Page 187 of Heartless Legacy

Following the transfer of ownership for her house has brought me to Hurst Bank, in Arizona of all places, where I am doing something that willdefinitelyget me arrested if I’m caught, and willprobablyjeopardize my father’s career with the bureau.

I do not know how a woman, which all evidence suggests was struggling to make ends meet, could afford to rent a safe deposit box here. Hurst Bank houses one of the most secure vaults on the west coast. It’s a class three vault with walls and doors sothick you can’t cut through them. There’s also a dual biometric scanner and randomized time locks on the door.

The vault is only accessible by the bank manager and assistant manager during normal business hours. Hacking it is impossible, and robbing it is out of the question. The only way to get eyes on the safe deposit box is to be inside the vault, and only people with an account and a box of their own can access the vault. I submitted my paperwork last week, and now I’m here to store my valuables.

The bank manager lets me into the vault and slides the guard key into the lock. I retrieve my key from my pocket to do the same, just as the alarm sounds and the warning lights inside the vault flash. The manager rushes to the door. I turn to follow, but I trip, landing on my knees. Scrambling to my feet, I hurry to the door. “Mr-”

The bank manger’s voice cuts off as the door swings shut, and the tumblers spin, locking me inside. I wait two minutes for the camera inside of the vault to turn off, then go over to box number 27638. I move the guard key to the box and use my rusty lock picking skills to access it. It takes a few tries, but the lock finally springs free. I slide the box from its housing and set it on the table, quickly rifling through its contents.

There’s a lot of random stuff in here. Some old pictures, a deed to a parcel of land in Alaska, a grade school report card from sixty years ago, expired Home of the Stars Tour Bus tickets, and a blank business card with a phone number on it.

I take a picture of the items, then return the box to its place on the wall. The alarm is finally silenced and I go to stand by the door, waiting for the bank manager to let me out. The tumblers spin four times before the heavy door swings open. He stands in the entrance apologizing profusely for locking me in and assuring me the security system has never malfunctioned this way before.

I accept his apologies, using his distraction to slip the guard key back into the lock on my box, and go through the motions of putting my items in the box I’ve rented. There’s an old watch, one of the first computer codes I ever worked on, and a certificate of deposit that won’t mature for another twenty years.

The box is put back in place and I follow the manager out of the vault and back upstairs to the lobby, agreeing that one month of free storage is more than adequate for the inconvenience of being locked in a vault.

Chapter 104

Thea

“Hi, Beautiful.” Finn greets me with a kiss on the cheek as I exit my class. Holden’s leaning against the wall across from the door, and Pax is over by the exit sign. “What are you two doing here?” I ask, choosing to ignore Pax’s presence.

Finn answers, “Waiting for you.”

“Why?” I draw out the word, immediately on guard.

“Because we missed you.”

“You just saw me on the ride to school this morning, Finn.” He’s taking this cohabitation thing to the next level. He lives with me. Rides to school with me. Sits with me for lunch.

He slips his arm around my shoulder and says, “A good boyfriend who truly cares about you wants to spend every moment with you.”

Oh god. Is he still competing with Wolfe? “A good boyfriend knows when to give me space. What you’re experiencing borders on obsession.”

“Just borders?” He frowns. “Then I’m not doing something right. I want to be full-blown obsessed.”

I chuckle at his answer, turning my attention to Holden. “What about you? Is he dragging you into his obsession?” Otherthan that one day last month, Holden still sits at the legacy table with Pax, but he spends all his time staring at me.

He pushes his glasses up his nose. “He doesn’t need to drag me into anything. I’m already there.”

“Really?” I joke, “I’m not feeling it.”

He smiles, but it looks forced. “Noted. I’ll do better.”

“That’s not what I meant.” I call out to his back, because he’s already walking away. My eyes fall to Pax. He hasn’t moved, hasn’t said a word.

I was about to tell him not to do anything drastic, but maybe they should.. I’ve been burned too many times. If they’re sincere, then that means being on my side. Hard stop. I’m not demanding a public claiming, but dammit, I’m worth a public claiming. I twirl the ring I wear on a chain around my neck.

I can’t say for certain what it is I want them to do, but words mean nothing.If, and that’s a big old capital I.F., if I’m going to try this again, their apologies need to be as big and as splashy as their fuck ups.

“What’s going on with Holden?” I ask Finn as he takes his seat next to me in class.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t give me nothing. I can tell when someone’s about to snap, and he hit that point days ago. So what happened?”

“Nothing happened. He’s probably exhausted from all the traveling he did over spring break. We’ve had a breakthrough in the team building challenge. Did he tell you he had to go to Colorado for your clue?”

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