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A five-million-dollar face is staring at me from the couch. Reznik.
His expression is a cold mask with a fake smile as he rises from the couch, his tall bulky figure too slow like he’s a predator about to attack.
Lu flings to her feet and darts toward me, then stops, embarrassed at her eagerness.
My heart thunders as my brain tries to figure out what to do.
“Diadia Tolia, this is Jace, my roommate,” she announces.
His unblinking stare stays locked with mine as I manage a polite smile.
“Roommate?” There’s no surprise in his question.
“He comes and goes,” Lu jokes with a nervous chuckle.
His eyes on me are like icicles.
Does he know what I do? Did he spy on this condo? He’s a smart man with many resources to get the right intel.
“Anatolyi,” he says, taking slow steps toward me and stretching his hand for a shake.
I glance at it, then back at him.
Is he wearing the infamous bracelet?
If he knows who I am, is this a trap?
I fake a smile and raise both hands in front of me. “Sorry, my hands are dirty. I’m Jace. Nice to meet you.”
He lowers his hand slowly, nodding a little, his lips curling into a smirk like he knows I’m lying.
“You are a family friend, right?” I ask, dropping my backpack on the floor.
My mind is reeling, trying to figure out what to do and how to act. I should’ve put my gun under the sink. Or by the door. But it’s in the bedroom. Fuck!
“Yes.”
“Come visit us more often. Lu misses her home,” I lie.
He nods, his eyes following my every movement. “Sure.”
“We could do dinner. Wanna stay for dinner?” I need to keep him here for a little longer so I can alert Roey.
“Not today.” His eyes glisten with what looks like acknowledgment. He senses something.
My heart pounding, I keep thinking about my gun. I could hold him at gunpoint while I call Roey. But then there’s Lu. I can’t show her this side of me, nor can I possibly put her in any danger.
“Would you like some Russian cookies to go?” she asks him with her sunshine smile.
Lu, if only you knew…
“?? ???. ? ? ?? ????????. ???? ??????, ???1” The fucker speaks in Russian, like it’s a code.
“You’ll call me again?” Lu is too nice.
And now my full attention is on how close she is to him and his hands. She reaches for him—to hug him, I guess—and my entire body screams in alert as I’m ready to tackle him in case he attempts something stupid with her.
But Reznik is too swift. He moves in my direction and bends to pick up the duffle bag from next to the shoe rack.
