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I slap his chest. “You must have been hiding in high school, because I would’ve jumped your bones if I saw you.”
“Mm. I had a late growth spurt.” He chuckles while coding the elevator to the fifty-seventh floor.
“Tell me more about this Vlad character. Put me at ease.”
“What do you want to know? His body count?” Donny cackles again.
“Is he trustworthy? Are we all going to make it out of there?”
Donny grabs my chin. “This will be my sixth personal auction with him. We’re getting you out right away, rabbit. I promise.”
“But what about you? You’ll be stuck on the inside… without the prized bird they’re expecting.”
“Birds get loose all the time in this business. They won’t turn away our snow because of it. That’s a fact.”
My belly rumbles with unease. I’m hoping it’s just because I’ve never really been part of a job like this. I’m usually coaching from the sidelines. I don’t like the feeling. It reminds me of my brother… when he’d drag me into things I wanted nothing to do with. I tell myself this is different. An unavoidable clash so I can be free from the daggers pointed at my back.
My anxiety is soothed when the elevator opens to the fifty-seventh floor. It’s just an entryway, but it drips with opulence and security. There’s a matte grey double-door the size of the wall with golden handles, and Donny waves the keycard over the sensor. The sound of the door unlocking echoes down the entire hall.
He swings open the heavy door, and I gasp.
I’ve been pampered by him before… but not like this.
The view of the Hudson is breathtaking. Custom floor-to-ceiling windows activate a fear of heights I didn’t know I had, and the chandelier hanging high over us looks like it belongs in a wedding hall. It’s a mix of modern and gaudy in the best way.
The couches are white with slate grey pillows – stretching into an ‘L’ lining the windows – and the champagne is already chilled on its own table in the center.
I fall into the low couch and push my troubles aside. The stacked bar across the way catches my eye and I wave my glass at Donny. “Excuse me, mister, I need a refill.”
“The boss is giving orders already.” He pours me a heavy-handed vodka martini.
“Damn straight.” I cross my ankles on the glass table, inspecting my brand new Louboutins.
I can get used to this.
He turns on the surround-sound speaker system next to the bar, and finds a Frank Sinatra playlist to serenade me.
“So romantic.” I giggle as I cheers Donny with our refreshed drinks.
He sits beside me, and his eyes hold mine.
The mood shifts to serious when I notice his jaw flex.
“What is it, Donny?”
“I want you to know something.”
My heart rate quickens. Another skeleton in his closet? Is it another woman or something? A secret wife he’s been hiding?
He sniffs, finding my uneasiness comical. “I can see you getting flustered already.”
“Can you blame me? My mind wanders pretty fast.”
He takes my drink, setting it on the table alongside his own, and grabs both of my hands in his. He adjusts himself on the couch to better face me, like he’s preparing for some grand speech.
“I have big plans for us, Ellie. After this Russian job, I have some loose ends to tie up… then, I want to do right by you.”
My heart pumps with glee. Does he mean what I think he means?
