Page 2 of The Verdict

“I don’t think. I know! I know you were with her!”

“Excuse me. Perhaps the two of you—” The diamond cutter, who was standing now, tried to interrupt. The guard, too, had stepped away from the door, both of them drawn to our scene like onlookers to an accident.

“We’ll be fine in just a minute?—”

“No, we won’t.” I wrenched myself away from Mercury, pretending to stumble back slightly. “I saw the bracelet she had on the other week. Pink diamonds. You always give yourwhorespink diamonds.”

The diamond cutter moved in my direction.

“I’ve got her,” Mercury insisted.

“Don’t!” I made eye contact with the security guard, begging, “Don’t let him near me.”

There was nothing that tempted a man in uniform more than a classic damsel in distress.

The guard went to move by Mercury, and that was the key to the next phase of the plan. Or it should’ve been. Instead, I watched everything start to unravel.

The guard put his hand on Mercury’s shoulder. Mercury winked at me, his smile suddenly dangerous and sly. My stomach dropped like a stone at the same moment Mercury pretended to step back and let the man pass, but instead swiped his gun from his holster.

“Hey—”

The bang echoed through the small room as Mercury shot the guard as he turned.

“Mercury!” I screamed.

Another bang, and the diamond cutter slumped to the floor, dead before he’d even processed the danger he was in. His blood—brains decorating my white top and chest with their splatter. I fought not to vomit. I fought not to pass out. I fought not to have a fucking heart attack.

No one was supposed to get hurt.

No one had ever gotten hurt before during their previous heists.

“What the fuck—” I charged at him, stopping short with my hands up when he pointed the barrel of the gun at me.

“Cool your jets, Venus. We’ve got work to do.” Mercury lifted his finger to his ear, activating our coms. “Jupiter, we’re in.”

My nostrils flared, staring down the cocky piece of shit in front of me.

Instantly, the deep rumble of our boss echoed in my earpiece. “Good. Now get the diamond and whatever else you can grab from the safe.”

Mercury picked up the large, fake Birkin bag I’d carried in and threw it at me. I caught it against my chest with a growl.

“Let’s go,” he snarled, ignoring my question.

“Jupiter, what the fuck? He killed the guard and the jeweler. That wasn’t part of the plan?—”

“Plans changed. Get fucking moving, Venus, and get out of there. You’ve got four minutes.”

Mercury wrenched my arm and hauled me into the safe. I wanted to fight him. I wanted to rage. No one was supposed to die. We were supposed to create a scene,swapthe diamond, and get out before the police arrived. But the middle of a heist wasn’t the time to demand answers. I had to play my fucking part… especially now that Mercury had a gun aimed at my head.

“Get those,” he said with a snarl, pointing to cases that lined one of the top shelves, a step stool already in place underneath it.

I did as ordered while Mercury swiped the lower shelves of the diamonds and pearls into a folded duffel bag he’d had tucked inside his jacket.

When I reached for the last velvet case, I suddenly noticed the blood splatter on my hand.Fuck.My racing heart began to gallop.This wasn’t part of the fucking plan.Distract. Take the diamond. Get out. Not shoot. Not kill. Now, two men were dead.

Did Jupiter know all along? Had they changed this part and not told me?He hadn’t seemed surprised on the phone, but he never would be surprised. Jupiter was always one step ahead. That was the problem.

“Gotta say, I love you at this angle,” Mercury drawled, and then I felt his finger press between my legs, acting like he owned me, and I lost it.

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