Chapter 7 #2
“Maybe he should aim for a world record then,” she mumbled.
“Ouch. C’mon, S, I’m not that bad.”
She snorted. “Don’t get me started.”
Milo moved between them. “Let’s stay on track. How are we going to—”
“Wait,” Brock said, holding his hand out to stop Milo. “I want to hear this. Has Dani said something? She’s been snooping, has she?”
“Uh, no. That’s my observation. Not hers.”
“For your information, she—”
“Enough,” Milo barked. “We’re here to do one thing: finish this fucking job so we can save Dani.” He turned his attention to Brock. “Keep your comments to yourself. Now isn’t the time for drama.”
“She brought it up,” Brock grumbled.
Serena rolled her eyes but opted to seal her lips. Milo was right—they didn’t need to get distracted right now. Whatever beef remained between Dani and him was none of her business.
“Any idea how we’re going to get to the balcony?” Milo asked. “It’s about twenty feet off the ground.”
“More like fourteen. The ceilings on the main level are only twelve feet high, if you read the dimensions on the blueprints.”
“Still.”
She sighed and slid over the stack of images at the edge of the desk. She’d printed them earlier that morning. “These are pictures of the exterior.” She flipped through to the last ones. “The pillars holding up the balcony and the wall beneath it are lined with stacked stone.”
“You’re not suggesting we scale them, are you?”
She shrugged. “Not really.” She turned to face him and planted her hand on her hip. “You’re close to six feet tall—”
He scowled. “I’m six three and you know it.”
She hid her smirk. He was still so easy to rib. “Yes, if you count your head. But if I’m standing on your shoulders, then you’re close to six feet.”
He rocked his head side to side. “That’s still only twelve feet with your arms stretched.”
“I think we can do it.”
“We might be able to get you in that way, but what about me?”
She tapped her finger to her chin. “That’s a problem.” She and Milo had already had a lengthy discussion that morning, and he’d insisted on accompanying her inside. She wasn’t opposed to it. Two years ago, on another day, or another job, she’d have refused.
Now, she didn’t have the luxury of being arrogant.
Come hell or high water, one of them had to get out with the diamonds.
“I have cable,” Brock said. “It can hold four times your weight, and with the stacked stone you’ll be able to scale it pretty easily.”
Milo nodded slowly. “All right, then. We have our way in.”
“I’d feel a lot better about this if he wasn’t home,” Brock said. “You know he cut off the hands of the last person he caught trying to steal from him. Then he killed him.” He looked down at the plans.
Serena forced a swallow and shook her head, trying to erase the image from her mind.
“Maybe we can lure him away,” Milo chimed in.
“No, that won’t work.” She sighed. “Let’s take a break. My eyes are starting to cross staring at all these prints.”
Milo nodded. “Good idea. I’m going to touch base with Rhett.”
“I wouldn’t mind dropping in on the guys. Mind if I jet out for a couple hours?”
Serena didn’t want to know the details of Brock’s businesses. For one, it would implicate her if something ever went down, and two, she wouldn’t be able to help repeating it to Dani, which would surely only infuriate her sister.
“Not at all. I need to check in with Melanie and my assistant, and I want to get some info out of Dani’s team members—if anyone will talk to me.”
Brock said goodbye and slipped out of the office and Milo pulled out his phone.
“I’ll be in the living room if you need me,” he said.
She nodded as she took a seat at the office chair, then searched for Melanie’s number.
After touching base with both her and her assistant, she turned her attention to the CC’d names on Dani’s email.
She stared at the three names, waiting for them to ring a bell.
Wes Cook, Adam Walsh, and Vivi Probe. She’d reach out to Peyton first and get the others’ numbers.
Using Dani’s email, she sent one to Peyton asking her to call her at Serena’s number.
Dammit, she needed to talk to someone now. It could be hours before she heard from Peyton. She searched Dani’s Gmail account, typing each person’s name into the search box and scrolling through the messages. After about five minutes, one from Vivi caught her eye.
My phone fell in the sink and is toast. Here’s my new number.
Without missing a beat, Serena punched the sequence into her phone.
“Hello.” The deep female voice sounded groggy.
“Hi, this is Serena Smith, Dani Metcalf’s sister. Do you have a minute to chat?”
“Uh . . . sure.” The rasp left her voice and the sound of blankets shuffling crackled over the receiver. “Sorry, I worked last night, so I just woke up.”
“No problem, I’m sorry to bother you.”
