Page 1 of Nest of Thieves
one
JO
Robbing a bank should be easier than this, but you know what they say: empires aren’t built in a day. Or something like that.
The lobby is slow for a Tuesday. I glance at the clock as the cash drawer pops out. A quarter to two. Nelson, the bank manager, will waltz over soon enough and pick his special woman of the day. I’ve been waiting over two weeks to be chosen again.
Today is the day I stop dreaming about finding an escape and take action. I’m almost done with my bachelor’s at Omega University. Omegas that attend OU at the expense of the government are supposed to have a pack picked out by the time graduation rolls around, otherwise, they have to pay the money back. Since I haven’t found a pack, at least not one that I like, I’m going to be stuck with the bill.
I’ve tried to find a pack that would fulfill my needs, but what I want and what the packs I’ve met have to offer don’t align. If it were up to my parents, they’d stick me with the first pack that expressed interest. Since I refuse to settle, I have to suck it up and deal with the consequences of delaying my pack choice. Eighty-thousand dollars. That’s a lot of money I don’t have, but that’s what the vault is for.
I lay the cash on the counter. “Twenty, forty, and sixty. Is that all for you today?” I paste on a smile as the elderly woman carefully arranges her cash before depositing it into her wallet.
“That’ll be all, dear. Thank you.” Gripping her cane, she makes her way toward the exit.
She may be elderly, but at least she’s free to do as she pleases without judgment. At twenty, all eyes are on me to pack up. I would be happy to be with a pack if they weren’t all so...good. I’m getting ready to rob a bank. See the problem?
Eloise, a beta who recently adopted a toddler, sighs and rests her head on the counter. The dark circles under her eyes are prominent and her hair is in a messy bun, the kind that’s done out of desperation rather than style.
“Tired?” I ask, making small talk like any good beta would. My omega mark is covered with makeup, and the Sharpie-drawn B on the inside of my wrist helps ensure I pass as a beta. Omegas can have jobs, but it’d be a hell of a lot harder to fly under the radar if I reeked like one. The goal here is to blend in so no one suspects me. To Eloise, and everyone else, I smell like a beta.Thank you, illegal scent suppressants.
Don’t try to count the number of laws that have been and are about to be broken—you’ll lose track.
“I am so tired. Kinzey is going through a growth spurt and hasn’t been sleeping well. But it’s fine. The afternoon rush is always the worst.” She wrinkles her nose and flicks her gaze to where Nelson is exiting his office.
Gabby is out sick.
Eloise is a beautiful mess, but a mess nonetheless.
That leaves me, Monica, and Libby.
Nelson only hires attractive women. It’s part of why I picked this bank. He’s an easy target if you have the right assets. No matter how much I regret the parents I was born to, I have to appreciate the ample C-cups and full ass my mama gave me. The tight dark green button-up blouse I’m wearing is stretched tight across my boobs, and I purposefully left one too many buttons undone. If the HR rep happens to come by today, I’d surely get a reprimand for all the cleavage I’m flashing around.
Work it if you got it, am I right?
Twirling a lock of my fake hair around my finger, I beam at Nelson as he crosses the lobby floor. His cheap dress shoes shine a little too brightly and his gray slacks are an inch too short for his legs. I’m not sure if he realizes the off-white shirt he’s wearing has a red stain from the ketchup-drenched burger he ate earlier. Regardless of how repulsing I find him, I tip my head to the side and wait for him to scan over his options.
Monica is hot. She’s wearing a pretty dress, but it’s modest, hitting at her knees and fully covering her tits. Libby is my biggest competition today. As if without realizing, the beta wears identical colors to Nelson almost every day. I think that’s why he gravitates to her more than the others. He probably thinks she has a secret crush.
Truth be told, we all know Nelson’s game, and we play along because he never gets too handsy and it could be worse. We could have an asshole who times our transactions. Nelson cares about customer satisfaction, not speed. Fortunately for me, he also loves boobs. His gaze lingers on Libby, but she pops her gum and his face instantly flashes with irritation.
Nelson also hates gum.
Right. So, perhaps he’s not as good of a boss as most would like, but he’s not really my boss. At least, he won’t be after today.
I glance at my computer screen as his lecherous eyes slide in my direction. I pretend to frown at something, pouting my bottom lip.
The air around me grows stifling as Nelson approaches, his scent like three-week-old frying oil. His lust is wholly unappealing to me, but I quickly think of the last romance hero I mooned over to help my eyes project attraction.
“Hey, Jackie, how are you?” Nelson stands in front of the teller counter.
“Oh, hey, Nelson! I’m doing really great, you?” I tip my head to the side and run my fingers over my chest, pushing hair over my shoulder.
As predicted, his gaze drops.
Sucker.
Nelson quickly flicks his eyes to my face.
