Page 2 of All We Want

The floor to ceiling glass window paired with the house being built into the hills that skirted the city afforded me an uninterrupted view of the city lights and skyscrapers. It made me feel like a queen and the moment I saw the view, I had paid the ridiculous asking price for the house.

I sit down at my secure computer, a state-of-the-art system designed to keep prying eyes at bay. Placing my glass of wine on the black surface of the desk, I activate the machine and it hums to life. I navigate through layers of encryption and security protocols.

The buyer had made it clear—no online transfer. This transaction had to be handled with the utmost discretion, and I was more than capable of meeting those requirements. My fingers dance across the keyboard as I draft a carefully worded message to the buyer. They requested a deadline of the following weekend, so I provide instructions for the rendezvous on the day they set.

I smirk as I consider the irony of the situation. The Blackstone brothers, masters of security, completely unaware that their prized information was now in my possession. It's a sweet victory, and I revel in the fact that I outsmarted their elaborate defenses.

Once the message is composed, I encrypt it and attach it securely to an email. I send it through an intricate network of anonymized servers, leaving no trace of my location or identity. The buyer will receive the instructions without a clue about the mastermind behind the operation.

As I lean back in my chair, I take a moment to appreciate the view of the city skyline. The twinkling lights below just add to the exhilaration coursing through my veins. I drink the last of my glass of wine, savoring the rich taste.

The following weekend can't come soon enough. Until then, the USB containing the mysterious and valuable information will remain safely in my possession. I shut down the computer, ensuring no digital footprint is left behind, and dance toward one of the other walls in the office.

The wall has four pieces of artwork in a line, each done in shades of black, gray and metallic gold. They were the four queens of the card deck, the queens of clubs, spades, diamonds and hearts.

Pulling the queen of diamonds away from the wall, I key in the codes and scan my prints to open the safe hidden there. Sliding the USB onto the shelf next to the other contents, I then close the safe and move the painting back into place.

With the job done, I move to my bedroom and change out of my underwear and into more comfortable clothes. The Christmas music still fills the air, and I find myself dancing around the room, relishing in the triumph of a well-executed plan. Little do the Blackstone brothers know, they've just become a footnote in my long list of successful endeavors.

Chapter 2

Declan

The image of the vixen in red is up on one of the big screens in my office when Aiden walks in.

He chuckles when he sees it, but I can still see the hint of appreciation in his eyes at the image. “Are ye still lookin’ at that? I woulda thought ye would have tracked the lass down by now.”

Just from the extra Irish in his speech, I can tell he has just come from spending time with our recent recruits. We moved to America when I was ten, or when we were wee lads, as our da would have said. I’m the oldest with barely a year between each of us. Most of our Irish has been smoothed out over the years, but get us in a room with others from home, then it brings out the best in us.

I raise an eyebrow in his direction. “Oh, I have. It wasn’ easy. She’s good, but I’m better.”

Aiden grins and turns more toward the screen, rubbing his hands. “So? When we goin’ after the wee minx?”

“Ronan’s already doin’ some recon.”

He freezes and turns back to me with overly wide eyes. He has always been the most visibly emotional of the three of us. “Are ya sure dat’s wise?”

I huff at him as I roll my eyes. “He ain’t doin’ anythin’ more than recon. Location, tech, security and all that. He knows he can’t try to go in until he brings us all the information.”

Frowning, he pauses for a moment, I can see the thoughts rapidly crossing his face in the tiny changes to his expression. “An’ how do we find out if she has already offloaded the information?”

I’m already shaking my head before he finishes his question. I’m the analytical one, I’ve already run through all the information on the vixen that I was able to find on public and not so public records.

Although she is the owner of a successful tech security company, it was her life below the shiny corporate surface that intrigued me. I had only been able to gather a limited amount of information, but it was enough to assure me she still had the information she stole.

“She’s too precise an’ methodical. She won’ send the information over the internet where anyone can intercept it. She would be doin’ a physical drop, and she won’t do it straight away. She would wanna make sure the buyer is credible and not goin’ to screw ‘er over.”

Aiden taps his fingers together as he brings them to rest against his lips. Then he points a finger at me and I know he's going to annoy me. “Ya admire her.”

I hum softly, looking from him back to the image of the vixen on the screen. There is admittedly a fascination there. I wasn’t able to find out as much information as I normally would for anyone I look into. She was a mystery wrapped in a seductive package.

Almost like our own personal Christmas gift that I want to unwrap layer by layer.

“She is the first to get past da walls.”

He wanders over to lean against my desk, following my own gaze back to her image again. “That don’t necessarily make her special.”

The image continues to captivate my attention, and I can't deny the truth in Aiden's words. She is special, not just because of the successful heist, but because she's managed to breach the fortress of my usually impenetrable mind.

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