Page 126 of Lethal Legacy

“Excuse me.” I push my way through the queue of chattering people, hoping none of them heard the whispered conversation. I stumble down the stairs, pushing my mask up as I do, heading straight for Dimitry.

“Purple dinosaur,” I say. He takes one look at my face and heads for the stairs without bothering to even ask what’s happened, directing his men to the other end and ignoring the shrieking women.

I know that it’s a risk, given that the journalist clearly knows more than he should.

But this is about Masha’s safety. Ofelia’s.

That bastard came at me in a public toilet, for goodness’ sake. He could have snatched me or helped someone else do it. Masha would have been all alone and terrified. They might even have taken her, too. I grip her hand tightly, my heart pounding.

Ofelia clings to Abby’s hand, Masha to mine, and we stand in a protective circle of Roman’s muscle. We’re still standing there when Roman pushes through the crowd toward us, the thin-faced Nikolai stumbling in his wake. Nikolai’s nose looks like it’s recently had a fist in it.

Roman takes one look at my face, and his own hardens. He turns to the security men, who begin to explain without being asked. They’re still explaining when Dimitry pushes his way back to us, his expression thunderous. He mutters something in Roman’s ear, then catches my eye and shakes his head curtly.

“The door at the other end was unlocked,” he says. “The guy was gone before I got there. And before you ask,” he says to Roman, “we checked it before they went in. He must have already been inside.”

Roman moves close to me and lowers his head, so I can speak directly into his ear. “It’s a journalist. He was after me,” I say quietly. “I think his name is Lance.”

He nods. To my relief, he doesn’t ask me about the encounter. Instead he gives several short, low-voiced orders, and some of his men disappear into the crowd. “I don’t want to scare the children,” I murmur to him. “Or ruin their day.”

Roman leans down and rights Masha’s crooked costume. “You remembered all the movements for your dance,” he says, smiling at her. “I saw you.”

“’Felia helped,” Masha says, beaming.

“I saw that, too.” Roman gives Ofelia a reassuring smile. “Don’t be scared,” he murmurs to her, when her stiff face doesn’t relax at all. “It was a journalist, and we’ve taken care of it. Okay?”

The color slowly comes back into her face. “Okay.” But I notice that she doesn’t object when Roman takes her hand.

“Hi, Nicky.” Abby greets the tracksuit guy with noticeable reluctance.

“Abby.” His eyes rest on her curiously. “Does Miguel know you’re here?”

“It’s really none of Miguel’s business where I am,” she says coldly.

Well, that’s a good thing.

“Lucia.” Roman gestures to the man unsmilingly. “This is Nikolai, the children’s uncle.”

Notmy brother,I notice, as I shake Nikolai’s hand. Not evenMikhail’s brotherorYuri’s son.His eyes are too close together, and he looks at me with far more interest than I’m comfortable with. His handshake is limp and slightly moist. Even the children seem less than enthusiastic in their greetings.

“Hey, Uncle Nicky,” says Ofelia, keeping her eyes down and her body turned toward Roman’s as Nikolai greets her.

“Hullo,” says Masha uncertainly. Neither girl offers him their hand, and I notice he doesn’t try to kiss them, as is customary.

We walk together over to the sound trailer.

“Wait here,” Roman orders Nikolai curtly. He brings me and the girls over to the trailer, then leaps up onto the back of it in an athletic jump that makes several of the nearby women cast him admiring glances, and a couple of the men look sour faced.

“Amazing job.” Roman claps Mickey on the shoulder. “It went without a single hitch. Well done.”

“There were a couple of last-minute problems,” Mickey says, smiling shyly. “I was lucky Pavel was here.”

“Not at all,” says Pavel cheerfully. He’s a very round guy, wearing a Tin Tin T-shirt and cotton candy in his beard. “You had it all under control, man. I just checked your work. He did good,” he adds to Roman. “Real good.”

“I saw.” Roman puts an arm around Mickey in a loose hug. “Brilliant effort. Wasn’t it, girls?” Leaning down, he hauls Ofelia up onto the trailer. I hand Masha up to him, and he places her gently down and then extends his hand to me. Dimitry helps me up, and for a moment we all stand in a small group, hugging Mickey one by one.

“You were amazing,” I whisper to him.

“Thanks.” His eyes are shining. I notice that Roman has taken Pavel aside and is having a low-voiced conversation that I’m almost certain involves the missing purple dinosaur.

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