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CHAPTER ONE
MAVEN
“Hurry up, you fucker. I don’t have all night.”
Ducking down low in my seat, I waited for the blacked-out limousine to pass by and turn at the end of the block before sitting up straight. The man I came to rob had just left for the evening, giving me the opening I needed to get into his house and swipe the pricey statue I’d been hired to retrieve.
I pulled my hood up, tucking my long black braid out of sight before quietly opening the door of my car. Since I’d parked at the end of the block, I stuffed my hands into my hoodie pocket and strolled casually down the sidewalk. I’d taken care to do my recon beforehand, so I knew this guy had a live-in nanny. Because I planned to let myself straight into his bedroom on the second floor, I hoped to avoid running into her. Or anyone else for that matter.
My target was a rich fucker that owned several restaurants under a popular franchise name. Tonight he and his wife were attending a silent auction event that drew his type, giving me the opportunity to grab the statue and get out. At least, that was the plan.
I’d love it if these jobs always went off without a hitch. Unfortunately, that was rarely the case. I’d been doing this long enough to know that one had to be ready for any and every possible obstacle. That still didn’t prepare me for the twist my night was about to take.
Doing a slow scan of the dark street, I found it to be empty and quiet. Shortly before ten, the night was young for people like me. Most of the families in this neighborhood would be in for the evening. Even though it was a warm spring night, it was also a weekday. Because I knew many houses had doorbell cameras watching me walk by, I kept my head down and face hidden by my hood.
“Come on, buddy,” I murmured to myself as I approached a house with brick exterior and a wraparound balcony on both floors. Slipping around the side, I avoided the cameras that watched the front. “Tell me you left the door open for the cat.”
During my surveillance, I’d noticed the balcony off the master bedroom and how the door had been open several inches for the cat to go in and out. After watching the cat, I was sure that was my way in without detection. Clinging to the side of the house, I rounded the corner to the back where the master bedroom was located. The balcony door was open wide enough for a fluffy cat body to pass through.
A surge of excitement filled me. I’d come prepared to pick locks and use a jammer on the security system but eliminating anything that may slow me down was a good thing. Of course I knew better than to get too excited. An easy in didn’t always mean an easy out.
First things first. Get inside. Then find the statue, some rare artifact from Egypt or something like that. It’s origins meant nothing to me. All I cared about was the ten grand I’d been promised by the man who hired me to do the job.
Swiping an expensive object from a private home helped pay the bills, but it lacked the rush that came with something larger scale. Like a hit. Or hijacking a shipment of goods headed for some bigwig criminal enterprise. It lacked the payout too.
But I didn’t do those jobs anymore. Not since I left River City.
Before the memories could take me back there, I forced all thoughts of home out of my mind and focused on the job. My ties to the crime syndicate back home had almost killed me once. That was enough.
A noise in the neighbor’s yard brought me to a halt. Crouching down low, I listened hard. A dog’s whine was followed by claws against glass. I froze in place while the neighbor let their dog in through a back patio door. Once it slid shut, I began to move again.
Next to the master bedroom balcony a large brick planter gave me the leg up I needed. After ensuring my tools were securely stuffed in my pockets, I reached to touch the small blade tucked into my boot. Knowing it was close enough to grab gave me a sense of security. I didn’t like to be caught without a weapon. Because I’d learned that one was never enough, I had a second blade strapped to the inside of my forearm, hidden beneath my sleeve.
I rubbed my hands together, psyching myself up. Then I jumped, grabbing the bottom of the balcony. Once I got my hands around the decorative wooden beams of the railing, I pulled myself up and onto the balcony with a soft grunt. I paused, listening for any sign that someone had heard me. As far as I knew, only the nanny would be home. The kids should be in bed.
When several seconds passed and nothing happened, I inched toward the partially open balcony door. Silence from inside encouraged me to continue. Holding my breath, I eased the sliding door open wide enough for me to fit through.
My heartrate kicked up a few notches as I entered the master bedroom. The man who’d hired me claimed the statue he wanted was in the office adjacent to the bedroom. Obviously he was a personal friend of the guy he sent me to rob. Not at all uncommon in my line of work.
I scanned the large room just in case, eyeing the makeup laden vanity in the corner, the jewelry cluttered dresser, and the nightstands on each side of the bed. No statue. For just a moment, I missed having Maddox or Wolfe within reach. We always had each other’s backs. After seven years, it still felt wrong without them.
“Fuck you, Maddox,” I hissed beneath my breath. Grudges like the one I held for him didn’t die an easy death.
I slipped through the open bedroom door and into the hallway, right in time to run into the nanny. Shit. Ducking my head to keep most of my face hidden by my hood, I rushed her. I didn’t have a lot of options. Keeping her quiet was a must.
She let out a startled yelp and turned to run. I caught her from behind, reaching around to clamp a hand over her mouth. Then I slid my other arm around her neck, securing a good choke hold. She flailed and fought, raking my hand with her fingernails.
“Make this easier for both of us and go to sleep,” I said, squeezing hard enough to drop her into unconsciousness. When I was certain that she was out, I laid her gently on the floor in the hallway.
Stepping over her bathrobe clad body, I went for the office, finding it locked. I fished my lockpicking kit out of my pants and let myself in. Hoping to get out within seconds of grabbing my prize, I hurried inside and found the turquoise mummy statue. My client had provided a photo, making it easy to identify among the many expensive ornamental pieces littered about the room. Most were displayed in fancy glass cases, others perched on wooden shelves along the walls.
The mummy statue sat on a shelf next to what appeared to be a Fabergé egg. Real? Unlikely. Just in case, I helped myself to it as well. Even a good fake could fetch me enough to pay a few bills.
Not that this was my only gig. I had a legitimate job as a virtual assistant for several online clients. One needed legal employment when running illegal shit on the side. It kept people from looking too closely.
Lifting up my hoodie, I unzipped the satchel underneath that hung from a strap slung over my neck and shoulder. Ever so careful, I tucked the statue inside. I stole a few precious seconds to wrap it in the small towel I’d brought to give it some cushion. If I broke the damn thing before getting it to my guy, I’d be screwed. Thankfully it wasn’t a large piece, standing less than a foot.
Once certain that it was secure, I tucked the egg into my bra and darted from the room. The nanny still lay where I’d left her, groaning with her eyes closed. I paused to check her pulse, finding it steady. Good. I hadn’t planned to kill anyone tonight and most definitely not an unplanned victim. That wasn’t my style.
