It was close to midnight by the time Alexei stepped out of Golan’s Gym. He’d been training for a few hours, trying to stretch the muscles that ached from his fight and rid his mind of Evie while he was at it. He shouldn’t get involved, shouldn’t get tangled up in her life. He knew that. And yet he had to force himself not to knock on her door to check she was okay.

Unwilling to go back to his apartment just yet and lie awake in the darkness, ears straining for a sound of her through the thin walls, Alexei decided a late-night snack couldn’t hurt. He wandered through the streets on the way back from the gym, eventually stumbling across a twenty-four hour diner with a flickering neon sign.

The place was cracked and peeling, paint and mortar alike crumbling from the exterior walls. But the light shining through the large windows and glass door was warm and inviting. Alexei slipped inside. The interior was just as worn as the outside, but comforting just the same. Besides, he wouldn’t know what to do in a fancy restaurant. A rundown diner was more his speed.

He picked a booth at the back of the room, his back to the wall. The place was empty, save for one customer at the counter, sipping a coffee and staring sullenly into space. No staff were visible, but the clattering of dishes sounded through the swinging doors to the kitchen.

Alexei idly picked up a menu, happy to wait, and perused the contents. Simple, hearty, American food, as he’d suspected.

The door from the kitchen swung open with a squeak, but he didn’t look up until he’d decided on his order. Only to see Evie, the very woman he was trying not to think about, rounding the counter and heading in his direction.

She wore a waitress uniform—black, with a white trim. Capped sleeves, starched collar, and a row of little buttons down the front that Alexei had a suddenly urge to undo.

She looked up from her order pad seconds after he’d spotted her and stopped dead in the centre of the room at the sight of him. Alexei was equally shocked and unmoving, not sure how to handle this unexpected development.

A scowl crossed Evie’s face and she took a few steps towards him. She glanced back at the customer at the counter, checking to see that he was still lost in his own musings, then leaned down toward Alexei. He held himself motionless as he waited for her to speak.

“Are you following me?” she hissed.

Alexei shook his head. He wasn’t sure how to explain himself in a way that sounded convincing.

She straightened and folded her arms across her chest, glaring at him. “Then what the hell are you doing out here at this time of night?”

“Training,” he replied.

She tilted her head, eyeing the bruise that still graced his temple. “Training for what?” she asked, her voice a little less aggressive now.

He considered for a moment, not sure how much to tell her. “I fight,” he said eventually. He didn’t think she’d want to know that the fights were illegal and unsanctioned.

She narrowed her eyes. “Professionally?”

He nodded.

Her eyes cleared, darting to the bruise and back again. “Well, that explains some things. Like how you took care of Jimmy so quick.” She looked a little envious as she said the last. Alexei kept quiet, unsure what to say to that.

She inhaled and brought her order pad and pen up, ready to write, as if remembering herself. “What can I get you?” she asked, pointing at the menu in his hands with her pen.

Alexei set it down on the table without looking at it again. “Burger,” he said.

She nodded and scribbled that down. “With the works?”

Alexei didn’t know what that entailed, but nodded anyway.

She was prettier than he’d remembered, or even noticed in the dim light he’d seen her in previously. In the warm illumination of the diner, her pale skin almost glowed. Her dark hair, which he’d thought might have been black, was actually a deep brown streaked with warm reds. He was willing to bet the colour hadn’t come out of a bottle.

But the bruise on her cheek, peeking through her makeup, was an ugly reminder of who she was and what she’d been through. It told him she would be trouble. Worse, it was the wrong time for her to be starting anything, if she’d just got out of a relationship with a sack of shit like Jimmy.

Evie smiled at him, and his gut clenched. He tried not to scowl at the sensation, but he wasn’t sure he succeeded when her smile fell and she backed away a few steps. Evie turned and headed back to the kitchen, leaving Alexei alone to contemplate his predicament.

When she came back from the kitchen, she asked the man at the count if he wanted more coffee. He nodded absently, but otherwise didn’t reply, and her friendly smile fell again. She glanced out of the window as she set the coffee pot back, and a slight frown marred her brow. She came around the counter, her eyes still on something past the window. Alexei tore his gaze from her and tried to peer past the reflection on the window and into the dark street beyond. He couldn’t see anything out there, but the way Evie shivered and wrapped her arms around herself told him she wasn’t convinced.

