Modern Romance June 2016 Books 5-8. Tara Pammi

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ in helping them out in return for shares had started to build his financial empire.

      Roman sat silent. There were so many similarities between them and so many differences too, from having been separated.

      ‘What about you, Roman?’ Sev asked, a lot of vodka later.

      ‘I left the orphanage at sixteen.’ He shrugged. ‘I gave boxing a go...’ He looked at his brother. ‘Sergio didn’t know what he was talking about. I lost most fights, and I only won a few. With my winnings I got a passport and left and went to France and joined the foreign legion...’ Roman did not speak of being in the secure unit of the orphanage, or the hellhole of the bedsit, and he left out the solace he had found with Anya. He could see a muscle leaping in Daniil’s cheek as he spoke with brevity about the past, when the rest of the men had revealed so much more. ‘I served for ten years, then I moved to Paris. And here I am.’

      ‘Aren’t you missing something out?’ Daniil said. ‘Aren’t you going to tell us about your wife?’

      Roman stared coolly at his brother and then addressed the group. ‘I was married but last year Celeste died.’

      Sev and Nikolai offered their condolences but Roman just responded with a brief nod. He did not know if he was worthy of them; it had not been a conventional marriage after all.

      But Daniil had more to offer than sympathy. ‘You came out and got married and got on with your life...’ The tension that had been building since Libby had called out and he had seen his twin had Daniil rising to his feet. Roman stood and faced him as Daniil vented some of the anger he felt. ‘I could have been at your wedding and there at the funeral. Instead I never even got to meet her.’ Daniil was trying not to shout.

      ‘It wasn’t a marriage like you and Libby have. As Anya said, for you all to hear—I answered an advert.’

      ‘How did Anya know?’

      Roman shrugged and that incensed Daniil.

      ‘I don’t care if you answered an ad, Roman. Celeste meant something to you, for there is no way you would share your personal space with anyone who wasn’t special.’ He knew how dark his brother was, how deep he went, and that he had been through all this and not contacted him was infuriating.

      ‘Daniil.’ Roman was his detached best. ‘You only recently changed your name...’

      ‘Perhaps but you didn’t even try to find me before then. Don’t pretend now that you looked.’

      ‘I didn’t look.’ Roman shrugged and then caught Daniil’s fist as it was aimed at him.

      ‘Do you want me to give you matching cheeks?’ Roman warned.

      ‘Enough,’ Sev said—he was always the one who had stepped in when things escalated.

      Both men agreed.

      Enough anger for now.

      ‘I just want to know all that has happened,’ Daniil said, and they shared a brief embrace, though it was more like a boxing clinch.

      ‘One day, perhaps,’ Roman answered, borrowing the words Anya had used when they had stumbled on Daniil’s gym.

      He wanted to tell them more but the conversation about his marriage belonged first with Anya.

      So, for now they sat and exchanged phone numbers and Daniil forwarded the ones he now had to Roman.

      Within them was Anya’s number.

      They briefly met each other’s eyes.

      Daniil knew there was something going on between Roman and Anya.

      With twins who had once been so close, there were times when no words were needed and they shared a smile so subtle that, even if they had been looking, the others would have missed it.

      It was time to go. They were all a bit worse for wear and Nikolai saw them off his yacht and they stepped out into the night.

      They all shook hands and then Sev headed off to return to his honeymoon and that left just Roman and Daniil standing on the quay.

      Roman saw a certain redhead—Rachel—sitting on a seat, and knew now the reason for Nikolai’s evasive answer about women, but he did not let on to Daniil.

      ‘Where are you staying?’ Daniil asked.

      Roman told him the name of the hotel he had checked into.

      ‘Come and stay with us.’

      Roman shook his head. They were nowhere near ready for that. ‘You have a new baby.’

      ‘She’s your niece. I don’t want you in a hotel when I have a home.’

      ‘No, I want to go back to my own apartment. I don’t really know why,’ Roman admitted. He wasn’t being rude in not accepting the invitation and he tried to let his brother know that. ‘I am just sick of the hotel, even though it is very nice. I just want...’ He couldn’t really explain that he wanted to be amongst his own things and to sleep in his own bed. ‘The hotel has everything...’ It was luxurious indeed. ‘I would just like to be amongst my own things.’

      ‘You’re homesick,’ Daniil said.

      There was a word for those feelings, Roman found out.

      He was homesick not just for his home but for Paris, because Anya was there.

      They said good night and as Roman walked off he took out his phone.

      He called his assistant to arrange his flight and headed straight for the airport. As he sat on the tarmac, staring out at the navy London sky, he took out his phone and called Anya.

      She picked up her phone without thinking. She had assumed it was Mika to see if she was ready, or one of the others, as they had agreed to meet in the foyer and she was running a little bit late.

      She almost dropped the phone when she realised it was Roman.

      ‘How did you get my number?’ she asked.

      ‘It doesn’t matter. Where are you?’

      ‘We’re just about to head out for supper.’

      ‘We?’

      ‘It is not your business,’ Anya coolly answered.

      ‘Pack up your things. I’ll be there in the next couple of hours...’

      ‘Excuse me?’

      ‘You heard.’ And now he used Daniil’s line. ‘You’re not staying in a hotel when I have a home...’

      The difference with Anya was they were ready for that.

      Roman was sure.

      They were ready to explore the past together and see where that left them.

      ‘You wouldn’t have said that last time I was here,’ СКАЧАТЬ