If she only knew.
I force a laugh. “Very funny. My washing machine flooded. It’s temporary.”
“Uh-huh.” Her gaze drifts past me again, lingering on Alexei. “And I’m guessingtemporaryalso has something to do with tall, dark, and terrifying over there?”
Heat creeps up my neck. “He’s just a client. For my art.”
She wiggles her eyebrows. “A client?”
I reach across the table and bat her shoulder. “Not that kind of client. An art patron.” The lie tastes sour, but what else am I supposed to say? “He’s…commissioning some work.”
Sam’s mouth forms a perfect O. “How much is he paying you?”
Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, along with my continued existence. “Enough.”
She regards me for a few more seconds before a slow grin lights up her face. “Oh. Em. Gee! You have a boyfriend. Those are his clothes. You spent the night with him.” With each accusation, her volume rises.
“Shh!” My heart skips three beats as I chance a peek at Alexei, who remains absorbed in his phone. Thankfully. “No. Absolutely not. He’s not my boyfriend. That’s…ludicrous.”
My fiancée, sure. But not my boyfriend. Totally different thing.
Sam beams like she’s solved a particularly tricky equation. “Friend with benefits, then.”
The waitress saves me by appearing with my latte. I grab the specialty coffee drink and immediately scald my tongue byingesting a too-large gulp. The pain provides something to focus on besides the absurdity of this conversation.
“Well, all I can say is, it’s about time.” Sam hunches forward, planting her elbows on the table. “You need some fun in your life. Some excitement.”
I sputter, spraying my coffee everywhere. “Excitement. Yes.” I grab a handful of napkins and mop up the mess. “It’s been very…exciting.”
Gunshots. Blood. Abduction. Death threats. Forced engagement. Sex that isn’t technically sex on a dining room table. Exciting doesn’t even begin to cover my life over the past couple of days.
Samantha clasps her hands together, oblivious to my internal monologue. “Can I meet him? Let me meet him. I want to meet?—”
“No!” I bark the refusal louder than intended. When Sam’s brow creases, I attempt to soften the rejection with a nervous laugh. “I mean, he has a…meeting. He’s in a meeting. Right now. Over there…meeting.” I gesture to where Alexei still sits, his phone now pressed to his ear.
Sam chuckles. “Okay, fine. Keep your secrets. At least he looks like he can take care of you.” Genuine concern laces her voice. “I don’t like you toiling away at Red Bird’s and living in that crappy studio apartment.”
“Oh, yes, well…I might be changing jobs.” Because I was fired. For being kidnapped. “And it sounds like the apartment building’s getting a new owner.” Because my kidnapper threatened my landlord and decided to buy the entire property just to protect me.
“That’s great!” Sam’s enthusiasm infuses me with both love and guilt. “Maybe things are finally turning around for you. You deserve it.”
I reach across the table and grab her hand, desperate to grasp onto this moment of normalcy. “Tell me about you. Any hot guys in that chemistry class?”
Her face brightens as she launches into a story about a classmate. I absorb her happiness, storing it away like a squirrel gathers nuts for winter.
All too soon, she checks her watch and grimaces. “I’ve got to run. Study group in twenty.” She gathers her books, shoving them haphazardly into her backpack. “Same time next week?”
If I’m still alive and not locked in Alexei’s loft forever.
If Gio hasn’t found and killed me by then. “Absolutely. I’ll let you know if anything comes up.”
After I walk her to the door, she sweeps me into another hug, sends a cheeky wave to Alexei, and bounces out the door to meet a waiting friend. They saunter off together, laughing and chatting, their bodies gliding with the effortless confidence of youth. My heart overflows at the sight of my sister so bright and carefree. Knowing her tuition is taken care of.
Because of Alexei.
Funny how he’s both the destroyer and creator of my happiness. The man who ripped my life apart while simultaneously securing my sister’s future.
I shift in his direction, uncertain of what comes next in my strange new reality.
