“But you know, if it hadn’t been for you, I wouldn’t be where I am now, even after that article, sothanks, Liv. I hope somedayI can return the favor.” He stared her down, not breaking eye contact or letting her see him flinch.
She flinched first and backed up a step before turning to walk away.
Some people deserved the second chances they were given. Some never knew how to take them. Andrew wasn’t the best at telling them apart, but he thought he was getting better.
He snatched up today’s copy of the paper, paid, and returned to his tucked away corner. Classifieds. Merchandise. Then only seconds of scanning before he found it.
Buyer wanted. Complete set of Arthurian collectables. Second owner. 11 South 225 Capella.
Chapter 13
ISAAC
Isaaccastacalculatinggaze around the building, checking exits, clear lines of sight, concentration of people, and the time it would take to cross the room from one end to the other if he needed to bolt.
“You really have a knack for casing places, don’t you?”
Andrew—once again his partner in crime, because neither of them could bring in their people until this was over. The only one who knew was Steven, waiting to make the arrests, but Andrew had asked him to keep it small and quiet and let them pounce first.
“It’s not too often I’m trying to catch my own shadow,” Isaac said. “Using Arthurian collectables as code for Avalon was cute.I’ll have to give the thief my regards when your brother is carting them away.”
“You’re sure I’m right about what the ad was saying though? A dance club?” Andrew whisper-yelled to be heard over the music from where they scanned the place beside the bar.
“Crowded. Easy to slip in and out with no one remembering you. Makes sense. And there is noSouth225 Capella. Which means the 11 is for 11 o’clock, and South means the South part of the building, there.” He gestured to a hallway leading to a back room of the club used for private parties that was currently not in use. That’s where they’d make the drop.
“So, Jericho or whoever he sends drops the payment, the thief collects it and drops the merchandise fifteen minutes later, then Jericho goes back fifteen minutes after that, and everything’s on the honor system that he won’t peek for the thief’s identity?”
“You don’t believe in honor among thieves, Andrew?”
Andrew looked at him with a smile devoid of all the distrust that used to exist between them. “I think I’m becoming a believer,” he said and turned to the bartender to order a couple shots of whiskey.
“Drinking on the job?”
“This is almost over. We earned it.” He paid outright and nudged the second shot glass toward Isaac.
They clinked and tapped their glasses on the countertop before knocking them back, reminding Isaac of Christmas, when all this started.
The whiskey burned soothingly down his throat.
Isaac called for one more and covered the tab this time. “We can’t seem too obvious that we’re watching. If the thief’s as good as we know they are, they’ll plan to make it in and out quick, no dawdling, but they still might spot us if we don’t look like we belong.”
“Someone just went down the hall,” Andrew hissed.
“Jericho?” Isaac glanced over.
“No, but definitely someone he sent. The guy had a bag and was scanning the room very carefully.”
They downed their second shots and waited. Eventually, the man came out, sans his bag, and moved to the other end of the bar. He checked his watch but didn’t look back at the hallway.
“He’s playing by the rules.” Isaac nodded.
“Now what?”
“Now, we wait and continue to blend in.”
Andrew got a wicked grin on his face and started to bob to the music. “In that case…” He moved into Isaac’s body and slid his arms around his waist to back him onto the dance floor.
“Not what I meant.”
