Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
Going back to the coffee-colored, four-poster bed, his hand went to the intricately carved post at the head of the bed. Slowly twisting the acorn on top with his gloved fingers, he removed the key hidden inside. He twisted the acorn back on top, then went to the dresser and opened the first drawer, taking out a leather tray. Kyler gave a grunt of satisfaction at the collection of watches and jewelry inside. Fucker deserved having his shit stolen. If he owned shit like this, you could bet they would be locked in a safe. What was he thinking?
He snickered to himself. He did own them now.
After shoving the jewelry into his backpack, he zipped it closed.
He got more than what he had come for. He ran back downstairs to the laundry room and was out of the house in less than four minutes. Crawling back through the side yard, he waited until he was back in the shadows before getting to his feet to run.
When he sighted the car waiting for him, he picked up speed, nearly barreling into the car before he could slow down.
His hands were shaking so hard he could barely open the door. Then he looked at the woman behind the wheel. “Let’s go.”
She put the car in gear without a word.
His cousin looked more scared than the woman he had left in the closet.
They were several miles away before she cast him an anxious glance, gripping the steering wheel as if it were a life preserver. “You find it?”
Kyler raised the key up so she could see it in the dim light. “Have I ever let you down?”
“No, you haven’t.” She gave him a vindictive grin. “I wish I could be there when the son of bitch realizes it’s gone.”
“Yeah, like that’s going to happen,” he scoffed. “We’re dead meat if he finds out we’re the ones who took it.”
“How’s he going to know? I only found it because I had to dust that stupid bed.”
“There better be something good in there, Camy. I didn’t chance going back to prison for chump change.”
“Would you hide a key to a storage unit unless you didn’t want someone to find out what was in it?”
“We’re about to find out. Make a left. Don’t park out front. Park at the donut store. I have a couple of my buddies waiting for me.”
Following his instructions, Camy parked at the donut shop. “You didn’t tell me you brought some of your friends into this.”
Kyler ignored her worried frown. “Trust me, okay? I don’t want us to be seen on camera emptying out that unit. They brought their own van and can empty it out in ten minutes. I’m not going to lead that motherfucker to our door. Lou and T.J. aren’t from here. They were my roommates in the halfway house. They’re going back home after this job.”
Camy wasn’t satisfied with his answer. “And they are only doing this out of the kindness of their hearts?”
“I plan to take care of that.” Kyler reached for his backpack, which he had flung to the floorboard when he got inside the car.
Her head fell back to the head rest when she saw what was inside. “Where did you get the gun?”
“I stole it from a bozo who was drunk off his ass.”
She turned her head to stare at him. “You don’t know who he was?”
“No. Better yet, he doesn’t know who I am, either.”
“This was supposed to be me and you. I wish you hadn’t involved so many people. He’s not going to take his shit being stolen lightly.”
Seeing her shiver, Kyler laid a hand on her arm. “I promise he’ll never figure out it was us.”
Camy didn’t seem reassured at his insistence. Raising her head, she gave him a sad look. “I can count on both hands how many promises you have broken to me. You just don’t get it.” She sighed.
“What don’t I get?”
“This time, if you screw up, we’re both dead.”
ONE
Shutting the door, Sage made her way back to the small cubicle where she worked in defeat. What was she going to do? Dispirited, she stared at her computer monitor while thinking over what options were left available to her.
“What has you looking so glum?”
Sage raised her eyes from the computer to see a co-worker peering over the partition separating them. “Nothing, Livvy,” she lied, refusing to give the woman any ammunition to gossip about her and hoping she would take the hint and leave. “I need to concentrate on a document I’m reading.”
Coming around the partition, Livvy sat down on the edge of the desk. “I take it asking for more hours was shot down by Bree?”
Since Livvy wasn’t buying that she wasn’t upset, there was no need to keep pretending. The best way to deal with the gossipmonger was to act as if the disappointment didn’t hurt. Clearly, the head of HR hadn’t waited to text Livvy about what the meeting she had asked for was about.