Page 22 of Cozen

“I just meant—”

“You’re right,” she interjected sharply. “Any thief can steal, but not every thief is like me. I have my own way of doing a job like this, and it is not the flash and dash kind of thing. I might like to work again someday. That’s kind of hard to do when you make a fucking scene.”

“My apologies.”

Cozen played with the gold ring on her left thumb. She twisted the thick band around and around to let it calm her as much as possible. The small piece of jewelry gave her a sense of peace and security whenever she touched it.

That’s why she wore it.

“It has been three months,” he reminded her.

“I told her six at the most,” Cozen returned.

“Might it be more?”

“Depends on how much people piss me off. And you know, how much Pearl Astor wants her ring back.”

“Noted.”

“Why is she all of the sudden concerned about how long this job takes, Ace? Pearl was well aware that it would take me time to integrate into Jett’s life, and work on extracting the ring. They didn’t want fanfare, remember?”

Ace cleared his throat. “Maybe it isn’t so much Pearl as someone else.”

Cozen’s gaze narrowed. “Who is this someone else?”

“Fourth.”

Really, again?

Didn’t her little lesson with him teach the man anything?

“Fuck him—Fourth didn’t hire me.”

“True. Have you got eyes on the target?”

“Depends on what you mean by eyes.”

“Your eyes?”

“I’ve seen him,” Cozen replied, offering nothing else. “I plan on seeing more of him very soon.”

“How soon?”

“Listen, I have to go. A job to do, and get, you know.”

“And get? What in the hell does that mean?”

“It means the set up around a heist is just as important as the final scene, Ace,” Cozen murmured, already done with this conversation. “Don’t call me again. Be sure to pass the message along to anyone else who needs it.”

She hung up the phone without saying goodbye.

April in New York was not like April in California.

Cozen was never more aware of that fact than right now. She was not used to this wet, cold weather. The dampness wouldn’t let up, and she swore it soaked right into her bones no matter what she did.

Tightening the bomber jacket around her frame, she was grateful she opted for skinny jeans and knee-high boots instead of the dress and ankle boots she waffled over. Sometimes, showing off a little leg got her further when she was on a mission to get shit done, but she could do anything with just her smile, too.

Smile it was.