Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
“What do you mean she’s not in Paris?” His boss’s voice cut like a blade, low and dangerous. “You told me she was flying into Paris. You promised this would be easy.”
“I know what I said,” he growled, “but she changed the destination. They filed a new flight plan after she boarded the plane. How was I supposed to know?”
“Then where the hell is she?”
“She’s in Lake Lugano. Switzerland.”
“Switzerland?” Her tone sharpened. “When will you be there?”
There was some noise in the background, and the woman repeated what he’d just told her. Having two bosses was difficult. This whole fucking thing was a fucking nightmare.
“We’re already here.” The silence was icy. His employer for this job wasn’t pleased, and she was making that very clear. Join the club.
“Do you have any idea where she is? Lake Lugano is not a village.” The demand was sharp, impatient.
“Yes. We know where she is. We know where she’s staying.”
“Fine. Just get me that statue.”
“Already on it.”
He disconnected the call and exhaled slowly, tension bleeding out with the breath.
This job had been a bad idea from the start.
If his brother hadn’t fucked up, he would have turned down the job for sure.
It was too close to home. The fucking Callahans.
Jesus. He’d told his siblings that, but nobody listened.
Sure, the money was good, but every part of this felt wrong.
He had to admit it wasn’t like they really had a choice.
And now the one mark they’d chosen to move the statue had filed a new flight plan.
That felt par for the course for this fucking job.
Just like running into that other thief at the museum.
Just one more complication stacked on top of a dozen others.
Life was going to be tough if things kept going wrong until the job was done.
He adjusted the scarf around his neck, letting it block part of his chin.
Fall in Europe, too hot for a scarf, but he liked the way the scarf made him look vaguely French.
What he really needed was a hat. He’d trade the scarf for one at some point in the near future. But first, they had to find her.
His phone buzzed again. His brother this time.
“Have you located her?”
“Yes. She’s shopping.”
“What a surprise,” he muttered sarcastically.
“I’ll do the bump,” his brother said. “We’ll go from there.”
“All right. Be careful. Send me your details, and don’t do anything until I get there.”
“What do you mean? It’s simple.”
“No. Nothing about this job is simple, and none of it has gone right. Wait for me.”
“Fine. You’re overreacting, but fine.”
His brother hung up. Overreacting? Not even close. He just hoped this job wouldn’t be the end of all of them. He had no intention of seeing the inside of a jail cell. Not now. Not ever.