Page 64 of Thief

He made fast strides to catch up, his knee shouting a reminder it was a long time since medication. “So what’s the plan, Pussy Cat?” he asked trying to keep his voice light.

“You take me home, then you go back to your own apartment.” She flicked her hair over her shoulder. “There’s no need to stick with me anymore, John. I’ve done my part of the deal.”

“But don’t you want your share of the diamonds? I’m going to speak to our mate Carlos when he’s back from the hospital. Find out where they are and then we can split them, like we always said we would.” He wondered if she might smile and produce the velvet bag from her pocket, kiss him and tell him she’d been teasing.

She didn’t.

She remained cool and distant as she slammed her helmet on. “If you find the diamonds, then I’ll have my share. If they even exist, that is. For all I know, you made the whole thing up,” she paused, “because you wanted to hang out in my apartment all week.”

“What?” John’s chest felt like it had been slammed into by a truck. “If you really think that, you’ve gone bloody crazy, woman.” His voice was ragged with indignation. “Do you think I’ve liked hanging out with you all damn week? Hairdressers, shopping, all that crap you’ve given me. It’s hardly been a bloody holiday.” He was shouting now. “Why the hell would I put myself through that if I didn’t have to?”

“You certainly looked as if you were having a good time in my bed.”

“You liked having me in your fucking bed,” he snarled. “You liked having my cock in every fucking hole you’ve got.”

Roughly, he pulled on his own helmet and swung himself onto the bike. Kat slid behind him and curled her arms around his waist. But it didn’t feel intimate anymore. Now her arms felt functional, necessary. There was no caress, no sneaky feel of his abs beneath the leather of his jacket, and she didn’t press herself onto his back before they’d even moved away.

He revved the engine loud, louder still, not giving a damn who heard them. He pulled off so fast Kat was forced to grip hard. He charged down the narrow back street on the wrong side of the road, stormed faster and faster on to the main roads, not slowing at stop signs and skipping reds.

* * * *

By the time they hit the North Circular, Kat was terrified. She’d been on the back of the bike lots of times, but John had never driven like this. Reckless, risk taking and with a total disregard for safety. He had a death wish, and he was going to taking her out with him.

Are diamonds worth death?

Doubts seeped into her conscience. Perhaps she was wrong to lie and keep the riches to herself. Perhaps this was one occasion where honesty would have served her better. Their knees skimmed the surface of the road, a tight bend taken way too fast. She caught her breath and prayed for the bike to return to an upright position. Damn him, she thought as the events of the last week flashed before her like a life before death. Damn him for making her care enough to feel guilty.

She visualised him in her kitchen with ingredients spread on the work surfaces and the pan hissing as he seared steaks. Saw him sprawled on the sofa smiling over at her with heavy eyes as he rubbed her feet, then pictured him in the shower, gloriously naked and covered in frothy, white suds. She remembered him brushing away her tears and making soothing noises as he held her tightly against his chest, remembered their delicious feeling of connection which had made her feel safe and wanted for the first time in her life.

But that was in the past.Johnwas in the past.

She clenched her fists around his abdomen. She had to erase those emotions and think of the future. Her future. The fact that John had managed to get close, tear down her walls was irrelevant, because without the diamonds, she may as well have taken Carlos’s bullet in the head and be dead and buried. Without the money, lots of money, she’d be on the streets, fending for herself, fighting to survive. She didn’t think she could go back and be that person again. She hadn’t wanted to be that wretched soul the first time round, and the thought of having to dodge an enraged Carlos and his henchmen as well as survive London’s dark, cold alleys was so terrifying it made her dizzy and wrung out her heart.

She held her breath as John skipped another red, narrowly missing a car which slammed on the brakes and whacked on the horn. John didn’t even slow down, didn’t even appear to notice their close shave with the Grim Reaper.

Kat saw Carlos’s ugly, swollen face snarling before her mind’s eye and shuddered at the foul image. There were no more jobs with Carlos; she was officially retired from that corrupt game, thank goodness. She hoped she’d never see him again. He would rape her and kill her, slowly and painfully. It made her all the more resolute about her decision to keep the diamonds. She had to put her safety and her life above her feelings for John. Survival was her only option, her only choice.

But the little bag of diamonds had felt so light. Was there really two million pounds worth in there? She had no idea about such things, but couldn’t take the risk that John had lied about how much was in the little velvet pouch. He’d lied about other things—so had she—so why should she trust him to have told the truth about what a few gems were worth?

She had plenty of money in her bank account. But now, she’d need to find somewhere else to live and that would use up a big chunk of the diamonds. Eventually, she’d need more money, and if she wasn’t careful, she’d be back to doing a normal job, like a normal person. She didn’t want that. Not now she’d gotten used to finer things.

Kat set her jaw determinedly as she tucked her head tighter between John’s shoulder blades. He was accelerating wildly along Park Lane. Yes, the diamonds—all the diamonds— would be her ticket to a financially secure future. Since John had effectively ruined her future in one night, it seemed only fair that she should keep them. He could go get himself some more, whereas she was hardly likely to find another Carlos to work for.

They finally arrived in the basement of her apartment block.

John clicked off the engine and waited for Kat to slide off the bike. “This is all yours now,” he said handing her the keys.

“Yep.” Kat decided not to complain about his awful driving. What was the point? Soon, he’d be gone forever, and she’d have the loot. Bringing up his death wish handling of the bike might just delay his departure. And after all…they had made it back alive.

He climbed off and stepped up close, his leathers creaking in the silence of the underground car park.

Kat couldn’t bring herself to catch his eye. The sooner he was gone the better. Then she could be on her own again. It was what she was used to. What she preferred. It was so much simpler than having to think of someone else all the time. It was so much simpler than caring.

“So I guess this is goodbye,” he said.

“Unless you find the diamonds, then I’d appreciate my share.” Kat crossed her arms. “Some honour among thieves would be a refreshing change, don’t you think?”

“Honour among thieves,” he repeated with a raise of his eyebrows and a slow nod. “Interesting idea, Pussy Cat.”

---