Page 54 of Stolen Empire

But even deep breathing isn't helping me calm down.

I might've done this before, but never to a man this dangerous.

Dimitri is insane asking me to jump into his caliber of a play and expecting me not to fail.

The tech works fast, copying data, pulling call logs, and when he unplugs the phone and hands it back, I'm already moving, weaving back through the market, tracking the courier's brown jacket, and I find him near a fish stall.

He's reaching into his pocket, patting himself down, and I see the moment he realizes the phone is gone.

His face goes tight, and he spins around, scanning the crowd with wide eyes.

I walk up to him, holding the phone out.

"Excuse me. I think you dropped this."

My hand is still so sweaty, I swear I'll drop the damn thing, but I manage to keep my grip on it and my face calm.

He stares at me, then at the phone, and he snatches it from my hand.

"Where did you find it?"

"Back by the potatoes where I bumped into you. It was on the ground."

With a flick of my eyebrows, a tilt of my head, I give him the impression that I'm innocent and just trying to be helpful.

But under the surface, my pulse is hammering and I think I may be sick.

He checks the screen, scrolling through it quickly, and then he shoves it back into his pocket.

"Thanks."

I nod and walk away, keeping my pace unhurried.

By the time I reach the edge of the market, he's already forgotten me.

The entire thing took less than five minutes, and I'm out before anyone can connect me to the lift.

When I get back to the van, the tech is grinning.

"Clean work, Katya. Dimitri wasn't joking. You're good."

I don't respond.

I climb into the passenger seat and buckle in as the van pulls away from the curb, heading back toward Dimitri's home.

I feel the faint rush of adrenaline fading as we drive, but I know this won't be the last task before he lets me go.

That would be too easy for him.

I am too good at what I do for him to give me up until his job of tracking down this man is over.

Resting my head on the headrest behind me, I press my eyes shut and take a few deep breaths while the tech drives.

The events of the past few weeks are all jumbled and blurred.

I find my hand rising to my chest to clutch the pendant my mother gave me.

When I first started grifting, I did it to get enough money to buy some food or pay for a night in a cheap hostel.