Was it Jimmy? Had he been at her apartment yesterday, too? Alexei thought he’d put the fear of God into the man, but maybe he’d just driven him into the shadows.

Or maybe Evie’s experience had made her paranoid. It would be completely understandable if Jimmy’s shadow still haunted her, even if he’d disappeared for good.

Evidently deciding she’d imagined it, Evie shook her head and wandered back behind the counter. She didn’t look at him once, not even to see if he needed any coffee, and he didn’t know whether she was avoiding him, or if she was just focused on something else.

She jumped when the bell in the kitchen window dinged and a plate of food appeared by a hand unseen by Alexei due to the angle he sat at. Evie pressed her hand against her heart as she spun, and even from his spot in the corner, her quiet intake of breath was audible in the quiet diner.

Her smile was brittle as she strode over to him with his burger. “Would you like anything else?” she asked as she set down the plate.

He shook his head. She turned to leave, looking relieved, but words tumbled out of Alexei before she took a step. “Will I check outside?”

She spun back around, her eyes wide. “For what?”

“For whatever frightens you.”

She sagged, leaning against his table, closer than she’d ever been to him. Though he could smell the diner on her, there was a faint scent of lilacs beneath, as if she’d bathed in them recently.

“There’s nothing there,” she said, trying to convince herself more than him.

“Would it help?” he asked, staying calm and still, watching her face for her reaction.

She studied him a long moment, her arms wrapping around her chest, then gave a quick nod.

Alexei immediately stood, and Evie stumbled back as he rose to his full height. He went to the door without saying another word, stepping out into the cool night air. He turned up the collar on his jacket to ward off the chill, then crossed the street and began his hunt.

 

 

Jimmy wasn’t out there, Evie told herself for the one hundredth time. But logic didn’t seem to be working at this moment. Her brain kept replying, yeah, but what if…

Evie pressed closer to the window, cupping her hands to see through the reflection, as Alexei prowled up and down the street on both sides. He made a circuit multiple times before finally heading back towards the diner.

Evie stepped back, arranging herself in the middle of the room as if she hadn’t just been watching his progress avidly, as if her heart didn’t pound with fear of what he might have found. The door tinkled as he stepped back into the light. His eyes found her immediately, and Evie’s heart jumped at the expression there. The worry.

He shook his head in response to her questioning gaze, and she blew out a breath. “I knew I was going nuts.”

He shook his head again. “Worth the check.”

Her heart tumbled at the knowledge that he took her paranoia seriously. He didn’t dismiss her as a headcase; he instead went hunting for a phantom just to set her mind at ease.

“Thank you,” she murmured, placing her hand on his arm as he passed. He froze, and then so did Evie, her heart pounding now for a different reason as his head slowly swivelled to look at where she touched him.

“You are welcome,” he said eventually, his voice tight. Evie stepped back, out of reach, wondering what had come over her. She didn’t touch men, ever. For one, Jimmy had knocked that inclination out of her with his jealous rages any time she touched someone other than him for the most innocent reasons. And two, men frightened her. Particularly big, powerful men like Alexei.

And yet his power didn’t frighten her now. Instead, his huge size and careful mannerisms around her made her feel safe and protected. He was also a professional fighter, as he’d told her earlier, so he knew how to take care of himself. Knew how to take care of her.

But that was ridiculous. She didn’t know anything about this man, didn’t know how she could possibly trust him after barely a conversation or two. Plenty of men hid their dark natures beneath a veneer of chivalry. Alexei could very well be one of them.

If he fought professionally, he might have a taste for violence. Those men had a lot of testosterone surging through their system, and based on Alexei’s tree-trunk biceps, he was one of them. But for all his beastly appearance, Alexei seemed quite tame.

She watched him out the corner of her eye as she cleaned the countertop for the hundredth time that night. He was so quiet in his booth. Didn’t yell for her attention, or stare at her ass.

Not that he didn’t look at her. His gaze darted to her often enough. But it wasn’t a leering, possessive look. More like he was checking on her, making sure she didn’t crack again.

She really had to get herself under control. She couldn’t live her life in fear of Jimmy, not now she’d finally escaped him. Hopefully Alexei had scared Jimmy off with the ease with which he’d knocked him out. But if not, she’d call the cops, and hope this time they put him in jail for good.

