Page 10 of The Eagle's Vault

“I want to be certain…” His eyes slid closed for a moment, and he took a ragged breath. “I want to be certain it’s secure.”

Jayce snorted. “Surely, you’ve got twenty-four-hour surveillance there? Biometrics? On-premise guards?”

Edoardo nodded. “Sì, all of these things. Even so, I have a proposal. I need a penetration test done, and I don’t know who I trust more than Reynolds Recoveries.”

Declan straightened, his cocky smirk nearly masking professional interest. “Obviously no one.”

“Is that a service you offer?” Isaac leaned forward, his curiosity outweighing any earlier slight. Why was he so excited? From his wide eyes and enthusiastic smile, he reminded me more of an eager intern than the experienced safe designer he was.

Declan’s words slipped out with practiced ease. “We’ve done jobs from Swiss banks to Hollywood vaults. I think my favorite was the—”

Jayce smacked a hand on the table, practically spitting out her wine. “Chihuahua?”

“I almost lost a finger.” A sexy grin spread across Declan’s face. He returned his goblet to the table, and the two of them described a job they did testing a Spanish soccer star’s home. Fits of laughter and moments of calm interspersed the story, laced with vague details and evasive turns.

Edoardo joined in the tale, weaving a colorful narrative about the soccer star himself. With a pained laugh, he said, “I am truly sorry I recommended that job to you.”

My questions about Declan, Jayce, and the whole Reynolds team gnawed at me. As did the way they used words likecompletely legalandrecovery, which must have hidden some other truth.

Declan was more than just a locksmith or a safe designer or builder. Definitely more than a technician.

A rogue turned white hat? A thief working for the very people he used to steal from? The thought sent an unexpected wave of heat through me, and I took another deep swallow of the wine, which I barely tasted this time. A blush from the wine, I could explain.

But from the thoughts swirling around my brain?

What would a man like him want with bookworm-Leigh? Why was I imagining what else he could do with those fingers? Or how that facial scruff would feel against my bare skin?

I took a larger gulp from the glass.

Edoardo tipped his wineglass toward Declan. “I’m sure any good thief would start with building blueprints and finding an inside man. I can provide both to save you time. And I can arrange a tour for you.”

Without missing a beat, Declan said, “No decisions until we’ve seen the location. You know we aren’t cheap, so I don’t want to waste your time or money if we can give you a list of weak points with a cursory glance. Scarlett and the rest of our core team are in Venice. If she’s onboard, we can do a full assessment.”

“An entire crew with toys like your magnetic phone, Declan?” I mused, the words tumbling out before I could reel them in. Tossing back the wine had been a silly idea. “Maybe Edoardo should hire Isaac and me for the job instead. At least the place won’t stink when we’re done.”

Isaac chuckled, barely even throwing me a condescending glance. “Leigh, you don’t have that sort of thing in you.”

Thanks, Isaac.I was too quiet. Too bookish. Too high-risk. Too whiny about wanting to explore the city instead of being cooped up in my hotel room while Isaac did whatever the hell he pleased. “I could—”

“But if I joined you,” Isaac kept going, right over top of me, “it could be a great learning opportunity for Barton Safes.”

I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the rising tide of frustration.Who flew all the way to fix Edoardo’s safe, Isaac?

“Leigh?” Declan’s voice pierced my thoughts.

“What?” My word came out snappier than I’d intended. Too much stupid red wine.

“You’re welcome to join us.” He was talking to me. Only me. “The more talent we have, the better.”

Was that a shot? Or was he being honest?

Rome was a treasure trove of history and art, and I wanted to explore it. Instead, I was stuck in a cycle of work and more work and too stubborn to decline. I forced a smile, my brain too fuzzy. “How do you two know Edoardo?”

Jayce looked at Declan, who looked at Edoardo. Based on the soccer story, they were old friends, but the furtive glances said something different. If we were going to work together, I wanted more information.

“My boss,” said Declan, “has been friends with Edoardo for… a long time?”

Edoardo nodded, gaze falling to his wineglass. “She introduced me to my wife twenty years ago.”

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