I was still taken aback by that knowing stare. The look that promised the darkest of secrets underneath the brightness of her smiling eyes. It didn’t matter how much I knew about her, there would always be more to figure out.
Olivia commanded my attention. Even from across the room she projected a strength that defied her size. A presence of character I’d seen in no one else before.
She stood as I walked over, folding her arms and rocking back on her heel. The cocky stance which hinted at her defiant nature. The fire that begged, yet, refused to be tamed. I wanted to own it as much as I did then. To hold that flame she contained in my hands and keep it forever.
I knew now, though, I could never own that spark inside her. Quite the opposite. It owned me.
Olivia pouted and placed her hands on her hips. “What time do you call this?”
I looked at my watch. “About 3.50.”
Her smile broke through her fake indignation. “You’re twenty minutes late.”
Pulling her towards me, I held her head in my hands and hovered my lips a breath from hers. “Did you miss me?”
“Yes. I’ve been waiting for this.” Her lips reached for mine and I kissed her.
Having her close filled me inside. It was like her presence reached out from her and consumed me. I wasn’t complete unless I was next to her. The feel of her soft skin made me want to hold her closer, but she pulled away and bit her lip as she looked up. The warmth in her half-closed eyes spoke without words. They whispered how much she loved me.
I smiled. “Then I sincerely apologise for Marcus, and his inability to get anywhere on time.”
Marcus took a seat opposite Milena and called to us. “Don’t blame me. You’re the one who insisted on lunch in central.”
I looked over. “And you’re the one who demanded a third beer.”
He shrugged. “I don’t get much time to relax these days, I have to enjoy it while I can.”
I kissed Olivia’s forehead. Then moved back to take the seat opposite hers. “So, how did the meeting go?”
She nodded and her long hair cascaded from her shoulders, framing her perfect face. Casting shadows below her cheekbones and jaw that made her beautiful features even more pronounced. I could sit and stare at her all day.
“Really well. They’ve offered us a good price for it.”
Milena shuffled in her seat and folded her arms. “I still don’t see why we have to sell it.”
Olivia rolled her eyes and addressed her sister. “We’ve discussed this, Milena. We’re not expanding anymore. There’s no point competing with this company. Why spend our time and money just to hold position when they’ve offered us a good price to buy us out?”
Milena shook her head and turned away from her. “We should be buying them.”
Olivia sighed. “We don’t have the resources. It’s smarter to pull back and focus on the logistics company. That’s our biggest. Not to mention, the business we have with other ties.”
“Olivia’s right,” Marcus said. “The logistics company is your foundation. You should focus on that until you’ve got a handle on everything.”
Milena scowled at him. “Since when do you have a say in my side of operations?”
He jutted his chin at her. “Since Gian died.”
She narrowed her eyes.
Olivia sighed. “You’ll still have the rest of the legitimates to run. Don’t you think you’ve got enough on your plate for now?”
Milena turned to Olivia. “We should be expanding. There was a reason he invested in that industry, it’s got massive potential. We have to be aggressive with it.”
Olivia shook her head. “Milena, it’s done. I’m selling it. End of discussion.”
Milena pressed her lips together and turned away.
Both Marcus and I looked at each other. We had tried to dissuade Olivia from letting Milena run the legitimate businesses, but she insisted on giving her the chance. She had the experience with them. While Olivia still owned everything, she’d put a lot of faith and control in Milena’s hands. Much more than I thought she deserved. I didn’t trust Milena, and I was unsure if I ever would.
The waiter came over and placed two glasses of scotch on the table and I turned to him. “I didn’t order.”
Olivia smiled. “I took the liberty.”
I narrowed my eyes at her playfully. “What if I didn’t want whisky?”
“That’s what you always have.”
“What if I wanted Champagne?”
Her smile widened. “That’s next.”
Marcus picked his glass up from the table. “Whatever in-joke you two are playing, I don’t care. I’m not complaining.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “You wouldn’t, philistine.”
