Follow Your Star, Jennifer Bohnet [best fiction novels to read txt] 📗

wouldn’t have believed it of Zac, now,’ she shrugged, ‘anything seems possible.’

There was a short silence before Mathieu spoke and then he ignored her accusation saying instead, ‘I thought my father would be here at the crack of dawn to interrogate me, I wonder where he is. Incidentally, is there something going on between you two?’

Nanette felt the blush spreading across her cheeks and knew denying there was anything between her and Jean-Claude would be silly.

‘Thought so,’ Mathieu said. ‘He’s a lucky man.’

‘He rang to say he had to go to a meeting and would be later than he intended,’ Nanette said. ‘He was anxious that you might leave before he gets here.’ She glanced at Mathieu. ‘He’s very worried about what you’ve got yourself involved in. That you are acting illegally. I hope you can reassure him when he gets here.’

‘I certainly intend to explain how and why I got involved, but,’ Mathieu hesitated, ‘it’s not over yet. There are still things I have to do. And whatever he says is not going to stop me doing them.’

Nanette took a sip of her coffee as she regarded Mathieu apprehensively.

‘He’s more likely to want to help than stop you,’ she said. ‘To try and prevent you ending up in trouble with the law.’

‘Maybe it’s time I let him get involved.’

Nanette felt her heart contract at Mathieu’s words. The thought of anything happening to Jean-Claude filled her with dread.

‘Mathieu—’

‘Don’t worry. I promise you I won’t put him in a direct line of fire.’

Nanette heard the apartment door opening and went to greet Jean-Claude. She needed to feel his arms around her, but wasn’t yet ready to display her affection for his father in front of Mathieu.

She returned Jean-Claude’s gentle kiss quickly. ‘We’ve been expecting you for ages,’ she said.

‘Luc needed to talk,’ Jean-Claude answered. ‘I’ll tell you about it later. Where’s Mathieu?’ he asked anxiously. ‘Not disappeared again?’

‘Don’t worry. I’m in the sitting-room,’ Mathieu called out. ‘Ready to talk to you.’

‘It’s about time,’ Jean-Claude said, looking at Mathieu expectantly.

‘You know I’ve always kept in touch with Mama’s relatives,’ Mathieu said. ‘Do you remember Uncle Sebastian?’

Jean-Claude nodded. ‘Your mama’s big brother. Had a restaurant in the centre of Paris for a long time. Didn’t he retire a couple of years ago?’

‘It was more a case of selling up while he still had something to sell,’ Mathieu responded quietly. ‘He was being targeted by a protection gang and he simply didn’t have the strength to fight Boris Takyanov and his thugs any longer.’

There was a short pause before Mathieu continued ‘When Boris turned up in Monaco I knew it wouldn’t be too long before he started his criminal activities down here. Anyway, I went to the police to put them in the picture about Takyanov in case the Parisian police hadn’t passed on his details. I also offered my help in putting a stop to him.’

Mathieu looked at his father. ‘I thought I owed Uncle Sebastian that at least. But the police declined my help – until a few months ago. It was the main reason I couldn’t do what Vanessa wanted and look after the twins in the UK,’ Mathieu added, turning to Nanette. ‘I had to stay here to become a part of the entourage that surrounds Takyanov.’

‘The day I arrived and you’d been arrested – was that all part of the plan?’ Nanette asked.

Mathieu nodded. ‘The police were anxious for me to look like a criminal whom Takyanov would think could be useful to him, so they arrested me on some trumped-up charges. Paying my bail ensured that I had a reason to be grateful to him. His plan, as I suspected, was to muscle in on the local businesses and to run his international operations from here.’

‘Luc told me this morning that Boris approached him initially when he first arrived in Monaco, wanting to invest in his business. He was angry when Luc refused,’ Jean-Claude said. ‘Somehow this year he got wind of the fact that Luc had cash-flow problems and offered to help. Luc says accepting his help was the stupidest decision he has ever made.’

‘The parcel Evie delivered to Pole Position and Nanette brought here, was the last of several errands that Boris pressured Luc into running for him. He’d decided the only way out of Boris’s clutches was to sell up and cease trading – rather like Uncle Sebastian by the sound of it,’ Jean-Claude said, looking at Mathieu.

‘Did Evie know what she was delivering?’ Mathieu asked.

‘Non. Neither did Luc. When Evie told him Nanette had been there to take the package he was worried that she was involved with Boris. The meeting this morning was to warn me.’

‘Do you know how Zac got involved?’ Nanette asked. ‘He wouldn’t have needed a business loan.’

Mathieu shook his head. ‘You know Zac and I have been friends for – for ever really. When all this started I had no idea he was caught up in it. I found it very difficult to spy on him. I kept hoping that he’d sort himself out and get free of it, but he’s in too deep I’m afraid. I’m sorry,’ Mathieu said to Nanette.

She shrugged. ‘Zac and I have some personal unfinished business to sort out but he’s no longer a part of my life.’

‘Why didn’t you confide in me before?’ Jean-Claude asked quietly.

Mathieu sighed. ‘Partly because I didn’t want to involve you in case things got nasty, and’ – Mathieu hesitated, before adding quietly – ‘also because I know how wary you are about Mama’s relatives. You’d probably have blamed Uncle Sebastian for getting me involved.’

Jean-Claude shook his head in protest. ‘Non.’

‘Anyway, as I told you before, the police urged me to confide in no one,’ Mathieu said. ‘It was easier that way.’

‘Does Takyanov still think you’re a fellow criminal?’ Jean-Claude asked. ‘Even though you haven’t been arrested this time?’

‘Oui. And Zac, too, trusts me – both as his friend and as a fellow conspirator. When he returns for the