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Once inside Heidi’s office, I settle into a chair, trying to calm my racing thoughts. The room is filled with her familiar scent of vanilla and cinnamon, and her design sketches are neatly organized on the desk. She’s left her sport coat behind, a reassurance that she won’t be gone long. I can’t help but feel a sense of comfort in her presence, even when she’s not here.
As tempted as I am to start pacing, I’m sure Zoe would see me through the frosted glass. So instead, I pull out a chair and settle into it. I place my elbows on my knees and clasp my hands, but the need to jiggle doesn’t allow the position for long.
Minutes stretch into what feels like an eternity, and I can’t help but steal glances at my watch every few seconds. I wonder what’s keeping Heidi and whether I might not have made a bad judgment call. Perhaps Aleksandr did take her and she’s in need of help, but if so, I imagine he would be sending me more taunting images.
Still, the uncertainty gnaws at me, making my anxiety flare.
I suspect the bastard is getting exactly what he wants right now, the reward of having something to hold over my head. I doubt he’s taken her—yet. But the threat is there. And I intend to take it seriously. Her safety is my priority now. I don’t care what she has to say on the matter—her clients will just have to understand.
I’m not letting Heidi dictate the terms this time.
Because no job is worth risking her life over.
We can figure out where we stand in our personal relationship after things are settled with Aleksandr. Hopefully, that means he’ll be dead within the week. But in the meantime, her safety is what matters most.
32
HEIDI
As I walk back to the office, the cold San Francisco breeze cuts through my shirt, reminding me once again that my sport coat is still sitting on the back of my chair, where I forgot to grab it. Entering from the small parking lot behind my office building, I push open the hallway door and round the corner into the reception area.
Before I can greet Sarah or Zoe, my friend stands from her desk, her face a mask of anxiety.
“What?” I ask, immediately picking up on her concern.
“Sarah, would you mind getting me a bag of nuts from the welcome basket?” Zoe asks, forcing her lips into a smile as Sarah’s gaze shifts from me to Zoe.
“Okay!” she agrees, sliding down from her seat to head to the seating area where a carved-wood basket holds snacks for any customers who might have to wait to speak with me.
She toddles off, seemingly oblivious to Zoe’s worried expression.
Zoe takes a deep breath, her words coming out in a hurried whisper. “Maks is in your office, waiting for you.”
The mention of Maks’s name sends a jolt of apprehension through me for two reasons. I’ve managed to keep Sarah a secret from him for this long. But if he’s here now, he must have met her. After all, Sarah’s been sitting behind the reception desk with Zoe all morning.
But the second reason for my anxiety is that Maks’s presence at my place of work can’t mean anything good. For an instant, I wonder if he might be here to break things off with me.But then why would he have asked if he would see me again when we parted this morning?
He was certainly withdrawn and quiet on the trip back to the city. Something’s troubling him, and it makes my stomach quiver. And now I have the larger concern of whether he’s found out about Sarah.
Panic begins to unfurl in my chest, tightening its grip with every passing second. “Does he know about...?” I give a subtle jut of my chin toward my daughter without saying her name.
Zoe shakes her head, her eyes shifting nervously. “No, but it was a close call. They talked about her birthday plans on where you intend to take her. He knows her name, her age...”
My stomach knots as I think about my loquacious little girl and how easily she could say something out of innocence that would reveal exactly who she is to Maks.
Making a flash decision, I reach across the desk to give Zoe’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “You did a great job of handling the situation. Thank you. Will you take Sarah home for the day? I’ll talk to Maks, so you can be gone by the time he leaves.”
Zoe’s relief is palpable. “Sure. Call me if you need me?” Her eyes flash toward the door to my office, concern lingering there.
“I’ll be fine,” I reassure her. Then, with a smile, I turn toward the office to face the man I’m falling for.
Nerves tighten my stomach as I consider, once again, the possibility that he’s here to end things. I knew it would happen eventually. And it’s probably best if he does it now, before I fall any harder. Still, my heart pounds as I make my way to my office door. Taking a deep breath, I push it open.
Maks is standing by the blueprint sketch of my mom’s house—now my house with Sarah and Zoe—that I drew in college. He studies it carefully, his tall, imposing figure still, his hands clasped behind his back.
He turns as I enter, his silver eyes intense and searching as they lock onto mine. He’s dressed in the same tailored suit he had on last night, and I wonder what could have happened in the time since I left him.
I close the door behind me, trying to maintain my composure. “Hi,” I say, unsure of how else to start.
