Page 28 of Captured Pawn
My mind raced, trying to understand what he was trying to say.
“You trusted Matty?” I finally asked, recognizing it was a stupid question.
“With my life.”
I bit my tongue to keep from pointing out the obvious… that Matty had lost his life working for his best friend.
“You have dozens of employees. I’ve seen them all over the property.”
“Yeah, but they don’t have the specific skills I need right now.”
I took another bite of bread, mulling over his words before asking, “And what skills are those?”
It felt like an innocent enough question, so when the blood drained from Nick’s face before replying, I had to set the bread down on my plate.
Enough time passed I was sure he wasn’t going to answer my question, so when he spoke, it took me a second to understand what he was really saying.
“I need someone who can break into a cutting-edge, fortified safe.”
Shit. That was a specific skill alright.
A skill I possessed.
CHAPTER12
Nick
What the fuck was I thinking? I could almost hear Matt screaming at me from the beyond, and to be honest, I didn’t blame him.
The problem was, I’d told her the truth. She wanted to know when she’d get to go home, and it wouldn’t be until I got the critical items currently residing in the fortified safe at the Bishop estate. At least that was where they had been. My biggest fear was now that old man Bishop knew I was coming, he would move the items he’d stolen from me to somewhere even harder for me to get to.
Which was why time was of the essence.
“That’s how Matt died, wasn’t it? Breaking into some place to open a safe?” Sophie’s question dripped with blame—blame I already felt to my core.
“Not exactly, but close enough,” I admitted, knowing she didn’t need the gory details. It was bad enough she’d been on the phone, listening as Matt took his last breath.
Long seconds passed. I felt her silent censure in my bones.
“So, you’re a common thief then. Breaking and entering,” she finally said in her trademark flippant way that made me want to turn her back over my knee.
“Watch it, little girl. I don’t want to steal anything. I just need to get back something that belongs to me and my family. If I manage to find additional treasures the Bishops have acquired illegally along the way, I’ll be fine with that too.”
I was walking a thin line. The last thing I wanted to do was disclose the darker parts of our family’s business dealings. She also didn’t need to know about the century-old family rivalry with our enemies that had started long before I’d been born. None of that was really important to the story I needed to weave for Matt’s sister. All she needed to know was she wouldn’t be going home until I’d solved this particular problem.
As fucked up as it was, I needed to make her understand she had some skin in this game. I pushed the guilt aside knowing the only reason for her involvement was that I’d asked her brother for his help before turning to her.
Yep, Matty would kick my ass if he were here.
But I’d thought about it all afternoon after I’d realized I couldn’t trust Angela like I’d planned. I needed to find another safecracker.
What was the alternative? Keep Sophie locked up here at the compound against her will indefinitely? Force her to close her business—turn her back on her livelihood?
“Hello? Earth to Nick.”
Shit, I’d completely zoned out. “What?” I answered lamely, finally taking another bite to avoid looking her in the eyes. I didn’t need to look to know I’d see her judgment.
“I asked you what it was you needed to retrieve.”
