Page 53 of Savage Justice

I shove myself up on one elbow, my previous reluctance to discuss Borys evaporating. “What do you mean?”

“We had a little word with him. Persuaded him of the error of his ways.”

“Oh God, what did you do?” I have visions of missing appendages.

“I may have shot his toe off.”

“Christ!” I knew it!

“But he’ll live. The brother-in-law is based in Warsaw, and Borys has been sent over there to cool his heels for a while. A long while.”

“Warsaw? He’ll hate that.”

“Not his choice. Anyway, I believe it’s a pleasant enough city.”

“Probably, but he’s an art dealer, not a tourist. He needs to be in London, or Paris or Milan. Anywhere there’s a vibrant market. He’ll be back the first chance he gets, and he won’t let up.” I sit up in the bed. “Oh God! He knows where I am. I’ll have to go. Disappear again.”

He slides his arm around my waist as though he imagines I’m going to make a run for it right now. “Calm down. He won’t be back.”

“How can you be sure? I know what he’s like.”

“And I’ve met his brother-in-law. Kristian Kaminski. He gave us his word.”

I give a derisory snort. “And you believe this Kristian Kaminski?”

“He’s not a man to cross. Borys knows that.”

I give that some thought. I can easily imagine Borys being intimidated by a stronger personality. At heart, he’s a weak man, which probably explains his bully-boy tactics. Maybe he has been reined in, after all.

“Even so, and assuming you’re right, I can’t stay here forever. If Borys is really out of the picture, maybe I could go back to my house. Lucy and Noah need to be somewhere settled.”

“Lucy loves it here,” I remind her.

“I know that, and everyone’s been so kind, but—”

He rolls me over onto my back and drapes himself on top of me. “Ms Lowe, you need to relax. I know just the thing for you.” He parts my thighs with his body and settles between them. “Open for me, honey.”

I sigh and do as he asks. “Well, perhaps I can stay a little bit longer…”

A week has passed, then a fortnight. There’s been not a murmur out of Borys. I begin to think it might just be true. He’s gone. Dealt with. Not a problem anymore.

Even now, if he’d see reason, I think I’d be okay with him having some sort of contact with Noah. He is his father, after all.

Nico snorts when I suggest such a thing. “The man’s deranged,” he states. “Noah’s better off without him.

I can see his point, so I let the matter drop. I have another, more pressing battle to face.

“I’ve been thinking some more about moving out. This was only ever a temporary arrangement, and I do have a perfectly nice house of my own just a couple of miles away. And Lucy needs to be back at school. I’m already getting phone calls from the headteacher. She won’t accept my word that she’s ill for much longer.”

Nico pauses getting dressed. “I like things as they are. You and me here and the kids in the room next door. And, who says it’s temporary?”

“The living arrangements, I mean. Not us. We can still see each other. Once I’ve gone back home you can stay over as much as you like.”

He straightens. “I love that you’re an independent, professional woman. It’s one of the things that makes you so hot…”

“Hot, eh?” I slide my arms around his neck. “I could be even hotter in my own studio. I could paint you in the nude.”

He lets out a groan. “Me in the nude, or you?”

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