"Mr. Sokolov. Did you need something?"
"Your security detail is being increased." I keep my voice neutral, professional. "Effective immediately."
Her brown eyes narrow. "What does that mean?"
"The car that follows you will now be two cars. Armed guards. Twenty-four-hour surveillance."
"No." The word comes out sharp, angry. "Absolutely not. You can't just?—"
"I can, and I have." I step closer, lowering my voice. "My world is dangerous, Eva. Anyone associated with me becomes a target. Now that we've crossed this line, you need protection, whether you want it or not."
"We haven't crossed any line." But her voice quavers, betraying the lie. "Yesterday was a mistake. It's over."
"Is it?" I let my gaze drop to her mouth, then lower, to where her dress hugs her breasts. I remember the weight of them in my hands, the way she gasped when I took her nipple in my mouth. Heat floods her cheeks, and I know she's remembering too.
"It has to be," she whispers.
"Why?"
"Because I can't afford to lose this job. Because you're dangerous. Because this is insane."
"All true." I reach out, my thumb tracing her lower lip with deliberate slowness. She doesn't pull away. "But it doesn't change the fact that you want me as much as I want you."
The elevator chimes, doors sliding open. Eva steps inside quickly, putting distance between us, her chest rising and falling with rapid breaths.
"The security detail isn't negotiable," I tell her as the doors begin to close. "Get used to it."
Her expression shifts from anger to something else. Fear, maybe. Or understanding.
"Why?" she asks, her voice barely audible. "Why do I need protection?"
The elevator doors are almost closed when I answer, my voice low and cold with the truth she needs to hear.
"Because anyone who wants to hurt me will come for you first."
13
EVA
Inotice them the moment I step out of the building Thursday morning. Two black SUVs, identical to the one that brought me home yesterday, idling at the curb. Professional. Expensive. Impossible to miss.
Roman wasn't bluffing about the security detail.
My stomach clenches as I walk toward the subway entrance, my worn coat pulled tight against the morning chill. The SUVs pull away from the curb in perfect synchronization, following at a discrete distance. I can feel eyes on me, tracking my every movement, and the sensation makes my skin prickle with awareness that's equal parts protection and imprisonment.
I'm being watched. Constantly. By Roman's people.
The thought sends a confusing rush of emotions through me. Fear, yes. But also something darker, more complicated. The memory of his hands on my body, his mouth claiming mine, the way he looked at me like I was something precious and dangerous all at once. I shake my head, forcing the images away.I can't think about that, can't let myself remember how good it felt to surrender to him, even knowing what he is.
The subway ride passes in a blur. When I emerge at my stop, the SUVs are waiting. They follow me to the coffee shop where I'm meeting Megan, parking across the street with military precision. Through the window, I can see the guards inside, their eyes never leaving me.
"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Megan demands the moment I slide into the booth across from her. Her brown eyes are wide with concern, her usual sunshine dimmed by worry. "Eva, there are two giant SUVs following you. With men who look like they could bench press a car."
I wrap my hands around my coffee cup, buying time. The lie forms on my tongue, bitter and necessary. "It's standard protocol for executives at financial firms. Mr. Sokolov has security, and since I work directly for him, I get some coverage too."
"Standard protocol?" Megan's voice rises slightly. "Eva, I work in social media marketing. I know plenty of people at financial firms. None of them have armed guards following them to coffee."
"It's different at Sokolov Financial Group." I take a sip of my coffee, avoiding her gaze. "They handle very high-value accounts. Very private clients. The security is just… precautionary."
