Page 149 of Stolen Empire
I could've just left him behind without thinking about that much because fear makes me a foolish woman.
When I come back out with my bag, Dimitri's on his phone speaking and he sees me and ends the call.
"The car is waiting downstairs. We need to go now."
I follow him out of the apartment and into the elevator.
This time when the doors close, I'm not alone.
Dimitri stands beside me with one hand resting on the small of my back, a gesture that feels both protective and possessive.
The elevator descends, and I watch the numbers count down, thinking about how terrifying it was to be caged with those monsters as my captors.
Praying my mother doesn't ever have to endure that.
The garage is cold and mostly empty.
A black SUV idles near the exit with its lights on.
I recognize the driver as one of the men who was with us at the warehouse.
Dimitri opens the back door and guides me inside, then climbs in after me.
He throws our bags over the seat into the back and the SUV pulls out into the snowy Moscow streets.
I watch the city pass by through tinted windows, wondering if I'll ever see it again.
Dimitri sits beside me in silence for a long time, his hand finding mine in the space between us.
I watch the city thin out as we drive farther from the center.
Buildings give way to open spaces and then to forest.
Snow covers everything in a blanket of white that looks peaceful in the darkness.
"I almost ran tonight," I say quietly.
The confession slips out before I can stop it.
Dimitri's hand stills on his phone.
He looks at me with an expression I can't read.
"What stopped you?"
"I don't know."
It's the truth.
I'm not sure I understand my own reasoning.
"I got as far as the elevator. I was going to go to Perm and find my mother. I wanted answers about who my father was and why we spent my childhood running."
"But you came back."
"I came back."
I look down at our joined hands.
