"She's been leading me on for months." Petr finally lets go, and I stumble backward. "Making eyes at me."
"You're disgusting," I hiss as I rub my wrists where red marks are forming. "Being polite doesn't mean I want to sleep with you."
Petr's face turns red and he points at me with one shaking finger. "This isn't over. You hear me? This isn't over."
He storms past me and slams the door hard enough that the bell clatters against the glass and the neon sign on the windows shakes a little. Through the window I watch him climb into his car and peel out.
The other customers are staring and whispering, and I can feel my face burning. Zoran walks over and gently touches my arm.
"You okay?" He sets the cleaver down and gently puts his hands around my biceps like he's checking me out. "Did he hurt you?"
"My wrists are sore but I'm fine." I lean against the counter behind me. "Thank you for stepping in."
"That guy's been trouble since day one." Zoran shakes his head. "We should've banned him months ago."
Mina appears in the doorway and with wide eyes she glances from me to Zoran. "What happened?"
"Petr happened." I look at her. "He didn't take the marriage news well."
"Did he touch you?" Mina's voice goes sharp. "Because I'll call the police."
The mention of police makes my stomach turn. The last thing I need is more attention from law enforcement.
"He grabbed my wrists, but Zoran scared him off." I push away from the counter and pick up Petr's coffee mug to take back to the kitchen. "I'm fine."
"You're not fine." Mina crosses her arms. "You're shaking."
She's right. My hands are trembling. Between the police encounter and now this, I'm completely drained. I hate the feeling of terror that has been my constant companion for the past several days. My nervous system needs a break from all this stress. I can't keep up with it.
"Can I go home early?" I look at Zoran. "I can't keep working tonight."
Zoran studies my face and then nods at me. I'm sure if the boss comes in later, they'll explain what happened. "Go. Mina and I can handle it."
"Thank you." I untie my apron and hang it on the hook, then collect my house key and purse and start toward the front door.
Mina walks me out to the parking lot and waits while I call for a cab. The sun is starting to set and the sky is turning orange, and I'm glad to be heading out early. After all of that, the longer walk to Vadim's house would seem too scary.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Mina touches my shoulder lightly, letting her hand rest there for a second. "You can stay with me tonight if you don't want to be alone."
The offer is tempting but I can't accept it. Vadim will be expecting me at the house and if I don’t show up, he will immediately assume the worst. I can't be pissing him off like that. He's more dangerous than Petr, though I won't admit that aloud.
"I'll be fine." I squeeze her hand and she pulls it back. "My husband will take care of me."
The words sound hollow and Mina doesn't push. She gives me a hug and heads back inside, leaving me to wait for the cab as she finishes serving my tables for the evening.
As frightened as I was just then, it was nothing compared to how I felt when Vadim's men chased me down. Yet here I am returning home to him instead of going to my own house. It contradicts everything I just told Mina about how I feel, and I hate that I am a liar. I'm no better than Vadim or Petr, lying to my only friend in the world about something that I really could use her help with.
It's only a matter of time before I explode, and when I do, I hope she understands why I had to keep secrets from her.
13
VADIM
Ihear the front door slam and the sound rattles the picture frames. Danica's footsteps are heavy as she moves through the entryway and I can tell her mood is dark. She's not supposed to be home yet. Her shift isn't over until much later. It must mean something didn’t go well, and that tells me why she's stomping.
I turn back to the stove and stir the sauce I've been working on for the past hour. The smell of garlic and tomatoes fills the kitchen. I've been cooking since I got home because the alternative was sitting alone stewing over that prick Miloš and the way he controls the police.
"You're home early." I glance over my shoulder as Danica appears in the doorway.
