AllFreeNovel
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“Can I ask you something?” I speak softly, feeling around for the familiar click of the mechanism.
“Aren’t you a little busy right now?”
“It’s called multitasking. Talking helps me control my nerves.”
“You’re nervous?”
“I’d be insane not to be. Dad always says that nerves—”
“—are what keep you alert and alive,” he finished. “I know. I taught him that.”
I tuck this little revelation away for later. It’s oddly exciting getting to learn about not only Gabriel’s past, but Dad’s as well.
I feel another click of the lock. I’m getting close. “Almost there…”
Gabriel sighs. “What’s your question?”
“Why do you speak so many languages?”
I hear another click. There should only be one more pin and then we’re in. The last one’s always tricky, though, because it’s the furthest back. If I’m not careful I could accidentally undo all my previous work.
I’m surprised when Gabriel answers. “When I was… a muchyounger man, I wanted to become an interpreter for the United Nations.”
I can’t help but smile up at him. “Seriously?”
He shrugs casually, tilting his head to the side to peer down the hall. “Is that so hard to believe?”
The lock finally twists open. My heart skips a beat like it always does, a quick dose of achievement shooting through my veins. I stand up, ignoring the way my knees crack as I open the door.
“I take it that it didn’t work out?” I ask over my shoulder.
Gabriel steps through first, making sure the coast is clear. “Life had different plans for me.”
We sneak into the office together and head straight to the desktop computer. Gabriel takes a seat in the desk chair and moves the mouse around, getting rid of the cute little aquarium screensaver. He expertly navigates through the database, clicking through various tabs and files labeled in German.
“So…” I say, crouching beside him to keep as out of sight as possible. This section of the building has relatively low foot traffic, but you never know. “What was your specialty?”
“What do you mean?” he asks, his eyes glued to the screen.
“Back when you were a part of the crew. What was your specialty? I’m the safecracker. Dad’s the mastermind. Martin was our muscle, Laura was our con woman, and Harry was our explosives technician.”
Gabriel snorts. “Back in my day, I had to be able to do everything.”
“That seems kinda inefficient. Not to mention a ton of pressure.”
“It was necessary,” he corrects. “It’s unwise to trust others to do their jobs. Case and point: trusting Lucius as your getaway driver. You were stranded the moment he turned.”
I chew on the inside of my cheek. I hate that he makes so much sense. “That asshole’s the exception. But you seriously didn’t trust anybody on your own crew?”
“No. Trust is for suckers.”
“Do you trustme?”
The pause that follows lasts only two seconds before he answers, “I trust that your motivations for following through are strong enough that you won’t bail on me last-minute.”
I roll my eyes. “How very practical of you.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being practical.”