He smirked. Then took a drink.
“Marcus,” Olivia started. “Any word on Lawrence?”
He sighed and shook his head. “No. I’ve had people looking, but he’s disappeared. None of my guys can find Lucy, either. She was seen around the London shelters when she first escaped, but no one has seen her in months.”
A pang of guilt snapped in my chest. She was homeless when I picked her up. I hoped she’d got out of London and found herself somewhere to live. Hope was all I could do.
Olivia huffed in frustration. “Keep looking.”
He nodded. “We’ll find her sooner or later.”
That didn’t look like it eased her worry. “How’s the other side of the business going?”
He drew a breath. “Good. Busy.”
“That’s all?”
“I only spoke to you about it last week.”
“Yeah, and it was all very matter-of-fact. Some might say cagey.”
“I wasn’t being cagey. I told you what you needed to know.”
She frowned. “How about I decide what I need to know? Tell me what the fuck’s going on. With you, with the business, in general.”
Olivia still didn’t take no shit from Marcus. I loved the boldness she showed whenever she stood up to him. Even back when she first saw him in the cells, she wasn’t afraid to put him in his place, or me for that matter.
Although she was coming round to the idea he was her father, Olivia held her reservations about Marcus. He’d not given her any reason to doubt him, but she still didn’t trust him completely. Not that I could blame her, it had only been three months. Marcus had to tread carefully if he wanted the chance to win her trust and get close to the daughter he’d waited so long to get to know.
He sighed as he held her eyes. “I’m still figuring out how far Gian’s tendrils went. I’ve gone through all the connections you gave me and then beyond. Gian was into some shit you didn’t know about.”
“Like what?”
“I didn’t want to tell you until I’d found something concrete, or anything useful to be honest. You’ve had enough to deal with, I didn’t want to burden you with this, too.”
“Let me decide that. What was he involved in, Marcus?”
“I don’t know exactly.” He lowered his voice. “But I’ve followed a trail that tells me he has connections with the Albanian Mafia.”
Milena sat forward in her
seat. Her eyes screwed together with confusion. “He wouldn’t work with the Albanians. Warned us countless times against getting involved with anyone working with them. He called them brutal heathens that couldn’t be trusted.”
Marcus turned his attention to Milena. “Maybe so, but it looks like he didn’t follow his own rules. He was shovelling money into something with them. Judging by the amount, it’s something big. Either that, or he was paying them off.”
I’d heard enough about the Albanians to know this wasn’t good. Their blood for blood culture made them nasty to deal with. It was a rule that no one in the Syndicate should work with them or any other familial organisation. A rule often enforced by Gian.
“I’ve not stopped the money. I’m trying to pick up the contacts with them to figure out what we’re dealing with. They’re not forthcoming with me though.”
Olivia’s smile had faded, and she had a pensive look on her face. “So, what does this mean? If he was funding something, then I’d imagine the Albanians would want to keep that contact. If he was paying them off, then they’d be keeping us on a tighter leash. They’d still want to control the money, wouldn’t they?”
“You’d think so, but every introduction I’ve tried has met with closed doors.”
“Shit.” Olivia sighed. “This is just what we need. The Syndicate is fragile enough at the minute without adding interference from the fucking Albanians. We can’t continue the association with them. We can’t let them get a foothold anywhere in this business.”
“It won’t come to that. Leave it with me. I’ll figure it out before I put a stop to it.”
Olivia ran her hands through her hair. I could tell this had worried her. “Okay, just keep me informed with what’s going on.”
Marcus’ phone rang. He nodded at Olivia before he checked the screen and answered.
I turned to her. The concern was written all over her furrowed brow. “Don’t worry about it.”
She cocked her head. “How can I not?”
“Because you’ve no need to get involved. Marcus will sort it out.” She looked down and sighed. There was doubt in her mind he would. “At least, don’t let it spoil today.”