Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
I didn’t know what I’d been expecting, but the entire vault was filled with shining pieces: rings made of brilliant red rubies or deep green emeralds, diamond earrings of every size and brilliance, bracelets, anklets, necklaces.
I was no expert, but I imagined it had to be a solid million dollars’ worth of jewelry that I shoved into my purse before closing the vault and putting the picture back into place.
My bag was already heavy, but it had some room—enough for me to go ahead and pinch several bottles of her perfume, some silk scarves, and most of her makeup.
I’d half-expected to get caught. But I’d slipped just as easily out of the bedroom as I had in.
I stashed the bag and my wig inside my heavy winter jacket, got back into my work uniform, and went back to work.
No one knew anything had happened.
“The wife had been over the moon with the haul. Enough that she gave me an extra grand and told me she would be sending business my way.”
I did go back to work, just in case anything got wonky with the safe. It would have looked extra suspicious if I quit right after.
It did hit the news.
But no one ever linked the heist to anyone.
The insurance paid out.
The wife hired a bull of an attorney and got the kind of alimony most ex-wives could only dream of.
“And I got business,” I told Miko.
“Lot of ex-wives who got screwed?”
“At the beginning. That was that woman’s circle, so, naturally, that was what came my way. But it slowly became something else after that. Now, it’s a real mixed bag. Angry exes. Bitter old business partners. A little bit of everything.”
“Can I ask the obvious question?”
“How the hell did I get broken into when breaking into things is my livelihood?” I supplied for him.
“Yeah.”
“I guess that’s a mix of things. First, compared to being on the streets, having a door with locks sure felt safe enough.”
“On the streets?” Miko asked. “Like…”
“Homeless,” I supplied. “Yeah. Megs and I were on the streets for years. But it was also a bit of bravado. And a mix of just stupidity. We never had anything worth stealing, so the risk felt really low.”
“Still. Three women, living alone.”
“Yeah, I see that now,” I agreed. “And I’m glad Tyler will be around for a few days. Gives me a chance to get some other systems in place.”
I’d already decided, when sleep had been elusive because I was jumping at every sound in the building, that I was going to devote most of the money from the dog urn to getting our apartment as safe as possible.
Better locks, a digital security system, and cameras were the top priority. After that, I wanted to make sure weapons were placed an arm’s length away all across the apartment.
Nicole would think I was crazy.
But Megs would understand.
As much as I had shielded her from over the years, she’d also managed to see some shit too. Enough to understand how invaluable the right protections could be.
Then, when the day came that Tyler did move in, I knew they were all safe when I had to go. The apartment was big enough for three, thanks to the fact that I worked a lot. But four people would be pushing it. Besides, they would all want their privacy.
There was an unexpected ache in my chest at the idea of going off on my own. I was so used to taking care of Megs, of having her around, that it was hard to imagine a life without her.
Who the hell would I talk to then? Often, the only people I spoke to on any given day were my roommates.
“Where’d I lose you?” Miko asked, suddenly close, making me jump to find he’d moved across the kitchen without me realizing.
“Oh, uh, preparations for more security,” I told him. It was only a partial lie.
“Think maybe you should sit down,” Miko said. Then his hand was suddenly at my elbow. Unexpected sizzles coursed up my arm at the contact, distracting me enough to allow him to turn and lead me toward the living room.
“What? No, I’m fine,” I insisted when I finally came back to my senses.
“You’re pale,” he shot back.
Then I felt myself pressed down onto the couch.
Before I could even think to stand again, Miko was kneeling down at my feet to remove my shoes.
A blanket appeared seemingly out of nowhere to drape over me.
The TV turned on and tuned to a sitcom rerun.
I wasn’t sure at what point the coffee was taken from my hand.
All I knew was that before the credits rolled on that first episode, I was out cold.
CHAPTER TEN
Miko
Sure, I wanted to get a move on figuring out who stole my damn diamonds. But there had to be some priorities. And the woman who seemed dead on her feet just twenty-four hours after she was brutally attacked in her own home getting some much-needed rest was more important than going over the images on my laptop.