“What’s up?”
“My sister”—she cleared her throat—“Dani, I mean. She’s been kidnapped.”
The sharp inhale pierced Serena’s ear.
“Oh my god! How? Who?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Is this line secure?”
“Yes, yes. I always use an encrypted phone for calls with my team. How did you get this number?”
“I found it in Dani’s emails. Something about your old phone getting damaged.” Serena waved her hand in the air, brushing away the unimportant detail. “I need you to tell me about the job you had planned. Who was the target?”
Silence beat through the phone.
“Um . . . that’s top secret.”
Serena rocked her teeth back and forth. “I know that. But they could have found out about your plans. We’re having trouble finding any other possible motive.”
“Look, I want to help and all, but I don’t even know you. For all I know you’re just trying to get information out of me.”
Serena closed her eyes. She couldn’t blame Vivi for not wanting to jeopardize her team or operation, but she needed something—anything. “I understand. I won’t ask about the job, but what about your team? Is there anyone who has beef with Dani? Do you know and trust everyone?”
“If I knew anything at all that would help find who’s after Dani, I’d tell you. Your sister is very respected among our team. I can’t see any of them being behind this.”
Serena stared at the burgundy wall. All the hope she’d held for the conversation vanished. “Thanks for your help, Vivi.”
Vivi made her promise to contact her with any news on Dani, and Serena agreed before disconnecting. She put down the phone and, despite needing a break, went back to the computer.
Hours later, grits of sand scratched her eyes with every blink and she hadn’t come up with a damn thing. Milo showed up at the door to the office, two plates of food in hand. “Any luck with the team members?”
“No. I spoke to someone named Vivi Probe, but I think that avenue is a dead end. I’ll try to reach Peyton again later. She might be more help.”
They ate and chatted until the doorbell rang. Milo let Brock in, and they got back to work.
Serena studied the blueprints for the hundredth time that day.
She had to be sure she hadn’t missed any important details that could derail their heist. Then a solid weight formed in her stomach and dropped all the way to her toes.
She brought up her hand to cover her mouth. How could she have forgotten?
Milo zeroed in on her. “What is it, Serena?”
“Oh my god.” Everything had just gone to hell. Brock’s and Milo’s hot stares forced her to collect her words. “We can’t do it. Titus has company for the weekend—his house will be full of guests. There’s no way we can get in and out unnoticed.”
“Sonofafuckingbitch!” Milo bounced his palm off the desk and Serena jerked. Brock’s mouth flattened into a grim line, and he turned to pace near the wall. They had every right to be angry. This job was going to be hard enough as it was without another hurdle.
She sunk her teeth into her cheeks until the tinny taste of blood hit her tongue.
“So not only will Titus be home, but he’ll have people there—until when? Monday?” Milo’s tone had a rocky edge.
“No, they leave Sunday. He’ll be out of the house Sunday evening for a business trip. He’s supposed to call me before he leaves to tell me if he’s signing with me or not.”
A little bit of tension left Milo’s rigid shoulders.
Brock turned back to them, his hands tense at his sides. “Then we need to ask for more time. Another twenty-four hours on top of the time we have.”
Serena chortled. “Yeah, I’m sure they’ll be fine with that.”
Milo took two steps, closing the distance between them. “Tomorrow night is the soonest we can get in. I’ll negotiate with the kidnapper. It’s not like we have control over Titus’s schedule, nor would you want to postpone getting Dani out safely if you didn’t have to.”
He didn’t touch her, but the vibration of his body synched with hers, slowing the waves of nausea that pitched in her stomach.
She dropped her shoulders. “You’re right. We have no choice.”
Brock stepped forward. “We need to call them before they call you.” His gaze shifted to Milo. “What exactly are you going to negotiate with?”
Milo’s arm moved around her lower back and cupped her elbow, steadying her. “I’ve got some cash I can offer them to buy us more time.”
Brock drew back his head. “How much?”
Serena snapped her eyes to him, and her mouth popped open. A muscle jumped at the side of his face. “I can get a hundred grand to them tonight. If they want more, it will need to be liquidated, which will take time, at least a couple of days.”
Brock caught his chin between his thumb and forefinger, his gaze stuck on Milo. He looked to be at war with himself. “I can match that, and maybe another fifty.”
Serena looked back and forth between the two men. The pit of dread in her stomach evaporated. “Y-You would do that? Both of you?”
“Of course,” Brock said. “I told you I’d do anything to help.”