By the time I was ready to go back into the bar, I’d stopped shaking. Neither Tayte nor Irina were anywhere to be seen, so I relaxed as best I could while keeping my eyes peeled for the pair in case they returned, and finished out my shift with as much enthusiasm as I could muster.
There were tough decisions to be made, unravelling Yannick might just be too much. Our next Sunday visit together would differ vastly from the ones previously. It was make or break time and if my heart got hurt in the process, well, maybe it was for the best. Sometimes that was just the way life went.
Yannick
Driving to the house I’d once shared with Irina, I definitely broke a speed limit or two, my anger a ferocious beast I struggled to get a handle on. If I stepped through the front door in this mood, I’d throttle the woman. She had gone too far and had been well out of order; I wasn’t standing for it.
How fucking dare she?
She’d put her hands on another woman who hadn’t deserved her ire, on a woman I didn’t want running scared. Irina was capable of far, far worse, and I should have been thankful it had only been a slap but oh no, it was one slap too many for Jolie and I was livid. So, I was on the warpath. Irina wasn’t getting away with threatening Jolie like she had. No fucking way.
The phone call from Tayte had been a total surprise though I guessed inevitable at some point. I bore little ill content over what he’d done after a lot of soul searching, I missed my friend and it was all that mattered in the grand scheme of things. Tayte made sense, Lev had picked his man wisely. It didn’t however change the way things had stalled and become awkward between us, but the fact he’d called and replayed Irina’s disgusting behaviour to me, meant he was trying, with me at least. It was past time we came face to face, just a shame about the circumstances.
He was standing at the front door looking pensive when I arrived, probably all too aware he’d need to calm me down before I took issue with my ex wife.
“Where is she?” I growled as I got out of the car and bounded up the front steps.
“Not yet, Yannick.”
“Oh, fuck you, Tayte. Get her. Now!”
“No can do. Not until you calm down. I didn’t have to call you, but I did because I wanted to show a bit of common courtesy. Come into the office for a minute.”
God, he sounded like he belonged, like a leader, slotting right into the part I’d once played. How had I not seen this man for who he really was? “It suits you.”
“What does?”
“This.”
“What?” he chuckled. “Being Irina’s bitch? I don’t think so.”
No, I didn’t think so either, he’d never been anyone’s bitch. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I know. Was trying to lighten the tone a bit, Yannick. Is it working?”
“For fuck’s sake. Come here.” We made toward one another and hugged fiercely, the first time since he’d sent me his ‘sorry’ text. “I goddamn miss you.”
“Yeah.”
My anger melted substantially as I held onto him a bit longer. “You doing good?”
“Dandy,” he smirked. “I could do your job with my eyes closed, mate.” Yes, he really could. We parted and stared at one another; any malice or ill feeling long gone. Tayte was calling the shots now, I needed to remember he was standing where I once had, and it was for the best. This was no longer my empire, and it was hard adjusting. I couldn’t just sweep fifteen years under the carpet and say they didn’t matter or influence me, I was still holding on to some of those old habits.
“We’ll talk first, then you can go chew Irina a new one. She absolutely deserves it.”
“Jolie’s okay?” I asked.
“Bill texted. Took her home at the end of her shift. She’s all right, a bit despondent, more disappointed I think.”
“She didn’t reply to my text this morning.”
“Give it time. Head to head with Irina is daunting for anyone, and Yannick, I got to tell you, mate, Jolie held her own. Irina didn’t get it all her own way.”
His words significantly calmed me down, residual anger toward Irina turning into something a little smugger. Jolie didn’t take her shit, and I was relieved because Irina could be a piece of work when she wanted to be.
Heading into the familiar office, I didn’t bother to look around and see if anything had changed. I was no longer interested in anything in this house, though it felt weird taking the seat opposite him on the other side of the desk. All I’d had in the palm of my hand belonged to Tayte now and over the past few weeks I’d dug deep and found myself not really caring. Our friendship meant more.
“I had valid reasons.”
“Yeah, I think you did. If anyone knows what they’re getting into, it’s you.”
“He came to me, with conditions, of course.” He clearly meant Lev, and as we’d all expected but it was only now he was willing to share those
