Page 86 of The Bright and Hungry Future of Hawks

Aleksey felt he owed something to the young man so dropped the condom in the toilet this time.

“Have you thought more about what I said?”

Oh, God. Now the talking began. “Of course I have. I have thought about little else.” He turned on the shower, testing the temperature on the back of his hand. You could never trust hotel waterworks, he’d discovered. “What was it you said? Remind me again.”

“The flat! For us! For me! I’ve left Sherman! I have nowhere else to go. You said you’d buy a flat for me. So we could live together when you’re in London! For God’s sake! We’ve talked about this for hours!”

Huh. Which conversation had that been? He thought he’d agreed to kill Sherman. He’d taken him off the board, anyway. How inconvenient; he’d have to place him back now. Maybe next to Ben who was still out on his own and looking nicely isolated.

“Well?”

Aleksey was slowly luxuriating under the torrent. Hecouldbuy Brokeback an apartment, of course. Hell, he could let him live in one of the many he already owned. Not his forty-million pounds one though. He was saving that for a friend who was also absconding from Russia. With all his country’s oil money. Such perfidy gave Russians, and billionaires come to that, a poor name in Aleksey’s humble opinion.

“You’re still seeing Ben Rider, aren’t you?”

Aleksey started for a moment. He was about to say something that was true, and it was so novel he thought it ought to be recorded for posterity. “No, actually I have not seen him for some weeks.” It wasn’t as much fun telling the truth as he’d thought it would be. He made a mental note never to do it again.

“Oh. Well I told you so. Peasant. I’m coming down to Barton this weekend. I asked Godmummy to invite me.”

Aleksey stopped drying himself. “I have told you that you can not visit there any more.”

“You can’t stop me though. It’s not really your house, is it? And I know who’s going to be there with us. And they won’t be talking to trees together! Because, you see, I’ve decided not to tellShe Who Must Be Obeyedabout her son and heir’s extracurricular activities.” He toed the carpet with a little self-deprecating shrug. “She’s very scary, you know. We’re all petrified of her. Anyway…I’ve had a much better idea.” He brightened considerably. “Can you see the headlines if this gets out?Prince Pecker Pokes Pippa. But no one’s going to be bothered with words when they’ve got all the juicy pictures I’m going to take this weekend! So, now you know. If you don’t buy me a bloody flat, no, amews cottage in Knightsbridge, I’m going to sell the bestbollocksingscandal this country hasever hadto theDaily Mailand buy my own bloody mansion!”

Aleksey sat on the end of the bed, pulling on his shoes, tying the laces thoughtfully. Telling the mother had been one thing. It would have stayed in The Family. Philipa would probably have been found squashed flat on a road one day, no witnesses to a tragic hit and run. Or maybe the young wife would have copped it. You never knew with that family.

This threat was different. The Despicable was probably right: a tabloid exposé would destroy the monarchy.

He felt no genuine loyalty to Philipa, despite their recent quaintly termed MAD pact; he’d made lots of agreements with people far more powerful and despicable than she, and broken them all. He despised the chinless vegetable.

But he only liked tossing chess pieces into the air to observe how they fell—he didn’t really want the entire game pulverised. He did what he did, lived his life as Nikolas, because it suited him.

He wasn’t quite ready to be the man who brought down the entire British establishment.

He re-imagined his falling Iraqi pieces, which had actually landed in a very interesting pattern for the New Year’s party he’d been planning for them, and took them back to the very top of their flight—and tossed The Honourable Gustav Arthur Philippe Mountbatten (Gussy to his friends) into the mix, just to see how he would tumble too.

Excellent.

It was a surprisingly perfect landing.

Every good chess player needed pawns he was willing to sacrifice.

“I see that Ihavebeen neglecting you. Come down this weekend as you proposed, and we will talk about it. Perhaps we should look at some suitable properties. In fact, what are you doing at New Year?”

* * *

Chapter 48

Four Months Before April

Ben didn't let the knowledge that Nikolas had left him give him pause for thought, metaphorically or otherwise. He couldn't afford to.

By the time he got back to the kitchen, dawn was breaking through a thin layer of early morning cloud, heralding a beautiful winter’s day. A day for lovers to prepare for a romantic holiday together.

Yeah.

Ben didn't allow that thought to derail him either.

They were all ready.

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