Page 55 of Their Reckless Thief
I nodded, even though I wasn’t okay. I hadn’t been okay in a long time. But what choice did I have? This was my life. This was how I survived. And if I didn’t keep playing the game the way Roberto wanted me to play, I would lose everything.
Even if, deep down, I already felt like I was losing myself.
My body still thrummed with tension when we got back to our apartment, and I could still feel the grip of his hand around my throat. I gingerly pressed an ice pack to my neck, hating the dull ache of the cool pressure. I prayed to the gods that it wouldn’t bruise, because I sure as shit didn’t want a constant reminder of Roberto’s power over me every time I looked into the mirror.
“You all right?” Vivian’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I glanced over at her. Her face was a mask of concern as she fiddled with one of her many monitors.
“I’ll live,” I muttered, shifting the ice pack. “I really fucking hate him, Viv.”
Vivian sighed as she turned back to her work. “I know. He’s a bastard. But we need him. For now.”
“For now,” I echoed, bitterness welling up inside me.
Vivian was already deep into researching our next job, her fingers flying over the keyboard like she was born with them glued to it. She always dived right into work when things got bad. It was her way of coping, of regaining control over something in this messy world. I envied that about her.
“Okay,” she muttered to herself, looking from screen to screen, “I’m pulling up the blueprints of the building Roberto wants us to hit next. This one’s a little tricky, but nothing we can’t handle. You’re going to have to go through the main floor tomorrow. I’m testing your mics.”
I nodded, trying to focus as she set up the gear, but my mind kept wandering. I couldn’t shake the nervous energy that had settled in my gut. Maybe it was my dependence on Phantomine. Maybe it was the weight of everything that had happened in the last few days. Or maybe it was just that I needed to prove to myself I could still do this. Perhaps pulling off a flawless job would bring me back to center. I needed that, more than anything.
Vivian handed me one of the mics, and I clipped it onto my shirt, fiddling with the small device. “You’re getting better with this stuff,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Vivian smirked at me. “Yeah, well, I’ve had to. You’ve been slacking off.”
“Slacking?” I cocked an eyebrow. “I prefer to think that I’ve been keeping you on your toes.”
She laughed, which put me more at ease. Despite everything, despite the chaos and the danger that surrounded our lives, there was something comforting about being here with her, in our little corner of the world. We understood each other in ways no one else ever could.
“All right, try it out,” she said, clicking a button on one of her screens. “I need to make sure the signal’s clear.”
“Testing, testing,” I muttered into the mic, feeling a strange rush of adrenaline as I watched the waveforms bounce across the screen. “How’s it sounding?”
“Crystal clear,” she said, her fingers flying across the keys again. “We’re good to go.”
The apartment was quiet for a moment, just the soft hum of electronics filling the space. I sat down on the edge of the couch, still clutching the ice pack, and stared out the window at the darkening sky. Tomorrow’s job should’ve excited me. Usually, I thrived on the thrill of a new heist. But now? I just felt… off.
A knock at the door snapped me out of my thoughts. Vivian and I exchanged a glance.
“Are you expecting anyone?” she asked, frowning as she set down her tablet.
I shook my head. “No. You?”
“Nope.”
I stood up, making my way to the door cautiously. We didn’t get visitors. Ever. Will let himself in with his key. Gripping thehandle, I opened the door to find a delivery guy standing there with a package.
“Delivery for Celeste Callahan,” he said, holding out a small box.
“I didn’t order anything,” I said, confused as I eyed the package. My name was clearly written on the label, but I definitely hadn’t ordered anything recently.
“Well, it’s got your name on it,” the guy said with a shrug, before turning and walking away.
I stood in the doorway for a moment, staring at the box. Suspicion twisted in my gut as I slowly closed the door behind me and brought the package to the table.
Vivian watched me closely as I opened it. Inside was a brand-new phone, top-of-the-line. I blinked, completely baffled. “What the hell?”
Nestled in the box with the phone was a small note. No name. Just a number written in neat, slanted handwriting. And underneath that was a one-letter signature.
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