Time. All she’d asked for. Such an unselfish woman and hell, I may have already lost her. Leaving Jolie’s flat not knowing if I’d ever see her again was too much to contemplate. I’d known the risks about opening my mouth and spilling it all. There’d been nothing else for it though and I shouldn’t have been surprised at her reaction, it was the most honest thing I’d seen in a long time.
I’d made my bed long ago, and I was still going to lie in it. There was a slither of optimism Jolie could bring herself to see past my act of betrayal against my brother and give me a chance. I’d grasp the thin thread of hope and hold on to it for dear life until she told me otherwise.
Because if I knew anything at all after today, it was that nothing was worth it without Jolie.
Jolie
It had been seven days since the altercation with Irina, six since I’d heard Yannick’s ugly confession and told him to leave. I wasn’t doing well, not at all. I’d sat and cried for a long time after Yannick had left - for the man whose life had been stolen and for the man whose life had been taken. My head was no clearer now than it was then. In fact, it was more muddled than ever, being pulled in opposite directions, and impacting every facet of my life.
There had been no teaching for the third week in a row which had left a lot of time on my hands. I tried to ignore the growing unease, knowing I’d have to take it up with the agency soon. Caulder’s was its usual. Busy, which meant little time to think past the next drink ordered and was a welcome reprieve from the days spent at home. Yannick didn’t show face, for which I was eternally grateful for. Didn’t mean I’d stopped thinking about him and everything he’d told me.
“You all right, Jolie?” Carol leaned over the bar after our shift was over and handed me a bottle of diet coke with a straw stuffed in the neck.
Hitching up on to a bar stool, I kicked my heels off and sucked the fizzy juice into my mouth too quick, bubbles snorting up my nose. “Fuck,” I laughed, feeling stupid.
“First time I’ve seen that laugh all shift, and we’re closed.”
“Just a long week.”
“Those kids at the school giving you a hard time, huh?”
“I wish, but no. I’ve not had any temps for a while.”
“That’s unusual, right?” she asked.
“A little, I guess. Schools are winding down for the holidays, could be that.” I still had time to be concerned, it just meant over the holidays, money would be tighter, and a second job serving would be on the cards. “Tell me what you know about Yannick Ischmov. Not the gossip, the actual stuff. The man you know.”
Carol grabbed another bottle of coke and came around the bar to sit next to me. “I don’t think we’d have a very long conversation,” she smirked.
“No?”
“Most know him by reputation only, he has a tight circle around him, keeps himself to himself, you’ve seen that. Doesn’t bring trouble into the bar and gets on really well with Bill. I’m guessing the only ones who know him well are the guys who come into the VIP with him.”
“Bill knows him though?”
“Maybe. I can see they’re friends and like one another, they talk a lot when it’s not busy. Bill would do anything for Mr Ischmov and it’s not out of fear.”
“It’s out of friendship,” Bill shouted from the other side of the room.
“Bloody hell, Bill!” Carol clutched her hand to her chest. “Warn a girl, would you?”
Walking across the floor, he grinned at Carol. “Hey, you want to talk about your employer, you shouldn’t do it at your place of employment.” He winked at me. “Or you should straight up ask me the questions you want the answers to.”
“Friendship or fear?” I asked boldly.
“Friendship. Yes, I work for Yannick, but we’ve known each other a long time. I’m not in his inner circle, nor do I want to be. The man’s not disrespectful, treats me like a friend and not an employee. He’s a good bloke, one of the best I know if you can get past the mile-high guard he puts up.”
“Ah, but you’re biased. Mates are meant to big up their friends, especially to women,” Carol pointed out.
“Why are you asking about Yannick?” Bill turned to me. “You’ve been spending time with him, you know who he is.”
“I thought I did, now I’m not so sure.” No, that was wrong, I did know the man behind the guard, I was just having trouble getting over myself.
“Yosef,” Bill said, dipping his head. “You found out about Yosef.”
Carol looked away, such a tell sign, she knew about Yannick’s brother too but I figured it wasn’t a topic people discussed because it was so ugly.
“Yannick told me, yes.”
“Oh well. At least you’ll have had the truthful version and not the putrid gossip that’s been twisted over the years. Honestly, Yosef is the worst kept secret in London bar the fact the Crown Jewels are fake,” he laughed. “That’s why people fear him, Jolie. Sure, he can be a mean bastard, but ask anyone and they’ll tell you it’s usually for justifiable reasons.”
“I don’t know what to do, how I feel about anything anymore,” I admitted.
“If he told you about Yosef, he told you for a reason. He has never opened his mouth about his brother as far
