Page 5 of Take the Sub and Run

“You prefer rope? Maybe leather?” Andrei took his phone from his pocket. He’d missed a text from Landon.

Have Colette. Don’t want to wait. Getting a taxi.

Good. That meant he didn’t have to wait either.

Andrei hesitated for a moment, but then reached out, sliding the mask off her face.

Fuck.

She was beautiful. And the wide-eyed, vulnerable way she stared back at him made her look not young but…innocent.

Andrei swallowed down the unwelcome soft feelings that were trying to take root and climbed into the front seat and started the vehicle. “Out of curiosity, what were you going to steal?”

He knew the answer—at least according to Landon—but wanted to see if she’d tell him.

“I shouldn’t tell you that.”

“Hypothetically, what were you going to steal?”

“Hypothetically?”

“You’re not a fan of using that word the way Colette is?”

“You know Colette?”

He looked at her in the mirror. “Of course I know Colette.”

The fact that they’d almost been too late to save her weeks ago when she’d been taken by the Bratva had exhumed memories Andrei wanted to stay buried.

“A painting,” she said.

“Which one?”

“A Rembrandt. The Night Watch.”

“The wall-sized one so big the people are nearly life-sized?”

“Oh. You know that piece?”

“We were just in The Night Gallery, named after the painting which is prominently displayed.”

“Oh.”

Andrei turned, heading north out of Amsterdam. “Do you think I’m stupid?”

“No. I just didn’t think you’d pay attention to the art.”

“Insulting.”

“I didn’t mean to insult you. You asked.”

“You must really enjoy spankings.”

That was met with silence, and in the rearview mirror, he could see her throat work as she swallowed.

“I…do.”

“Good to know that won’t be an effective punishment.”

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