A few minutes later, after Zoya had packaged some desserts for us, Eva stepped out and bade the couple goodbye. I promised to come visit when I was next in St. Petersburg.
By the time I stepped outside to join Eva, she was nowhere to be found. I looked around, panic gradually creeping into my heart. This was Russia, and I had a lot of enemies back here, folks who would do anything to make me suffer.
I ran across the street, searching the surroundings for any sign of her. Finally, I found a set of footprints in the snow and traced them across the road.
When I rounded a corner, I let out a soft sigh of relief after spotting her on a bench by the sidewalk. She was petting a stray cat, which purred under her hand as she stroked its fur.
“Eva!” I called out, my voice deep and commanding. “Let’s go.”
She set the cat on the pavement and rose to her feet, a hint of fear flashing in her eyes. She saw the anger on my face, and she knew she was in trouble.
“I’m sorry, I was just…” she began, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Save it,” I cut her off. “Get to the car. Now.”
She swallowed hard and furrowed her brow, but didn’t argue with me. I watched her head back to the convoy, my blood boiling at the thought of anything bad happening to her.
Perhaps I’d been a bit harsh on her, but that was so she would understand the gravity of what she’d done. My enemies were everywhere in this town, and it wasn’t safe for her to wander off alone.
I rubbed my eyes, hating myself for letting my temper shatter the brief moment of softness we had tonight.
Chapter 13 —Eva
We’d come out here on foot, but we’re going back in a convoy. Maybe he asked his men to bring the cars while we were at the nice couples’ café. It was the only logical explanation.
Speaking of the nice couple, I had no idea someone like Demyon could be a normal human around other people. This was the first time I ever saw him smile, let alone laugh.
The scene was so shocking that my eyebrows were arched in a mix of surprise and disbelief for almost the whole time. This was a version of Demyon I’d never seen and never thought existed.
I’d always found him attractive, even though I often dismissed the thought the second it crossed my mind. But seeing him in such an elated mood did something to me that I wasn’t yet ready to name.
The first time I saw that smile on his face, my heart warmed. I hadn’t realized how contagious that grin was until I found myself doing the same.
The couple’s reaction to his arrival and his behavior around them made me realize he might not be as bad as I thought.
Although I’d been lost initially, it was still enthralling to watch and listen to their conversation in Russian. From what I gathered, Demyon must’ve grown up around the couple and had some childhood memories of that café.
Tonight was the closest we’d come to living a normal life, like regular people. It was beautiful, to be honest, especially because I didn’t think it was possible. At least not so soon.
We hadn’t fought or gotten on each other’s nerves since he returned from work a few hours ago. We strolled down the streets, walking side by side under the soft glow of thestreetlamps. Our conversation during the stroll was pretty decent—casual and teasing.
We were even mistaken for a couple, and somehow, I wasn’t repulsed by the idea. The old man and his wife had thought that we were an item.
Demyon and I, an item?
Crazy!
However, what was even crazier and more shocking was that we chorused our response as if we’d already planned it. The silence that followed was awkward, as were the stares the couple cast on us.
We’d said the exact same words in the exact same sequence at the exact same time. What were the odds of that?
Yes, we denied the allegation that we were together. But judging by the couple’s expressions, it was clear they didn’t buy it.
In all honesty, I had a pretty good time tonight, and I would’ve returned home feeling happy and maybe even satisfied.
But Demyon, being who he was, just couldn’t keep it cool—he had to ruin the night for me. What exactly was my offense, trying to help a stray cat? Did he have to be so mean to me? Did he have to be so cold to pass his message?
I didn’t mean to wander off alone; I just wanted to help the poor animal. It was injured and limping across the street, crying in agony. I couldn’t pretend to not notice; I couldn’t turn away from the poor thing.
