Pros & Cons (12 page)

And I’m not ready to say goodbye to any of it.

If his mood is any indication, neither is Ethan.

“I can’t believe Stavros! What’s his damn hurry? I hate the man, anyway. I don’t
want
to do this. Why are we doing this again?”

I’m about to remind him why we’re doing it, but he just stomps upstairs. I head to my room and quickly pack my stuff. Ethan continues cussing, and the longer he rants, the more confused I become. I’m disappointed, too, but this is our life. We rarely get to stay in one place very long. This is what we do.

Back downstairs, I hear him growling arrangements into his phone, presumably to Gabe. Then he snaps at Minnie when he calls her to say we’re leaving. By the time he’s finished, I’m waiting outside on the porch—confused, irritated, and very pissed off.

What is his deal?

I’m just about to ask him when he stops, drops his bag, and turns to me.

“Say we’ll come back.”

I frown. “Sorry?”

“I mean it. Say we’ll come back someday. You and me. We’ll come back and finish what we started. Say it, or I’m calling Coop and calling the whole thing off.”

Finish what we started?
Now it’s my turn to be pissed.

“
That’s
what’s wrong with you? You’re mad because we didn’t have sex?”

He blinks. “Wha—”

“You’re unbelievable! You’re biting everybody’s head off because I’m not keeping my promise? Poor Ethan isn’t getting laid tonight?”

“Is that what you think? I could sleep with you anywhere, Jenna. I didn’t have to bring you to my house!”

What an egotistical asshole.

He shakes his head. “Okay, that didn’t come out right at all . . .”

“Oh, I think it came out perfectly. I can’t believe sex is all you care about!”

“And I can’t believe you
think
that’s all I care about!”

We stop shouting when a black SUV appears in the driveway. Furious, I grab my bag and stomp down the porch steps. Gabriel steps out of the vehicle and smiles, but his grin fades when he sees the expression on my face. He clears his throat and offers to take my bag, while Ethan climbs into the backseat and slams his door.

“Jerk,” I mutter.

Gabe arches an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything as he leads me to the passenger side. I sit up front, leaving Ethan to stew by himself in the back.

The drive to the airfield is a silent one, and it’s only when Gabe parks the vehicle and both guys get out that I finally allow a tear to trickle down my cheek.

The flight to New York is excruciatingly quiet. I don’t trust myself to speak, which is okay, because there’s nobody to talk to. Jenna pretends to sleep during the entire trip, and even Gabe is smart enough to keep his comments to himself.

Once we land, Gabe drives us to the hotel to meet Coop and Abby. One glance at a beaming Abby with that rock on her hand sends me straight to the mini bar. I pour myself a drink and mutter hello before heading out to the balcony for some air.

Rage fills me, for so many different reasons.

I’d taken Jenna to my home—a sacred place I’d never shared with any other woman. Doesn’t she understand? Can’t she see what that means? How could she think I only wanted her for sex? I don’t even
know
what I want, but I know it’s not just physical. Not anymore.

The last few days have been incredible, and to have it all blown to hell thanks to Stavros Peri’s impatience is making me a little deranged. I hate him. Granted, I’ve always hated him, but those reasons had been professional. Coop and I had worked for Stavros a few summers ago. My partner had been itching for a new locale, and neither of us had ever seen Greece. Stavros had offered an obscene amount of money for a couple heists. The money had been great, but the risk was massive—especially when his promise of protection had fallen through during both robberies. After nearly getting busted, in both Athens and Mykonos, we’d vowed to never work for Stavros again.

But now I have a whole new reason to hate the man. Now he’s messing with my personal life. We’ve all been forced to cut our vacations short. Not that Coop and Abby mind. After this last job, they’ll skip off into the sunset and live happily ever after.

“I see your mountain vacation did nothing to relax you.”

Glancing over my shoulder, I see my best friend. I lift my glass and offer my congratulations.

“I assume I’m your best man?”

Coop walks over and joins me at the railing. “Considering you’re my only friend, I’d say that’s a safe bet.”

“Seriously. Congratulations, man. You deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks.” He grins and glances over his shoulder. “So, Jenna seems a bit on edge, as well. You wouldn’t have anything to do with that, would you?”

I look through the sliding glass doors to find the girls huddled on the bed. Discussing what a jerk I am, no doubt.

“The woman’s killing me.”

“I’m pretty sure the feeling’s mutual. She’s barely said two words since you guys walked into the room.”

I quickly swallow my drink. “Well, that’s two more than she’s said to me since we left Tennessee, so you guys should consider yourselves lucky.”

Coop leans on the railing and gazes out at the city. “I have to say, I was surprised when Abby told me the two of you were in Tennessee. It was all the proof I needed.”

“Proof of what?”

“That you’re in love with this girl.”

I try to deny it, but my mouth refuses to cooperate.

“I need another drink.”

