Chapter 9 - Bardil
The hike was amazing. I had a lot of fun. It was so good to let loose and forget the drama.
And Nikita seemed to enjoy it. Her cheeks were rosy and her smile wide.
And climbing back up that wall, she really impressed me. Surefooted and confident.
I've never met a girl like her before. Someone who can catch me by surprise.
Nikita is in the shower, washing off the mud and warming up. The sun was setting when we got back, and the temperature dropped quite a bit. I'm about to head toward the other shower when my phone buzzes, ringing unexpectedly.
"Simon," I mutter, looking at the screen. Wariness seeps into my thoughts.
"Hello," I answer.
"Bardil, hey man, how are you?" he says cheerfully.
"I'm good, I'm good," I say, reminding myself that even though he sounds friendly and open, I should be careful. He's sided with the enemy.
"Listen, brother, I know it's last-minute and I'm not even sure if you're back on Miami soil again, but I have a huge favor to ask."
"A favor?" I repeat.
"Yeah. I really need help tomorrow. Marlen is swamped with some operations out of town, and something's come up that I can't do alone. I know it's been a while, man. But I could really use your help tomorrow," Simon says, sounding desperate.
"What's it for?"
"A delivery. The client is that guy that you brought on board early last year. It's a massive order, and I'm not comfortable doing it alone."
"And you can't take one of your new friends with you?" I ask, sounding bitter.
"No man. This client isn't linked to the alliance. It's our family's business. No one else's."
I sigh, pressing my fingers into my eyes and massaging them.
I could say no. I could say I'm busy.
It's almost two hours of driving to get there and another two hours to get back. Would I want to leave Nikita alone at the cabin for that long?
But this could be an important moment. The moment I win my family back.
"Bardil?"
"I'm here. Yeah. I can help. What time? Where?" I say.
"Jeez, that's good news. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this," Simon exclaims. "Can you be at the main warehouse at seven?"
"Will do."
After hanging up, I'm tense. There are pros and cons to helping Simon. But overall, the bottom line is that I don't want to say no when my family calls me, needing me.
No one else has reached out or tried to reconnect with me. Simon is making an effort. I like to think it's about more than his lame attempt to find out if I had the girl or not. I like to hope that it's because I'm his brother and he cares and wants to rebuild our relationship.
After the shower, wearing fresh, comfortable clothes, I head to the kitchen to get a snack before bed.
Nikita is there, making grilled cheese.
"Late-night snack?" I ask, making her jump. She giggles and presses her hand over her heart. Her smile makes my heart skip a beat.
"All the exercise today has been feeling like I could eat an entire pizza by myself," she grins.
"I could make pizza, if you want?"
"No, no, this is enough. Do you want one?" Her eyes are bright and beautiful when she looks up at me.
"Sure," I nod, leaning against the counter to watch her.
Images flash through my mind. Stupid thoughts.
Thoughts that could never be. Nikita, living with me.
Us building a life together. She is the type of woman I could be with.
Someone feisty and fun. A little reckless.
A little wild. Someone up for a challenge and an adventure.
"Do you want ham?" she asks.
"Huh?" I blurt out, pulling myself back to reality.
"Ham?" She holds up the packet.
"Oh, yes, thanks."
I watch her for a while longer, then decide I should tell her about tomorrow.
"Listen, I'm going to be out for a bit tomorrow. Not long. And I won't be far."
"Oh, where are you going?"
"Not far," I say again, narrowing my eyes. I'd rather she thinks I'm close and still have my eyes on her.
"Ok, well, I guess… that's ok. Not that I had a say in anything," she says, rolling her eyes.
I press my lips together, sensing the tension. It's a sharp reminder of the dynamics between us. She's my prisoner, not anything else. Today made it easy to forget for a moment.
***
It's still dark outside, well before dawn, when I leave the cabin, locking the door securely behind me.
I want to get going and get this over with so I can get back as soon as possible.
I'm incredibly anxious about leaving her alone here, but where's she going to go?
There's literally nowhere for her to escape to.
And after the incident with the bear, I highly doubt she's going to venture out there alone again.
She doesn't strike me as being a stupid girl.
Driving alone is when I do most of my thinking, and all the way back to Miami, my head is busy.
Most of the thoughts are intrusive ideas that I push away.
Ideas about Nikita that shouldn't even be in my head.
I try my best to focus only on the task that lies ahead for this morning.
Seeing my brother again has me on edge. But he's still my brother, no matter what.
Simon's guys are busy loading the last of the goods into the truck when I walk into the warehouse. It's strange to be back here, although it's instantly familiar.
When my brother sees me, a massive smile breaks across his face.
"Bardil," he grins, walking over to me. I'm about to hold out my hand to shake his, but he grabs me into a hug. "Fuck, it's good to see you!" Simon says.
My reservations and wariness are still in full force, but I return the hug, slapping my hand against his back. "You too, Simon. It's been way too long," I say.
He pulls away and punches my shoulder. "You look good. Healthy. Whatever holiday you were on must've been good for you," he remarks.
An image of Nikita flashes through my mind. Good for me.
"Any holiday is good," I say. "So, are we ready to hit the road?"
"We are, I'll drive."
I climb into the front of the truck, and Simon starts the engine.
I glance over at him. He's focused on the road as we drive away from the warehouse.
I shift uncomfortably in my seat, unsure what to talk about.
Everything we should talk about is hanging in the air between us like a giant pink elephant in the room.
