Zaria felt her shoulders relax as Kane said, “I knew it would.”
She swatted him on the arm, barely hard enough to sting, but he scowled at her as though it had.
“The hell was that for?”
“What do youthink?” she shot back. “You’re lucky I happen to be half-decent at improvisation. Why can’t you explain anything ahead of time?”
Kane blinked, apathetic. “We’ve been through this. Had I told you the plan beforehand, you would have gotten in your head about it.”
“That’s not true.” The response leapt from her tongue automatically.
“Theimportantthing,” Fletcher said, shooting Kane a pointed look, “is that it worked. Now I only have to hope those two don’t recognize me at the Exhibition.”
Kane gave a flick of his wrist. “Even if they happen across you, which is unlikely, they won’t make the connection. Nobody pays attention to what a copper looks like—they only see the uniform.” He clapped his hands together, his energy abruptly shifting. “In any case, I’d say we’re ready.”
Fletcher flashed a mischievous grin, but Zaria felt her stomach hollow out.
One day and one chance.
That was all she had.
KANE
LATER THAT EVENING, KANE, FLETCHER, ZARIA, ANDJULES ALLsat around the table in Kane and Fletcher’s living area.
Perhaps it was the enormity of what tomorrow would bring, but Kane felt as if most of the tension had faded. Jules and Zaria sat on one side of the table, he and Fletcher on the other. Everyone watched him. Waiting for him to outline the plan one final time.
Zaria’s eyes met Kane’s through the candlelight. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, waves framing her jaw and collarbone. She still looked rather sickly, skin pale and cheekbones hollow, but her gaze was unflinching as ever. Kane could still taste the panic he’d felt upon finding her unresponsive on the floor of the workshop. It had risen in the back of his throat like bile, bitter and gag inducing. He couldn’t lose her when they were so close to pulling off the heist. He needed her expertise. He needed her intelligence.
He needed to kiss her again.
He wasn’t finished with her. Not even close. But Zaria Mendoza was not—could not be—for him. Especially when he was going to betray her so very soon.
What if you simply gave her what you promised?An especially frustrating corner of Kane’s mind kept posing the question. He could steal the rest of the jewelry, he supposed, and avoid going back on his deal with Zaria, but it was just too risky. His focus was on saving Fletcher—that was the reason they were doing this. He wasn’t going to thrust that into jeopardy by stealing the entire goddamned Waterhouse display. A missing necklace could be overlooked, but a missing exhibit could not. He’d already sold the jewels they’d stolen from the widow, having never intended for them to enter the walls of the Crystal Palace.
What did it matter if Zaria hated him more than she already did?
“Okay,” he said when he could bear the silence no longer. “We go to the palace shortly before noon tomorrow—that’s when the queen and prince consort are meant to be arriving, and they’re each to make a speech. That’ll draw the attention of the masses. We’ll pay our fare like everyone else and enter through the main turnstiles. Fletcher will already be inside, having gotten Price to place him as close to the Waterhouse display as possible. The queen’s entrance is his cue to plant the atomizing adhesive on the window.”
Fletcher nodded once, his mouth a straight line. “Price knows the plan. He’s not going to interfere.”
Kane didn’t expect him to. They’d made it very clear what was at stake should the sergeant decide to turn on them. “Once we get inside, things might get dicey. I wouldn’t be surprised if tens of thousands of people attend. In a way, that’s a positive, because it means more distractions. Nobody will be paying attention to us. Zhao, are you in, or are you only here for the hospitality?”
This he threw at Jules, who was surveying him with considerable distaste. The boy was fiercely loyal, evidenced by the fact that he was here at all, but he made no secret of the fact that he detested Kane. Jules appeared to be getting along with Fletcher, at least; the two had shaken hands when Jules and Zaria arrived, while Jules had avoided Kane’s outstretched arm like the plague. Kane frankly didn’t care whether Julian Zhao liked him or not, but it was irritating to be the only one making an effort.
“I’m in,” Jules said stiffly.
“And if anything goes sideways,” Zaria said, chiming in for the first time. “Jules and I won’t be sticking around.” She placed an easy hand on Jules’s forearm. Kane’s eyes latched on to it, that expression of obvious ease between the two of them. Acid stung the back of his throat, and he struggled to choke it down. Though he knew Zaria’s relationship with Jules was purely platonic, a petty, immature part of him resented the other boy. But what was the point? Kane would do what he needed to, and then Zaria would be gone, never again speaking his name unless it was to curse it.
“Nothing is going to go sideways,” he snapped, an edge to his voice that hadn’t been there prior. “I’m confident we’ll get into the Crystal Palace with no issues. Once inside, we obviously have to seek out the pianoforte. We know where the Broadwood exhibit is going to be, and I’ve mapped out the most efficient route. I’ve allotted fifteen minutes to get from point A to point B.” He turned to address Zaria, his stomach flipping when she arched a brow at him. “Ideally, we get there before the queen’s speech commences. Once we get the explosives, you and Jules will take them, and I’ll deal with the rest. Meanwhile, Fletcher will ensure he’s in position.
“When the queen starts speaking, you’ll release a single vial of the aleuite. Fletcher will start to evacuate everyone away from theWaterhouse display, and as he does, you’ll release the second vial. We’ll have to find a place where you and Jules can stay out of sight. Once the smoke spreads, that’s when I swoop in to start picking the lock. All being well, it should only take me a few minutes to get to the necklace.” Six minutes, to be precise. “I’ll hand the rest of the jewelry off to you and Jules,” Kane added quickly, aware that he had almost forgotten to mention the other items. Luckily, neither Zaria nor Jules appeared to catch his slip.
Kane wouldn’t pass the jewelry off, though. He would utilize the fog to lose Zaria and Jules, escaping with Fletcher and the necklace as fast as possible. Once they figured out he had swindled them, they were welcome to linger and attempt to take the rest of the Waterhouse jewels, but he didn’t envy their chances of success.
“At this point, the thirty-six minutes required for the atomizing adhesive to react should have passed. The glass of the window will have begun to disintegrate, but nobody should notice with the aleuite smoke. The moment we’re outside, you release the third vial. We blend into the panicking crowd and disappear.”
“It sounds simple when you put it like that,” Zaria said, a note of dubiety in her tone.
