I have to think… think.
“Um… sir,” she whispers. “Master?”
I look down at her eager eyes and brush my thumb along her cheekbone. I’m immediately reminded of the first time I touched her, the night she was assaulted.
“Yes?”
“May I stand?”
“You may.”
I help her to her feet. “I have an idea.”
“Yes?”
“You slide me the dupe. We go over to where they’re sitting. I’ll get close enough so I can swap them, and as soon as I am, you pull the fire alarm.”
People would scramble and maybe even scream or cause a riot. She’ll swap the talisman. Thayer has a ride outside waiting for our escape.
It's so crazy it just might work. I am willing to try.
"If this doesn't work, we come up with another plan. I am not going to put you at risk. The whole point was for the two of us to get in here,” I whisper to her.
Nicolette nods, gets up on her tippy toes, wraps her arms around my neck, and gives me a huge kiss. I hold her to me.
Is this part of her act? I don’t want to believe that she feels for me the way I feel about her, only to find this was only a job.
I focus myself on the present.
“Let’s get this shit done.”
We've been here long enough. I don't want her to be taken by anyone or even for anyone to look at her. We walk together, when a man steps in front of us.
"How much?" he says.
“I've already bought her."
"Then why are you in here?"
Fire races through my veins. I hate this. "Just doing some shopping."
"You shouldn't be in here if she's not for sale."
Nicolette gives him a smile. "My time with him is up tomorrow. Meet me back here, and we can make a deal. Sound good?”
I clench my fists and remind myself I can’t change this. She’s playing a part.
Or is she?
Is she serious? Or is she just trying to get him placated so we can move to the next phase of the plan?
Motherfucker.
I want my brother back. I want justice. I want to end my arrangement with Nicolette so we can move on into a relationship and remove any pretense of togetherness.
I want this over.
“I’ll take you up on that,” the man says to her. He reaches out to touch her.
Fury surges through me and I know right then I’m not only going to hit him, I’m going to fucking kill him. Nicolette flies in front of me and leans in, kissing the man’s cheek.
“Bye for now!” she says, before she pirouettes away in the direction of the talisman.
I grab her hand and walk with her.
“Breathe,” she whispers. “In and out. In and out. You ready?”
“What the fuck was that?”
“Ready.”
We’ve gotten this far. We can’t back down now.
The weight of the dupe is in my pocket. I swallow hard and move with purpose.
We will get this shit done.
I don’t care who the Lyon family is. I don’t care what this talisman is worth. I don’t care about anything but getting what I came here for.
I take the small velvet bag out of my pocket. I grab Nicolette’s hand and slip the bag into it.
It feels as if someone pushed fast-forward on life, because it all happens so quickly.
I release her. I hate that she walks away from me, that she’s walking straight into danger and I can’t be right next to her. If anyone comes between us—
I turn to the fire alarm.
Nicolette stands in a throng of people. She pushes herself closer and closer until she’s within a few feet of Lyon. He strokes the talisman with one hand and the head of another woman. She’s right there. If she reached out, she could grab it.
I pull the fire alarm.
Nothing happens.
Fuck.
I look back at the alarm in front of me. Is it broken? Rigged?
I examine it more closely and see there’s a bar of glass that should’ve broken. It would’ve triggered the alarm if it worked properly.
Fuck.
“What the hell are you doing?”
The security guard marches toward me. Nicolette stares at me in a panic. I smash at the alarm and break the glass. Sirens blare.
Nicolette pretends to fall straight into the lap of the man with the talisman. They both hit the floor as I race toward her.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Lyon reaches his hand back to slap her when I tackle him to the floor.
“Give that to me!”
“Oh!” Nicolette says with wide eyes as the people around us race past us to get outside. “I’m so sorry, sir! Is this what you’re looking for?” She hands him the dupe.
The people all around us push and shove, trying to get out. The security guard screams behind me. Nicolette runs but trips on those god-awful heels. Without thinking, I lift her, swing her up in my arms and race to the exit.