Page 62 of No Longer Mine

It hit me like a freight train. Human trafficking.

My stomach twisted. I clenched my jaw, shoving the folder back inside the safe, careful to leave it exactly as I’d found it. The cash in my bag was nothing. This kind of leverage was life-changing. It was… shit, I didn’t even know what it was. It was monumental.

My vision tunneled as I went over what I’d just found. This was it, this had to be what he was working on with Sinclair Cristof. Which meant my next heist of the night was going to make sure Dimitri wasn’t involved in it.

“Scarlett, wrap it up. You’re at five minutes until the loop resets.”

I exhaled sharply, nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. Get out. Get out now.

I moved toward the door, careful, calculated steps—until something caught my eye.

A small, unmarked USB drive, plugged into the side of his computer.

I hesitated. Fuck.

This could be it. This could have everything. Proof.

My fingers hovered for a fraction of a second before I grabbed it, shoving it deep into my bra. Better to have it and not need it.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Scarlett

When I madeit back to the hotel, I trashed the wig in the dumpster out back and pulled a ski mask free from the bottom of my bag. I ran my fingers over the rough material and shoved it back in. I wouldn’t need it until I made it to Dimitri’s.

I hopped on the subway, pulling my coat tighter around me as the train rattled through the underground tunnels. The dim, flickering lights cast shadows along the seats, giving the late-night commuters a ghostly appearance. I kept my head down and steadied my breath as I prepared myself for what was to come tonight. Based on Dimitri’s schedule, he had a date with one of his fellow councilmen at a local bar. Oliver didn’t want me to return the ring. He also didn’t want me to put myself in danger going back into Dimitri’s home. So that meant, I wouldn’t have Oliver’s help tonight.

The USB drive burned against my skin, tucked securely inside my bra. I resisted the urge to touch it, to check, to make sure it was still there. This thing could change everything.

A woman with tired eyes sat across from me, watching me in that way New Yorkers did—casual but aware. I forced myself to relax, to blend in, to become just another face in the city. The last thing I needed was to attract attention.

Oliver’s voice buzzed in my earpiece. “You in the clear?”

“For now,” I muttered under my breath, barely moving my lips.

“Are you heading home?”

“Mhmm,” I hummed.

“Please don’t do anything stupid.”

“I’m safe, I’m good. I’ll be home soon. Ditching comms. Talk tonight.”

The train screeched to a stop at my station. I exhaled slowly and stood, slipping past a crowd of late-night commuters and out onto the dimly lit platform. The cold bit at my skin, the city was buzzing quietly around me. I stomped on the comms and moved on.

Dimitri’s brownstone came into view. The place was dark and silent.

I stayed close to the shadows as I moved toward the side alley, my boots making no sound on the pavement. My heart thudded steadily—not from fear, but from anticipation. I knew this house. I knew his security system. And I knew how to slip in without a trace.

I reached the back door and knelt beside the panel, my fingers moving quickly and efficiently. A soft click rewarded me, and I slipped inside, shutting the door behind me without a sound.

The air was thick with his scent—leather, expensive cologne, and something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on. All I knew was that it was a heavenly, and I needed to get out of there as soon as possible.

I moved through the darkened space, light on my feet, my fingers brushing along the edge of the countertop as I passed through the kitchen. The ring was in my pocket. Get in. Drop it. Get out. No souvenirs. No stopping to appreciate his manly scent.

But the moment I stepped into his bedroom, the low rumble of a voice sent my pulse skyrocketing. “I was wondering when you would come back.”

There he was in the chair beside his window.

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