There was a definite warning in his voice. She turned back to him and set the latte on the counter, reaching for a pair of gloves in order to pick up the cookies he preferred. “Why would he have to explain anything to me?”

“Exactly.” His voice was clipped. His eyes bored into her. Not like Alonzo, not with interest, more with annoyance and speculation. “Why the hell can’t I find out any information about you? You don’t exist. You have this bakery and a driver’s license, but that’s it. I can’t even find a birth certificate for you.”

Her stomach muscles knotted hard, so much so that she pressed her hand tightly against her belly in an effort to ease the ache. She’d known Timur would investigate her. He didn’t want anyone near his boss, not unless he knew everything about them.

The bell over the door rang and that started the steady stream of her usual early morning customers. Businessmen and women, rushing to work, grabbing pastries, tea and coffee, smiling without really noticing anything but the time. Timur seemed to fade into the background, drinking his coffee and eating his cookies while reading. Not one person so much as glanced at him, as he sat so quietly, seemingly absorbed in his book. Evangeline knew better. He saw every single person and probably could tell her all sorts of things about them.

It took a good hour and forty-five minutes of hard work to get through the first wave of customers before the shop was empty and she could begin to restock the cases with her baked pastries. Her ham-and-cheese pastries were very popular, along with her mushroom-spinach quiche. She’d learned that most of the early risers didn’t eat breakfast at home so when she’d introduced those fluffy pastries, they’d been a big early morning hit.

The moment the door had closed on the last customer, Timur materialized in front of her. “You didn’t answer me.”

“Why would Alonzo have you investigate me?” She couldn’t keep the hurt out of her voice, and that bothered her. It was giving too much away to this man. She shouldn’t care about Alonzo. They didn’t have any kind of a relationship, nor could they. She had left that world behind and she didn’t want to go back to it. Still, Alonzo was the only man she ever thought about. Ever dreamed about. Fantasized over.

“He gave me strict instructions not to investigate you.”

Her gaze jumped to his face at the same time her heart clenched tightly in her chest. “Then why are you askin’ me?”

“Because I don’t like anything out of the ordinary, and you’re out of the ordinary.”