Page 48 of Mimosa

Haze nodded and said, “Damn right, we are.”

“Isn’t it…not cool to have this here?”

“I couldn’t help it. I wanted to…”

Mims nodded. “I get it. It’s really beautiful.”

“It is. I know I say this after every piece we’ve ever stolen, but this may be my favorite.”

It was surreal, the colors, the two people who were looking into each other’s eyes, one lying on the ground, the other bent over them.

The mountains in the background, the colors of the sky…it was magic. It was how Mims felt.

“It’s,” Mims started, then in unison, they finished it together, “magic.”

Goldie came in after, and joined them in looking at the painting. “It’s too damn bad we have to give this up, man.”

“I wish we just could keep them all. Giving them to the fence, knowing just another rich asshole is gonna have this hanging on his wall, without true appreciation of things. It hurts.”

Mims kissed his cheek and said, “Well, you could always paint another one and give that one to the fence.”

Haze laughed and hugged Mims tightly for that. “I love your confidence in me.”

Goldie’s big hand came down on Haze’s shoulder. “He’s not the only one, buddy.”

“Let’s get this done. I…If I keep this one minute longer, I’m not giving it up.”

Cosmo was in the basement, working out, but he stopped when he saw the group and stopped his pushups, getting right to his feet. “What’s up? We doing this?”

“Yeah,” Mims told him. “But Haze is…not thrilled.”

“Hey, man, I get it,” Cosmo said.

They all went into the secret rooms, and Cosmo went to Haze, grabbing his upper arms. “When I had to give up that Bentley, and know it was going to be pieced out, it hurt. Some cars are a work of art too. Some cars, you feel the love the designers put into them. The lines, the curves, all of it.”

“I guess you’re right. At least mine will stay intact.”

“One of these days, maybe we can get the stuff for ourselves, you know?”

Mims loved Cosmo more in that moment than any before it. Haze was smiling, a real smile and not the sad one from before.

Mims got on his computer and contacted the art fence for Haze, who had taken a picture with a digital camera of certain parts of the painting that could assure its authenticity. It didn’t take long for the fence to find a buyer, and the offer was in quickly.

Six point five million dollars was on the way to Murphy’s private account.

“Who was the buyer? Do we know?”

Mims smiled and said, “No, but with how quickly it was scooped up, that means someone was looking for it. Someone wanted it that badly that no questions were asked.”

Cosmo squeezed Haze’s shoulder. “That’s a good thing.”

“I guess so. Well, do we celebrate now?”

“We do,” Cosmo said.

Murphy was called to the bar, and then he closed it down, allowing a few people to stay that were the regulars. Music was played and the men danced. Champagne was flowing and the kids had their Shirley Temples as they danced on the bar with Mick’s supervision.

Mick, of course, didn’t know why they were celebrating, but Murphy told him that someone had agreed to sponsor the family that had lost their home to the fire. That made Mick start to celebrate.

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