Isidoro hums thoughtfully. “I thought you might have. You’ve really stirred the Crimson Crew’s pot, and I doubt it’s just because they found out you are alive.”
“Tommy, show him.”
I curve an eyebrow at Niko, but he just bobs his head. I don’t know if we should show Isidoro the gem, but he thinks it’s okay, so I trust him. And who knows, maybe the odd eccentric will be able to tell us what it is or why the Crew has gone bonkers over me stealing it.
“Okay…” I trace the outline of the stone in my pocket before I fish it out. Placing it in the center of my palm, I show it to Isidoro. “Here. I think they really want this back.”
His reaction doesn’t come immediately. For a few seconds, he simply sits still, eyes locked in on the gleaming stone. It’s like he’s been hypnotized, like he’s gone somewhere else entirely, even if his body still remains here.
I study the pretty red thing. I mean, itisbeautiful in that ethereal way precious stones are, but I don’t feel the need to have an epiphany like Isidoro seems to be having just because I’m looking at it. To each their own, I guess.
“Where…” Isidoro’s voice comes out scratchy, like he’s fighting off the need to scream or growl at me. His eyes bounce from the stone to me, then from me to Niko, and then back to the stone, as if they can’t help it. “Where did you get this?”
A shiver runs down my back. I’d hug myself tight, but I’m still holding the stone. “At some posh-people party in New York. My friend and I went as staff. He disappeared, so I went looking for him and…”
“And?” Isidoro prompts me. There is urgency in his tone, like he really wants to know how I came into possession of the stone.
“There was this room. And these people with masks were doing something to my unconscious friend. I think they… killed him. Then they took his body somewhere. I waited to make sure they weren’t coming back, and then I went over to the table where he was lying. It was full of jewelry and gold, and this stone was hidden in a secret compartment. I don’t even know why I took it. I mean, I do—it was there and it looked important and I was freaking out and didn’t know what to do. So I took it. That’s when this entire mess started.”
Isidoro’s gaze darkens, shimmering with something deep as he leans in closer. “May I?” he asks, tipping his chin at my hand.
Instinctively, I tuck it away, clasping it to my chest along with the stone.He knows something. “First, tell us what you know about this stone.”
“Ten million,” he says casually. “I’ll give you ten million dollars for it.”
Ten million?My jaw hits the floor. I unfurl my fingers and throw a glance at the tiny thing. Is he seriously offering me ten million for it? That’s the kind of money that can change one’s life, set you up somewhere. Why is he willing to pay so much for this rock?
“Each. Ten million each, plus new identities, flights to Europe and a place to live,” he adds, aiming a pleading gaze Niko’s way.
My sexy gangster whistles. “Wow. You are offering a lot for a simple trinket. What’s up with that?”
Isidoro presses his lips into a line, his eyes flicking between the two of us. He stands, smooths out his pants. There is impatience in his movements as he paces over to the window and back, fiddling with the strap of his shirt.
“It’s an heirloom. A very important one to… those like me. To you, it’s simply a pretty gem worth a million or two. You won’t be able to fetch more than that. But I’m willing to give you twenty, new lives, and anything else you might need to start over.” He clasps his left cuff, rubbing the cufflink.
There is a slight bounce to his leg, like he can’t keep still even though he’s trying really hard to appear calm. It’s almost imperceptible, but the way the air around him grows tense with every passing second gives his restlessness away.
The question is, why is he suddenly on edge? And more importantly, what is he not telling us about this stone? I’m inclined to believe that it’s a heirloom—the way it was displayed at that party suggested it carries some importance—but there is more to it, or he wouldn’t be throwing millions at us.
“Come on, my friend,” he pleads Niko, smiling sweetly. “The Crew are after you because of it. Sell it to me and I’ll take care of your problem. You’ll be able to go back to a peaceful life with your beautiful fiancé. Isn’t that why you are here, asking for my help?”
Technically, he’s right. But also—
“Tommy decides what happens to the stone,” Niko states, folding his arms. “I’m just the bodyguard.”
Whom I promised seventy percent of the profit, but ten million each is plenty of money to live off, so I don’tthink Niko is going to insist on our original deal. Besides, we are kind of together now, aren’t we?
Still, something in my gut tells me not to rush into agreeing. I don’t know what it is—it’s just a feeling, like something hanging over me that’s ready to strike any moment. I want to know why Isidoro is so eager to get his hands on this stone and why he’s willing to part with so much money for it.
I meet our host’s hopeful gaze. His bouncing has gotten worse, and now there is also a wild spark in his eyes, like he’ll go mad if I don’t say yes. It makes the red almost glow, which in turn is kind of creepy.
“I… Even if it is some kind of a heirloom with importance to people like you”—whatever that means—“I think there’s more you aren’t telling us.”
“I promise you, there isn’t.” Isidoro picks his glass of wine, not taking a sip, but merely swirling the liquid inside it. “It’s just an important trinket to my family.”
His family. The Altamiranos. Who are they, really? Nothing unusual came up when I did an online search on the plane. They are very rich and very well connected in the underground world. That’s probably how and why Niko even knows this man. Their two main fronts deal with luxury furniture and construction.
I want to believe Isidoro, and I want this nightmare to be over. But everything in me screams to hold on to this stone until I know exactly what this eccentric is hiding.
