Page 16 of Nest of Thieves
He must have some important business to be in town. What else does he have going on? The things I know about the business are what Laurence wants me to know. My best guess is he works with international crime rings too, doing god-knows-what. Things that aren’t good.
“Don’t give me a reason to hunt you down.” He ends the call and I stare at the phone, hating that the call was full of threats. The rational side of my brain gets it. The ring is expensive. But haven’t I shown my loyalty thus far? Why would he think I’d screw him over?
Never mind that I plan on fleeing as soon as the job is done. I’ve never taken anything from Laurence. That’s a line I know better than to cross. Shaking off my annoyance, I turn toward the dress.
I have one hour to get ready.
* * *
The slinky red dress Laurence sent over pisses me right the fuck off. The two scraps of material on top barely cover my tits, and the slim pieces of fabric criss-crossing over my stomach and back leave little to the imagination. The only saving grace is that the skirt of the dress is long enough to fully cover my ass.
“Fuck Edmund,” I tell my reflection, adjusting the top. My three-inch black heels, smoky eye makeup, bright blue contacts, dark burgundy lipstick, and curled blonde wig complete the look. My fake nose is firmly in place, a little wider and more turned up than my own. The disguise is different enough that facial recognition scans wouldn’t place Jo Walsh against this face. The nose is also different from the one I used for Jackie Morgan. This face won’t be traced back to me.
Good. That’s how it should be.
The end goal of this date is to get into Edmund’s swanky pad in Chestnut Hill and steal the Sunrise Ruby ring his deceased mother used to wear. As one of the rarest rubies in the whole world, and priced around thirty-million dollars, it’s going to be locked down tight. Laurence accounted for that, of course, and sent over a file with all of Edmund’s information.
I pick my phone up from the bedside table and read through the details he sent over. Edmund lives alone in a five-thousand square foot home. His safe is state of the art, requiring a fingerprint and a four-digit combination to get in. The file also has a list of important dates, accounts, and his phone passcode. There’s no guarantee any of those will be the key to the safe, but I bet Edmund will sing like a canary with a knife to his cock.
Tossing the device in my small clutch, I grab my thigh sheath and stick the smallest knife I have into the pocket. I eye the throwing blade I stole from Mac, but I know even though it’s pretty, it’s not the practical option. I run a finger over the cool metal.
Someday soon,I promise myself.
Since I can’t be certain the alphas aren’t waiting for me at the front door, I push open my window and remove the screen, carefully climbing out and doing my best not to flash people. My shoes bang on the grated-metal landing of the fire escape, and the thin heel threatens to slip through the holes. I close my window and replace the screen, eyeing the ground below. My room is on the back side of the dorms and people rarely walk on this side of the building. I take one last precautionary look before creeping down the ladder.
Thank fuck no one is here because they’d be getting an eyeful of my ass.
Once my feet are firmly planted on the ground, I call a car service to pick me up at the next building over and walk over to wait. The hairs on the nape of my neck rise, and I glance over my shoulder.
Are they watching me now?
Do I want them to be?
There’s no one there. Shaking off my paranoia, I read through Edmund’s file one more time, memorizing a list of his favorite topics. Boring things I couldn’t give a damn about, but I’ll pretend to be interested in anything to get this job done.
* * *
Edmund sips on his mocktail. “I truly love the green thumb movement, but I hate reading on tablets. It’s not the same.”
I hum into my cocktail, savoring the alcohol. Edmund insisted I order a drink with alcohol. He probably hopes I’ll get drunk and let him take me home. It’ll take more than three drinks to get me wasted, but I put on a good show for the old sport. Edmund can’t be more than thirty-five. He has a very Gatsby air about him. Perfectly manicured nails. Not a single brown hair out of place. Even a black suit to boot. I look very out of place next to him with the skimpy dress and big blonde curls.
Edmund likes his dates young and naive. I’ve kept my doe-eyes on to convince him I’m stupid enough to be impressed by his money. Truth is, Edmund’s breath stinks and his idea of a good time is a solid round of golf.
“So, what about you?” Edmund asks.
I blink, realizing he’d been talking while I was lost in my head. “Oh, um. What did you say?” I give him a sheepish grin and widen my eyes. “The martinis are getting to me.”
Irritation flashes over his features. “I said I didn’t like the eco-friendly cars because they’re all so small. What do you think about them?”
“I think this is an instance where size doesn’t matter. It’s more about what they do for the environment, don’t you think?” I tip my head to the side.
“Perhaps.” He purses his lips and glances at my nearly empty plate. “Did you enjoy your food?”
We’re at an upscale American restaurant where the portions are tiny and the food is honestly not that much better than a good steakhouse.
“It was wonderful. I’m having such a good time.” I smile around my lie, propping my chin in my hand and gazing at him like he’s the man of my dreams.
Edmund preens. “Would you like to continue the date somewhere with a little more privacy?”
