Page 63 of Thief

Kat dodged to the right, and his open arms closed around thin air. “Don’t get silly, Todd. A deal is a deal. I want to look at the diamonds, and then we’ll do what you want to do.”

“That’s not the deal anymore. It’s my turn to have you after sitting waiting all those times while you screwed all those other pricks.” He stepped forward.

Kat backed up to the opposite side of the room.

He was tall and fast on his feet, not to mention annoying—seriously annoying.?It was late, she was tired and she wanted her diamonds.?

Clenching her right fist and letting the joint of her middle finger jab outwards, she weighted into a balanced stance. She waited the split second it took for Todd to reach her, then struck out at his rapidly approaching head.

She made contact with the soft flesh on the indent of his temple. Her one protruding knuckle joint delivered a hard, vicious blow which stopped him in his tracks.

An expression of stunned surprise crossed his face, but only for the time it took for him to blink, then his eyes rolled back in his head, and he folded to the floor. His limbs crumbling like a building being demolished.

* * * *

John peered through the crack in the living room door. He could see Kat backed into the corner and the lanky kid heading straight for her with his arms outstretched. Fast and leery, he looked full of malicious intent and not likely to take no for an answer.

John’s muscles twitched under his leathers. He would have to go and give the kid a good hiding after all.

What he saw next stopped him.

He wasn’t needed.

Kat pounced at her attacker, knocking him flat to the floor with one brutal strike to the head. John knew it was brutal because she’d got him like that once. Only he hadn’t crumpled in a heap like the kid.

John almost felt sorry for him; almost, but not quite.

Kat stooped and took a wonderfully familiar looking velvet bag from the kid’s clenched fist and slipped it into her jacket pocket. She rolled the kid over, fussed with his neck and leg until he was in a textbook recovery position then straightened, rubbing her palms together as if to rid them of dirt.

Quietly John ducked outside and leant against mossy, brickwork. His heart soared. She had the diamonds. He couldn’t wait to be re-united with the bag of gems he’d nurtured and watched grow over the last year. It would be like seeing an old friend. Only this old friend would make him rich. Very rich

He couldn’t wipe the smile from his face as Kat stepped out of the house a few seconds later.

“Well,” he grinned, hardly able to contain himself, “let’s see them.”

“See, what?” she replied, keeping her gaze glued to the end of the street.

“The diamonds, let’s see the diamonds.”

“Carlos has them. Todd handed them over when he found them last week.” She shoved her hand on her hip and glared up at him. “You should have asked Carlos about the bloody diamonds when you were in a position to.” Her voice was full of scorn. “Because now he’s at the hospital getting his messed up arm sorted.”

“But…” The smile fell from his face.

Kat’s green eyes narrowed, and she looked even more feline than usual. “We may as well go. You can drop me off at my apartment.”

She turned and strutted towards the bike, her arse wiggling from side to side and her arms swinging.

The little bitch.

She had the diamonds and she wasn’t going to tell him.

He couldn’t believe it.

After all they’d been through. Hell, he’d nearly taken a bullet for her. She’d been grateful enough for that gesture at the time.

But two could play at this game.

He’d show her.?He’d play her double-crossing game and win hands down. She’d picked the wrong opponent this time. He wouldn’t be duped by her—not again. And to think he’d even begun to feel a little guilty that he wasn’t giving her as much as she thought she was getting.

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