Page 55 of Unbreakable Vow

He looks around again, twisting more this time. His clear blue eyes meet mine. My face burns at being caught watching him, and my chest tightens as his eyes darken with suspicion.

Where the hell is Pieter?

“I don’t like it here. Let’s go somewhere else.” He gets to his feet, nearly knocking down his chair.

John frowns.

“All right. Sure.” With his cup in hand, they walk out of the coffee shop. The Russian looks back in my direction through the window as they pass by, and I duck my head.

Did he see me?

Does he know me?

I replay all the faces I’ve seen since I’ve met Sergei. He has men with him all the time. I don’t recognize this one.

“Hey. You okay?” Pieter shows up at my table. “What happened?” He looks around the café ready to fight someone on my behalf.

“I’m fine. Did you see those two men just walk out?” I ask, already closing my laptop. I’m not getting anything done here. I might as well go home and spend the afternoon with Mom.

He looks at the exit.

“Yeah. The bald guy and the suit?”

“Did the bald guy look familiar?” I sling my bag over my shoulder and push my chair in.

“No, but I didn’t see his face. What happened while I was in the bathroom?” he asks, pushing the glass door open for me.

“Nothing.” I shake my head. I don’t want to say anything until I talk to Sergei. I just need to figure out how to tell him about it, without him getting all overprotective. He’s not going to like that I made Pieter drive to this café after he already told me he didn’t like me here if the cop comes here. To add that I saw the guy and he saw me is going to blow up in my face.

This has to be handled delicately.

“You will tellme right now what happened at that coffee shop this afternoon or you will never leave this house again.” Sergei’s voice bursts into the library before the rest of him does.

I look up from the book I’m reading to find him barging through the door with Pieter right behind him. He at least has the decency to stay in the doorway looking slightly guilty.

I lean to the right and shoot Pieter a glare just as he steps back into the hall and pulls the door closed.

“I was going to talk to you about it tonight. I thought you were working.” I close the book on my thumb to hold my place.

“I was, but Pieter told me something upset you at the coffee shop.” He folds his arms over his chest.

Fuck, this man is distracting. He’s got his shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing off the ink on his forearms. The way they flex with his arms folded over his chest like this only exacerbates his sex appeal.

“Cora.” He snaps my name. “You’re staring again.” The left side of his mouth kicks up a bit. If he’s not careful he may actually smile soon.

“I was not. I was thinking,” I lie.

His dark eyebrow pitches upward, telling me he doesn’t believe me.

“Nothing bad happened at the coffee shop. I was going to tell you about it later.”

“Tell me now,” he orders with a nod.

I roll my eyes, grab the bookmark from the side table, and close the book before putting it down. I’m halfway through one of my latest obsessions, a dark romantasy, and I don’t want to lose my place.

“Can you promise not to threaten to keep me locked up here if I do?” It’s unreasonable to think he’s going to keep the promise, even if he makes it.

“No.”

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