“Here you go.” Carol handed Anandur the plate with the sandwich he’d ordered. “And just in case you’re about to ask, I’m not going hunting with you.”

Leaning against the counter, Anandur lifted the sandwich to his mouth and took an enormous bite, shoving in at least one third of it. He chewed and swallowed, then grabbed a napkin and wiped his beard. “It needs to be done, Carol. You know it’s a crucial step.”

Yeah, Brundar had made it very clear that he wasn’t green-lighting her for the mission unless she proved she could kill an animal and remove its heart.

Crazy asshat.

Of course, he would think it was critical for the mission. The guy was the deliverer of death. What did he know about the art of seduction and manipulation?

Absolutely nothing.

“This is not the place to have this conversation.” Carol handed Anandur another paper napkin. “You have mayo on your mustache.”

“Thanks.” He grabbed it, dabbing at the wrong spot.

“Here, give it to me.” She took the napkin and wiped his mustache for him. Men with facial hair, especially as bushy as Anandur’s, were walking germ farms. Tiny food particles always landed in there, providing a fertile breeding ground. “You should shave this bush off. It’s not sanitary.”

“But it’s sexy, and the ladies like it.” He waggled his red brows.

“If you say so.” Carol wasn’t a fan. One of the things she’d liked about Robert was that he was always clean shaven.

Had she been too hasty throwing him out?

Probably. After years of living alone, she’d expected the transition back to single life would be smooth and easy, but it hadn’t been. As annoying as Robert was, she missed his presence. The apartment felt lonely without him.

Still, it would’ve been wrong to keep him around just because she couldn’t tolerate the silence, or to have a male available for shagging at her disposal. Carol was quite proud of herself for setting him free. Contrary to what everyone else thought, she wasn’t a heartless bitch, and freeing Robert to seek his someone special had been a selfless move.

“Can you take a break?” Anandur asked.

She glanced around the café. It wasn’t too busy, and Onidu was there in case anyone ordered a sandwich. Everything else was handled by the vending machines.

“Do you want to come up to my place?”

“Nah. Let’s take a walk outside.”

Imagining herself trotting behind him, Carol grimaced. The guy was huge, especially compared to her. She would have to take two steps for each one of his. “On one condition.” She pointed a finger at his chest. “You walk at my pace. I can’t compete with your long legs.”

“Done.”

Removing her apron, she signaled Onidu that she was taking a break.

“Let’s go.” Carol stuffed her phone in one pocket, her wallet in another.

Anandur waited until they were out of the building. “Did you change your mind about the mission?”

Other than the two of them, there were no pedestrians on the street. Even the traffic was sparse this time of day.

“If I have to kill animals, then yeah. I can’t do it. No way.”

Anandur stuck his hands into his jeans pockets. “Let me ask you something. Are you a vegetarian?”

“No. I’m an omnivore with a preference for vegetarian dishes.”

“If eating a piece of meat that you bought raw in the supermarket or already cooked in a restaurant doesn’t bother you, but killing the animal you are going to eat does, it’s not a moral issue for you. You’re just squeamish.”

“I can’t argue with that. But knowing that doesn't make it any easier for me. Besides, I’m too busy. I’m running the café during the day and teaching self-defense beginner classes in the evening to free your time for patrolling. I have enough on my plate.”

Anandur’s strides were getting longer, and Carol found herself trotting behind him. “Slow down, big guy.”

He stopped. “I’m sorry. I forgot.” Scratching at his beard, he waited until she caught up and was standing next to him. “I’ll make you a deal.”

Making deals with Anandur could be tricky. The guy was a prankster. The good thing about his brother was that, she’d never had to second guess Brundar's motives.

“I’m listening.”

“With Brundar so busy lately with whatever he is doing in his off time, I offered to take over your training. Even if you later decide to scrap the mission, I think you should keep on pushing to improve your skills. We will train twice a week, an hour each time. That way you’ll stay in shape, I’ll fulfill my promise to Brundar, and if you later decide to do what’s needed to get green-lighted for the mission, your skills will be where they need to be.”

“Sounds very reasonable. Except for the fact that neither of us has any spare time.”

Anandur shook his head. “Two hours a week is nothing. We will make the time. This is important.”