"Lock this behind me," he says. "And leave the lights on. You can't be too safe." His eyes are knowing, locked on mine firmly like he's my father, not a stranger I just met.
"I will." I lean against the doorframe. "Thank you for the coffee."
"Thank you for inviting me in." His eyes hold mine for three seconds. "I'll see you tomorrow."
He walks down the sidewalk and disappears into the darkness. I wait until I can't see him anymore before shutting my door and turning all three locks. Then I lean back against it and let out a deep sigh, feeling somewhat giddy.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out to see a text from Mina asking if I'm home safe. I respond that I am and add three exclamation points because I'm too giddy to type normally. She sends back a string of question marks, but I don't answer.
He wants to have dinner with me tomorrow. Vadim with his dark eyes and his tattoos and his accent that makes every word sound so romantic and sensual. He actually wants to spend more time with me even though he could probably have any woman he wants.
I dry the cups and put them away before changing into pajamas. My body is exhausted, but my mind is too busy to sleep. I lie in bed and stare at the ceiling while I think about what to wear tomorrow and where we might go for dinner.
Petr's face tries to push into my thoughts, but I shove it away. He doesn't matter anymore. He can glare at me all he wants at the diner, but I don't belong to him and I never will.
For now, I just want to climb into bed and feel giddy that the handsome stranger from the diner is actually paying attention to me. Maybe I'm not as invisible as I've always thought. And maybe something good is finally happening in my life.
Tomorrow can't come fast enough.
5
VADIM
Iend the call with the registrar and light a cigarette while I walk through the narrow streets toward the meeting point. The humid air clings to my skin and sweat runs down my back beneath my shirt. If all goes well, I have twenty-four hours until the ceremony and all I need is for Danica to show up and sign the paperwork. My men did their job adequately persuading our friendly registrar to provide her services on short notice—though I'm sure the threats and bribe money helped.
The alley where I'm supposed to meet Vuk is three blocks away and I take my time getting there. Tonight deserves my concentration, so while I’m walking, I ponder exactly how I'll bring this proposal up to a woman who thinks we're going on a first date. It could get tricky, especially if she's the loud type, but the venue will help with that.
My leg still throbs from the barbed wire gash, but the wound is healing clean. I've had worse and kept moving, so I don't let it slow me down now. And when I turn the corner into the alley, I see Vuk standing over a man in an expensive suit. He's on his knees with blood running from his nose and Vuk has one handtangled in his hair. A duffel bag sits on the ground between them.
I stop at the mouth of the alley and take a drag from my cigarette. Vuk looks up and sees me but doesn't let go of the man. The buyer whimpers and tries to pull away, but Vuk yanks his head back hard enough that his neck cracks.
"He's been explaining why he thinks our product is overpriced," Vuk grunts as he yanks the man's head again.
I walk closer and look down at the man's pricey suit and shiny shoes. He's not hurting for money, and trying to negotiate on price is just greed. He wants to undercut us so he can turn and make a profit, and I'm not happy to share my profit anywhere. He just doesn’t know me yet.
"And what did you tell him?" I ask as I blow the smoke right into the man's face. I really don't take people trying to swindle me well.
"That the price is non-negotiable." Vuk pulls the man's head back further. "But he keeps insisting."
The buyer's eyes are wide and his breathing is coming in short gasps. He looks at me, and I can see him trying to decide whether I'm here to help him or make things worse. I take another drag and blow smoke in his face.
"How much does he owe me?" I ask Vuk. I'm training him to be thorough as much as I'm teaching this poor sap a lesson. It's sort of a two-for-one deal.
"Seven thousand euro." Vuk releases the man's hair and steps back. "He's offering four."
I crouch down so I'm eye level with the buyer and study his face. There's fear there but also a cold edge. He thinks he can talk his way out of this because men with money always think words are worth more than action. I don't like men like him, and I don't let them linger in my territory. It may be a new venture for me here in Belgrade, but I'm not easily pushed around.
"You're going to pay the full amount," I say quietly. "And then you're going to apologize for wasting our time."
"I don't have that much with me," the buyer says.
I stand up and nod at Vuk. He kicks the man in the ribs hard enough that he falls sideways onto the pavement, doubling over to hold his gut. The sound of impact echoes off the brick walls and the buyer curls into a ball as he shifts to protect his head with one arm.
"Check his pockets," I tell Vuk.
Vuk kneels down and goes through the man's jacket while he's still gasping for air. He pulls out a wallet thick with bills and counts them quickly before looking up at me.
"Fifteen thousand," Vuk says.
