Sev snorts.
My face pinches. "Should I be?"
"No, but it's cute that you are. And I mean, hedidask me out."
"Oh, we know," Atticus says without turning around.
"Gave you his number and everything," I add.
"You know, maybe you should go out with him," Atticus suggests. "It would be the normal college thing to do."
"No," Sev and I say at the same time, and Aurora laughs.
"If I wanted a decoy boyfriend he wouldn't even be in the running," she says with a shudder. "Something about him…he gives me a bad vibe."
Atty and Sev share a look. One that says they're amused that some jock at college gives her bad vibes and yet she's comfortable sitting among thieves and murderers.
She pats Sev's thigh. "Don't worry, I'm not looking to add to my reverse harem."
"We're a…reverse harem, now?"
She gives him a coy look. "I don't make the rules. That's what BookTok calls it. Or, I guess this is just a menage?"
I wince as my gaze slides to Atticus.
The man in question stiffens, and I think I should change the subject. I clear my throat. "I,uh, I think youwillactuallyhave to start teaching English for your virtual classes, though, right, Atty? Since Ambrose's people are listening now?"
"Don't call me that," he barks. "But yes. You will. Cameras can stay off during the lessons, but from now on, there will actually be someone on the other end."
I raise my hand. "I'm fluent in French, Italian,andSpanish. With Atticus's voice modulator, we should be able to make it sound legit."
Her brows rise. "Wait, so, I'll be teachingyouEnglish?"
I nod. "Yep. Twice a week, Angel. And I wouldn't mind if you turned your camera on. In fact, I think watching your mouth move might help with my pronunciation."
She shakes her head at me. "Four languages. I'm impressed."
"Five if you count reading music."
"Show-off," Sev scoffs.
"Says the man who can crack any safe in under thirty seconds."
"I'm going to have to see that in action sometime," Aurora tells him, and then turns back to me, her eyes hungry as she bites her lip. "Say something to me in Italian."
"I tuoi occhi sono I piu?—"
"Got it," Atticus says, interrupting what was going to be a beautiful poem. "There's a private exhibit taking place in the Musee Matisse outside the city. There's going to be a Modigliani on display. That's got to be it. He's going after it."
"Not if we get to it first," Sev corrects.
"Don't they keep the art in that basement vault ahead of the display dates?" I ask. "Dad did a job there once. I remember the blueprints."
"No," Atticus says. "It's too risky. We stay here."
"Youcould stay here," Sev suggests. "Me and Eli can handle it, can't we, Eli?"
Aurora stops moving her Chinese noodles around with the chopsticks, setting the virtually untouched box on the table. "What about me? Can I come?"
