Empire: Heavy lies the crown (Dividing Line Series Book 15) by Heather Atkinson

Author:Heather Atkinson [Atkinson, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-07-06T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 18

Katia and Dean were escorted inside the boat where Joseph lounged on one of the enormous sofas, two of his men on sentry duty behind him. Katia disapproved of the fact that none of them wore smart suits. All of them – including Joseph – wore t-shirts, shorts and boat shoes. They looked like ageing men attempting to cling onto their youth because not one of them was under forty and the clothes they sported would have looked more at home on a teenager. It made it difficult to take them seriously but then she considered that it could be a ploy to make their opponents underestimate them, so she resolved to stay on her guard.

Joseph’s affable smile fell when he clapped eyes on Katia. ‘What the hell is she doing here?’

‘I’m going to marry her,’ smiled Dean, taking hold of her hand again.

‘Marry? You’re already married, you daft sod.’

‘To an annoying shrew who I can’t stand, all because you wanted it. Well, I’m done living my life on your terms. I’m taking back control.’

Joseph just gaped at him. He looked very different to his younger brother with his fat lips, chubby cheeks and curly black hair. The only indication they were even brothers was the eyes. Joseph’s were just as fiercely blue as Dean’s and they sparkled with fire and intelligence.

‘What about Becky?’ said Joseph. ‘You can’t just cast her aside like a pair of shoes you don’t want.’

‘No, you’re right. I’d give the shoes more consideration because they don’t get on my fucking tits like she does.’

Joseph stared at him before waving a hand in annoyance. ‘We’ll talk about that after dinner, I’m fucking starving. Miguel,’ he called to the captain. ‘Let’s get going or it’ll be sodding dark soon.’

The captain nodded, started the engine and they all took their seats as the yacht was steered out of the marina.

‘You’re not drinking your champagne,’ said Joseph, frowning at the glasses Dean and Katia held. ‘I know you love your champers Katia, I’ve seen you drink it enough times.’

‘Yes,’ she replied, taking a very small sip before glancing sideways at Dean, who likewise took a tiny sip in solidarity.

‘It’s oysters for dinner followed by grilled sea bass and chocolate pudding for afters,’ he grinned.

‘Thank God for that,’ said Dean. ‘I was afraid you’d give us some sort of weird fish dessert.’

‘What can I say? I love my seafood.’

‘Yeah, I remember,’ said Dean. ‘I was the one who had to share a bedroom with you when we were kids after you’d shoved a ton of whelks down your throat.’

‘Yeah,’ he laughed. ‘They did give me a bit of jip in the old New Delhi.’

‘The what?’ said Katia.

‘It’s rhyming slang,’ Joseph told her. ‘New Delhi means belly.’

‘Oh, I see.’

‘You not schooled her in the old rhyming slang, Dean?’

‘No, because I never use it,’ he replied. ‘You’re the old cockney git with friends in the east end.’

‘True. You can take the man out of London but you can’t take it out of the man.

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