Nikolas appeared half an hour later. Ben was eating an ice cream, sitting on a bench, watching the river. Nikolas sat down and handed Ben a postcard. “I bought you a present.” It appeared to be a picture of a used condom.
Ben didn’t reply.
Nikolas sighed. “Gregory isn’t so bad, Benjamin. You’ve not seen him at his best. He was put out the other night.”
“So you keep telling me. What does he want, Nik? Besides killing you. Just tell me that.”
“He never wanted to kill me.” He brushed his leg. “These weren’t killing shots. He wants the new identity, the house, the income. And he wants me on my own. Not with you.”
Ben turned to him. “Are you still speaking Russian? I don’t understand a word you’ve fucking said! Why is this man dictating anything to you? To me? Fucking hell, Nik, just end this, yeah?”
Nikolas stared out at the river. “I owe him, Benjamin. I’d forgot until I saw him. He isn’t to be so easily dismissed.”
“Bollocks.” Ben got up and walked away.
CHAPTER FOUR
Squeezy was in the pub at lunchtime, as agreed. He’d followed Gregory from the Tate, just as Ben had asked him to, and had discovered the Russian was staying in a large house just outside London. He appeared to have a couple of security men with him, and the house was alarmed. Ben nodded. “Can you do it?”
Squeezy just gave him a derisive look.
Ben bought them another round.
“You want them all dead or just the main man?”
Ben didn’t hesitate. “All of them. And I’m coming with you.”
Squeezy shrugged. “More the merrier. Give us the nod and it goes down.”
§ § §
There seemed to be no point delaying his plan, but he wanted to check the place out for himself before he committed his old friends to such action. Nikolas was back at the mews house for the rest of the day, arranging some of the repairs and alterations, so it seemed like an ideal opportunity. He took a taxi to the corner of the street address Squeezy had given him and waited until he saw the two security men by the car on the driveway. He checked out the perimeter wall, and at a suitable point levered himself over and went silently to the side of some patio doors. He could see a security camera, but it was pointed down the driveway and not at the windows where he was standing. He took a breath and leant around to peer in. He snatched back and let out his breath very slowly.
Gregory and Nikolas were sitting with their feet up at the table, smoking, playing cards, and drinking vodka.
§ § §
Ben made his way back to the new apartment and took Radulf out for a run in the park. The park wasn’t big enough to run as far as he needed to, but the familiar pounding helped him calm down just enough not to do anything stupid.
Nikolas didn’t return until just before first light the next day. He was very drunk and stank of cigarette smoke. He crawled into bed fully dressed and lay on Ben, who hadn’t been asleep.
“Hello, Benjamin.”
Ben let a long silence fall between them. Pain put a hitch in his voice when he finally spoke. “Did you sleep with him? And not just in the way I mean—in any fucking way. Did you fuck him?”
Nikolas jerked back then lost his balance when one elbow seemed to collapse, and he fell heavily onto Ben’s chest. He rolled off and lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. “I’m spinning around. How odd. Are you spinning?”
“Did you fuck him? It’s a simple question.”
“Ack, these things are never simple.” Ben turned on his side to look at him. Nikolas did the same then sighed. “Of course not. You need a heart to want someone, and I gave mine to you, Benjamin. Or did you forget?”
Ben closed his eyes, smiling; the world—his world—was back on its correct orbit. “You’re going to regret saying that if you remember any of this in the morning. But, trust me, I’m going to remind you. You’resodrunk.”
“I am. I was Russian for the night, and I’m very out of practice.”
“Why did you lie about where you were? Why not just tell me you were going to see him?”
“Would you’ve let me?”
