Page 87 of No Longer Mine

Oliver sighed. “Didn’t think so. Alright, we’ll have to crack it manually. Gavin and Sinclair are still at a restaurant in Queens, but I don’t have eyes on his wife. Do you think you have time?”

I glanced over my shoulder toward the open bedroom door. Every second I spent here was a risk. But I wasn’t leaving empty-handed.

“I’ll make time.”

I pressed my ear against the cool metal of the safe, taking a slow breath.

I closed my eyes for a second, steadying myself, then pressed my fingertips lightly against the dial. I turned it slowly, feeling for the subtle shifts, the faintest ticks in resistance.

Oliver’s voice was low and controlled in my ear. “Go slow. Feel for the catch. When it hesitates, that’s your number.”

I nodded, though he couldn’t see me. My heart pounded, adrenaline mixing with sharp focus. First number. A slight hitch under my fingers. I stopped and reversed the direction.

The second number took longer, but I felt it. A tiny, almost imperceptible shift in tension. I repeated the process, careful not to rush.

Come on. Almost there.

I found the third number, then the fourth. My fingers trembled slightly as I turned the dial one last time, exhaling as I heard a faint click.

It was open.

I pulled the door open slowly, pulse hammering.

Inside, there were stacks of crisp bills, some bound in foreign currency. A sleek black pistol. And finally—several flash drives.

Jackpot.

I reached inside, I grabbed the flash drives and shoved them into my pocket before my fingers brushed against something else. A leather-bound notebook. I hesitated, and then pulled it out. Flipping through the pages, my stomach twisted.

Names, dates, addresses, and totals beside them. Some of the names at the left of the page looked familiar. Were these buyers?

These weren’t in Russian. They were in English. My finger went down the list of the smaller numbers. Ages?

14.

I covered my mouth before I threw up.

“I have to get out of here,” I whispered. “Oliver, I might go dark. I’m leaving their apartment. Talk to you soon.”

“Over and out,” he joked.

I shoved the notebook into my shirt where there was a hidden pocket. This was more important than anything else.

I closed the safe carefully and exited the closet. I made sure everything was the way I found it. I thought about taking someof the cash, but I couldn’t risk him noticing it was missing right away.

I exited the bathroom just as the door was opening. My breath hitched, and I held up the duster as quickly as I could. I turned to the side and prayed that whoever it was, wouldn’t think anything of being in here.

“Shit!” The man shouted. “You scared the fuck out of me. I didn’t hear you come in tonight, Darla!”

I coughed into my elbow and let out a raspy sound. “You scared me too!”

The man laughed, shaking his head as he rubbed a hand over his face. “Damn, you’re quiet as hell. Thought I was the only one in here.”

I forced out a breathless chuckle, my mind racing. Who was he? A bodyguard?

He squinted at me. “You sick?”

I sniffled and nodded, pulling my scarf higher over my mouth. “Yeah, caught something nasty.” My voice was hoarse, but I played it up, letting my shoulders sag a little like I was barely holding it together. “Just wanted to get this over with and head home.”