Page 62 of The San Marco Heist

“Do you have the ring?” It was a different distorted voice this time. Possibly the one who’d spoken second on the call—not the one with the red hair.

I dipped my head to keep the call private, but continued monitoring the floor in case anyone got close. “Not yet. Soon.”

“Your week is almost up. I’d rather not have to ship your brother to you in parts.”

Malcolm and Rav both swore, while my stomach tied up into tighter knots.

“Soon means minutes. Where’s the meet?”

“Venice. Tomorrow. I’ll text you the address.”

Venice? That strengthened our suspicions the Codex and ring had a Venetian link. Should I mention we might need an extra day? No. If we did, we’d either reply to the text or send someone to the meet in Venice while we finished the job. “See you tomorrow. He’d better be—”

The call ended abruptly.

I held my muscles steady and put the phone back in my clutch, picked up my flute of cider, and squeezed my tongue against my teeth to stop them from chattering or letting my jaw flex. “How did they get my number, Brie?”

“Ah…” Brie stumbled for a few syllables. The phones Will built and she programmed weren’t hackable. That’s what they’d said. “We must have worked with one of them before.”

Shit. Of course. The more work we did, the more successful we were, the bigger that risk became. But would a happy customer kidnap Emmett? “We’ve only failed a few contracts. It’s got to be one of them behind this. Or maybe a contractor we hired in the past?” Had one of them been on the other team at the Maguire mansion?

“I’ll get on it as soon as you’re done tonight,” she said.

I took a sip from my glass and checked the family. I shouldn’t have taken my attention off them, but they were all in the same spots.

Who did we know in Venice who could act as proxy if we needed an extra day? Or one of us could go? If we needed to try again tomorrow, Jayce would have to stay here, so maybe Declan could go ahead. Or maybe Rav. I couldn’t leave the team.

Stop. Focus on tonight’s job.

We would get the ring. We would meet them in Venice tomorrow. Ithadto work.

Inside my clutch, the phone pinged with a text. I popped it open to see the details. The meet would be at ten in the morning. We could do this.

The air grew thick behind me, and the scent of bergamot invaded my nostrils, loosening the threads deep in my stomach. The man who fried my senses was sidling up behind me, just when I needed him the most. His hand would slide up my bare back, and he’d make some quip about trailing his fingers up my spine only being level two. He’d kiss my shoulder and proclaim it was only level three.

As the newcomer neared, I didn’t catch any hint of vanilla. Damn. Not Malcolm.

“Small world.” If the vocal fry hadn’t tipped me off, the other note in his cologne would have.

Pineapples.

Thomas Gregory Maguire.

My mark from last weekend.

All the warmth fled my body, and I scrunched my toes inside my shoes.Thiswas why I never went in unprepared. If we’d had the guest list, I would have known he’d be there. I would have worn a disguise.

Worse yet, there was no way to tip off the team. I’d pretended not to know his name at his father’s birthday party, so I couldn’t use it now. He was too close for me to whisper or tap on my earpiece.

I released my straight posture, one hip easing in his direction, and purred, “Feels like it’s about the right size to me.”

“I didn’t see your husband here.” He took a step so he was beside me, standing precariously close. His fingers brushed the length of my arm, taking the same liberties as he had in the library of his father’s mansion. Hell, the liberties I’d invited him to. “Traveling alone?”

One fake husband was being held by thugs. I hadn’t prepped my other fake husband for this possibility. Fuck.Change the subject. “How do you know the lucky couple?”

Ignoring my question, he took my drink from me. “Do you dance, Eloise?”

Double fuck. If distractinghimhad been the job, I would have called this too easy. But to be a convincing partnerandmonitor the Albrechtsandthe Bancroftspluswatch for signs another team was after the ring would be a challenge.

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