Chapter Nineteen Addie
The Q&A part of the evening is over. Mr. Seung has wandered off to speak to a former president and royalty from God-knows-where, and all the major players have been located and identified.
Now it’s just a matter of who intends to strike first. And that means I need to place the GPS tracker on the necklace as soon as possible.
“Go time, Addie,” Knox says in my comms.
“Eyes on Diamond,” Ryder says. “She’s chatting up some billionaire tech geek.”
I arch a brow. Ryder doesn’t sound too happy about that, which has my internal alarm bells ringing. No time for that, though.
“I’ve got Warrant in view,” Linc states. “He’s still pretending he’s a waiter.”
“And Nyx is about to be intercepted and charmed by yours truly,” Brighton reports.
Okay, that takes care of them, which is perfect. The last thing I want is for one of them to intercept me on my way to the bathroom. Because I am about to have a sudden, very urgent need to use the facilities.
“Excuse me,” I murmur to the very large guards shadowing me as I lay a hand over my stomach. “I, ah, need to go to the restroom. Now.”
They nod and fall in step behind me. Of course, there was a plan put in place for this situation, and they’re going to escort me to the private employee restroom located in the back hallway, away from the crowd.
It doesn’t take long to reach the small bathroom.
While one guard waits beside me, the other does a quick sweep and returns after confirming the only two stalls are empty and the supply closet is securely locked.
There’s no window, no possible way for me to escape or anyone else to get in, so they allow me to go inside and shut the door.
The moment I’m alone, I pull the tiny tracker from my handbag, peel off the backing, lift the necklace and carefully place it on the backside, wedging it in a decorative crevice. It’s insanely small and virtually transparent. The Man really can get damn near anything.
I’m about to flush the toilet for good measure when a soft wisp of sound catches my attention and I turn to see the locked supply closet magically open.
A very tall man wearing maintenance clothes steps out and points a gun at me.
His vivid green eyes flash in triumph and he gives me a smile complete with dimples.
Fucking Laurent! I can’t believe this. He’s the one thief I counted out because he’s been hanging out in New York and then he was traipsing around Europe. I assumed he was still sunning it up in the South of France or something equally lavish.
“Hey, tootsie pop. Fancy meeting you here. Do me a favor and lose your comms.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. This is unbelievable. He’s going to screw everything up unless I can figure out a way to fix things fast.
“Hey, Laurent,” I say easily, hiding my panic, and plucking the tiny earpiece out. He nods to the toilet and I try not to grimace as I toss it into the bowl. “You have a second job I don’t know about?”
He smirks, looking down at the navy blue coveralls he’s wearing. “No, still thieving.” He extends his other hand. “Hand it over, Addie-Baddie.”
“Or how about we make a deal?” I suggest. Laurent is an unpredictable character who’s been an ally to me on more than one occasion. Most recently, I called in a favor and he helped save Linc from a deadly cage match.
“Now why would I do that?” He cocks his dark head. “If I recall correctly, we’re even.”
“That’s true,” I acknowledge, “but, right now, I need this necklace. I’m not stealing it. I’m using it as bait.”
“Bait?” The Frenchman echoes, voice full of doubt.
I suck in a deep breath, knowing I’m running out of time, and blurt out, “Vaughn has dirt on my crew and I’m working with him to catch our competition.”
“So you’re a defector now?”
“No, I’m desperate. And I’d do anything to protect them. They’re my only family, Laurent.” My throat squeezes with emotion. “Please don’t let them get taken away from me.”
“Why should that matter to me?” he asks, completely unmoved.
“Because you’re on Vaughn’s list, too, and I diverted his attention to the others. You’re welcome.”
He chuckles. “I don’t need your help, ma chérie. But you certainly always seem to be asking for mine. I’m growing tired of doing favors.”
“I promise I’ll make it worth your time.”
“Really?” he drawls lazily, gaze traveling down my body.
“Laurent!” I snap and his attention moves back up. “I know you’re searching for that sapphire, and I’ll get you intel. Whatever you need. Just let me walk right now.”
