Chapter 8 #2
I park in the driveway and go around the back.
Jasper sits on a garden chair under a tree with a magazine in her lap.
Reino stands on the side with his hands folded in front of him, a pair of aviator sunglasses obscuring his eyes, but I have no doubt he’s enjoying the view.
He’s made no secret about liking Jasper.
Good luck to him. Jasper has always walked the straight and narrow.
Maybe that’s why she and Tatiana got along so well in school.
She’s not a one-night-stand type of girl.
She’s more the solid relationship kind who wants a ring, a good man, and forever.
Guys like us are a big red flag on her list for husband material.
Noah is flying a paper plane around the yard that he lands on shrubs and branches. He comes running when he sees me. When he bounces off again with his plane, I pull Reino aside.
“How did it go?”
I’m not expecting trouble, but I keep guards on the property around the clock. It never hurts to be cautious. As far as my intel goes, Teszner doesn’t know I’ve found his sister. He’s still gambling and drinking away his inheritance in New York City, making debt and enemies as far as he goes.
Reino tells me now that Noah can play freely in the yard, he’s always outside. Jasper keeps an eye on him while Tatiana works inside the house. My men do the heavy lifting.
“She’s done a great job.” He nods toward the house. “It’s hard work, both physically and mentally. I’d never be able to do that. I’d go nuts if you dump me in the middle of that chaos and tell me to put an order to it.”
I go inside, my feet instinctively leading me to the lounge where Tatiana is washing the windows.
She doesn’t acknowledge me, so I walk around the room and study the photos that are pinned on a notice board leaning against a wall.
Polaroid pictures show what the interior looked like before Tatiana has started.
Reino is right.
Only one word can describe the former state of the house. It’s been a mess. Junk was piled up on each surface and knickknacks crammed into every corner. Whoever lives here must be a hoarder.
Being a minimalist myself, I find the idea incomprehensible. I bet the tidiness isn’t going to last long. I give it six months—tops—before the place looks exactly as it did before. People don’t change overnight.
I glance at Tatiana where she’s scrubbing the grimy windows.
Even in leggings and an oversized T-shirt, she looks like a queen.
She’s tied her hair into a high ponytail.
Blond wisps that escaped the elastic feathers around her face.
The curls stick to her temples where perspiration from the exertion beads on her skin.
She wears the same scarf from yesterday.
I don’t think she’s doing it for Jasper or my men.
My guess is she doesn’t want Noah to see the faint blue bruises in the shape of fingerprints on her neck.
My gaze slips to her naked wrists. She left the Rolex on the nightstand on my side of the bed, making a clear statement that the gift is unwanted.
The watch was more for my benefit than hers.
Despite what I said about marking her, the sight of those welts on her perfect skin bothers me.
I understand her better than she thinks.
I know why she needs this to be different than before.
She can only let me touch her if it doesn’t remind her of the past. And I’ll rather mark her than not touch her at all.
She must become aware of my staring, because she stops scrubbing and looks over her shoulder.
Her question is hostile. “Is there something you wanted?”
I go back to studying the before-pictures. “You’ve done a great job with the place.”
She dunks a scrubber in a bucket of soapy water and squeezes the excess water from the microfiber. “Shouldn’t you be running my father’s mafia empire?”
Far from getting to me, the jab makes me smile. “I can run it from here. All I need is my phone. And it’s my empire.”
She paints S-shapes over the window with the scrubber. “A thief is never the owner of what he stole. It always belongs to the person from whom he took it.”
I walk closer. “That’s not how it works in war. Your father started it. I’ll finish it. What I gain in the process is simply a byproduct of a greater objective.”
She spins around, facing me with a wry smile. “And I’m just the spoils of war. Is that what you’re saying?”
“You’re not really interested in what I’m saying. No matter what I tell you, you’ll twist it into what you want to believe. When you’re truly ready to listen, we can talk about it again.”
She hisses angry words at me. “Hell will freeze over before I listen to you.”
A quirk tugs at my lips. “And here I was trying to compliment you.”
“I don’t need your compliments, and I’m trying to work. Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”
I shove a hand in my pocket. “Many places.”
She gives me a saccharine smile. “So why don’t you do me a favor and go to one of those places?”
“You’re my first priority.”
She laughs. “How lucky for me.”
