Winter groaned. “Van cleaned out all my jewelry and supplies. It should’ve amounted to more than that.”
“You’ve got another two million here, as soon as we sell this crypto and get it converted to dollars,” Piers said with a smile. “I think it’s more money than he got from you. It might be some of the stuff he’d stolen on our last couple of jobs. He never told me what he was doing with the cash we made.”
“I have no idea how to do that tech garbage,” I grumped.
“Me neither,” Winter said with a worried frown.
“I do.” Undertaker shrugged. He fought back a yawn that made him close his eyes.
“Me too,” Piers said, and I hated to admit it, but I’d underestimated him. I’d figured he was just a sex toy Vance had picked up somewhere.
“What else can you do?” I asked.
Piers glanced up at me. “I’m good with security systems. I don’t know why, but I get computer programs in a way I don’t... pretty much everything else.”
Undertaker stood up and stretched like a cat, putting one leg out at an angle and bending forward till both hands touched the floor. “I’ve been awake for fifty hours, gentlemen.” He grinned. “I’ll have Aaron, whom I know you’ve been in touch with, deliver the money to you, minus our fee. I can take care of the exchange of the crypto currency if you want.” He raised his eyebrows at us as he straightened, and while I might not have trusted the man I’d met who disposed of bodies, this tired fellow in a beat to hell suit was someone I could relate to.
“Sure. What do you say, Winter?”
He grinned and nodded. “I can’t believe you trust anyone with the cash,” he murmured to me. “Aren’t you the one who told me not to trust people?”
Undertaker crossed his arms. “I’m a King, and the Kings don’t fuck around about money. You have my word, you’ll get every dollar here, minus the fee you agreed on.” He held out his hand to Winter, and they shook.
“Can you meet me at my bank with the cash?” Winter asked with a sheepish smile. “I’m scared to walk around with it after what happened.”
“We’ll do that,” Reaper said, and everyone looked at him. His eyes were still closed.
“Give me two days to convert the crypto,” Undertaker said around yet another yawn.
After that we said our goodbyes and left, driving carefully through snow that had started to pelt down back toward the Courtesan. Winter stared out the window at the dancing flakes and snow-covered trees lining the road while a frown tugged on his lips.
“I thought you would be happy after we found the money,” I said.
He glanced at me and smiled. “I am. I’m also disappointed. I worked so hard on that necklace for Madam Winters, and I’d hoped, deep in my heart, that we would recover it. I spent so much time designing it and making it perfect just for her. It had my soul in it. No other person will be able to wear it as well as she would’ve, and I feel bad for whoever bought it, too.” He shook his head.
I laughed. “You sound like such an artist.”
He shrugged. “I am one.”
“You can make another necklace.”
He sputtered and slapped my thigh. “No, I can’t make the same piece twice,” he said quietly. “Even if I could, I wouldn’t.”
“But you can make something new. Something better than what you did last time. You know the flaws that were in the work and you can avoid them.”
He rested his hand on my arm. “You’re right. I’m not screwed. I’ll do something even better this time, and Madam Winters will tell all her friends about it and show my work off. Orders will come pouring in.” He shimmied in his seat, and I shared a smile with him.
“I’m sorry, Winter. I didn’t realize that I wasn’t just helping to steal some rocks from you,” Piers said from the back seat. When I glanced in the rearview mirror, pure misery was etched on his face. He’d been so quiet that I’d almost forgotten he was there. “That’s a beautiful sentiment.”
Winter turned in his seat and stared at Piers. “You know, I could use someone to set up some sort of electronic tracking system for me. This experience taught me that I don’t keep a good enough inventory. If I had gone to the police, I never would’ve been able to prove what I had in stock beyond a few pictures I’d taken. You’re nice and helpful, so you could work the sales floor. I know Madam Winters gave you a job at the Courtesan, but I would pay you well, maybe better, and you could have a floor in the building to live in.” He smiled at Piers and it was like a ray of sunshine.
“Are you sure about this?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking the question. “Really sure?”
Winter nodded at me, far more serious than I’d ever seen him.
“Thank you, I would like that. Maybe I can do both jobs,” Piers said.
When we arrived at the hotel, Piers was the first to jump out and rush inside. Winter moved to open his door, and I snagged his hand. “You’re a better man than I am. How can you forgive him like that?”
