Page 21 of Heist in Paradise

“I’m good at knots,” he added, like he couldn’t help himself. His eyes dropped to my mouth. “And gags.”

My face heated. “F-fine. What else do you want?”

His head tilted, considering it at length. I tried to see my worth through his eyes, but it was hard. He was right—I was at a disadvantage. He could very well tie me up and abandon me, or worse, shoot me. He practically oozed violence, and the feral look in his eyes unnerved me.

“So many things,” he said slowly, heavily. “I’ll let you know when I pick one.”

That was unacceptable. “You can’t just—”

“Times up.”

I stuttered. “What? I—”

“We’re burning daylight, princess. You want my help, you got it. I’m done with the foreplay.”

‘Foreplay?’ I mouthed incredulously. He was unbelievable. My head was still reeling when he extended his hand. I stared at it dumbly. Eventually, he laughed and took my hand and placed it in his own for the world’s limpest handshake.

When I realized what was happening, I snatched back my arm like he had an infectious disease. “I don’t like you.”

“I’ll get over it.” He turned to the doors, but I couldn’t let him leave just yet, not when I felt so wrong-footed. I needed to tip the scales back in my favor. “Can I at least know your name? You know mine.”

His grin bordered on filthy, like he knew exactly what I was doing. “You can call me Jax.”

JAX

Damn.

That went better than I’d expected. I’d been gearing up for a fight, or at the very least a righteous speech about how stealing was bad, bad, bad. Not that Olivia struck me as particularly righteous, what with her petty thieving and trespassing. She just…surprised the hell out of me.

She was so prissy and perfect. It made me want to prove how bad I really was.

“I want my knife back,” she said as she rushed to catch up to me. I liked that, too. Her following me, eager and helpless. I ignored her demands—more to keep pushing her buttons than anything—and was rewarded with another prissy huff at my back.

Callum was still at the door, hovering over Ryle without trying to be too obvious. Nate and Zola were locked in another foreplay match. Madoc was gone. So was the binder. Olivia clocked it with a frown and leveled accusing eyes on me. “Tell Count Chocula to keep his thieving hands to himself.”

I blinked at her. “You mean Madoc?”

“Madoc.” She made a face like she’d just swallowed something rotten. “That’s the cretin.”

“He wants your knife,” I said, resisting the sudden urge to poke her cheek. I suspected she would bite me, just latch on like a furious chihuahua. “And I don’t tell Madoc anything.”

Madoc lived in a world of his own. Usually, it felt like a privilege just to be part of it.

“What’s the verdict, boss?” Nate perked up in his chair, one arm slung over the back of Zola’s. “We making it like the wind and blowing this crypt?”

“Not yet,” I said, catching Callum’s eye. “We made a deal.”

Callum grinned and whispered something to Ryle, who snorted loudly into his hand. I shook my head at the pair of them. Morons, all of them. I glanced at my watch, the black face turned in on my wrist. “I want to be at the extraction point by nightfall. We’ll set up camp on the beach. That gives us six hours to do what we need.”

“What deal?” Zola asked, zeroing in on Olivia by my shoulder. I knew that look. That look meant I’d have a fight on my hands after all.

“Olivia won’t talk,” I explained bluntly. “In exchange, we’ll help her dig up some dirt on Salvadore.”

“Will we now?” Zola repeated, her eyes dangerous. I raised my brow at her tone. Her face was blank, leeched of any emotion. Nate shuddered beside her.

“Not now,” I warned her.

Zola smiled coldly. “Fine.” It wasn’t a win. Just a temporary cease-fire. I knew I’d cop an earful later. “Since we’re apparently bringing in outsiders, you should know the painting is a cover.”