Page 24 of Nest of Thieves
“No.” I jerked my arms but he’d tied them tight. I wasn’t getting out of the crappy metal folding chair. My gaze skated around the cold room, landing on the rust-colored floor at my feet.
Blood.
Was he going to do that to me?
“I’m sorry for taking the car. Please let me go. My parents will be worried—”
He held up his hand and, even though he was several feet away from me, I flinched.
“Do us both a favor and don’t lie to me. What’s your name?”
My body trembled as he took a few steps closer, the sparse lighting highlighting his face and hard eyes.
“Jo,” I whispered.
“Jo.” He hummed and flicked his gaze over me. “A baby omega. A baby thief. You want to be bad, Jo?” Something about the way he asked made me tremble.
I was so scared, I whimpered.
“Please,” I said.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to kill you.” He grabbed a fistful of my hair and wrenched my head back, pulling it at the roots. “Let’s see how long it takes you to scream.”
It hadn’t taken long at all. He didn’t leave any lasting marks, but the strikes he delivered were enough to tell me how much I’d fucked up. He kept his promise, though. He didn’t kill me. But over the years, he found other ways to intimidate and mold me into the thief I am today. First, it was initiation. Then small jobs like pick-pocketing people at a fancy fundraiser and sneaking into homes and planting cameras. The jobs got bigger and more dangerous, but with his mentoring, I got better at sneaking. I got better at hiding the real me. I got good enough that he began leaving me alone, giving me jobs to finish with a threat of retribution should I screw them up. Laurence scares me, but he’s also given me so much. He helped me find myself.
Regardless of how much I appreciate the hard lessons he gave me, I know he’s not above threatening my family to get the Sunrise Ruby. I can’t let anything happen to Tori and my niece, Colette. As much as my parents frustrate me, I also can’t let them be hurt because I messed up.
I drive a little faster.
I don’t know how I’ll find these alphas, but I’m betting they’ve made a name for themselves in the city. All I need to do is find someone with loose lips in need of cash. Money can buy just about anything.
eight
LARK
“And you found this where?” Slim, the appraiser, asks, lifting his gaze to meet mine.
“Stumbled upon it.” We came straight to him once we got in.
He flicks his eyes to where Vette and Mac sit on a couch in front of a big-screen TV. They have no interest in the technical aspects of this job, but it works out because I like to know every bit of information the appraiser will give us.
“Uh-huh. Well, this ring, the Sunrise Ruby, is a treasure in itself.”
“How much?”
“Millions. Twenty, maybe thirty.” Slim slides his glasses with magnifying glass attachments on top of his head. “Wherever you stumbled upon this, it will be missed.”
“It has a name. It’s famous, then?”
Slim carefully places the ring into a velvet-lined box. “Indeed.”
I frown. Sometimes high-priced items are worthless if they’re well known. There are only so many places to sell stolen goods, and for something this valuable, there will be people looking for it. Will Jo come searching for it? Her pretty face was full of anger when Vette took it off her finger. Aside from the people that might be hired to hunt down the ring, Jo worries me.
“Don’t look so sour. I actually know of a buyer. Damien will still benefit from this.”
“That’s good news.” I pick up my phone and call the man, swallowing down my annoyance with Slim. He automatically assumes this is for Damien’s benefit. Considering the guys and I found it, it would be fair for us to keep the proceeds, but that’s not how things work in the Atlantic City Knights. I have to report to the boss now that Slim knows about the ring. We’ll be lucky to see ten percent of the proceeds.
“Riku,” Damien answers, calling me by my given name. “Where’s my money? I expected you an hour ago.” His voice is hard, and even though he doesn’t voice the threat, it’s there all the same.
