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CHAPTER11
The securityat the gate was no joke. Leo shifted in his seat to look out the side window of the armored suburban to look at the guards. “Military. Ex-Military,” he amended. “Well trained and armed to the teeth.”
Sitting beside him, but on the far side of the car, Cygny heard the undercurrent of his voice. “It’s to be expected. With the value of the collection that’s supposed to be inside, this is the least we should expect.”
“What else?” Leo kept his gaze pointed outward, but she knew he was focused on her as well.
“Now, I was never there when my mom would go and appraise paintings, but she would talk when she would paint. She’d tell me the stories of the grand mansions and their gorgeous furnishings.
“She painted everything like a fairy tale, but I learned very quickly about the kind of ugliness that lived in that world.”
Her lungs tightened in her chest and Cygny focused on her breathing to calm herself and Leo reached over and covered her hand with his on the bench seat.
Looking up into the rear-view mirror at the front of the vehicle, Roman gave her an assessing look. “Is everything all right, Miss Muldoon?”
Smiling at the mention of her undercover identity, she spoke. “Thank you for asking. I am quite well. It’s the altitude.”
Nodding his approval, Roman offered a smile as the pulled up to the gate.
Rolling down his window, he dispassionately handed a packet of information to the suited man on his side of the gate.
Even though he was wearing a suit, the man’s jacket gaped open as he flipped through the documents revealing a shoulder-holster with a rather impressive looking side arm. Cygny breathed in and out, finding it a little more difficult to get into her normal mindset on the job.
She cast a look at Leo sitting beside her and felt a tingle down her spine.
She’d never worked with a partner before.
She’d never been responsible for someone else on the job.
And she’d certainly never been in love with anyone before Leo.
Everything held more importance now.
Everything.
“All right, here.” The guard handed the papers back to Roman and gestured down the drive. “Go ahead and drop them off at the door. We’ll call you when the event is over.”
The man’s demeanor was dismissive. His head already turned toward the next vehicle in line behind them.
As soon as the driver’s window closed. Roman met their gazes in the rearview mirror again. “There was only one car that arrived before us this morning. No sign of other vehicles heading up the mountain road here besides the one behind us.”
Cygny nodded. “Three. Not unusual. Especially given the starting cost quoted in the information received by Agent Marks.”
Leo scoffed beside her.
He’d taken an instant dislike to the agent when they’d met.
“Stuck up son-of-a-bi-”
“At these prices and given that the pieces are stolen, there would be a handful of collectors interested. Three makes sense.”
Leo reached over and grabbed her hand for a moment, squeezing it tightly before letting it go. “And you’re not worried that anyone might recognize you, right?”
She managed a little smile for him. “I haven’t been around anyone from that world since I was ten. The likelihood that people from that time are still around? Hardly. And given the value of the pieces we’ll be looking at, no. My mother was talented, but she gravitated toward the Impressionistic Period. The invite hinted at the old masters. That’s a whole other world than what my mother was involved in.”
Roman’s laughter was hidden when he cleared his throat. “Makes me wish I’d paid more attention to the Thomas Crown Affair.”
“Me too.” Cygny grinned and reached for her seatbelt. “I was staring at Pierce Brosnan.”
The suburban stopped at the base of the steps to the house and servants converged on the vehicle. The back door was opened up and bags were extracted, but those that reached for the back door were hampered by Leo who had made his way around the car before they had the door fully opened.
He reached in and Cygny took his hand before she stepped out.
She gave the servant a smile. “Sorry.”
The servant didn’t seem to know what to do besides look at her through the tinted window that was almost up against his nose.
She didn’t look at Leo as he tucked her arm in his and walked her up the stairs to the landing outside the front door.
The woman standing there was statuesque. In looks, she reminded Cygny of a willowy version of Catherine Zeta Jones, narrow where the actress was curvy.
Looking down at her list, the other woman sighed. “Diana Muldoon, is it?”
Cygny nodded. “Yes. I’m representing-”
The woman’s icy blue gaze cut her off. “We know.” A look to the man at the door was enough to have the double doors swing open, admitting them inside.
“Sebastien, show them to their rooms.”
The older man drew up short when Leo spoke.