Simon must be feeling it too because he starts chatting about random things. The weather. The client we're on our way to. Some random things from our childhood. But the more he talks, the more I relax. I chuckle to myself and shake my head.
"What's got you laughing?" he asks, stealing a look at me.
"Man, it's just good to see you, that's all," I say.
He laughs. "I know, it really is," he agrees. "I've seriously missed you. We all have. Talia asks about you nonstop," he says.
"I miss you guys, too. This whole thing is stupid," I sigh.
After that, the conversation flows easily, and the tension is gone.
It's right back to how it always was between us. Quirky remarks, teasing each other, making jokes.
We do the delivery, and on the drive back home, Simon looks tense again. We're almost back at the warehouse when he asks, "Do you mind if we make a quick stop for another task?"
"What task?" I ask, wary again because he seems nervous.
"Jaroslav needs help moving something at his office," he says without looking at me.
"Jaroslav. Are you kidding me?" I huff.
"Come on, man. It'll take ten minutes, and it'll be good for things. He'll see you putting in effort, showing your face. It'll be a good way to start earning their trust," he says quietly.
"Their trust? Why the hell would I care about their trust, man? I don't want their trust," I huff.
Simon sighs heavily. He takes the turn toward our warehouse, and I see the muscles of his face tighten as he clenches his jaw.
We remain silent until the truck is parked in the warehouse again.
"Thanks for the help, man, I appreciate it." Simon sounds disappointed.
"Sure, anytime," I say gruffly, pushing my door open.
I climb out and say goodbye. Simon's eyes are locked onto me as I head back to my car and climb inside. Before driving away and nod, smiling tightly.
It sucks to leave on a sour note after the morning went so well.
But I won't be pushed into anything I don't agree with, and I definitely don't agree with an alliance between the Shevs and Abashins and my family.
I hate them. I hate them for stealing my family.
I hate them for their lies and bullying.
I want nothing to do with those assholes.
Simon should never have asked that of me.
The drive back to the cabin feels like it's taking forever, but it's still early afternoon when I get back.
I park the car around back, oddly excited to see her. I've actually missed her today. Those sarcastic glances. The way she rolls her eyes at me and pulls her mouth to the side. The way she scrunches her nose when she's thinking.
But my heart sinks to the pit of my stomach when I find the front door unlocked.
How? How could she possibly have guessed the code?
Fuck.
Without bothering to check the cabin, I run straight into the woods.
Searching the entire perimeter, I find tracks leading in the opposite direction to where we've walked together.
I run, following the tracks for a while before they disappear. I can't find her.
It's getting late.
I hate the idea of her out here alone in the dark.
Why the hell was she stupid enough to leave on her own? Doesn't she know how dangerous this place can be?
If she kept in this direction… dammit, Nikita.
I have no choice. Running back, I climb into the car again and start driving toward a small town—the closest place around. It's a few hours' walk from here, but I don't want to underestimate her.
In some ways, I'd rather she found her way out there than get stuck or lost in the wild.
I drive like crazy and reach the town just before sunset.
Driving slowly along the streets, I keep my eyes peeled, searching every side road and storefront for her.
My heart flips when I see her through the dirty glass window of a small smoke-filled pub.
I park the car right there on the sidewalk, not caring if it's going to piss some small-town moron off. Running inside, I find Nikita at a bar, chatting up some random guy.
Curiosity gets the better of me, and I hang back to listen.
The guy is leaning against the bar, standing way too close to her.
"Please, if you could lend me your phone, or your car… I need help." She's flat out pleading with the guy. But instead of noticing her distress, the asshole is flirting with her.
"I'll take you anywhere you want to go, gorgeous. You can come stay at my place tonight, and then we can leave in the morning. I promise I'll keep you safe. I won't even try anything, but there's only one bed in my apartment."
My entire body goes rigid with anger.
Who the fuck does he think he is? He doesn't deserve a girl like Nikita. She's far too good for him. The fact that he's even trying has me wanting to rip his face off.
Nikita shakes her head. "I don't want to stay at your place. I just need a ride. Or if I can borrow your keys, then I can drive myself, and my brothers will get your car back to you."
"Oh, come on, baby. Just have a drink with me. You look like you could use one," he grins, reaching out to touch her face.
The moment his fingers brush over her skin, I leap into action.
"Get your fucking hands off her," I snarl, grabbing his wrist and pulling him so hard he stumbles away from the bar.
"Fuck off, asshole, I found her first," he shouts.
"You found her?" I growl. "She's not your fucking pet. You don't just find her."
"Mind your own business," he snaps, taking a swing at me.
It's exactly what I was waiting for. Some half-assed attempt to come at me. It's all the spark I need to let loose on him.
My fingers knot around the collar of his jacket, and as I swing my fist, I drag him toward the punch. His head snaps back, and he groans as he staggers, blood gushing from his nose.
"What the fuck?" he yelps.
His eyes flood with rage as he runs toward me, ready to take me on.
But the asshole doesn't stand a chance. My second punch has him on the floor. And I don't stop there. This mother fucker thought he could steal my girl. My girl. He thought he could smooth his way into taking her home. Then what? His hands on her? His body against hers?
The images in my mind have me blinded with rage.
I barely hear her screams, but she grabs my arm and tries to physically stop me from punching him again. I pause, breathless, to look at her.
"Please, stop, you'll kill him," she begs, tears in her eyes. "It's my fault. I came here. I started talking to him first. Please don't kill him. It'll be all my fault."
She's sobbing, horrified.