Page 46 of Scattered Glitter

“She isn’t my cat,” I mutter, almost as if to convince myself as I stroke over her nose. “She’s Oscar’s.”

Sylus huffs a laugh from beside me. “Maybe she’s not your cat, but you’re definitely her human.”

As if to agree with him, Jinx starts to purr contentedly in my lap.

Sylus starts picking at his bacon, and Levi is humming again, the sound irritating but oddly comforting in the silence. I stare at the food in front of me, my appetite still nowhere to be found, even if my stomach growls again. Begrudgingly, I pick up my fork anyway and force down a few bites of scrambled eggs.

When Koen finally sits at the table, he clears his throat, his gaze sweeping over us. “So, yesterday, we were at Oscar’s grave.”

The fork I’m holding halts midair, and guilt surges through me. I haven’t been back since the funeral because I’m always stuck in this damn house, stuck in my damn mind.

I glance over at Sylus, who raises an eyebrow as if this is news to him, too, which brings me a small, bitter relief.

“And, while we were there, we… found someone,” Koen says, and Levi chuckles, clearly more entertained by the memory than he is. “She could help us with a new plan.”

“She?” Sylus perks up, leaning forward. “And what new plan?”

Koen doesn’t indulge Sylus’s questions and continues, “She’s a thief. A good one.”

“A thief?” Sylus repeats, intrigued but cautious when he looks at me.

My eyes shift to Ezra, and sure enough, he looks completely unfazed. He probably knew all about this already.Of course he did.

My stomach knots, a sinking feeling growing as I realize where this conversation is heading.

I’m the thief here.

“She stole my watch,” Koen says calmly, looking straight at me. “Clean off my wrist. And I didn’t notice.”

Sylus lets out a low whistle. “No shit. That’s… impressive.”

I scoff, unable to stop myself. “Impressive? She stole a damn watch, and you think that’s impressive?”

It’s not only impressive, it’s borderline impossible. Koen is always so damn tuned in to his surroundings. It’s like he’s got eyes in the back of his head. I keep my face neutral, refusing to give this mystery woman any credit.

Especially if they intend to have her replace me.

Koen meets my eyes, unfazed by my tone. “It wasn’t a bad lift, especially considering she was tipsy. If she can do that when she’s not at her best, imagine what she could do sober. She might need some training.”

Training.The word grates on my nerves, and I feel a bitter laugh bubbling up, but I swallow it. They could just ask me. I don’t need any training, and I damn sure don’t need anyone stepping in to do what I do. Maybe I fucked up. Maybe three months of hiding in my room convinced them I’m no longer capable of doing what I was brought here to do.

The thought makes anger flare hot and unreasonable in my chest.

“You want to train her? For what, exactly?” I snap. “What does she have that I don’t?”

Fuck, did I really just ask that?

Koen and Ezra exchange glances, and the silent communication between them grates me. They’ve always acted like the group’s parents, probably because they’re older. Ezra is thirty-three, and the twins are going to be thirty in a few days. But Levi is…Levi, and Sylus is twenty-five, while I’m the youngest at twenty-four.

Levi chimes in, “Well, for starters, she’s got tits, a banging body, and her face card is giving.” He grins at me. “Not that you’re not pretty,blue eyes, but Nicholas Harrington? Not exactly into guys.”

Which he’d learned the hard way fifteen years ago.

“So what? You want her to cozy up with that dickhead?”

“Exactly.” Levi nods enthusiastically. “She’s got the skills, the looks, and if she can get close to him… she’ll have the access we need.”

The air in the room shifts, the weight of what they’re suggesting sinking in.

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