Page 99 of Cozen

Cozen made quick work of opening drawers in the nightstands, and then moving onto Jett’s dressers, too. She kept an ear out as she carefully dug through the man’s personal items trying to find any sign of the Astor ring, or even something that might point her in the right direction.

Occasionally, Jett’s phone would ring, and she would silence it.

She had been trying to keep time in her head of how long she had been gone from Jett—so far, less than ten minutes.

He wouldn’t let her go much longer, she figured.

Cozen slipped into the attached walk-in closet, and was surprised to find Jett’s very expensive jewelry and watch collection on display inside glass cases. The watches rotated on mechanical arms while the jewelry rested on top of black velvet.

No ruby.

No Astor ring.

Cozen’s frustration picked up, but she moved to the racks of hanging clothes, and moved things aside. Maybe there was a safe behind them, or something. A man like Jett had to have a safe.

She found fucking nothing.

Frustrated, Cozen didn’t even bother checking the two bathrooms attached to the master bedroom. She had a good clue that nothing was going to be inside them, anyway, and it would be a waste of her time to check.

She was running out of time.

She had to move on.

One door down, Cozen found an office.

She was half way into the office when she heard Jett calling for her.

“Cozen, darling?”

His voice echoed.

The stairwell, she figured.

Shit.

Cozen’s heart raced as she slipped Jett’s phone onto the seat of the large leather chair behind the big oak desk. The office was a sprawling room with vaulted ceilings, richly stained wood, and a desk big enough to be a dining table for a dozen people. Jett favored his leather in there, and dark whiskey. Shelves had been lined with old, leather-bound books.

She pulled out a couple of drawers on the desk as Jett called out her name, and then muffled like he had gone inside a room.

Maybe the entertainment room she passed.

Nothing was in the desk.

She turned, and her eye caught something else.

A painting just above the desk that was slightly angled away from the wall on one side. As though it was on hinges, or something.

Cozen reached for it, and pulled it open.

Her heart stopped.

A grin split her face.

An electronic safe rested behind the painting.

Jackpot.

Cozen closed the painting just as Jett’s footsteps echoed in the hallway, and then disappeared again. She was quick to step out of the office, and move down the hall. Slipping into a bathroom, and closing the door behind her.