“Good—”
“You can see him, but I’m in no way supporting this relationship. Let it run its course.”
It’s the best I can hope for right now. And from Demyan, it’s a start. I go to rise, but he stops me.
“And Alina? The bodyguard? He stays. Where you go, he goes.”
“Within reason.”
A muscle tics in his jaw, but he nods. “Within reason.”
“I’ll take it,” I say. “For now.”
“Alina!”Eva says, smiling. “I’m glad you’ve recovered.”
She drops down to welcome Albert, who pokes his nose out from behind me, sniffs the air, and barks, trotting over to Eva for some love.
It takes me a moment for her words to register. Recovered? Did Demyan say something to her?
My car’s outside—not mine, but the one that Gus drives, and it’s never felt so crowded and small before with the bodyguard as another passenger. He got out when I did, but I refused to let him in.
So my brother very well could have told Eva I was sick or kidnapped or?—
It wouldn’t be Demyan. He really wouldn’t care about this place. He knows nothing about it, apart from maybe the fact it’s where I adopted Albert from.
No, it was Ilya who told Eva I was sick, which is easier than telling her the real reason I haven’t been in.
I find a smile. “All better. Ready to report back for volunteer duty. How are you?”
Eva’s smile falls as she slows her strokes against Albert’s fur. Then she rises to find a treat for him.
She feeds it to my dog. “I’ve got some news. Bad news that I’m not sure you want to hear. I don’t think I’m going to need volunteers soon.”
“Why?” My heart thumps hard. “What happened?”
“What happened is like what happens in a lot of upcoming neighborhoods. The landlord sees opportunities for this place. Ones that have to do with high-end stores and not animals.”
I swallow. “You mean higher rent?” I frown. “Well, we can deal with that.”
Desperately, I try to think of the best way to word a sudden idea.
“Ilya’s looking to invest in something, tax write-offs, or similar. And if he takes over the rent and you run it, this is a non-profit that could help him?—”
“Oh, I would if I could,” she says, her voice shaking as she goes around to the other side of the counter to tidy up. “But even if I was going to offer my landlord twice the amount, or ten times, he wouldn’t take it. The thing is, it’s not just us. It’s thestreet. Can’t have something like this drag the other real estate down. He’s not renewing the lease. Any of them.”
She stops tidying and looks at me. “I might have to close down for good, find placements in other shelters for the dogs.”
I press my lips together. I want to buy the whole street, which, even if I had access to all my trust fund now, I’m not naïve enough to think that would be that. It’s often not just about having enough money to buy; it’s the person wanting to sell. I get the feeling this guy wants the long-term money-making option. For all I know, he’s paying off another crime family.
I want to help. I’m determined to do so. And I’ll find a way. I won’t let Eva sink. I won’t let the dogs down.
“Don’t worry,” I say. “I’m here to help. Ilya’s here to help, too. We’ll work something out, find a way.”
Eva frowns, looking out the window, and she doesn’t seem to be listening.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Alina,” she says, “don’t be alarmed, but there’s a big man outside who seems to be watching you. Like you’re his sole focus.”
