Gemma’s eyes widened. I wondered how my best friend couldn’t recognize me at point blank range, yet Dmitri had somehow known my identity.
“Holy shit, I never would've guessed.”
I glanced down at my phone. I needed to speed this up and get us out of here before Charles’ heart started convulsing. I pulled back on the wig and checked my image in the mirror.
“I’ll explain later. Anyway we’re heading out for a girls’ night,” I said, clutching her wrist and pulling her towards the door.
A frown graced her face. “I’m on a date,” she said, pulling her hand back.
Yeah, with a gangster. But I couldn’t exactly tell her that.
“Please, Gemma, I need a girls’ night.”
That was an understatement, I needed to get my mind off Dmitri. I’d spent the last week with him in my thoughts, and his imaginary hands down my panties while I got myself off. Shit, sometimes I swore I saw him in the crowd.
I shook my head. This physical draw was bordering on obsession. Another reason to forget everything with my best friend.
She chewed on her lip, but thankfully she agreed.
“Hey, Gemma,” I said softly, and she turned to look at me. “I got a bad vibe on that guy you’re with... Maybe you should steer clear of him in the future.”
“Really?”
My heart was pounding in my chest as I nodded. I needed her to be safe. She was my best friend. I refused to let anything happen to her, because of me.
“You’re probably right.” She sighed. “I have such shit choice in guys.”
Relief swelled through me as I led her to the backdoor of the bar I’d found while pouring over the floor plans. We slipped through the door, and a harsh flash of wind smacked against my cheek.
I stared into the shadows of the alley and froze when I spotted Dmitri leaning against a brick wall. Gemma glanced between us, a line forming between her brows.
“It’s not that easy to escape from me, Alisa.”
I was more than aware of that. Even when he wasn’t with me, he was present in my mind.
“Who is that?” Gemma asked, her shoulders tight.
Interesting. She’d gone on a date with a gangster and been as blissful as a butterfly fluttering towards a flower. But even someone as unfamiliar with the underworld as her could sense the special type of danger Dmitri possessed.
“No one,” I lied, and pulled her towards the head of the alley where threads of light were creeping past the tall buildings surrounding us.
“That’s not what you said last week,” Dmitri said. “In fact-”
I cut him off with an irritated noise, but my indignation was weakened by the blush currently rising up my cheeks. As much as I wished it were the case, my pink cheeks had nothing to do with the wind haphazardly whipping my skin.
“Last week?” Gemma said, and I didn’t like the way a light switch went off in her eyes. “Is this your co-worker?”
Dmitri’s eyes left my face for the first time since we’d stepped into the alley. He zeroed in on Gemma like she was a flailing sheep.
“So you’ve told your best friend about me? Howsweet.” The tone he used had the blush stretching to my chest.
Something shifted in Gemma’s body language. As if Dmitri’s association with me made her rethink the danger she’d sensed from him. After all, how could someone who had such a boring job make her body shift into flight or fight?
How wrong she was.
“More like constantly complains about you,” Gemma said, throwing me a wink.
“Alisa’s a consistent pain in my ass. If anything, I should be the one complaining,” he said dryly.
