Page 57 of Take the Sub and Run

“Though that’s clearly an alias.”

“It’s not.”

Andrei arched a brow, his expression back to the lazily amused and devilish one she was used to. “Your last name is Vermeer.”

“Yes.”

“And you’re an artist.”

“Yes.”

“But not a forger,” he mocked.

“Replicating existing paintings isn’t a crime.”

“Selling them as the originals is.”

“I don’t pretend they’re the originals.”

Andrei laughed. “Clever. Because you’re right. If someone asks you to paint a copy of The Night Watch?—”

“I wouldn’t, it’s too big.”

“—you do it, and sell it to them as a reproduction. What they do with it afterward…” He raised his brows.

“None of my business.”

“Clever, Angel, clever.” There was genuine appreciation in his gaze, and that made her shoulders hunch.

“It’s not me,” she said quickly. “I’m not clever. My father is.”

Andrei’s expression sobered. “Your father. I saw the message he left you.”

Sofie blinked. “You read Dutch?”

“No, but I know how to memorize and use translation software.”

“Is that…” Sofie stared at nothing, thoughts whirring. “You were watching me. That’s how you saw the men. And you were watching me because you saw the message from my father?”

“It’s not just your father who’s clever.”

“But…why? I mean, why would that message make you watch me?”

Andrei frowned at her, his gaze tracing her features. “Because it was a threat.”

“No it wasn’t.”

“Tell me, in English, what it said.”

“I disappointed him because I’m not supposed to leave my studio, and there would be consequences for breaking the rules.”

Andrei’s frown deepened. “That’s a threat. Saying there will be consequences.”

“But there were! I left, and our enemies found me.”

“That’s who attacked you, your enemies?” Andrei’s frown was deepening.

“Yes.”

---