“Thought you might say that.”
“You’re a clever girl, you know how this goes.”
“I don’t want her getting into trouble.”
“Well, I think that’s a choice she made all by herself, silly woman. Mr Ischmov will be here any time, you can tell him exactly what happened.”
“You called him?”
“He’ll sort this out, you’ll see.”
I groaned and leaned back on the sofa, closing my eyes. “He said he was a wicked man,” I grumbled, sounding all of ten years old.
“Yes, he is. But, Jolie, he’s a worthy man too and I think he wants to step out of those dark shadows he’s lived in for too long. I don’t know his story intimately, I’ve heard many, many things that may or may not be true. All I know is he’s a man with integrity and hides his kind heart because he has to. Understand?”
“I can’t have him hurting CeeCee because of me.”
“Good luck getting him to see sense there. He won’t be happy seeing you in this state.”
“No. I’m not!” The man in question boomed from the doorway to Bill’s office. “What the fuck, Jolie?”
Guess it was my turn to do the explaining.
Yannick
One look at Jolie’s washed out features, the reddened marks on her face in the shape of a handprint, and I was about ready to murder someone. This beautiful soul didn’t deserve to be marked in such a way, especially in anger. I was as livid as the bruise coming out on her cheek.
“Thanks, Bill,” I said, effectively dismissing him. If I sounded cold and ungrateful, I didn’t much care. I needed to be alone with Jolie.
He rose from the couch, handing a blood soiled towel to her and joined me at the door. “You need anything, text me. Carol’s on a night off but she’s willing to come in and take her home. I think she might be concussed.”
I could smell the fresh scent of vomit and taking a quick glance around the room, I noted the wet patch in the middle of the floor.
“I’ll take her home, tell Carol thanks. I won’t leave her on her own.” Bill left, closing the door firmly behind him. Crossing the room, I crouched in front of Jolie and frowned again at the bruise. “Where else did you get hit?”
“My stomach,” she moaned, her eyes still closed.
“Can I take a look?”
“Sure.” Jolie let her arms relax at her side as I lifted her thin t-shirt. Biting down hard on my lip, rage bubbled inside at seeing yet more damage to this woman who wouldn’t hurt a fly in her wildest dreams.
“A trip to the hospital would be best, Jolie, so they can check you out properly. Just to be on the safe side.”
“No. Please. I just want to go home and get in a bath then maybe sleep a little. I’m okay, I swear. Ten minutes and I’ll be out of your hair.”
Reaching up, I gently wiped along her brow line, swiping away errant strands of hair falling into her bloodshot eyes. “You’re not in my hair. Ten minutes, then I’ll take you home, stay with you until the morning at least, if you won’t let a doctor check you out.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know. I want to, so no arguing.” Jolie smiled then, a small thing that I loved to see, knowing it would have taken some effort. “You shouldn’t be on your own. Stay put for a second.”
I was sure she was in no fit state to go anywhere anyway and I left her to go see what Bill had to say; the man pacing outside the office door, as agitated as I was.
“CeeCee did this? The server you let go?”
“Yes,” he spat, disgusted. “Got it in her head it’s Jolie’s fault.”
“Christ. Okay, I’ll take her home. Call over to one of the other clubs and tell them I asked for a clean server to come to Caulder’s, bonus involved for their inconvenience. Have them stay the weekend to cover Jolie’s shifts.”
He nodded then looked at me gravely. “You’re going to sort this, right? Jolie’s a kind woman and the shit that cow pulled is bang out of order,” he said, pointing to the door.
“Yeah, Bill. I am, trust me.”
“Good. She doesn’t deserve this. I can’t have my staff beat up because one jealous bitch has a chip on her shoulder.”
“I’ll call Andrey.”
Bill laughed. “He would put the fear of God into anyone.”
“That’s the intention.” Andrey could be a lot more persuasive than me in a calmer fashion. Without a cigar cutter. Besides, he’d go at her without my explosive anger. If I got hold of the woman, I’d likely not hold back, and I was trying real hard to turn over a new leaf. “I’m fucking furious, Bill.”
“Take her home, tell her not to worry about anything because I know she’s going to freak out. Full pay obviously.”
I shot off a text to Andrey with Jolie’s address, asking him to meet me there, then went back into the office to gather up Jolie and take her home. I wasn’t a nurturing guy by nature, didn’t have much of a caring side to me, yet the urge to look after this woman was too fierce to ignore. I wanted to clean her up, put her to bed, keep her safe and protect her in a way I’d never been inclined to with anyone else since I’d found Greg on the side of the road.
“Come on, darling. I’m your
