Page 81 of Take the Sub and Run

“Unless we’re opening a case, either into her human trafficking or art forgery, there’s no reason for Ms. Vermeer to be in our custody, either as a protected witness…or a suspect.”

“What does that mean?” Sofie demanded, then swiveled to look at Andrei. “What is he saying?”

“He’s agreeing not to pursue charges against you for forgery. But if you won’t help us with cases against your father, I can’t keep you in protective custody.”

“Protective custody?” Sofie asked softly.

“That’s how we classified your arrest. A cover for taking you into protective custody. It won’t show as an arrest on your record with local authorities,” Rolf said.

“Oh, I…I didn’t know.” Sofie glanced at him uncertainly.

Andrei could have told her last night in the moonlight after he kissed her, but it would have broken the spell.

Last night, he’d felt the surety about how his life was and would be, fracture and come apart. He’d felt his surety about who he was—cynical, sardonic, carnal agent of the law who’d started life as a criminal—dissolve.

“Are we opening a case or not?” Rolf said.

“No.” Sofie raised her chin, staring down Rolf.

He hid his grin behind his hand.

“Then it’s time for your to leave Club Alibi, Ms. Vermeer. Today.”

Andrei sat up, shaking his head. “No, we need a few days to plan where she’s going to go.”

“I’m going to go home.”

Andrei whipped his attention to her. Swallowing his first words, he instead chose each one carefully. “I know that your home feels like a safe place, but it may not be. Your father may find out you were arrested or that you weren’t at home last night. He may send those same men back to try and scare you again.”

“My father wouldn’t hurt me.”

Andrei swallowed the panic that was clawing up his throat.

“I’ll leave you to sort this out,” Rolf murmured. “I’m sorry we couldn’t…I’m sorry. Andrei, I’ll see you in two days in London. It’s your week.”

Andrei didn't acknowledge Rolf’s words, and ignored the chime as the video call ended.

“I’m not stupid,” Sofie said.

“I don’t think you are.”

“You do. At least a little.”

“No, I think that your father has spent your whole life trying to isolate you. Conditioning you to think?—”

“He won't hurt me, because if he if he hurts me, I might not be able to paint. That's why I don't think those men were my father's men. They hit me on the face.” She pointed at her cheek. “What if they had damaged my eye? Then I couldn't paint.”

Andrei's mouth snapped shut.

“I don't think he won't hurt me because he loves me. I think he won't hurt me because I'm valuable to him.”

All this time, he'd worried about how to help her see the truth about her relationship with her abuser. But his sweet, innocent straightforward Sofie knew the truth.

Andrei suspected she still loved him in some way, because he had built that lovely cage he kept her in around the thing she loved.

“That's a very good point. But I think it's possible that your father's men know exactly how hard they can and cannot hit someone to do permanent damage.”

Now, she looked a little uneasy. “No… No he wouldn’t hurt me.”

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