I follow her to a set of stairs, and we walk up three flights then step into a grungy-looking hall. The carpet, gaudy and stained, looks straight out ofThe Shining,and the paint on the walls is peeling. We’re not in the greatest part of town, so I’m not surprised to see how rundown the building looks. But there’s no way she lives here. I’d bet my last dollar it’s her safehouse. She’s far too classy for a dump like this. We walk to the last door at the end of the hallway and she unlocks it.
“After you,” she invites with a sweep of her hand.
“Ladies first,” I insist, not ready to take my eyes off her. And my reasoning has nothing to do with her exquisite looks and everything to do with not trusting her.
She huffs out a frustrated breath and storms inside. I follow, shutting the flimsy door behind me, then take a good look at the small apartment. There’s a worn-looking couch and a small table with its plastic top peeling up at the edges. It’s dark and dusty, but Bella doesn’t open the blinds. She just flips on the dim overhead light.
“I’m sure this isn’t up to your usual lofty standards, but it was the most convenient safehouse.”
Okay, so I’m right.But what does she mean by it not being up tomy lofty standards?Does she think I’m some kind of snob? The even bigger question is why do I care what the hell she thinks?
“Do you plan on telling me what the hell is going on?” I lock eyes with her, then can’t help but tease her a little. “Or maybe you stole me away for other reasons?” I grin and lift my bound hands. “Are you planning on doing kinky things to me, Miss Diamond?”
“Do you have any idea how annoying you are?” she fires back without missing a beat.
“Me?” I ask, pretending to be shocked. “Babe, I’m an absolute joy. Like a whole litter of fluffy little puppies.”
A delicate snort escapes her. “Sit,” she commands. “And don’t soil the furniture.”
Damn, she’s a fucking hoot.
My grin disappears when I glance down at the faded and stained floral couch. Suppressing a grimace as I sink onto the old, lumpy cushion, I try not to imagine where it’s been and the questionable things that have been done on it. Because I amnota snob like she inferred. Sure, my ass might be used to lounging on a high-end, luxury sofa, but I can slum it.
She sits down beside me, not making a move to remove the cuffs, and asks, “Are you familiar with the Phantom Orchid?”
“Which one?” I scoff, knowing there are multiple fakes out there.
“The real one.”
“It was lost a long time ago. No one’s seen it since…” Hell, I’m not sure when exactly, but Bella knows right away and finishes my sentence.
“Since 1938.” She shifts, or maybe that’s a cheap spring breaking beneath her. Possibly even poking her in her lovely ass.
Oh, to be that spring.
“Okaaay. What does some long-lost, mythical purple diamond have to do with me?”
“It’s not a myth. And you’re going to help me find it.”
“Why would I do that?” I drawl, my tone laced in bored amusement.
“Because you don’t have a choice.”
“You’re not exactly winning me over.”
She sighs. “It’s a two-person job. Trust me, if I could do this alone, I would.”
“Fair. But, why me? I’m sure you could call up any number of willing accomplices.”
A strange look crosses her face then disappears just as quickly. “You have the technical skillset and expertise needed to disarm alarms and bypass security cams, right?”
I shrug a shoulder, playing it cool. But, yeah, I have all those skills and then some. If I really wanted to break in somewhere, not even Fort Knox could keep me out.
“I’m also going to need the gem’s authenticity verified. Like you said, there are quite a few fakes floating around.”
Ah-ha.So she does actually need me. There are any number of thieves she could persuade to help her. The payoff for a find of that magnitude would be pretty substantial. But only if she could prove its authenticity. And not many out there would have that expertise. Not like mine.
I start wondering how difficult I should make all this. The truth is, I’ll help her, because I’m more than a little intrigued and this is the most excitement I’ve had in my life in a while. But I’m not letting her know that quite yet. Gotta keep her on her pretty, little toes.
