Page 28 of Heist in Paradise

Next, I turned to Madoc, who appeared lost in thought. Then his hands stilled on Olivia’s knife. “She’s not working alone.”

My gut twisted. “What do you mean?”

“She has a benefactor,” Madoc said, returning his intense gaze to the doorway as if it were enough to summon her back. “Someone fed her the information to get her here.”

“So they took advantage of a sad girl,” Zola said, dropping the tablet on the table with a resigned thunk. “It’s a dick move, but it’s not our problem. Salvadore probably has enemies far and wide.”

“You think it’s a setup?” I asked Madoc. He knew the true gravity of my question and its implications. Madoc was a predator in his own right. He could slip into the minds of monsters and not lose himself, at least not where anyone could see it. He was rarely wrong, which was why he took his time to respond. He considered his words carefully.

One word and we’d blow the place to smithereens.

“Yes,” Madoc said. “And no.”

Callum snorted. “Unambiguous as always, lad.”

Madoc ignored him, his mind a thousand miles away. I knew it was a fragile system and didn’t want to interrupt, even if my headache was quickly eating up my patience.

Finally, Madoc tilted his head, coming to a decision. “She is meant to be here,” he said, holding the knife to his face and examining it affectionately. “I don’t believe in coincidences. We want to rob him, she wants to ruin him. It seems our interests are aligned. And so are those of our overlords.”

“What are you saying exactly?” Zola asked with a suspicious frown.

Madoc smiled. “What if it’s the same overlord?”

“Dr. Z?” I frowned at him. That couldn’t be true.

“Either him, or someone in direct competition. A new player.” Madoc’s eyes snapped up as we heard footsteps approaching. “Meet the new recruit.”

When Olivia walked in, the room was silent, and everyone swiveled toward her, unblinking. She hesitated, one hand twisting the strap of her backpack. “What’s going on?” she asked nervously, looking at me. “Did you find something?”

“Not yet.” I shot Madoc a hard look. He returned it, unsmiling. “Alright, fuck it. We’ll do another sweep, be more thorough this time.”

“How thorough?” Olivia asked.

“Crawlspaces and vents,” I said. “Everything but the foundation.”

Ryle jerked to his feet and hefted his pack onto the table. “First, a small recharge. I can’t hear anything over Cal’s stomach. Here.” He tossed two protein bars and a packet of granola at me. “Sharing is caring,” he said, shooting a meaningful look at Olivia.

A swell of gratitude rose in my chest. I could see the renewed determination on their faces—Zola even picked up the tablet again, laser focused on the screen—taking Madoc’s words to heart. If Olivia were working for Dr. Z or someone in direct competition, it was better to keep her close. Find out what we could. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

“Come,” I said, and like an eager little lamb, she followed me back to the balcony.

It was cooler than before, with the sun partially obscured by a new formation of greyish clouds. I didn’t like the look of them, even if the fresh wind felt heavenly on my feverish skin. I breathed it in while Olivia watched me in bemusement.

“You’re actually getting fresh air this time,” she said at my questioning look. “I thought it was code for smoking.”

“It can be both.”

I started on the granola as Olivia beelined to the patio furniture and tried to arrange the chairs closer together. I watched her struggle for a moment, trying not to laugh, and then I leaned over and dragged them toward me one-handed.

Her eyes widened, lingering on the bulge of my arm. “Show off,” she said. “Here I was convinced they were just show muscles.”

I flexed, and she purposely looked away, but not before I caught the faint flush on her cheeks. I wasn’t usually a show-off, but for some reason, she brought it out in me. I wanted to go full caveman on her, grunt and beat my chest like a silverback gorilla.

“Were you talking about me before I walked in?” she asked as she sat delicately in the chair and crossed her legs. This wasn’t a tea party, so I purposely sat too close to her, knocking my knee into hers.

“Yes.” I grinned at her answering glare.

“I knew it,” she said crossly. “It reminded me of high school.”