Page 41 of Cosmo

Liam did not know who all did what, so he asked. “With all of you, I guess you have roles?”

Goldie answered for them. “I’m the details man. I watch, take a million notes, find out everything there is to know about the place we’re hitting, with some help from the computer guy, Mims. He knows computers so well he can break into just about any system.” He smiled at Abs and said, “That skinny fucker is the security guy, and he does the hands-on work of safe cracking, fucking up security boxes. Shit like that. Haze is our artist, and he can recreate art, so when we take off with a piece, we leave one, so we’re not found out for a long time, if ever. Hippy is our weapons guy.”

“We don’t use weapons often,” Hippy disclaimed. “But we have to always have them.”

“And you need to steal the cars we use in robberies, and, well, other cars.”

“Like the Bentley,” he said as he smiled at Murphy.

“Like the Bentley. Yeah. We have one of those beauties in this very city, and we have a guy that will buy the thing. He’s patient, thankfully, but if you don’t mind, we’ll do the art, then the car.”

“Fine by me. What kind of cars do you all like to escape the scenes of crimes?”

“Mid-sized sedans, big enough for five. You have it waiting for us, and you’ll park a few blocks away, on a street without a lot of cameras. We meet you there and you will take us to a van.”

“So, I get two vehicles. Smart. Okay, then. Nice to be aboard. The most important question, of course, is what is my cut?”

Murphy groaned and said, “Well, it depends. Art, Haze gets a quarter, I get one, and you all split the other half.”

Murphy waited for him to respond, and he considered bitching about it, but a payday of at least four hundred grand wasn’t anything to sneeze at. “And the Bentley?”

“You’ll get a full quarter.”

Over a quarter million, four hundred grand…he could see why the group was so tight and loyal. Well, despite the fact they genuinely seemed to like one another. “Okay. I’m in.”

Chapter Twelve

Daiq was sleeping onthe pillow but got up and stretched as soon as Liam walked through the door. Little did Liam know Abs was right behind him. “Oh, god!” He squealed, rushing into Liam’s room.

Liam thought he’d scare Daiq, but the cat went right to Abs, allowing the little blond to pick him up and hold him. “Aw, he’s the sweetest thing!”

“I guess if he likes you, that must be a good nod,” Liam said as he sat on his bed and watched Abs walk around the room with the cat.

“Cats are very perceptive. It’s said they sleep with you to keep evil spirits away from their human.”

“Evil spirits, huh? You don’t believe in all that bullshit, do you?”

Abs looked over at Liam, his lips in a slash on his face they’d thinned so badly. “Look at me and ask that again?”

“I didn’t know if that was just an image.”

“It’s both, isn’t it…?” Abs looked over at Liam as he asked, “Does he have a name?”

“Strawberry Daiquiri. Daiq for short.”

“Dak? Like D-A-K?”

That, actually, would have been easier. “D-A-I-Q.”

“Cute,” he said and kissed the cat’s head. “You’re adorable and I’m completely obsessed, but I have a date. I have to get going, but I’ll come visit you lots and lots if…” Abs again looked at Liam. “If that’s okay?”

Honestly, he said, “I’d like it a lot, Abs. And Daiq sure will.”

The beautiful, wide smile on the thin face showed Abs was truly happy about it. “Thanks. And I’m serious. You’re going to love all of us. We’re incredible people.”

For the first time in his life, Liam thought that just might be possible.

After Abs left and he’d pet the cat long enough to get him back to napping, Liam got the phone number that had been burning a hole in his pocket and called it. When the smooth voice answered, “Hello?” Liam thought he’d lose his nerve.

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