LJ’s eyebrows lifted higher. “A penthouse suite, huh? How do you expect to get all of us up there?”
I shook my head. “Not all of us. Only the lighter shifters. Me, Munchie, Will, and Robin. Tinker too, if she’s coming in, but something tells me she’ll hide away somewhere, hacking stuff.”
John chuckled. “You’re right on. Tinker rarely infiltrates. So, I’m guessing Munchie and Will fly you and Rob up, and then what? How are you gonna go from the top floor all the way to the bottom undetected?”
“That’s the most brilliant part.” I beamed, proud of myself. “The laundry chute goes all the way from Sherwood’s penthouse to the hotel laundry rooms which are on the same level as the vaults. And unlike the rest of the hotel and casino there arenocameras in the penthouse.”
John’s eyes widened.
“The rest of you can provide a distraction in the casino. Maybe Alan can do a song and dance. You can . . . be you.”
“Hey now! What’s that supposed to mean?”
I patted him on the back. “You’re larger-than-life, John.”
He mulled over what I’d said. “It’s a good plan. Let’s get Robin and tell him so we can brainstorm more.” He took a step toward the house. “I think—”
“I’ll stay out here,” I said.
John stopped, and the space between us filled with silence. Slowly, he came closer, his massive body like a shield. “What happened? Last night, you two weren’t the best of pals, but you still talked to him. Did he say something dumb when he walked you home? Robin can’t help but be an idiot sometimes—especially around you.”
My traitorous cheeks warmed. Obviously, LJ didn’t know that Robin had stayed the night at my place. “Nothing big. I’d just rather not talk to him right now.”
“Well, that’s too bad, because I’ve been waiting all night to talk to you.”
A voice, measured, deep, and sexy as hell, cut through me. I had only a heartbeat to prepare myself before Robin appeared and grasped my hand.
“Hey, Marian. Let’s take a walk.”
I didn’t want to, but I also didn’t want to make a scene in front of all my friends and those who I would work with during the heist. Tension could easily ruin the job. Now that I’d learned for sure that Sherwood killed my parents, I needed it to go off without a hitch. Feeling cornered, I sighed and reluctantly allowed him to lead me away from the group.
Robin bypassed the road and headed straight into the expansive desert that surrounded the ranch. As we walked, we remained silent. Only the sounds of the party and cicadas filled the air between us. The muscles in my upper back knotted. I hated this sort of confrontation.
“So, you don’t want to talk to me again, Marian?” Robin snapped and kicked a sage bush. “Why? I thought we had a good time last night—that we connected.” He shoved his hands into his pockets like a petulant child. “Or did I read that all wrong? Was I just an easy lay for you? Because that’s all I can figure, based on how you’re acting.”
I felt like he’d slapped me in the face and turned away so he didn’t see the hurt. Although, since I had hoped to use the encounter to get Robin out of my system, he wasn’t entirely wrong. It had started like that—or at least that was the lie I’d told myself. Of course, I’d been an idiot, and it hadn’t ended up feeling like that at all.
But things had changed since this morning. I’d woken up completely confused about Robin and worried. While those feelings were still there, my motivation to do away with Sherwood had overtaken my personal anxieties over us sleeping together. I needed to keep my distance, and I needed Robin to do so too.
Thankfully, I knew him so well that I also knew exactly how to push him away. I forced my face into a placid expression and turned to face him.
“The thing is, Robin, you haven’t changed. You’re still a thief, and if that isn’t bad enough, you’ve convinced me to help you rob someone. And then there’s this.” I pulled the chain out from under my shirt.
Robin’s eyes went right to the bow I’d hung beside the arrow. They bulged. He knew that the bow had been lost, and how I’d pined for it. “It looks exactly like I pictured it. But—where did you find it?”
His eyebrows furrowed, and for one stupid moment, I yearned to reach out and smooth the worry lines. But I didn’t. I forced myself not to move. In fact, I took a half step away from him.
“Sherwood’s closet. It seems to be one of his many tokens.” I didn’t want to think about how he’d acquired the other treasures. “Anyway, I’m truly grateful that you’re including me in the heist. Especially now that I have even more proof Sherwood killed my parents. But I need to make it clear that I’m joining you for the kids’ well-being, and personal revenge, and that’s it. From now on, it’s probably best that we keep a physical distance. Clearly, we both—”
“Wait!” Robin sounded frantic. “I know I’m not the man you want me to be, but I think that if you got to know this new version of me, you’d change your mind.Please,let me explain, Mar.” Robin closed the gap between us so that the white plumes of our breath mingled in the cooling desert night.
His breath smelled fresh, like peppermint, and my heartbeat kicked up. Something inside urged me to lean forward, to take his mouth in mine. To make us one again.
But I couldn’t. Getting close to him again, letting him back in, was too dangerous. My heart couldn’t handle another break, and my mind could not fathom his lifestyle. Plus, I couldn’t afford a mistake during the heist and as the least experienced criminal in the Merry Men, that was all too likely. My need for revenge burned through me, all-consuming. Now it called the shots.
I shook my head and pulled away. “I made my choice years ago. Last night was a mistake.”
“There was no way that was a mistake, Mar. Nothing between us wasevera mistake. Honestly, I think that if you learned more about what I do now, you might—”
