Page 1 of The Eagle's Vault

Chapter 1

Declan

JayceandIcrouchedamidst the blooming roses and an orgy of overpriced marble sculptures. A hulking Roman villa loomed ahead, daring us to breach her walls. Three stories of pale stucco topped with terracotta tiles, surrounded by gardens.

Down here, we had cover. But it was the middle of the afternoon in early May, without a cloud in the sky. Any passerby would see us in an instant once we stood, let alone how many security cameras would catch us. Then there were the cars ambling by on the nearby street.

“This can’t be the way in, Jayce. It’s too exposed.”

“Camera four.” She pointed to the eastern corner. “That’s our ticket in.”

I squinted, following her arm. Sure enough, camera four swept from northeast to east, leaving a generous blind spot to the southeast. Leaving a segment of the vine-covered wall completely open for us.

“Bloody great. We’re scaling another wall?” I grumbled, shaking my head. Our boss was going to force me into climbing lessons if Jayce kept this up.

“The answer is always scale it, Dec.” She pulled an elastic from her wrist, tying her shoulder-length black hair into a high ponytail. Half a foot shorter than me, but with an attitude far larger, Jayce never met an obstacle she couldn’t get over.

“Ever considered the front door?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” She shot me a wry grin, unwrapping an obscenely colored candy and tossing it into her mouth.

I huffed and turned over my wrist to check the time. Just my luck, I’d chosen to wear the Submariner instead of something more appropriate for climbing.

“You in a hurry?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact. There’s a lovely lady waiting inside for me.”

“Lady?” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “You’re going up that wall. But if you’re worried, I promise I won’t let you fall.”

“Fantastic.” I was all sarcasm, but we both knew the truth of it. She’d saved my ass more than once on these ridiculous excursions, and I’d trust her with my life.

“Suck on this.” She tossed one of her wrapped candies my way. “Gives you super climbing powers.”

I caught it and gave her an intentional frown. “Very funny. Now, let’s get this over with.”

“Soon as you take that off.” She inclined her head toward my wrist. “I refuse to listen to you whine and moan about a scratch for the next year.”

I unwrapped her candy and popped it in my mouth, the mint clearing my nostrils. I hauled off my small pack and tucked the watch into a secure pocket. It had been a passive-aggressive gift from my mother when I took my job with Reynolds Recoveries. A not-so-subtle reminder I was supposed to be a marine engineer.

But cracking safes was far more satisfying. So, I wore that damn watch every chance I could.That’s why you took the Reynolds job, Dec. Because you’re doing what you love.

“Race you,” Jayce called, darting toward the villa.

I groaned, tossing my pack on and trailing after her. This wasnotthe part I loved.

She scaled the wall like she was born for it. I grunted as I missed a hold, my foot slipping on a vine. Jayce reached down, her hand a steady anchor.

“Don’t be scared of the plants,” she teased, a grin spreading across her face.

I found a higher hold, pausing long enough to glance around the narrow street that ran next to the villa. How many people were watching us climb this wall? How soon until the polizia came? Or were we making the attempt at precisely the right moment, when no one in the other homes, apartments, or the store below us would notice? “Not scared. Just allergic to falling.”

Jayce had a knack for the recovery business. She always knew exactly the right time to sneak down a hallway or burst through a window. No one ever caught her. At least, not since the Reynolds team went after her.

We climbed, her agile figure disappearing over the rooftop as I stubbornly clung to the vine-covered wall. A few loose rocks clattered down, sending my heart into double-time.

“What’s the matter now? Wall not being flirty enough for you?” she called down, her voice loud enough to attract attention from anyone who wasn’t already watching us. “Focus on the ‘lovely lady’ inside, and I’m sure you’ll find your second wind.”

“You trying to get me caught?” I growled back, pushing myself up with renewed determination. With one last push, I rolled up onto the terracotta tiles of the rooftop, sucking in the sweet, horizontal air.

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