"Okay." She reaches for it, and our fingers brush. Neither of us pull back. I glance at her. She’s staring at where our hands touch, her lips parted.
I regain control, pulling my hand away. "Ready?"
"Ready."
She picks up the watch, rubbing her fingers over the metal before curling them around it. Her eyes close and her breathing becomes shallow. A minute passes and then another. Her brows crinkle. Her mouth opens as if she’s in pain or witnessing something she doesn’t want to see.
"Nala?"
She doesn't answer, her grip tightening around the watch. Seconds tick by before her eyes finally open.
"You okay?"
She nods. "Yes. I didn’t realize he was dead when I picked up the watch.”
Was that important? Is that why she looked like she was in pain?
“Does it make a difference,” I ask. “If the person is dead or alive?”
“Sometimes.” She hesitates. “It depends how long they’ve been dead.” She pauses again, this time, pinning me with a knowing look. “How they died.”
She saw me give the order to Misha.
"What did you see?"
"Denis. That was his name. He was with two brothers a few days ago. I’m not sure how many. They’re Albanian, which you already know.”
I nod. Fuck, she’s good.
“The younger one is Arben. He looks a little older than you. Has dark, stringy hair with a really big mole under his eye." She taps a spot above her cheek. "The other one… I can’t tell his age. He’s in his forties, maybe fifties. He has some gray hair, and he wears wire-frame glasses. He’s also thin and taller than his brother.
"Where did they meet?"
“I don’t know the exact place. It’s somewhere near a river. There were blue shipping containers outside. I also saw a factory nearby with tall towers and smoke coming out of them.”
My lips curve into a smile. I know exactly where she means.
"Anything else?"
"Yes. Arben was nervous. He kept checking his phone. Said someone named Luan was supposed to contact them and tell them what to do. That’s all I saw. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” I lean in slightly. “That was really good. You told me exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you.”
Her eyes widen a fraction, like she didn’t expect the praise. A shy smile touches her lips before she dips her head and nods, looking back up.
My throat tightens. It’s just a fucking smile. I press a finger to my lips then use her own words to draw her attention. “Can I ask you something?”
She blinks. “Uh… sure.”
"Did you see everything up until Denis died?”
Her brows draw close together. “I saw everything. Why?”
"You saw what I did.”
"Yes."
"It doesn’t bother you? Aren’t you afraid of me?”