The customer at the counter eventually got tired of her coffee, and threw down his bill and a few coins in tips. Evie sighed and pocketed the small change before ringing up the bill. She nearly caught herself wiping down the counter yet again, even though it was sparkling clean. Her eyes darted to her last customer in the corner.

Perhaps the best way to get a read on the guy and his intentions was to simply talk to him. If he turned out to be dangerous, Bob was in the kitchen with a whole bunch of sharp knives. And it would pass the time. She still had three hours left on her shift.

Mind made up, Evie set down her rag, picked up the coffee pot and two cups, and strode over to Alexei. He glanced up as she neared, a slight frown on his face. She hesitated for a moment, then deliberately stepped forward.

“Mind if I join?”

He shook his head, and Evie took that to mean he was fine with her interrupting him. He shoved his empty plate to the side, and Evie set down the two coffee cups and poured them each a cup. He eyed her over the rim of the cup as he took a sip, curiosity and a slight question in his expression.

“Do you train this late a lot?” she asked, not sure how else to start a conversation.

He nodded. She thought for a second that’s all she’d get out of him, but then he actually spoke. “We aren’t allowed in the gym during regular hours.”

“Who’s we? The other fighters?”

Nod.

She scrunched her face up in question. “Why’s that? Some kind of rivalry thing?”

Head shake. “Not paying customers.”

“You break in?” she hissed.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and he shook his head. “No. But secret.”

The amusement roughened his voice further, strengthening his accent. A trickle of heat ran down Evie’s spine, a feeling she hadn’t had in a long time, even before she’d finally escaped Jimmy’s clutches.

What was it about this man? He wasn’t handsome, not even in that way Jimmy was, where people confused his charisma with physical attractiveness.

But there was still a quiet strength to Alexei, a protective instinct that Evie found incredibly appealing against her own better judgement. And he had a nice smile, one she wouldn’t mind seeing again.

She allowed herself this moment, with this man. For months now, she’d thought Jimmy had beaten her libido out of her along with her backbone. But it seemed, just like with her spine, the condition had only been temporary.

“So why do you fight?” she asked, leaning forward a little. Some harmless flirting wouldn’t hurt, right? She was out of practice, and wanted to see if she still had it. That didn’t mean she was ready to hit the sack with a man anytime soon.

Alexei’s eyes warmed. “I’m good at it.”

She grinned in acknowledgement of this. “So, can I watch you fight sometime?”

All the warmth in his expression disappeared, like a cage had come down. “No.”

She sat back at the definitive answer. “Okay then.” She swallowed, inexplicably hurt by his abrupt refusal. She wouldn’t even enjoying seeing a fight. It wasn’t her idea of entertainment, watching men beat each other until one collapsed or a timer ran out. But Alexei still could’ve humoured her, or softened the refusal.

Regret flowed into his expression. “No place for a lady,” he told her.

Evie huffed a soft laugh at that. She was hardly a lady, being the poor, downtrodden victim living in a squalid apartment that she was.

Alexei eyed her, and she almost asked what he was thinking behind the inscrutable expression. He was usually so easy to read. Intentionally, she thought, since he seemed to prefer gestures and expressions to actual words. She didn’t know if he would be like this if he spoke in Russian, too, and it was just that his English wasn’t perfect. But he could speak and understand her well enough, so she didn’t think it was that. Perhaps he was just the strong, silent type.

“Are you from Russia?” she asked, clarifying.

Nod. He studied the black liquid in his cup as if it held some answers.

“And what made you come here?”

“To fight,” he told her. He glanced up and met her gaze. “To start again.”

She nodded, swallowing past the hard lump that suddenly sprung up in her throat. She understood that, all too well. She’d escaped, too, and started over.

“Will you ever go back?” she asked softly. He shook his head vehemently. That, too, she understood.

They fell silent for a moment. Evie turned her head to study the empty diner. Bob whistled lightly to himself as he slowly cleaned the dishes out of sight. Evie almost stood and left Alexei, not sure what to say now. Their conversation had almost become too intimate, too revealing.

But it was Alexei who spoke next, much to her surprise. “You said you had class. Do you study?”

Evie nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, I’m becoming a social worker.” She stumbled over the last two words a little, her enthusiasm dimming. He would know why she was pursuing this. He would understand. The thought of Jimmy hung between them for a moment.

Evie determinedly dismissed his spectre and plowed forward. “I’ll be graduating in a few months. I studied English Literature first, so they let me do a Masters in Social Work in two years.”

He nodded again.

