Page 42 of Dancing With Desire

“You’re threatening me?” he spits.

“Yes,” I say firmly. “And don’t think for one minute it’s an empty threat.” I turn the page in the file. “I have paid all of these,” I tell him, turning the file so he can see his gambling debts with all the balances now zero. “You’re free to return to your favourite haunts, gamble your life away, drink yourself to death. But you will not ask for anyone else to fund that. Especially not Victoria.” I pause before adding, “It’s a clean slate. Take it.”

“And all I have to do is stay away from Tori?” I nod. “Fine. Done . . . if you add some cash to your offer.”

I snigger. “I don’t think you understand,” I say calmly. “I’ve made the offer. You will accept, and I will arrange to have you driven to the station. We will keep Poppy here with us for the day before taking her to her new school, which is only a short distance from here, meaning Victoria will stay in contact with her sister. Goodbye, Mr. Harding, and good luck.”

He stands, eyeing me with hatred. “What happens if I don’t accept your offer? What happens if I go right out there and tell Tori you’re buying her?”

I smirk. “Go ahead. The offer will be removed, and you will meet a quick . . . end.”

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” he sneers, banging his hands on the desk.

Marshall moves quickly, slamming his head against the wood and then shoving him back into his chair. He places a hand on his shoulder and applies pressure until Roger winces uncomfortably.

“I am Dmitry Volkov,” I tell him firmly. “It was a pleasure to meet you, but it’s time you were on your way. Go and say your goodbyes before I change my mind.”

TORI

Iwatch as Poppy runs her hand along the bookcase in complete awe. She warms my heart, and I realise just how much I’ve missed her since I’ve been here in London.

“It’s like a library,” she gushes. “How do you choose?”

I laugh, making my way over to where she stands. “It’s definitely a tough decision, but all this choice is a great problem to have.” I wink, and her smile lights up her entire face.

“Look at you,” my mother spits, her tone laced in venom. “Pretending to be something you’re not.” Her confidence has clearly grown now my father is out of earshot.

“Do we have to do this now?” I ask. I can’t hide the annoyance in my voice. First, they turn up unannounced, ruining what was a perfectly good fucking morning, and now,she’s criticising me like she knows me. She doesn’t. I’m not sure she ever really did.

Annie enters the room with the tray of tea and places it on the coffee table. “Annie, could you show my sister the garden?” Poppy grins wide. Our garden growing up was more like a few slabs where my father usually passed out on his way home from the bar, but Poppy always loved flowers, and we’d try to grow them on our bedroom windowsill in old yoghurt pots.

“Of course, Victoria.” Poppy follows her from the room.

I turn to face my mother. She looks like she’s aged a decade since I last saw her. Her face is pale, with dark circles around her eyes, and there are more lines on her forehead. She looks haggard and exhausted, and if I didn’t know her circumstances, I’d probably feel sorry for her, but I can’t forgive her for not getting out. It’s not like she didn’t have the opportunities. Friends would offer us a place to stay, and even her own parents begged her to leave, but she always chose him, and I realise now that she always will.

I straighten my shoulders and smile. “You say I’m pretending to be something I’m not?” I laugh as I take a few steps towards her. “Maybe, just maybe, the person I was growing up was who I was pretending to be. What choice did I have but to try to fit into your messed-up life? The woman you see in front of you is exactly who I’ve been all along. I am no longer suffocated by your inconsiderate decisions.”

“How fucking dare you?” she hisses. My father enters the lounge, and suddenly, my strength slips away and I shrink back as he strides over to my mother, keeping his dark, angry eyes fixed on me. Dmitry slides his arm around my waist, immediately offering me comfort, and I exhale slowly, releasing my nerves.

My father sneers in my direction before grabbing my mother’s arm and dragging her towards the door. “Where are we going, Roger?” she asks, looking panicked.

“Let’s not outstay Mr. Volkov’s hospitality,” he hisses. I glance at Dmitry in confusion, but his expression gives nothing away.

“But what about Poppy?”

“She’s spending some time with her sister,” he spits as he drags her towards the front door. Marshall already has it open, following them outside.

“What the fuck was all that about?” I ask. Dmitry just smiles, unnerving me. “Please don’t tell me Marshall is going to wipe out my parents.” Although part of me is wondering if that would be a bad thing.

Dmitry throws his head back with a laugh. “Do you think I’m a monster?” I stay silent. Monster isn’t the right word . . . unpredictable maybe. Overprotective even. “I gave him an offer he couldn’t refuse. You’ll never have to worry about them again.”

“What does that mean?” I ask, “My father isn’t exactly reliable when it comes to sticking to his word.”

“Do you trust me, mykrasota?” he whispers as he places a stray hair behind my ear.

I nod, which earns me a smile, showing off those cute dimples.There’s my fun-loving man from the last couple days.

“I’m buying their house,” he begins.

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