Page 89 of Possessive Mafia Bodyguard

“Katya?” I can’t keep the excitement from my voice. “Is that your name, Katya?”

The child doesn’t speak, but her eyes remain on mine, and I’m taking it as a win.

“Katya, will you let me come closer?”

I allow several beats to pass before I shuffle closer, keeping the flashlight away from her eyes. I can’t reach her like this. I need to clear a direct route to her without reminding her that she’s surrounded by corpses.

“Katya, will you do something for me?” I stay where I am. “Will you close your eyes?”

She appears to shrink visibly in front of me, and I know I’m going to lose her if I don’t act quickly.

“We’ll play a game. I’ll close my eyes and count to three, and then you can do the same. Ready? I’ll go first.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, count to three, and open them again. Katya is still watching me.

“Your turn, Katya.” I don’t give her the opportunity to protest. “Go.”

My heart practically sings when she closes her eyes. I quickly shift the body of the woman in front of me while I count out loud. On three, she opens her eyes.

I smile and shuffle closer while she watches me. “Well done, Katya. This time, we’ll count to five. I’ll go first again.”

I repeat the process counting to five out loud.

“Your turn.”

She closes her eyes, and I have to stifle a sob when I move the body of another child away from her. When I get to five, she opens her eyes again.

I crawl closer. I’m so close now that I can reach out and touch her. “Katya, you’ve been so brave, but I need you to do one more thing for me. Will you give me your hand?”

Her eyes startle like a frightened rabbit.

“Please trust me, Katya. I’m on your side. I won’t hurt you. I won’t let anyone else hurt you.” My heart cracks open, because I made the same promise to Ivana, and I let her down, but perhaps this is my chance to atone for what I’ve done. “I’ll stay with you, I promise.”

My heart thuds while I wait for her to react. I don’t know what to do if she won’t willingly come with me, but I have to see this through one way or another.

Then a small pale hand slides out from between the two corpses on either side of her, and I take it in mine. She feels like ice, and the chill travels down my spine.

“Thank you, Katya. I’m going to pick you up now and get you off this ship.”

I scoop her into my arms, alarmed when she feels as light as a kitten. She buries her face against my chest, and I carry her out of the shipping container, meeting the eyes of Finn and Leonid as I step onto the deck and gulp fresh air.

I walk down the ramp and onto the dock without breaking my stride and keep walking.

24

FINN

Tamara keeps walking, even when sirens and flashing lights announce the arrival of the paramedics.

I fall into step beside her. “You don’t have to do this alone, Tamara.”

Her eyes meet mine, and the pain in them cuts me open. “I’m staying with her.”

“I know, sweetheart. But she needs medical assistance.”

“They’ll try to take her away from me.”

Her panic is contagious, and the child wriggles in her arms.