Summary:

Shane Hollander works at a coffee shop, plays hockey, keeps his head down, and doesn’t ask questions he doesn’t need the answers to.

So when a new regular starts showing up—quiet, watchful, Russian-accented, and conducting invitation-only meetings in the back—Shane notices. When that same man takes an unsettling interest in Shane’s closing shifts, his routines, and his safety, Shane does what feels sensible: he adjusts his behavior and keeps his mouth shut.

Ilya Rozanov orders an Americano. He reads, but only in Russian. He worries when people work late alone.

They are operating with very different definitions of danger.

If he didn’t ask questions, he couldn’t be lied to.

The rules were simple.

1. Do not ask questions you don’t need the answer to.
2. Do not share personal information freely.
3. Do not be alone with Ilya Rozanov.
4. Do not give him a reason to think you’re afraid.