Chapter Thirty-one #2
Instead, he walked straight into the boutique and led us to the sunglasses section.
He picked up a pair of dark shades and turned to me.
Before I could ask, he slid them onto my face.
Tilting his head, he studied me, took them off and swapped them for another pair.
He stared for a second and peeled off the tags.
He picked a pair for himself, slipped them on, and walked us to the cashier. Whatever this business was, it didn’t smell like flowers and sunshine.
A teenager in a beanie bobbed his head to the music in his headphones. Rodion dropped a bill on the counter, and the boy looked up. They didn’t exchange any words; Rodion simply pointed at the car, and the boy nodded with a bright grin.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ve got eyes on it.”
Something told me they had done this before. Once we stepped out, I asked, “Are we hiding from someone?”
Rodion took my hand as we walked down the pavement. We looked like a couple in a thriller movie seconds from planting a bomb. “More like spying,” he said.
“On who?” The familiar streets ahead reminded me of the cafe where I worked before this man kidnapped me. “I used to work in a cafe around that corner down there. Serving customers and earning tips. I bet they have already replaced me.”
Rodion scanned the street, as if he were looking for someone. “Let’s eat there then.”
My heart leaped. “Wait, really?”
He gave me a quick look. “Why not?”
“My boss probably wouldn’t let a waitress serve me. She hated me for no reason. Breathing near her was offensive.”
“Let’s see her try that,” he said flatly.
“Maybe they’ll serve us because of you,” I muttered.
We turned the corner, and I smiled. The cafe looked exactly as I remembered it. The outdoor tables, tucked under wide umbrellas, were lined with seats along the sidewalk.
Mornings used to be the busiest, but now they looked quiet. There was a couple, a woman busy on her laptop, and someone walking a poodle past. I pointed to it.
“That’s the one. They make the best coffee in town.”
Rodion nodded. “Good. Just the place I wanted.”
I looked up at him, and for a second, I forgot the street and the cafe. The way he wore those sunglasses should’ve been illegal. The lenses were dark enough to hide his eyes but not his expression. He looked like trouble dressed in money.
“Are we spying on someone in the cafe?” I asked.
“The building across.” I followed his line of sight to a tall law firm with glass panels that mirrored the street. I didn’t ask if he had business with an attorney. Right now, all I could think about was the people I used to work with.
The thought of running into Carmen made my stomach twist. Rodion chose a table outside and pulled out a chair for me.
The gesture sent warmth to my cheeks. He sat across from me, and the table was so small his knees brushed mine, caging me between his legs.
My skin tingled at the memory of how he had held me in the shower less than an hour ago.
“What would you love to order?” A voice asked beside me, grabbing my attention.
My heart caught in my throat when I looked up and saw Calla standing beside me, holding an order book. She was staring at Rodion like she couldn’t believe he was real.
“Calla,” I called.
She turned to me, her gaze skimming over my face without recognition. I lifted my sunglasses enough to show my eyes, and her jaw dropped.
“Alessia?” Her face lit up in shock. “Oh, my God. Where the hell did you disappear to? You didn’t even tell Carmen you were quitting.”
Sliding the sunglasses back down, I smiled. “Is she inside?”
Calla rolled her eyes. “Nope. She just left, probably downtown, to check on the other cafe. Oh, and we got your replacement.”
“I guessed so,” I said.
“She’s so full of herself,” Calla groaned. “Bossing people around and wearing way too much lip gloss for someone working behind a pastry case.” She paused, gave me a once-over, and wrinkled her nose. “And what the hell are you wearing?”
That made me look down at myself. I wore a black skirt and a white button-up. All I was missing was the apron, and I would look like a maid.
“Don’t mind me. I woke up and felt like wearing this.”
Calla shook her head like she couldn’t believe me. Her eyes drifted to Rodion. He sat still, his sunglasses on, his broad shoulders visible under the black jacket, his head tilted as he watched the law firm.
She leaned in and whispered, “The last time I checked, you were not dating a tall god who looks like he walked straight out of a crime thriller. Girls can’t stop staring. Is he your cousin? Is he single?”
Fighting back a laugh, I bit the inside of my cheek. I cleared my throat.
“This is…” I trailed off. No one ever called him by his name. Maybe it wasn’t a name he wanted out in the open. His world didn’t operate like mine. Names meant leverage. “... Artur. His name is Artur.”
Rodion’s head tilted toward me. When Calla offered her hand, he didn’t bother to look at her.
“Bring us coffee,” he said. “Black. And a cappuccino for my girl.”
My girl? I nearly choked on air. Calla lowered her hand, eyes wide as she gave me the full ‘what the fuck’ look. I gave her an apologetic shrug.
“Yes, sir,” she said, and before she left, I told her to bring two chocolated bread, my favorite bread.
Rodion rested his elbow on the table and leaned close. “Artur?”
