With This Secret

“Then do you want to take the chance that he forces you to expose everything by the end of today? It’s not just your head on the line, I hope you realize this? We can find a way to get away from this but your career and legacy will be ruined. Not to mention you’ll be behind bars and you’ll never see Jacob again.”

“I don’t care about my legacy or my own freedom,” she said. “None of that matters. I just want my grandson back in one piece and I’ll do whatever it takes to achieve that.”

“Like what you did today?” I asked.

“You think I trust the police?” she nearly spat into the phone. “Those trigger-happy bastards will shoot first then ask questions. Bring my baby back to me, or I’ll sing so hard and long I’ll bring every one of you down.”

19

Bianca

I thought I might just go crazy in this big house. I needed to bake. Levan had disappeared right after breakfast and I hadn’t laid eyes on him since.

It was a day off for the Chef, a mousy, grumpy man with a strong French accent.

Gloria had made lunch and gone out to run some errands. She said she would be back in a couple of hours.

The maids usually finished their cleaning by lunchtime and went back to their lives.

Of course, there was an army of dangerously armed guards outside and I could see a couple of gardeners toiling away at some garden beds, but I was basically all alone in this vast house.

Levan had a baker’s dream for a pantry and I decided to keep myself busy, by trying out some recipes I’d always wanted to make for the store, but had never found the time.

The thought of my bakery saddened me. Francesca, one of the two girls who helped me in the store, had closed it down for me. It hurt to think of my store shut and a closed sign on it.

With a sigh, I left my room and began to head down the stairs, but as I arrived at the bottom step, the front door clicked open. My heart lodged in my throat when I saw Levan come in with two of his men. His face looked so hard and foreign I had to grab onto the banister by my side to keep myself standing.

He whirled around to his men, spat out what sounded like commands in Russian.

With a nod, both men took their leave.

Levan stood a moment longer with his back turned to me. His shoulders flexed, before he turned to face me. “How are you?” He looked slightly pale and a muscle kept ticking furiously in his jaw.

“Uh, alright,” I answered uncertainly. “I was just heading over to the kitchen to do some baking.”

“That’s good,” he said.

Then to my shock and astonishment, he turned to walk away.

My heart deflated like a balloon. After last night and this morning, I thought things between us would change. Now that we were both fully aware of the beautiful fire we could make together, we would become more intimate with each other, share more. But seeing him now …

It was as if nothing had happened between us. We were like complete strangers. Had he already had enough of me? Impossible. I just could not accept or believe that. Not after last night. I needed to ask. I shouted to his departing back. “Are you alright? You seem,” I searched for the word, “troubled.”

He stopped at the sound of my voice, then turned slowly. “I’m fine. Just a little tired. I’ll be fine.” He forced a smile for me.

“Any word from your brother yet?”

His chest moved as he took a deep breath. “Yeah, I heard from him this morning. He’s back in town.”

“That’s great,” I replied awkwardly.

He frowned. “Look, I need to do something important. I’ll meet you in the kitchen when I’m done.” Without waiting for a response from me, he disappeared into his cavernous study down the hallway.

For a moment, I was too stunned to do anything, but stare after him in dejection, then I fished out my phone and called Aldie. She didn’t pick up, and after three more tries, I left her a voicemail. “Levan’s acting weird and … and that’s not good, especially after last night. Freaking call me, and if I find out your phone died while you were in the store again, I’ll kill you.”

I headed off to the kitchen to search the pantry for ingredients. I got what I needed for my new rainbow cupcake creation, but at the last minute, I spotted the tall jar of pasta and grabbed that too. I decided then to make us a full dinner. Perhaps that would somehow bring us together again. Loosen the tense air between us.

Over an hour later, I had the cupcakes baking away in the oven and their lovely aroma filled the air. The pasta was boiling in water and in another pan, the Bolognese sauce the Chef had left in the fridge was simmering gently. With only a few minutes left for things to be concluded, it was time to invite Levan over. I went and knocked on his study door.