Page 84 of The San Marco Heist

Chapter 32

Malcolm

Iknewthreethingsabout phoenixes. One, they were mythological birds that rose from their own ashes. Two, the rest of the flight to Venice had been dominated by discussions of phoenixes, the Fenix Group, and the identity of the mysterious man who pulled the gun on me. And three, the phoenix was the most successful cockblocker I’d ever experienced in my life.

Two weeks ago, I’d stolen the Reynolds getaway driver’s phone, after receiving a tip from my only team member I’d met face-to-face for the Codex heist: Reynolds had the schematics for the Codex’s case, and we needed it. We’d thought that gave us the upper hand, since we’d taken that information away from them. Despite it all, Reynolds had still beaten us to the prize.

While my balls attempted to recover from the not-close-enough call in Scarlett’s cabin, I discovered Reynolds had broken into the company that designed the case—Barton Safes just outside of Boston—and secured a second set of specs. There, they’d stumbled on a duplicate set written up for something called The Fenix Group.

None of it mattered to me. The Codex job was a grand failure, but it was in my past. Their second sighting of Fenix wasn’t important to me, either, since that was a longer-term concern for Scarlett and her team.

Perhaps Scarlett and I had made too much noise, so Rav used it to stop us. Because after the flurry of discussion, he barred me from entering the back cabin with her.

After touching down in Venice, we took a water taxi to St. Mark’s Square and our hotel. Everyone collapsed for a few hours of sleep. I’d hoped Scarlett and I could have picked up where we’d stopped on the plane, but I was as exhausted as the rest of them. Now, we were on our way to the meet point.

Everything was finally going to plan. It had been a screwed-up path to get here, but the five of us were walking across a small bridge to a large dark-wood doorway. On the other side of that doorway would be Emmett Reynolds and the end of this ordeal.

I could barely keep my eyes off Scarlett, our bodies practically vibrating when we got too close to each other. The temperature was far warmer in Venice than in London, and she had her hair up in a messy bun. She wore dark-gray pants and a silk blouse in ivory, which reminded me of the lace on her bra. What was she wearing under this one? Once we had Emmett, we’d go back to the hotel, and I’d find out. And with nothing else to bother us, I’d find out a hell of a lot more.

The narrow bridge led to an even narrower road between the two buildings ahead of us and to the double-doors of the house where we were to meet the clowns. The bridge crossed a narrow canal, with a water door built into the side of the home—arched with a portcullis-style gate which could be raised to allow a boat inside.

Rav walked at the front of the group. “I’m going in first.”

“You’ll do no such thing,” snapped Scarlett. “We’re playing this exactly the same way as we play every other situation where I’m negotiating. I go in first and you’re behind me.”

“Where will Malcolm be?”

“Beside me.”

The big man looked like he was about to snap my neck. How much would it take to earn his respect or trust? Or until he stopped glowering at me like the man who was risking Scarlett’s life? Probably a lot. Probably a lifetime.

Her lips tightened. “He was the one with Emmett when they took him. He was the one who was supposed to deliver the Codex to them. He is going to be up front with me.”

Rav gave her a curt nod. “Then I open the door, I go in first, but I hold it open for the two of you.” He inclined his head toward Jayce and Declan behind me. “You two, stay by the door.”

Declan put up his hands as if in surrender. “Don’t need to tell me twice.”

From what I’d learned, Jayce did all of her work in secret, and Declan was a very sheltered member of the team. If it was going to be an issue, they should’ve stayed at the hotel. However, this was a family affair. They all wanted to be sure Emmett was safe and had refused to stay back.

“Brie,” said Scarlett, “you got eyes?”

We hadn’t had time to see Will before flying out of London, so we’d brought the drone I’d recovered with us. The damage from landing in the hedge had been slight, and Will walked Declan through minor repairs while we were on the jet. The plan was for it to hover fifty feet above the open courtyard in the center of the palazzo we were to meet them at.

“I do. There are two men with clown masks inside.”

Rav said, “Inside the courtyard?”

“Yes, but no sign of Emmett.”

“There were three of them at the poker game.” My every instinct told me to take Scarlett’s hand or put my hand on her back. Something to show my support. What was coming over me? I didn’t show people support. I worked. I did jobs. This whole team thing was screwing with my brain. “The one with the green hair was the only one who talked. He was also the biggest. Red hair was the smallest, and blue hair—even though he never said anything—felt like he was in charge.”

Will chimed in, “I’m going to maneuver the drone around a little. The opening in the roof isn’t giving us a full picture straight down. There’s an overhang, so maybe he’s hidden from sight.”

Rav paused before opening the door.

Brie said, “The third clown was hidden underneath an overhang. He’s standing in front of a door in the courtyard that’s closed.”

Emmett had to be safe. As stressed as Scarlett was, I was feeling an equal weight of guilt. He’d saved me from a beating all those years ago, and then he’d received one… Why? Because he was the one with the family and I wasn’t. If I’d had anyone I could count on to save me, maybe I would’ve been left behind as the leverage.

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