Page 49 of The Payback

She grips tighter when Dimitri’s voice drifts closer. “We should get her out of here. I paid the guy on duty to look the other way, but it won’t last long.”

Anya whimpers in my arms, no doubt fearing the man’s proximity.

I run a gentle hand down her back, and she settles further into my arms. “It’s okay. Neither of them will hurt you, Anya. It’s okay. Shhh, baby.”

It feels like the most natural thing in the world to hold her in my arms and calm her. She might be older than Bella, but motherhood knows no bounds, and right now, I am the only woman she can depend on until I get her home to her mother.

“Sabre, let’s go.”

Dimitri leads me and Anya, still slung around my neck like a sloth on a tree, towards the car where the driver is idling, blocking the entrance to the junkyard. Nik is standing by the passenger door and climbs in as the driver does the same while Dimitri, Anya, and I slide into the back seat.

“Where are we taking her?” Nik asks, turning in his seat to look back at us.

I keep stroking Anya’s back and throw him ayou must be stupidlook. “Home.”

CHAPTERNINETEEN

Nikita

Ellie comfortsthe girl as we cross back into the city and head towards the penthouse. Not once have her hands stilled, and she never lets her words rise above a whisper, using a soothing cadence that has me relaxed in the passenger seat.

I still can’t believe Dimitri singled out the youngest child there. What kind of monster did his father turn him into while I was away at Interpol? The last I’d seen them together, they’d hated one another. Dimitri for being forced into a life he didn’t want. And his father for having a son who wasn’t eager to take up the reins.

Dimitri’s phone rings in his pocket, yanking me out of the lull Ellie’s voice had put me in.

“Yes?” he answers, pausing before blowing out a breath of exasperation. “Fuck. No. NO! Don’t you dare, you fucking imbecile. He’s mine. Just stay there. I’m on my way.” He hangs up and turns towards Ellie.

“I have to go take care of something. I’ll be back soon. Can you two handle this?” He looks from me to Ellie, then down at Anya before sticking his tongue out at her and breaking some of the tension his phone call brought on. I do a double-take at the look because it’s so out of character for the Dimitri I know. Though, do I truly know him at all anymore?

Hoping against all hope that he’s sending this poor girl back to where she came from, I turn my gaze towards Anya when she responds with a tiny giggle and tucks herself further into Ellie’s body.

This calming demeanour must be recent, and seeing how she’s changed and what I’ve missed irks me. She’s so natural at comforting a child, and it’s not something I’ve ever seen from her. Hell, we had a case we were working on about six months before I stole the diamond, and when the child clung to her, she kept sending me looks of unease and trying to peel their fingers off her.

“I’m coming with you. You need a guard,” I say, looking at Dimitri. Where he goes, I go. I vowed it to Sergei when I was assigned to the post, and I don’t like breaking my promises. I’m still paying for the last time I did.

Dimitri ignores my statement and looks at Igor in the driver’s seat. “Igor, you good with pulling double duty and acting as my bodyguard today?”

“Yes,Pakhan.”

“There. Done.”

The town car rolls to a stop, and I exit, opening the back door for Ellie and Anya to emerge. Anya still hasn’t let go, clinging to Ellie like a koala. She steps towards the lobby door, and I poke my head in and ask Dimitri, “What’s going on?”

His fists ball at his sides as he answers, “Caught us a rat. Make sure she’s okay.” He nods at Ellie and Anya as they linger on the pavement. With that, he yanks the door out of my hand and shuts it, Igor speeding away down the street as fast as New York traffic will allow.

Whichshewas he talking about?

I follow Ellie inside, using my phone to access the lift, and we head upstairs, Ellie still murmuring in Anya’s ear.

The little girl peeks over at me, and I try to smile reassuringly but must fail because she whimpers and buries her head into Ellie’s neck again.

“What are you doing?” Ellie reprimands in a hushed tone as the lift climbs towards the penthouse.

“Smiling.”

“Well, stop it. You’re freaking her out.”

“By smiling?”

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