Time stood still. The sound of distant traffic, the icy wind off the Bosphorus, and the noise of my own footsteps vanished, swallowed by the deafening pounding of my heart.
The two men threw their cigarettes to the ground almost simultaneously, crushing the embers with their boots. They weren't wearing expensive suits or earpieces like the security detail Sebastian usually had around him. They wore heavy leather jackets and ordinary dark coats, but the way they positioned themselves on the sidewalk, subtly blocking my path, betrayed that they knew exactly what they were doing.
I had to react. Now.
If I turned around and ran, I would confirm all their suspicions. If I kept walking, I would walk straight into the lion's den.
I forced my muscles to relax, lowered my head as if shielding m
