I went from one section to the next, sipping on the coffee I’d just purchased, while Leo stood behind with a basket almost overflowing with books in different genres—though I admit, there was mostly romance in there.
I had felt a little self-conscious taking the book with a shirtless male model on the cover in front of Leo, but he was so silent, his expression so stoic, it didn’t even matter after a while.
I was browsing through a fantasy romance section when I felt the hair on the back of my neck go up.
There were eyes on me.
I stiffened and looked back, but no one else was in the section beside Leo. And there were very few people in the store as it was.
Leo looked at me questioningly. “What is it?”
My eyes roamed over the small place, but not seeing anything out of the ordinary, I shook my head and went back to browsing. It was probably my paranoia talking.
If I told Leo I thought I felt eyes on me, he would rush me out of there, and no doubt tell my men.
And if I was paranoid, then they were downright crazy—on a good day.
They would surely lock me up until they deemed it was safe to go out again.
I didn’t stay at the bookstore long.
I had enough in the basket to last me at least a month. We got to the register and checked out quickly.
The boy behind the register was probably a couple of years younger than me, and he smiled with his eyes.
He tried to make conversation but stopped pretty quickly when Leo took a menacing step forward.
I rolled my eyes. No doubt Nikolay told Leo not to let anyone close to me. I smiled at the boy when he handed me the bag and let Leo take care of the payment.
I tried to walk outside while Leo paid, but he stopped me, placing a hand on my shoulder. I turned to him.
“Stay close to me, Catalina.”
I nodded. Right.
It wasn’t like me to think I could go off on my own, and Leo wasn’t careless.
I stayed there and looked out the window at the busy street. Even from inside the cool air-conditioned building, I imagined the sweltering heat outside.
It was hot and humid in New York.
I’d grown up in a dry desert climate, so the humidity was going to take getting used to, but I didn’t like the way it clung to my skin.
I squinted, my eyes going over my surroundings, when I thought I saw something reflected from the sunlight outside through the window.
The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and my gut dropped low in my belly. I had a bad feeling all of a sudden.
I tugged on Leo’s hand. He turned to me just as he finished paying for the books. He opened his mouth to say—what, I didn’t know, but it was too late.
Cars squealed in the parking lot.
A loud bang rang through, and a woman screamed. It took a moment for my brain to catch up to what was happening, my eyes trying to make sense of it all. Flames?
Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion and there was this incessant ringing sound in my ear.
Leo pushed me to the ground. “Stay down, Catalina.”
I could only nod as Leo pulled out his gun.