Three men stand by the entrance. They look like cheaper versions of Ivan—tracksuits instead of suits, gold chains instead of subtle wealth, crude menace instead of controlled danger.
"Ah, there you are." The one in front smiles. It's all teeth, no warmth. "Alone tonight?"
"Yes."
"You sure about that?" He steps closer. "Because we are looking for someone. Someone who might have come here. You would tell us if you saw someone, yes?"
"I haven't seen anyone."
He moves faster than I expected, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look at him. "Little girls who lie to us have accidents. Terrible accidents. You understand?"
My whole body trembles. This is nothing like my books. In books, the heroine is always brave, always defiant. I want to cry and run away.
"I understand."
"Good. Now, we check. Make sure you are telling the truth."
They move toward the kitchen, and I know it's over. They'll see the bloody paper towels, the sink that's still splattered in red, and they'll know.
Ivan steps out from behind me.
"Gentlemen."
All three men reach for weapons. Ivan already has his gun halfway out of his waistband.
"Petrov." The leader spits the name like a curse.
"Tell Dmitri his dog fought well," Ivan says calmly. "Oleg was a worthy opponent."
"You fucking?—"
Sirens cut them off. Loud and close, multiple cars from the sound of it.
The three men exchange rapid-fire Russian. The leader looks at me, Ivan, and back at me. His eyes promise terrible things.
"This is not over," he says.
As quickly as they came, they're gone, the bell chiming their exit like punctuation to a death threat.
My legs give out. Ivan catches me, his arm looping around my waist, holding me up.
"Breathe," he says. "Just breathe."
"They were going to?—"
"But they didn't. You're okay."
"I'm not okay! Nothing about this is okay!"
The sirens are getting louder.
Ivan guides me to his usual booth, sits me down, and slides in across from me.
"Listen to me." His voice is calm and steady, designed to cut through panic. "The police are about to come through that door. Tell them I've been here since midnight. I'm a regular customer who couldn't sleep."
"I can't?—"
"You can. You will." He leans forward, those ocean eyes holding mine. "Those men saw you with me. Saw you lie for me. To them, you're involved. The only thing keeping you safe after tonight is me."