“You don’t need another drink,” Coop says, taking the empty glass from my hand. With an infuriated sigh, I turn away from him and stare out at the New York skyline. “You need to talk to her.”

“Yeah, well, she won’t talk back, so . . .”

“So what?”

“So I’ll deal with her later. For now, I have to get my head in the game since Stavros is being a complete pain in my ass and putting a rush on this heist.”

 I can tell Coop’s about to argue, but he glances down at his watch and nods reluctantly before giving me the details about tonight’s job. Maria, one of the Wonder Twins, has dealt with the museum curator before, so that’s our in. We’ll meet the two of them on the sixth floor of an abandoned building on Calico Road. Once the exchange is made, the five of us will take the ring and meet her brother at the plane.

“This seems like an easy drop that the twins could handle on their own. Why include us?”

“Stavros said it was a peace offering, of sorts. He knows he’s screwed us in the past. Plus, he wants to introduce the twins to the North American scene, and he’s trusting us to take care of any problems that might arise from the twins’ inexperience.”

“Sure. Let’s train them so they can be our competition?”

Coop shrugs. Of course he doesn’t care. He’s getting out.

Just then, the balcony door opens, and I turn to find Abby smiling at us.

“Guys, it’s time to go.”

Coop and I follow her back into the room. We do a last-minute check of our radios, and I sneak subtle glances at Jenna. She doesn’t say anything, but I can tell by the frown on her face she’s not happy with this set-up. Her nervousness shows when her trembling fingers fumble with the knobs on her radio. It’s only when we’re ready to get into the vehicle that she finally voices her concerns.

“I don’t trust Stavros,” she says.

“Neither do I.” With a heavy sigh, I turn to her. “Listen, I want you to promise me something. If anything seems off, or if something seems suspicious, I want you to take Abby and get the hell out of there.”

I expect a fight, but she surprises me by nodding in agreement. Things could get crazy, so Coop and Abby walk away to have a private moment while Jenna and I stand awkwardly next to the vehicle. All I want to do is hold her. And maybe kiss her. But I don’t dare. She starts to get in the SUV, but I reach out for her, grabbing her by the arm and gently pulling her back to me.

“Promise me you’ll be careful.”

She nods. “I will. Promise me, too.”

“I promise.”

My hand slides down her arm, and our fingers entwine. It’s the first time we’ve touched since the cabin. The sweetest blush rises in her cheeks, and I can’t resist pulling her close to me and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

“You and I are going to have a very serious conversation once this is all over,” I tell her. And I mean it. I’m sick of this wall between us, and I am determined to tear it down.

Jenna looks up at me and smiles just as Coop announces it’s time to go.

It might be a straightforward operation in the eyes of the average person, but the simplicity screams of potential problems. I can’t shake my apprehension, especially when we get word that the curator only wants to deal with Maria and “the men.” Jenna and Abby have been asked to stay behind in the car—a request the girls aren’t happy about at all.

“This is bullshit,” Jenna mutters.

“I agree.” I look at Coop, who gives me a nod before I turn to the girls. “Listen, why don’t you two get out of here? Head back to the hotel—”

Jenna snorts. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”

“No, it’s not!” Abby reaches for Coop’s hand. “I’m not leaving you, so please don’t ask me to.”

Her eyes brim with tears, and I know Coop won’t be able to tell her no. If Jenna looked at me like that, I wouldn’t say no, either.

My partner shoots me a pleading look, and I sigh heavily.

“Fine, but get back into the vehicle. And no matter what, do not follow us into that building.”

The girls nod and rush back toward the car while Coop and I make our way into the abandoned building. As per the plan, the elevator takes us to the sixth floor.

“I don’t like this.”

Coop nods, his face tight with worry.

The elevator doors open, and just as we step into the hallway, the electricity goes out.

Coop mutters a curse.

I reach for my flashlight and switch it on. “Blackout?”

“Maybe.”

It’s not as if we can’t work in the dark, but when you don’t know the layout of the building, a little electricity certainly helps.

Coop turns on his own flashlight. “Let’s find Maria and get the hell out of here.”

The sixth floor contains a group of empty offices, and Maria and the curator are supposed to be in Room 626.

I shine the light on the first door I come to.

604.

“I’ll go in the opposite direction,” Coop whispers, pointing to the hallway behind us. “I’ll radio if I find it.”

I nod and adjust my earpiece. “Me, too.”

Gripping my flashlight tightly, I continue down the dark corridor. I keep an eye on my watch. Nearly ten minutes pass without a word from Coop or a sign of Room 626. Suddenly, I find myself in front of a set of windows, and I stop abruptly.

“What the hell?”

Lights flicker in the windows of an adjacent building . . . and the one right next to it.

Not a blackout.

All the dread and anxiety that’s been building throughout the day finally bubbles to the surface and crushes my chest.

I growl into my radio. “Coop, it’s a trap. We’ve been set up.”

No response.