Jimmy hadn’t been pleased when she’d gone back to school, citing the student loan debts she was sure to accumulate. She hadn’t even told him what course she planned to do, knowing he’d be suspicious. Instead, she’d told him she planned to continue her studies with English Literature. It had been one of the first acts of defiance she’d managed against him, and started the ball rolling to her eventually having the strength and a plan to leave him.

Jimmy had only agreed to let her study when she said she’d still work full time. She quit her office job and applied to work nights at the diner so it wouldn’t interfere with her schoolwork.

It had worked out well. She’d go to class, then head straight to the diner, often studying in the early hours of the morning when the customers were scarce. She’d barely seen Jimmy, though he stopped by the diner regularly, mostly to make sure she was there. He often waited for her outside of class, too, and drove her to the diner for her shift when his own hours at the auto repair shop he worked at permitted.

Her acquaintances had thought his devotion was sweet, and she hadn’t been brave enough to correct them.

When Alexei didn’t say anything in response to her statement, Evie kept talking. She told him about her classes, which ones she enjoyed and which she didn’t. She told him about her friend Chelsea, with whom she often studied, or hung out after class.

Through it all, Alexei watched her and sipped his coffee, apparently not feeling a need to say anything. She wondered if he was bored, but he didn’t yawn, or check the time. His attention was focused solely on her the entire time she rambled on.

Eventually, the bell above the door jingled, interrupting her stream of words. Alexei glanced at the newcomer over her shoulder and scowled.

She slid out of the booth to greet them with a smile, seeing it was a young couple who had clearly had a bit too much to drink, but were giggling happily to each other as they found their seats. The young man slung an arm over the woman’s shoulder, and she nuzzled sloppily into his chest.

Evie straightened her spine and walked towards them, then spent an inordinate amount of time coaxing them to pick something off the menu when they couldn’t decide. After she’d finally scribbled down their orders, she handed the slip of paper to Bob, then turned back to Alexei. He stood by the table, slipping his wallet into his jacket pocket. Evie glanced at the table, and wasn’t surprised to see he’d left a hefty tip. The sight made her smile.

“I should go,” he said, when he caught her hovering nearby. She squashed the feeling of disappointment that rose up within her at his words and gave him a smile instead. She’d enjoyed the conversation, far more than she’d expected. Maybe it was because he’d just let her talk, and hadn’t tried to make the whole conversation about himself. She had very few good listeners in her life.

“Thanks for stopping by,” she said, then winced. She’d made it seem like he’d been visiting her. “I mean, feel free to come back any time after your training. I’ll be here.”

He smiled at that, and nodded, and she wondered whether he’d take her up on the invitation. She knew it wouldn’t be the last she’d see of him if he didn’t, since they were neighbours and all. But she almost didn’t want to see him at their apartments, as that space seemed tainted by the way they’d met. Here, at the diner, it was neutral ground, without the bad memories attached.

Evie shook her head to clear it, then stepped back to let Alexei pass. He stopped with his hand on the door, then glanced over his shoulder at her. Evie’s heart flipped in anticipation—of what, she wasn’t sure. Surely she didn’t want him to ask her out? Not this man, with his violent profession and brutal size. Not now, when things were so uncertain, and she was only now getting her life back together.

But he didn’t ask her out. Instead, his brow tugged down as he cast a glance over her.

“Will you be alright getting home?”

His concern floored her, the simple thoughtfulness and protection he bestowed on her. Something clutched in her chest, and Evie thought it felt suspiciously like a crush.

“Yes. I have mace in my bag. And Bob will probably walk me home. It’s only fifteen minutes away.”

Alexei hesitated, clearly not convinced by her answer.

“I promise,” she told him. “I’ll be fine. I do this all the time.”

Apparently making up his mind about something, Alexei turned away from the door and strode towards her. Evie’s heart thundered, almost like she anticipated a kiss. But a man of that size baring down on her set her hackles rising and a cold trickle of fear ran down her spine.

He took her pad and pen from her hand, apparently not noticing her reaction. He scribbled something, then handed them carefully back to her and stepped away so he didn’t loom over her.

“In case,” he said, then turned and left the diner with a tinkle of bells.

Evie glanced down at the pad, chastising herself for her fearful reaction to Alexei’s movements. On the pad, he’d scribbled his phone number, and underlined it with a bold hand.

She smiled, and felt instantly lighter.