I was no expert, but he seemed insistent. Ididn’t quite get Ivan Volkov. I knew he was a monster and he was willing to do unspeakable things. People were afraid of him. He had a reputation that even made my father hesitate. My father never hesitated, he was never afraid. He was more than willing to take on any battle, or cause a war. He had a bloodlust, but Ivan Volkov caused that man to fear. Why? How?
I talked Ivan through making biscuits. I told him the measurements I used, including the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. The salt was important as Michael refused to buy salted butter. All the butter we had was unsalted. He liked to be able to control the amount of salt he used.
After they were mixed, I got him to add the sugar. I didn’t knowif this was right, but it seemed to be working. It did make mixing in the butter feel a little grainy, but oh well. With everything well mixed, it was time for the cold cubed butter, which he had to do himself.
“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 puthis 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.”
“Andwhat do the others think?”
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’mnot 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 armsaround 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.
Ive
I don’t know why Ivan insisted on coming to visit me and mywife. 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.