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“I think we should let them join our team,” Raquel whispers after a long silence.
I grit my teeth, shooting Klaus and Anders a heated glare. “Stay right where you are. If you move, I’ll shoot you both.” I take Raquel’s hand and pull her to the side a few feet away, whispering. “Please tell me you’re not being serious.”
“What choice do we have, Gabriel?”
“I don’t trust them.”
“I don’t trust them, either, but…”
“Butwhat?”
“You should have seen that vault,” she mumbles. “I’m good at what I do, Gabriel, but there’s no way I’m going to crack the vaultanddeal with the security lasers at the same time. Having members of Van Straus' security team on our side means we’ll be able to bypass the worst of his security.”
“This is a bad idea, Raquel.”
“Yes,” she admits, “but I’m desperate here. Our odds weren’t exactly stellar to begin with.”
“Is letting them be a part of our team really worth the risk of dying?”
“Saving my fatheris worth the risk of dying.”
Her determination is inspiring. I can’t detect even a sliver of doubt. In truth, I feel the exact same way about saving Odette. I’d do anything to keep my daughter safe, and that includes giving my life for her.
With an exasperated exhale, I nod. “I guess we’re teaming up, then.”
Anders breathes a sigh of relief. “Thanks, man. You won’t regret it.”
“We should exchange contact info,” Klaus says. “We can meet up later and go over your plans.”
“Actually, that won’t be necessary,” Raquel says. “Just text Anders’ phone. I swiped it last time we ran into you.”
Anders arches a brow. “Ah, and here I thought you were just trying to come onto me.”
She smiles at him, shrugging. “Sorry, not sorry.”
“We’re letting you join us on this job,” I say, “but if you give me even one reason to doubt you—”
“You’ll kill us,” Klaus says with a scoff. “Yeah, yeah. Likewise.”
Raquel gestures a calming motion with her hands. “Let’s all take a breather, okay? Idle threats don’t make for a great team building experience.”
Anders clears his throat. “Well, the car’s wrecked. Klaus and I will head out first. They’ll be expecting us to get started on patrol.”
“Oh, and while you’re at it, you should probably check on Mrs. Stern and her driver,” she says. “I don’t want them to freeze in their car overnight. They’re probably not going to remember anything when they wake up.”
“We’ll take care of it,” Klaus says. He turns to me with a sneer. “Can we have our guns back or what?”
I clench my jaw. I don’t exactly feel like relinquishing control of the only tool keeping the power in my court. I watch as Raquel hands Klaus his gun. When he doesn’t immediately start shooting, I relax —but only by about half a percent— before finally returning Anders’ weapon. He doesn’t immediately shoot me, either, which I take as a good sign.
Maybe they’ll kill us later?
“Welcome to the team,” Raquel says with a smile.
I realize she isn’t being naive or overly trusting. This is her playing her cards and putting down her bet. This is her gambit, her Hail Mary. Only time will tell if we walk away with the jackpot or pay with our lives.
Chapter 23
Raquel