A puddle of water has soaked into the carpet where the scrubber is dripping at her side. I motion to the growing wet stain. “You’d want to dry that before it gets moldy. Do you need a hand?”
“I can manage, thank you,” she says in a sharp tone.
I take the new credit card from my pocket and put it on the side table next to her. My banker couriered it yesterday. “This is yours.”
She stares at the black card with suspicion instead of gratitude. “Why?”
“If you or Noah need anything.” I cock a shoulder. “I may not always be around to get it for you. You can ask Reino or Ulysses to drive you anytime you have to buy something.”
Her cheeks flush pink. “I don’t need your money, Dante. I can take care of myself.”
Tatiana has always been too proud for her own good.
I tilt my head toward the scrubber in her hand. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I don’t have the luxury of not working.”
“You could if you stop being so stubborn. You don’t need the money.”
“I do if it’s not my own money.” Muttering under her breath, she adds, “Especially if it’s yours.”
“I made you pregnant. Taking care of you and Noah is my responsibility. If I’m giving you an unlimited credit card, it’s to make sure both of you are provided for.”
She blows out an exasperated sigh. “If you want to do something for Noah, buy him new shoes.”
“You don’t have to take care of Noah and yourself alone.”
She drops the scrubber in the bucket, causing the water to splash her jeans and my pants. “Are you telling me I’m not allowed to work?”
Cupping her nape, I chuckle. “You really have to stop putting words in my mouth, darling.”
She steps out of reach. “I told you to stop calling me that.” Staring up at me with huge, mistrusting eyes, she asks, “So you won’t prevent me from running my business?”
“It’s your life. You can do whatever you want—stay at home or work.”
She blinks, searching my eyes as if she’s waiting for me to say I was only joking, that I’m going to chain her in my basement and only take her out in a pretty dress when I need a plus-one on my arm.
“Since you’ve brought up the subject,” I say, “I thought maybe you’d like to go back to school.”
Her posture turns rigid. You’d swear I insulted her.
“To follow your dream,” I clarify when she only looks at me with pursed lips. “As I said, money isn’t an issue. I’ll get you into the best school.”
When she finally speaks, her voice lacks emotion. “Why would you do that?”
I frown. “I told you I’d give you everything you need.”
“If I cooperate,” she states like a challenge.
“Your cooperation isn’t a factor,” I tell her honestly. “It’s a given.”
“Thanks.” She looks down her tiny nose at me. “But no, thanks. I’ll make my own way.”
Frustration gets the better of me. “I’m not going to beg you, Tatiana.” I point at the credit card. “Use it or don’t. It’s your choice.” I walk right up to her, putting us toe to toe. “You don’t have too many of those—choices, that is—so I’ll advise you to make the ones you do have wisely.”
She watches me unblinkingly. “If you want to give me something, send Jazz home. She has nothing to do with your vengeance.”
I shake my head. “Not going to happen.”
Her anger ignites in a second. “Why not?”
“Jasper will go straight to the police, not that it’ll help, but I don’t want to kill more people than I already have for you.”
The color drains from her face. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what I said. Jasper can go home when I have what I want. Until then, she’ll have to be content with being my guest.”
Her green eyes flare. “You’re a—”
“Mommy!” Noah runs into the lounge, holding up both his hands to show eight fingers. “I kicked so many goals.”
Jasper follows on his heels. She looks between Tatiana and me before narrowing her eyes on me.
“Well done.” Tatiana holds out her arms. “I’m so proud of you.”
Noah doesn’t let her embrace him. He high-fives her instead before doing the same with me. Then he runs to Jasper and slams both palms on hers in a gesture that Ted likes to use.
Wiping a hand over his forehead, he blows out a breath. “Phew, I’m hot now. Jazz played too, but she didn’t kick a goal. Are you thirsty, Jazz? Do you want water too?”
Tatiana’s smile is soft. “Your water bottle is in the fridge. Are you hungry? It’s almost time for your snack.”
“Can Jazz cut me an apple?” He turns big, serious eyes to me. “I’m not allowed to cut with the knife.”
“That’s wise,” I say, trying to keep a straight face and not smile.
“Sure.” Jasper dips her head toward the hallway. “Let’s go wash our hands first.”
“I’ll come with you,” Tatiana says quickly.