Page 78 of Virtue & Vengeance

22

EDEN

I’D BEEN LISTENING to Zander’s soft breathing for the last hour. Afraid to move a single muscle, I lay as still as I could while I was curled in his arms. At that moment, I never wanted to leave his side, but it would be dawn soon, and I needed to be back before six.

When I was sure he wouldn’t wake, I slowly slid free from his grasp.

He moved, and I froze.

Rolling onto his back, the sheet pulled, baring his chest, stomach, and waist to me. My body hummed with desire and my fingers ached to touch him, but I knew my time with Zander Hale was up.

After I walked out of his suite, I was probably never going to see him again. The entire night with him had been the perfect ending to whatever we were.

Friends.

Lovers.

I wasn’t sure anymore.

But still, my heart broke knowing Zander didn’t love me. He never would, but my mind argued that I had enough love for the both of us. I knew he cared about me, probably more than he had cared about anyone in a long time, and that was enough for me.

It had to be enough.

I didn’t have the time for more anyway.

When he resumed his soft snoring, I slid from the bed. Standing, I looked back at him, and tears slid down my cheeks. Backing away from the bed, I picked up my clothes and left his bedroom, shutting the door behind me.

Inside his living room, I dressed quickly.

When I woke up in Zander’s living room the night before, I’d been so relieved to see him that I’d almost told him everything, but when I thought about him, and Aunt Kennedy, and even his friend, Kade, I knew I had no choice.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to ask him for the money. I had no clue what reason I would give him for needing that kind amount of cash, but just as I was thinking it through my eyes had settled on the painting on the far wall.

His safe was behind that painting.

I’d seen it the night of the gala when Zander put the deposits in it. He trusted me. I knew that because he had entered the code right in front me.

I remembered the code clearly.

My stomach twisted with guilt, and the thought of stealing from Zander made me want to be sick, but I knew it was the only way.

My heart pounded fast in my chest, slamming into my ribs so hard it was beginning to hurt. I made my way to Zander’s safe, checking behind me and looking at his bedroom door as I did so.

Lifting my hand, I slid the expensive painting to the side and pressed in the first number to the code. The keypad lit up blue, making my fingers glow. I typed the last three numbers, and the lock made a clicking sound before the door popped open.

I looked back toward Zanders door, waiting a couple of seconds before I turned my attention back to the safe. Pulling the door open, I gasped and covered my mouth with my free hand when I saw the straps of cash hidden inside.

I’d only gotten a brief glance inside the safe the night of the charity event, but I never expected there to be that much money. Bundles of bills held together by colored bank straps filled the safe to the brim on one side.

On the other side, there were velvet bags full of what I was sure was jewelry, stacks of photos I had no time to look at, and personal belongings I assumed Zander found important since he was storing them inside of his safe.

Reaching inside, my fingers shook as I took out a stack of hundred dollar bills. The hundreds were wrapped in a white and gold paper band. The band had the amount of the strap printed on it.

Ten thousand dollars.

I’d never seen that much money in my life, let alone handled it. I counted out fifty stacks of hundreds and set them on the floor beneath the safe. It was then I realized I had no idea how I was going to smuggle that much money out of his place.

I closed the safe and covered it with the painting before I moved through his penthouse in search of something to put the money in.

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