Something in his gaze shifts, and I hope what I’m offering is enough to change his mind. Before he can respond, there’s a knock on the door.
“Almost done!” I call, then I give Laurent my best puppy dog eyes. “Please. So much is on the line, and I promise to send you everything I have on the sapphire.”
He takes his time considering, and I’m about to jump out of my skin, when he finally lowers the gun and sends me a sexy smirk.
“You’re lucky I have a soft spot for you.
Get my name off your detective’s list and be prepared to pay me back in spades.
Because I will come calling about that sapphire, tootsie pop. ”
“Done,” I promise. He moves back toward the closet and slides inside. “How did you…?” I try to see behind him.
“There’s a secret tunnel beneath us. But keep that our little secret. D’accord?”
Huh. How did I not know that?
“By the way,” he continues, blue eyes sparkling with mischief, “I never really wanted that necklace. There’s no buyer—I was just bored and thought I might have some fun tonight.”
“You’re crazy,” I say with a relieved grin. “But in the best possible way.”
“I know.” Then he shuts the closet door, gone as quickly as he appeared. Another dashing getaway by the infamous Laurent.
Spinning around, I hurry back over to the door, open it up and step out of the bathroom. “Sorry—”
The words get caught in my throat when I see one of my guards down on the ground, not moving. The other one moves fast, shoving a black bag over my head and pressing the muzzle of a pistol into my back. His hand roughly yanks me forward and I stumble over my high heels. “Walk,” he orders.
Shit. How did everything go off the rails so fast? But the bigger question is why not just steal the necklace and run? Why is he taking me, too? That doesn’t bode well.
Fortunately, the necklace has the tracker on it. And as long as I’m wearing it, Vaughn and my team will know my location.
The rogue guard must hustle me out a back door because a cool breeze drifts over my skin. A car’s engine fills the air, a door opens and I’m thrown inside, landing on a soft seat. I pull the hood off my head just as the car squeals away.
My back slams against the seat and I realize I’m in the back of a limo. And Simon Nyx sits across from me, dark eyes gleaming. “Hello again, Addison,” he says. “I think you have something that belongs to me.”
God, I wish I still had my comms unit. Stupid Laurent. Okay, at least I still have the GPS tracker going, and Cole is going to see the necklace is on the move.
He’s probably going to think you stole it.
I can’t worry about that, though. I have to focus on getting away from Nyx. “Adding kidnapper to your resume?” I ask blandly, refusing to show any fear. My mom always said never steal anything that talks, and I couldn’t agree more. It won’t end well.
He nods slowly. “Among other things,” he replies with a vague smile. “But you’re the double-crosser here. When I found out you were working with Vaughn, I knew it would become a huge problem. One that had to be taken care of permanently.”
Suddenly, the pieces click. “You put the bomb in my car.”
“Too bad Vaughn pulled you out before it did its job,” he says, voice laced in annoyance. “For a moment there I thought I was going to get two for the price of one.”
My eyes narrow on him. I am well familiar there is no honor among thieves, but that little stunt went far beyond anything I expected him capable of.
“I have eyes all over the city,” he continues, “and I had my suspicions. Heard he followed you all the way to Arcadia. You two were quite careless, you know. Enjoying coffee and donuts together bright and early.” He makes a tsk-tsk-tsk sound. “Sleeping with the enemy, huh?”
Okay, so maybe that hadn’t been too smart. But I’d never felt watched or knew we’d been followed. Sneaky sonofabitch.
“Then Warrant let slip what happened to him—how his stash disappeared—and I put two and two together. You teamed up with Vaughn and were trying to eliminate your competition, weren’t you?” He pierces me with a very pissed-off look. “You’re a fucking rat. Vermin that needs to be eliminated.”
My heart pounds and I have no idea what he’s planning, but I need to stay calm. Vaughn knows where I am, even if I don’t. I have no doubt that he and my team will come. Until then, I have to remain calm and keep hold of this necklace.
“Hand it over,” he orders, and my heart sinks. I have to find a way to stall.
“What’re you planning on doing with it?” I ask, determined to keep him talking. “Do you have a private collector lined up? Or are you going to chop it up and destroy history?”
