Page 17 of Scarlett Thief (Criminal Underground 2)

“About anything in particular,” he replied with a shrug. “You seem awfully curious about what I’m doing.”

I blinked and took a step back. “I can go somewhere else if you prefer privacy.”

He shook his head. “Not what I meant, Princess.”

A scowl overtook my face. There was something about the way he used that term of endearment that set me off and I wasn’t sure if it was good or bad. “I’m fine, I was just watching,” I snapped, but as I said that my eyes moved over his body—to the fine, slender muscles under his T-shirt. It wasn’t easily noticeable when he was standing still, but as he moved parts of the cotton would tighten and reveal that he wasn’t as much of a computer geek as he appeared at first glance. There was danger beneath that fabric—someone who was far more than just a brain.

“—I'll use it and ping the connection to several different towers to make sure we're secure. I'd also like to have Wolf put in some cameras downstairs."

“What?” It took me a moment to realize that he’d been talking to me as my eyes had wandered.

Hadrian straightened as he finished laying out all of his electronics before turning to me with a smirk. “Cameras,” he repeated. “We’re putting them up for extra security.”

"Be my guest." I waved my hand to the room as I tried to avoid his knowing gaze. "It's not a large flat, but it'll serve well while we're here. I didn't want a record of where we were staying, and hotels aren't as secure as one might think. Too many people in and out."

"I assume this place is under an alias then?" He arched a brow as he moved to the small dining room table off to the side of the living room and directly between us and the kitchen.

"Yes," I said. “Should anything go wrong with the job, nothing will tie us to being here in the city.”

He nodded. “Smart thinking,” he praised, surprising me. Before I could say anything or respond, however, Wolf strode back into the room with a dark look.

"There are two bedrooms and a single bathroom," he stated. "And they're each the size of a goddamn closet."

I pursed my lips and looked up into his scruffy face. It was clear he hadn't been given a chance to shave recently. He looked like an angry beast.

"It's Rome," I pointed out, "everything's small here."Except for you, my mind added silently.

"We'll have to take turns using the beds," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm nocturnal," Hadrian said before I could respond. "That'll be fine. You and I can switch—Scarlett can have the remaining room." A part of me wanted to argue that I would be the one making the sleeping schedule and choosing the arrangements—it was, after all, my place—but instead, I just gave Wolf one of my signature sweet smiles. The kind that usually made men do whatever I wanted.

"Hadrian's going to be setting up extra security," I told him. "He has some cameras he'd like for you to put up."

Wolf's eyes narrowed on me in suspicion. "Stop that," he said through gritted teeth.

"Stop what?" I let my eyes widen in confusion.

He blew out a breath. "Stop with the smiles and the fake pleasing act,” he replied. “I’m not one of your marks—neither of us are. If we're going to be working together, I don’t want you putting on your usual façade. You won’t treat me—or Hadrian for that matter—like a damn idiot who doesn’t know his ass from his nose. It won’t work."

I clenched my teeth, but I didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t wrong, and yet, I was still out of my depth, unused to relying on anyone else and now suddenly forced to do that very thing.

"We need to set some ground rules,” he continued. “Treat us as partners and we’ll treat you as a partner. You don't tell me how to do my job, and I don't get in your way when it comes to stealing our prize.”

There was something about the cadence of his tone—the soothing, and yet authoritative ring of it made me want to agree to everything he was saying. He sounded so sure, so in control—a part of me wanted to just say ‘yes, Sir’ and trust him with the rest of it. It was that thought, however, that scared the shit out of me. He wasn’t in control—I was. No one was going to control me again—least of all two men who knew nothing about me and were only here to save their own asses.

“I don’t work with partners,” I said coolly. “We’re not here to be fucking friends. We’re here to get a job done. You do yours and I’ll do mine.”

“Careful how you speak to me, little brat,” Wolf snarled, stepping closer threateningly.

My body reacted instinctively—except it wasn’t the reaction I was expecting. Instead of going on the defensive as I’d done many times before, I felt my shoulders drop. His voice was deep and yes, there was a violent edge to it, but instead of scaring me … it turned me on. My eyes slid to the floor almost subconsciously and when I realized what I’d done, I jerked them back up and scowled.I just haven’t gotten laid in a while, I told myself. It had nothing to do with this obnoxious asshole.

“Shut it down, you two,” Hadrian called from the table. “We have enough work to do without the two of you being at each other's throats. Play nice with the big boys, Scarlett.”

It was right there on the tip of my tongue to tell Hadrian to fuck off, but he was right. If I wanted my freedom, I needed to play nice.

“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. I turned away from Wolf—ignoring the way he followed my movements with those analytical blue eyes of his—and strode across the room to the windows.

“We need to get a lead on when, where, and how we’re going to get that damn diamond since it’s clear there’s not much else that was dug up over the last two weeks,” I heard myself say as I stood before the windows, staring down into the street. It was easier to watch the tourists pass by beneath us than it was to turn around and meet the gazes of the two men at my back. We’d barely begun, and it already felt like a clusterfuck.

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