Page 4 of Parker

“A team?” She blinked. “Really?”

He nodded. “They steal the goods, bring them to Monty, and then he either sells the stuff or makes a trade. So no, the guy sure as hell ain’t turning us in to the fucking cops.”

Almost there, Quinn. Just need a little more…

“What about the money?” She needed to know. “You never said how you were able to buy all of this.”

Justin’s eyelids twitched, his gaze flickering away a fraction of a second before zeroing back in on hers. “Let’s just say Monty and I came to an agreement.”

“An agreement.” Quinn kept her tone even despite her thundering heart. “How much?”

“Babe, you have to understand—”

“How big is Monty’s cut, Justin?”

Come on…tell me.

His Adam’s apple bobbed with an audible swallow. “Thirty percent.”

“Thirty?” The air in her lungs escaped with a harsh huff.

He’d offered up thirty percent of their cut without so much as a word about it until she asked? And if shehadn’tasked, what then?

They tried telling you this would happen, but you didn’t listen.

Angry—both at Justin and herself—Quinn shot to her feet before pacing the open area nearby. “You agreed to give away fifteen percent ofmycut, and you didn’t think to, I don’t know, include me in that decision?”

“Of course, I was going to tell you.” He turned away as if her concern meant nothing. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been a little busy getting things ready.”

He wasgoingto tell her, but he hadn’t. Not about any of it.

Not the decision to buy the new equipment…not the deal he’d made in order togetthose things… Justin also hadn’t told her he was planning to test the program without her.

Quinn stopped pacing and looked at him. Though she tried to ignore it, she also couldn’t help but wonder…

What else haven’t you told me?

The hypocrisy of the unspoken question wasn’t lost on her. She was fully aware of her own secrets. A massive, glaring, gut-knotting one in particular.

But that was different. The secrets she held were for his benefit as much as they were hers, and despite his own recently revealed deceptions, Quinn still felt the need to protect him.

Justin was the first man to actually give a damn about her. He’d befriended her. Loved her. And once she’d proven he had no reason not to, Justin had finally come to trust her.

From day one, he’d had her back. Now it was time to return the favor.

He was becoming impulsive. Reckless, even. And given some of the things he’d spouted off in recent weeks—like threatening to find someone else to do the job every time she started to question the sanity of his plan—Quinn knew…

If I don’t step in right now, he’s going to end up spending the rest of his life in prison. Or worse.

She pushed away the guilt and jutted her chin. Adjusting her hat, she straightened her shoulders and went back to where he was sitting. “Sorry.” She offered him a smile. “I didn’t mean to freak out. I guess I’m just nervous.”

Major understatement, Quinn.

“No need to be nervous, babe. Come on.” Justin tapped the chair’s metal seat. “Let’s get this party started, yeah?” When she removed her coat and sat down beside him, he framed her face once more before pressing his lips against hers. “In case I forget to say it…thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being my partner in all of this.” When she opened her mouth to dispute the undeserved title, he cut her off with a finger to her lips. “I get that this whole thing is my brainchild. But what started as a fleeting thought turned into a doable plan, and that’s all thanks to you. Well, you and your mad hacking skills, that is.” He tapped the tip of her nose before returning his attention to the equipment in front of them.

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