“I didn’t know what to say,” I muttered. “No one calls you anything. You barely let people talk around you. I couldn’t just say ‘Rodion’ and have her go tweet it.”
He didn’t get the chance to answer. Someone called my name from the window behind me. I looked and saw four employees we used to work with, waving and whispering among themselves. They looked shocked, curious, and a little too excited to see me. I waved back, and they disappeared.
Calla came back with our order. “Black coffee for Artur. Cappuccino for his girl and chocolated bread, her favorite,” she said, and I laughed.
“Thank you, Calla,” I said, taking mine. “I missed this.”
“Enjoy, and everyone’s waiting for you to say hi. Don’t you dare sneak out.”
“I won’t,” I said, grabbing a serviette and lifting the roll in both hands as if it were made of gold.
One generous bite and warm cream burst on my tongue.
I moaned softly, savoring every bit. Rodion was already halfway through his coffee, his fingers wrapped around the cup as he spied the building.
I followed his gaze, shifting my eyes back to him almost immediately.
He looked calm, and I didn’t like how unreadable he looked behind those damn sunglasses.
“Try it,” I said, pushing my plate toward him. “You won’t regret it.”
He hesitated, but pulled the plate closer. Picking up the bread roll up like it offended him, he took a clean bite. I watched his lips, the sharp line of his jaw, the way his throat moved, and heat crawled to my neck. To hide the blush, I blurted out a random question.
“Did you give the dog the name?”
He finished his coffee before answering me. “Yes.”
“Why Artur?” I asked, leaning into the question. “Is it a name you liked?”
“My mother used to call me that.”
Nodding, I took a small sip, watching the steam curl up to my face. The silence between us wasn’t heavy, but it held something beneath it, like we were both circling something deeper.
“Your mother…”
“She is dead.” He cut me off before I could finish. I gulped, already regretting the question. “Murdered. Which you probably know.”
No, I didn’t. I knew little about his situation.
“I’m sorry.”
He chuckled quietly before pushing the bread roll towards me. “Go ahead. Ask.”
“What?”
“The question you want to ask.”
I took another bite and chewed slowly. He was patient, watching and waiting for me to ask the question. But I didn’t just have one, I had way too many.
“I ended up here because I was dating Marco. He knew my father, and it turned out he had only dated me to get close to him. I know a little about the situation, but… was Marco involved in the murder?”
Rodion looked at me as if he were deciding whether I deserved the truth. But he answered. “Luigi did it. He is mysterious. Most people want to get close to him for power. But I want to kill him.”
“So Renat wants Luigi because he wants to be powerful.”
“To overthrow me,” he said it casually, and I bit my lip. “He used your stupid boyfriend to cover up his tracks.”
“Don’t say that.” I toyed with my cup.
God, I hated Marco.
Rodion chuckled. “You could have stayed with Lucas.”
My eyes widened. “You know Lucas, too?”
He leaned back and crossed his arms. “After watching you break up with him in front of a church, yes.”
Chills ran down my body. How long had this man been stalking me? It should’ve terrified me, but I had seen what he could do.
“That’s so … uncomfortable.”
“What is?”
“The fact that you have known me since then.” I stared at my drink. The topic was uncomfortable, so I changed it. “What was your mother like?”
“Like your mother.”
I let out a short laugh. “How so? Before my mother changed, she was always soft and quiet. She used to focus on family happiness but when I turned sixteen, she became louder. She and my dad fought all the time. I don’t know what changed. Some demon, maybe.”
“Secrets,” Rodion said, like he had answers to everything. “Just like my mother.”
“Secrets? What secrets? Why would you say that?”
Rodion sighed and slouched back. “Ask her when you meet her again.” He reached for his pocket, pulled out a thick stack of bills, and dropped them on the table beside my cup. “Keep yourself busy. Be back here in an hour. Don’t go far.”
“What?” I stared at the money, totally confused. “You want me to walk around with this much cash?”
He got up, pulled a sleek black card with platinum edges from his wallet, and handed it to me, taking the cash instead. Now I was uncomfortable. The card felt too light for how dangerous it looked. I held it like it might explode if I swiped it twice.
“I don’t understand.” I looked up at him. “You want me to be alone?”
“Around the street,” he said. “Be here in an hour.”
He reached for my face, brushing his thumb along the corner of my mouth, and I froze. He caught a bit of cream, then brought it to his mouth, he licked it with the kind of care that should have been illegal this early in the day.
Grabbing the manila envelope, he moved.
“Wait,” I said quickly, stopping him. “How much can I spend?”
He stared down at me. “As much as it takes for you to smile when I come back,” he declared and walked away, crossing the street towards the law firm.
And just like that, I was sitting there with a cappuccino, a card that could probably buy the entire block, and a heart that refused to slow down. Damn him.