Page 104 of The San Marco Heist

While the men focused on their little baubles, I took another step and another and another. What was my escape route? The water bus only had one stop, so if Noah wanted to grab me, he’d know where to go. There were plenty of areas I could hide out, behind the crypts, in the church, and in the cloister. If I got a solid lead, would he try to find me?

If Noah hadn’t come after me for the last two years, how much could he really care? Thomas was the one I was more worried about. It seemed to be his mission to make me suffer after the escapade at his father’s birthday party. It was doubtful Philip Maguire would put any resources into tracking me down after this, but considering the wealth Thomas had just discovered, he might hire his own teams to come for me.

Noah lifted on his knees, giving himself leverage to sift through the box for whatever it was he was looking for.

I took two silent steps backward, toward the edge of the platform. Even in the rubber- soled shoes, stepping on the stone might make a noise. But if I could get down onto the grass, I’d be harder to hear. I just had to stay away from the gravel paths.

“Oh my god, this is it.” Noah stood slowly, as did his tattooed thug.

I couldn’t see either of their faces from the angle I stood at, but the awe in his voice was clear. He’d found what he’d been looking for.

“That’s it?” said Thomas. “A feather? There’s a stone in here the size of my thumb that looks like a diamond, and all you care about is a feather?”

I eased down onto the grass, one silent foot after another. The nearest tree was ten feet away on the grass. The nearest crypt was twenty, across the gravel path. The lower risk track was the higher risk hiding spot.

In the distance, police sirens sounded. What were the chances they were headed our way? Had some late-night resident or caretaker of the island spotted us? If so, the main entrance for the water bus was not an option. Even if they couldn’t connect me to what was going on here, they’d take me in for trespassing. That wasn’t something I could risk. We had strings we could pull in pretty much any country, but favors were best kept for emergencies rather than stupid decisions.

The men around the ruined grave didn’t seem to notice. It was far enough away, but it could be on the main islands, off on Murano, or any of the other islands in the lagoon.

Thomas shot up to standing. “What is it? Why is that what you care about?”

Noah held the feather aloft, and I could see it. Made of solid gold, with barbs that glinted in the moon and lantern light. No jewels on it, no ornamentation, just a simple feather of gold. “The phoenix will rise!”

“Why do you keep talking about that? I want in on whatever it is.”

They were too absorbed in what would become another argument. I took a few more slow steps back.

A hand clamped around my waist and another landed on my mouth. As the thought of screaming flooded through my brain, I caught his scent. Bergamot. And vanilla.

Relief flooded through my entire existence, and my muscles softened. I kept quiet and turned my head to see Malcolm. I gave him one slow nod, and he released my mouth. We faded away into the shadows of the trees together.

“You’re not worthy.” Noah stuffed the feather into a pocket in his jacket and shoved Thomas so hard he stumbled into the hole, screaming.

The tattooed thug did the same to the other guy and pulled a gun. Aimed it into the hole.

“Leg only. Leave them here for the police.” Noah leaned over to talk to the men who’d been his partners. “If you tell them about us, we will come for you. You won’t know when, and you won’t be safe anywhere you go. Maybe Daddy can rescue you from an Italian prison, but he won’t be able to save you from me. Or from the phoenix.”

Malcolm pulled me tighter behind the tree as Noah spun around.

“Scarlett?” Noah grew silent, and the only sounds I could make out were Malcolm’s shallow breaths next to me and Thomas’s indignant protests.

The tattooed thug said, “You want me to go after her?”

The sirens grew louder. They must’ve been coming to San Michele. If Malcolm was here, maybe he’d called them?

“I know you’re out there, Scarlett!” yelled Noah. “And my offer stands. If you want to leave here, I’ll take you.”

Job security wasn’t something I ever worried about. No matter how my mother treated me, she was right. I was good at this job and any amount of false praise wouldn’t help me get better.

“We need to go, Noah. They’ll be here soon.”

“I know.” There was almost a sound of regret in his voice. “And we have important things to do.”

Two suppressed gunshots broke the silence, followed by screams and moans. Noah and his thug ran in the opposite direction from where Malcolm and I were hiding.

Malcolm spun me in his grip so I faced him. “We can talk later or not, but Rav is meeting us at the southwest gate. We need to hurry.”

I took his face in my hands and just stared at his gorgeous self for a heartbeat. We did have to hurry. The police would be there soon, and the sounds coming from the pit would bring them down on us swiftly. “I told you to leave me alone.”

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