Page 69 of The Deeper Game
Odin twisted his lips. “I don’t think so. I don’t want to rush it.”
“We’ll get it after,” Zeus said.
“What do you mean?” And in the next instant, I got it. “Oh,” I said. It was nearly dawn. The elf girl thing had taken hours. The robbery was officially tomorrow now. There was tons of prep. Zeus had to go to work and input the code, a dangerous part of the caper. They’d sacrificed completing the tattoos in order to do my elf girl thing.
I swung my gaze to Odin.
“It was worth it,” he said. “You’ll get it after the robbery, elf-girl,” he said.
And at that moment, I loved my bank robbers so hard, I thought my heart might burst.
Chapter Sixteen
Matteoand the Gigis were gone by the time we returned from our wild woodland adventure, but Matteo told us all about it later that day, a Thursday. He’d spilled to Macy about his plan to give her his part of the jewels, that the whole thing was a scheme to win her back. And he reflected responsibility to her, as Odin had suggested.
Macy still didn’t believe him.
“Didyoubelieve what you said?” Odin asked. “Or are you just saying shit to her?”
Matteo’s noncommittal answer showed he didn’t quite believe it.
At eleven in the morning, Matteo, Odin, and I sat on the bank. Thor was already inside as a patron.
This was the point where Zeus needed to break away from his crew and go out on the floor and input the security virus in preparation for the robbery tomorrow.
We watched the manager walk down the sunny sidewalk toward the bagel shop. Things would be soft inside. It was time.
“He’s out,” Odin whispered over the two-way. “I’m killing fuse twenty-three now.” This would give Zeus the excuse heneeded to be fucking with the panels. He’d be confused and get to the wrong panel first.
“Roger,” Zeus whispered back.
I got out and strolled up to the entrance. The doorman opened the door for me. I passed the security guard and then, as if recalling something, I went back and asked him if he had any experience with the high-end mechanic two blocks down. We knew that the guard took the bank fleet there, and that he and the owner had become friendly.
He talked up the mechanic like we knew he would.
Thor sat at the desk across from a low-level banker, looking all Hollywoody in a beautiful red silk shirt, sunglasses perched on his head, asking about checking services.
Through careful logistical manipulation, a sheer, nipple-displaying shirt, and, if you ask me, a bit of leftover elf magic, I’d gotten the guard facing outside as he talked up his friend’s business. I was careful not to look over his shoulder at the flurry of activity across the lobby. That would be Zeus, the bumbling subcontractor at the wrong panel. I smiled brightly and listened, pulse racing.
Soon the buzz returned to normal.
I continued in to make my deposit. When I got back out to the Navigator, Odin was grinning. The code was in. Zeus was back on the job.
A bit later, Thor came back out.
We watched the bank until after business hours, satisfied things were normal. Matteo went off to try to iron things out with Macy, and my guys and I went home and engaged in wholesome activities—grilling veggies, drinking healthy juices, and cleaning guns.
We sat on the porch together after dinner, lounging around, discussing the job. Everything was done, everything ahead of schedule—it was kind of amazing.
My eyes fell to Zeus’s massive upper arm. Each of us now had just the cherubic angel holding the scroll that saidmotherfuckerson it. The tattoo looked fucking awesome on him, but it wasn’t done.
“Odin,” I said. “How long to complete that lettering?”
Thor looked up from his book. “Weareahead of schedule here.”
“An hour or two each,” Odin said.
“Let’s do it,” Zeus said. “Can you?”
