Page 20 of Mastering Mayhem

“Everyone’s clear on their duties?” Miles asked.

The energy in the room shifted, a heaviness settling on our shoulders as we nodded our agreement. We were about to attempt a heist.

An effing heist, for Hecate’s sake!

Yeah, we had proficiency in theft, but our experience was in coven libraries and apartments of deceased, so-called friends. “A heavily guarded auction house,” I muttered, not meaning to say it out loud.

Mayhem moved toward me, brushing a strand of hair from my forehead. “With you by my side, anything is possible. We can do this.”

The conviction in his words made them almost believable.

“Shall we?” He held out his arm like a gentleman, and I laced mine around his biceps.

“Let’s go rob an auction.”

Ash drove, miraculously finding parking a block from our target. She left the engine running and turned in her seat to give me an encouraging smile. “You’ve got this. In and out, and no egos.”

She gave each of us a pointed look before shaking her head. “I don’t know why I said that. We’re sending in our three biggest.”

“It’s kind of like telling a wolf not to howl, isn’t it?” I unbuckled my seat belt and cast a longing gaze at the hidey hole in the floorboard. I felt naked without my weapons. “We’ll behave. I promise.”

Mayhem rested his hand on my thigh. “We will do our best.”

“Put your earpieces in so I can test them.” Miles handed us a small box, and we each stuck the tiny pieces of silicon into our ears.

Mayhem and I climbed out of the van, and he slid the door shut behind us. Squinting, I peered through the tinted window. “Why isn’t Shade coming?”

“He’s standing right beside you.” Mayhem gestured to my right.

“There are cameras all over the city,” Shade’s disembodied voice said. “It might look weird if I disappeared on screen.”

“Testing,” Miles said into our earpieces. “Can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear.” I pressed my fingers to my ear.

“Don’t do that,” Ash’s voice came through. “The whole point of them being small is so no one knows you’re wearing them.”

“Gotcha.” I fisted my hands so I wouldn’t do it again. What could I say? All the FBI and CIA and Secret Service people did it in the movies. I’d learned a bad habit by watching a screen. Imagine that.

“Ready, guys?” I started down the sidewalk, toward the auction house. “Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is simple.”

“Have we not already accepted the mission?” Mayhem asked, his expression adorably perplexed.

I laughed. “Yes, dear, we have. In, snag the amulet, and out. As tempting as it’ll be to check out all the other artifacts they’ve gathered, we have to stay focused.”

“Indeed.” He held out his arm, and I clutched his biceps. “The sooner we obtain the amulet, the sooner we can return to our penthouse and utilize the plush mattress in the main suite.”

Shade snorted somewhere to my left as we stepped into a crosswalk. A crisp autumn wind whipped down the street, blowing my hair into my face and raising goosebumps on my bare arms. I should’ve taken a shawl or a shrug from the store of doom, but oh well. Only fifty yards to go, and we’d be at the entrance.

“Have I told you how stunning you are?” Mayhem asked, his voice low.

“Don’t get used to this look.” I adjusted the top of my dress, fighting the urge to reach inside it to reposition my boobs. Bras had been around for over one hundred years, and no one had come up with a comfortable, strapless version that didn’t slide down the first chance it got.

“Ash, when this is through, I’ve got a job for you and your sewing skills.”

She laughed. “I’ll get right on it. After I organize the library, figure out how to make spell capsules instead of bottles, and reopen the store so we can pay our bills.”

“Add reinventing the strapless bra to your list.” Because wewouldget through this. Ash would have plenty of time to whittle away at her to-dos because things would go back to normal. They had to, and I would keep telling myself that until they did.

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