Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 96714 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96714 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“Why do they not cube it for us?” he asked.
This made me laugh.
“It doesn’t take long. Honestly. Just grab a knife. It doesn’t matter about the size of the cubes, you’re going to squish them between your thumbs.”
“This is pointless.”
“It’s necessary. Trust me. They taste really good.”
Ivan put his hands in and began to crumble the butter into the flour. He seemed to be pretty good at it, so I had to wonder if he even needed my help.
“Do you cook?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Are you a good cook?”
“Yes.”
“So, you’re modest.”
“I’m being truthful. Are you a good cook?” he asked.
“I honestly don’t know. I haven’t made anyone sick or anything.” I shrugged.
“How do you not know?”
I told him my concerns when it came to the staff. He tutted and called Hubert back into the room.
“Tell me, boy, is she a good cook or a bad one?”
“She’s a good cook.”
“And what do the others think?”
“They all adore her food. They love Michael’s food, but he seems to go a bit … posh, and they like good grub,” he said.
This made my cheeks heat. They loved my food. This was so awesome. I felt like I was glowing. I couldn’t believe it.
Ivan looked my way. “See, all you’ve got to do is ask.” He dismissed Hubert.
“That’s easy for you to say. How do you know if he’s even telling the truth? You’re the boss. He might have been feeding you lies.”
“Nonsense. The boss I may be, but they also know I like the truth. I do not deal well with bullshit. Lying to me doesn’t get the job done.”
Without my telling him to do it, he added in the buttermilk. I had already cut my biscuits into triangles and placed them on a baking tray. He handed me the buttermilk, and I used some to spread on top of my biscuits, before sprinkling the sugar.
I waited for him to be finished and it didn’t take him long to have them on the tray. He took over and placed them in the oven.
“Are you a trained cook?”
“I’m not trained but I know how to take care of myself.”
“Have you had to?”
Like my birth, there were a lot of rumors about Ivan Volkov. Many said he was the unwanted bastard son of the previous Bratva. They had tried to kill him, left him for dead. Others believed he was superhuman. Staring at him now, I had to wonder if the tale about him being kicked out, left for dead, and abandoned was more accurate. It made the most sense to me.
“We all have to learn to take care of ourselves, don’t you think?” he asked.
This made me nod.
“Yeah, we do.”
“Who taught you?” he asked.
“The cooking channel. School. You know, the usual.” I had forgotten how hard it could be. For a month I could pretend I was normal, that I didn’t have a past and I could forget everything I once was. One question and it all came rushing back.
I wanted to wrap my arms around myself and put up a protective shield to keep the bad memories away, but what was the point? Nothing was ever going to stop them. They were part of who I was.
Chapter Five
Ive
I don’t know why Ivan insisted on coming to visit me and my wife. I’d not been back to my country home in just over a month. Stepping through the front door, I didn’t expect to see Hubert waiting for me. He was supposed to stay by Charlotte’s side whenever I was away. He reported to me daily as to how she was settling in. So far, she didn’t seem to be suffering with any kind of cabin fever and appeared to enjoy being kept at my home, without me for company.
I heard the soft laughter and it startled me. Was that Charlotte? I’d never heard her laugh. Fake laughing, hysterical, forced laughter, but not genuine laughter. This was a beautiful sound—real, pure, sweet—and I felt myself being pulled toward it.
I walked toward the dining room. Hubert took a step back, and I looked into the room to see Charlotte and Ivan sitting together at my large table. My wife had a hand covering her mouth as she tried to stifle a laugh and even Ivan looked completely distracted as he told some kind of witty joke that caused him to distort his face, which sent Charlotte into another fit of hysterics.
I also happened to notice Charlotte had changed into a beautiful red dress. The kind that tightened around her tits and waist, and flared out at the hips. Even with it showing a great deal of cleavage it still had a way of appearing elegant on her.
“Ah, I see your faithful husband has returned.”
His words caused the laughter to stop and Charlotte tilted her head toward my direction. She quickly scrambled to her feet, and rushed toward my side.