Page 7 of The San Marco Heist

During the lead-up to the Maguire job, our tactical driver had tangled with what we assumed was another team that was after the Codex. They’d gotten some of the intel we’d needed and stolen his phone, but we still came out on top. Although Zac—who was supposed to be posing as my date for the party—was out for a couple of weeks with an injury.

Brie nodded at Rav. “I’ll see if I can cross-reference with those street cams.”

“Good job, sweetheart.” Evelyn smiled at her baby, then resumed the video, skipping right over the interaction with Blue Eyes and Emmett’s screw-up. Was she finally trusting me to lead the team? Had my criticism in the car been sufficient for her? Doubtful.

“Opportunity for improvement here.” She paused the video and zoomed in on Emmett and me leaving. Good. He was going to catch hell for revving the engine. But she pointed at my figure on the front steps. “Rushing out like that brings unwanted attention, Scar. Be more mindful next time. Keep your emotional state in check.”

Everyone nodded, and the presentation winked out. A lifetime of training couldn’t hold my mouth closed. Brie nudged me before any words came out and my professional mask slammed into place.

“That was on me, Mum.” Emmett rocked back in his chair.

I was never good enough for her. Not like precious Emmett, who even got away with calling her Mum in the office. He was so much like Dad—irreverent, charismatic, quick thinking—it was no wonder she favored him. But seriously? How many operations did I have to lead flawlessly—or close to it—before I got a Bravo Zulu? A pat on the back? Something more than ‘Good morning, darling.’

Evelyn cocked her eyebrow at him, prompting for an explanation.

“Thomas Maguire was looking for her and egress was the best option.” Emmett nodded at me, a faint grin dancing across his face before he turned to Evelyn. “She did exactly what we needed and had us out of there in no time flat.”

A traitorous smile battled with my better instincts. He’d screwed up, I got the blame, but there he was, defending me. Almost—but not quite—admitting to his error. How could I complain about him when he was the only one who ever stood up to her for me? Brie was scared of everyone, so she clammed up when I received advice on my opportunities to improve. Rav listened like the trained soldier he was and provided support privately later. Jayce was likely too busy eating to hear half of what we were talking about.

Thanks, I mouthed to him.

“My turn!” Brie tapped her own tablet, and the screen displayed a blown-up copy of the manuscript we’d retrieved.

“It’s gorgeous,” breathed Jayce. The petite woman with tanned skin, broad shoulders, and short black hair leaned forward on the table. She maintained her gymnast’s physique by working out a ridiculous number of hours a week.

Probably almost as many as Rav, whose khaki T-shirt stretched across his wide chest and flexed biceps. His arms were folded, lips tight, and dark eyes flitting from the screen to the door and back again. He’d pushed hard for the conference room to have one-way glass so he could watch the outside while we met, but Evelyn preferred the frosted, and it was her choice in the end.

“I didn’t get a chance to look closely last night,” said Jayce.

“Is it authentic?” I asked.

Brie nodded, tapping and swiping across the tablet. The image of the front zoomed out so she could present the back next to it. “This matches the photos we have from our client. But more importantly…”

With a few more taps, the colors switched. The muted beige background transformed into intense shades of blue, the dark text turning into glowing yellow and purple. At the center, shapes in an iridescent green became clear.

Everyone’s heads tilted to make sense of it. At first blush, it was all squiggly lines.

“This is the mark they said to check for under x-ray.” Brie zoomed in on the shape. “I don’t know what it is, and the brief didn’t say, but this is definitely the stolen Codex of San Marco.”

Three waves with a circle between the second and third. A line underneath. This was likely related to that legend Thomas Maguire was talking about.

“Is it a cypher?” Rav leaned back, eyes narrowing in consideration.

“Confirming we recovered the correct piece and returning it to its rightful owner is our job.” Evelyn tapped her tablet, and the screen switched to a project board. “Interpreting medieval manuscripts and secret codes is not.”

Emmett pushed his chair away from the table and stood. “That’s my signal to leave.”

I shook my head. “The board’s up. We’re picking our next job.”

He winked at me as he passed behind my chair, leaning down to give Evelyn a kiss on the cheek. “I trust ya, sis. Plus, I’ve got a hot date.”

“It’s not even five in the morning.”

“In New York.” He tapped the control by the door on his way out, removing the frost on the glass.

Rav’s arms finally uncrossed.

“Why bother coming home first?”

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