“You think I give a shit about history?”
My hand flutters over the ruby and diamond necklace. “It’s almost two hundred and fifty years old.”
“What’s your point?”
I might be a thief, might have stolen my fair share of antiquities, but I’ve never destroyed a single one of them. I have too much respect for anything of historical relevance. “It’s worth a lot more as is,” I say.
“I disagree. But I think you have bigger things to worry about, Addison. Now give it to me, or I’ll rip it off your neck.”
“I can’t,” I respond, thinking fast. “The clasp is too complicated. You’re going to have to remove it.”
He swears under his breath then slides closer. “Turn around, and get your hair out of the way.”
Very slowly, I turn on the seat and lift my mass of waves. Biding my time, I wait for him to move closer. When he lifts the clasp, I jab my elbow back hard. The swift hit catches him in the side and he grunts. Spinning around, I punch him in the nose, causing his head to snap backward.
Thanks, Ryland, I think. My little brother taught me a few self-defense techniques and I’ve used them on several occasions.
“Bitch!” he snarls, cupping his bloody nose. “You’re going to regret that.”
He lunges forward, hands snaking around my neck.
I grasp onto his wrists, trying to pull them loose, but he’s so much stronger.
When he starts squeezing, I slam my knee up, aiming for his groin.
Bull’s eye. He swears violently, grip loosening, and I take advantage, slipping my flat hands beneath his and pushing outwards, breaking his grip.
Breaking away, I drop to the limo’s floor and scramble forward. But his hand encircles my ankle, yanking me back toward him. I kick hard, trying to catch him in the face and manage to clip his shoulder.
“You’re dead!” he barks.
Out of nowhere, the limo wrenches to a full-on stop, and we both go flying forward. Nyx slams into me and we roll. I have no idea why the driver just came to such a screeching halt and I need to be prepared for anything, including Nyx making another play for the necklace.
Then hope soars in my heart. It must be Vaughn and my team, here to save the day. I send Nyx a triumphant smile and turn my attention to the back door, expecting it to spring open at any second and see Vaughn. His timing couldn’t be more sublime.
Except when the door opens, it’s not Vaughn… or any of my crew. No, it’s Billy Warrant, still wearing the black and white catering uniform, and he’s grinning like a maniac. Sneaky sonofabitch.
“Good job, Warrant,” Nyx says, crawling toward the exit.
No, no, no. This can’t be happening. I can’t believe they’re working together and I’m about to kiss the Phoenix Kiss goodbye. I didn’t account for this because Warrant always works solo.
But when Nyx tries to get out, Warrant pulls a gun out of nowhere. “I don’t think so,” he says. “Gimme the necklace.”
“She’s still wearing it, you idiot. And if you double-cross me, you’re as good as dead,” Nyx threatens.
“Yeah, yeah,” he responds, completely unconcerned. “As soon as I break that beauty up and sell every last gem, I’m in the wind. You’ll never find me.”
Before I even realize what’s happening, Nyx launches himself out the door and straight into Warrant, slamming into his chest and knocking him off balance.
While they start scuffling, I decide to make a break for it.
But the moment I reach the rear door and start to step out, a gun fires.
I freeze, hovering in the doorway, and witness Nyx crumple to the ground, clutching his chest.
“Good doing business with you, Nyx,” Warrant snarls, kicking the other man in his side. “But I never cared for having a partner.”
Oh, God.
Warrant’s attention slides over to me. In a split-second decision, I scramble backward, pulling the door shut, deciding to stay inside the limo for cover—and quickly realize there’s no lock. Dammit. The locks must be upfront and chauffeur-controlled.
Before he can open the door, I need to put as much distance between myself and that gun as possible. Hauling ass, determined to crawl over the partition and escape through the driver’s door, I make it to the front, but not in time to get the velvet divider down.
“Hey!” Warrant yells.
Spinning around, my back pressed against the partition, I see Warrant lean in through the now open back door. Crouching down, he peers inside. “I always admired you, blondie, but this time you lose. Sorry it has to end this way.”
Then he turns the gun in my direction and fires.