Page 122 of The Payback

Hundreds of guests are downstairs, each of whom I know by name and photo. With the information Dimitri shared over the last week, many of these people were going away for a long time tonight.

My phone dings from inside my purse, and Dimitri picks up the clutch, handing it to me with a kiss on my temple. “You’re gonna be brilliant tonight.”

A small smile plays on his lips as he assesses my outfit, giving me an appreciative once-over. It’s a dark, gunmetal-grey dress with boning and a thin Kevlar layer under the bodice. It’s ruched on one side; the fabric gathered expertly to mask the bulkiness. The strapless sweetheart neckline accentuates my curves, and the shape narrows at my waist. A slit runs from the bottom up to my thigh on my left leg, and my right holds the holster with a gun tucked in, which I can access because Dimitri insisted the dress have false-bottom pockets.

Pockets!On a gown! I love this man.

The beading over the ruching carefully hides two cameras and a small microphone. Dimitri went all out, getting me a dress I feel truly beautiful in, but more importantly, I feel safe in.

I take out my phone and read the message. My eyes snap back up to Dimitri.

“What is it?” he asks.

“My friend pulled the footage from the restaurant the night of the drive-by,” I say, clearing my throat and processing simultaneously. “She and her team analysed it, and it looks like the shot barrelling towards Oksana was meant for me, but one guy bumped the other, sending it wide.”

“We knew they were aiming for us,” Dimitri says.

“Right, but we didn’t know who hired them. Her team checked Alexei’s phone, and the number that called was a burner phone. But there’s information within a burner’s number and SIM that helps narrow down where it was purchased. And if you can access the company’s manufacturing information, you can track the production and the assignment of a phone number to a SIM. From there, it looks like they backtracked on security footage of the shop.” I turn the phone to him, and there’s Oksana at the register, paying for a burner phone with cash.

Nik strides into the room through the adjoining door. “The bags are packed. You guys ready?”

Dimitri turns towards Nik and relays the information we just learned.

“I’ll kill her,” he says.

“Not tonight, you won’t,” Dimitri says, stopping him with a hand on his shoulder. “There are too many witnesses downstairs. And besides, you know she deserves a long time locked up in a cell to think about what she’s done. I think that feeling of powerlessness would be a worse punishment than a simple death for my dear auntie.”

My other phone pings, and I know that’s Oksana ordering us downstairs. We’re supposed to “make an arrival,” whatever that means.

Together, with one man flanking either side of me, we leave our holding room and head towards the grand staircase.

The sound of the guests reaches us as we draw closer to the top of the staircase on the second floor. Dimitri and Nik each take one of my hands and give them an encouraging squeeze. Before we reach the balcony above the atrium, a figure steps out of the shadows across the landing.

His piercing eyes meet mine, and Zach smiles in a way that would have me running for the hills if I hadn’t been expecting him and he wasn’t on my team. Olivia sent one of her boyfriends to watch over me today, and I’ve never been more grateful.

“Who is that?” Nik asks beside me, his voice low and menacing.

“Our guardian angel,” I answer. I dip my head at Zach with gratitude, and he melts into the shadows again.

“Angel? Baby, he looks more like the devil,” Nik says, a visible shiver running through him. “Gives me the fuckin’ creeps.”

“Be grateful he’s on our side. He’s not someone you want to cross. In any other circumstance, I’d agree with you that he’s the devil. Oh, and he’s Bella’s paediatrician.”

“The devil is Bella’s paediatrician?” he rasps, looking at the spot where Zach disappeared.

I just nod, then take a step forward, Dimitri still holding my hand, and we make our way to the centre of the balcony, looking down at the sea of guests congregated there.

Nik hangs back, waiting to follow us down like the good bodyguard he is, keeping himself out of the spotlight. Below, a few people notice our arrival, and there’s a clink of utensils against glasses. Dimitri puts on a face I’ve rarely seen from him. I stand demurely at his side, like the perfect little wife I’m supposed to be. And not the one who’s also fucking his best friend.

Eventually, the room quiets and Dimitri raises his voice and hand in greeting. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us tonight. We’re honoured to call you our friends and have you here to celebrate with us. And thank you for your patience and understanding of our small wedding ceremony. My dear wife, Elsa, and I wanted one with immediate family, and we’re so grateful that you could be with us tonight to help celebrate our union.”

He lifts my hand with his and kisses the back of my knuckles, making the guests cheer below us at our show of adoration.

“Thank you to the lovely Oksana Aslanov, my dear aunt, who helped Elsa plan this beautiful soiree. As you might have noticed on your invitations, in lieu of gifts, we ask that you consider donating to the charities we’ve selected that hold a deep and sincere place in our hearts. You’ll find the information in the dining room during dinner and dancing. All of them are worthy causes focusing on children and refugees, causes that many of you know are dear to my heart—ourhearts,” he corrects with a laugh as if I’ve reminded him of that multiple times.

“For now,” he says, raising his voice and projecting it through the atrium, “eat, drink, dance, and be merry. After all, this is a party.”

The crowd cheers politely, of course, because this is high society. A few people tap on their glasses, shouting, “Kiss, Kiss, Kiss!”.

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