Before she could lift it, Timur’s hand clamped down on hers, preventing movement. “Don’t be ridiculous. I get that this isn’t a good thing and you’re probably scared, but nothing will happen to you. You’ll have customers in the store and we’ll compensate you for the use of the bakery. We’ll be out by four. You have light or no business during this time, so it will be good for you financially.”

His fingers were surprisingly gentle as he pried her hand from the phone, while his eyes were as cold as ice and his face was hard and scary. She glared at him and then her gaze swept the room. “Is he goin’ to be angry about this too? Will he know about this? Me tryin’ to call the cops and you stoppin’ me?” It was a challenge. She forced him to answer, even though she already knew the answer.

He nodded slowly. “Yes.”

She jerked her hand away from his as if he’d burned her. “I’m doin’ this today because I have no choice, but tonight I’ll be sweepin’ this store for cameras. I want all of you gone, out of my life. Do you understand me?”

He sighed. “Miadshaya sestra, you understand me. You no longer have a choice. Just do your job and you’ll get through this. Don’t look at Alonzo as if he is anything at all to you. Don’t look too closely at the others here.”

She turned away from him, her stomach churning. How the hell had this happened? After making certain the display cases were full, she went into the restroom, away from Timur’s all-seeing eyes, and stared at herself in the mirror. She wasn’t that girl alone in the swamp. She wasn’t abandoned. She wasn’t helpless. She wasn’t even what her last name represented. She was Evangeline Bouvier-Tregre. She mostly went by her mother’s name Bouvier. It was on her license and her business license. Bouvier-Tregre was on her birth certificate. She was whatever she made herself to be.

Very carefully she applied her lip stain and went over it with a gloss. She took her time brushing out her hair and restyling it. She wanted to look and feel her best to get through this. She had no idea what she was going to do once they were gone, but she wasn’t going to think about that until she had to. For now, she was the owner of the bakery and the men coming in were nothing more than customers.