“He’s dead.” Milo dragged his fingers through his hair. “Dammit, he grabbed the gun and would have shot me.”
“You’re bleeding.” Her hand rested on his cheek, freezing his jawbone. He wiped his nose with his sleeve. His sinuses still throbbed, but had Serena not pointed it out, he wouldn’t have noticed the blood.
His gaze flicked to the door. “Shit, someone’s going to call the cops.” And he hadn’t even gotten to question the guy. He paced away from the body and dug through the mist in his brain.
“Did he say anything?”
“‘Diamonds.’ That’s all he said when I asked who sent him.”
Serena growled. “Why would they come here? It doesn’t make any sense. They already have Dani and are supposed to call me with instructions.”
Footsteps pounded down the hall outside the apartment. He stiffened and positioned his gun in front of him. He waved his hand in the air, motioning for Serena to hide, but her gaze was fixed on the door. The steps faded, and Milo rolled his shoulders back.
“We need to get out of here. Now.”
She nodded, slung the bag over her shoulder, and tucked the laptop under her arm. She moved close to him and slipped her fingers into his. His palm swallowed up her slender hand. Her cold skin drew the heat away from his palm but spread warmth through his chest.
Keeping her close to his side, he checked the peephole before removing the barricade she’d set. He peeked his head into the hall—empty.
“C’mon.” He urged Serena out of the apartment and shut the door.
“What about the body?” Even though she’d whispered it, the word boomed down the hallway as they moved swiftly to the stairs. No way he’d chance taking the elevator and encountering another visitor.
“I’ll handle it.”
* * *
“Someone must have followed us.” Serena buckled her seatbelt, and her head jerked backward as Milo peeled out of the parking lot. “It’s the only explanation.”
“Maybe he was there looking for diamonds.”
Serena shook her head. “No, Dani’s last job wasn’t for diamonds. It’s been months, but I’m pretty sure her last heist was for a jump drive. If they don’t call soon, I’m going to lose my mind.” She wrapped her arms around her stomach.
“We’ll go back to my place and—”
“Is it safe? The kidnapper seemed to know you.”
“I think we’re safe there. I’ve been off the radar for a long time. If someone was after me, they would have gone to my house by now.”
She pressed her fingers to her temples. “If it’s not someone from the Alban heist, it has to be someone from the heist she wanted me to work.”
Ring, ring
A call came in on Bluetooth, and a phone number Serena didn’t recognize lit the screen on the dash.
“It’s Rhett.”
Hope made her straighten. The seatbelt tightened across her chest.
Milo moved his finger over a button on the steering wheel. “Rhett, what do you have?”
“Not good news. Her phone can’t be traced. They must have damaged it.”
Tears prickled her eyes. She propped her elbows on her knees and dropped her head into her hands. God, she was a sitting duck. Every second that ticked by, Dani was closer to being dead—and she was probably being beaten in the meantime. What did they want? Why hadn’t they called?
Milo told Rhett about the dead body in Dani’s apartment, and he was still on the phone as he pulled the SUV into his garage. He cut the engine. Serena unbuckled her seatbelt.
“I need you to consider involving the police, Milo,” Rhett said, his voice heavy through the speakers. “This could get ugly really fast. The last thing you want is to have to involve the police later, when it’s already too late. For now, there’s a good chance she’s still alive, since they want something from you.”
Serena’s stomach pitched, and she closed her eyes on a breath. They had to get to Dani . . .
Milo promised they would talk about it and disconnected. She pushed open the passenger door and got out before he could reach for her. She needed to move, to collect her scattered thoughts, to—
“Serena.” Milo’s raw, gentle voice burst the bubble around her. She spun around, nearly colliding with the lawn mower. His hands caught her elbows.
“Honey, I’m so sorry.”
She dropped her head to his chest and the dam that had been holding back her tears for the last couple of hours burst. The brush of his lips on her hair and the steady coast of his hands down her back made her muscles turn to mush.
“Milo, I’m so scared.”
He held her tighter. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”
Ring, ring, ring
She yanked her head away from the cushion of his chest and pulled her phone from the pocket of her sweater. The phone shook so much in her trembling hands that she couldn’t read the number.
“It has to be them.”
“Answer it.”
She sucked in her breath, swiped her thumb across the screen, and pressed the phone to her ear. “Hello?”
“Hello, Serena,” said a deep, slightly muffled voice. “I need you to add this number to your contacts and then switch to FaceTime. I have someone who wants to see you.”
Sweat dampened her palms, and her gaze lifted to Milo’s. He gave one solid nod. She swallowed and lowered the phone to do as instructed. A few seconds later, a ski-mask-covered face filled the screen.
“Hello, Serena,” he said again.
“Where’s Dani?” The words rushed out of her and her heart stalled. She scanned the background behind the caller. He stood in a dimly lit room. Only a wood-paneled wall served as a backdrop.
The man’s gaze shifted beyond the phone he held and then back to her. “She’s a little tied up right now. Don’t worry, I’ll prove she’s intact in a minute.”
Serena dug her fingertips into the sides of her phone. Intact? What kind of sicko talked like that?
“I know you’re not alone. I want to see both you and your boyfriend.”
She didn’t bother telling him that she and Milo weren’t in a relationship—that was the furthest thing from important right now. Milo moved behind her, and she tilted the screen to capture his face.
“I’m here. Now tell us what the fuck you want.” Milo’s voice boomed through the garage.
“Ah, Milo. You’re looking well.”
Milo’s hot, hard chest against her back anchored her. His hand came around her waist, and the tremble that had been threatening to shake her soul diminished in strength.
“Relax. My demand is nothing new to either of you. You’re going to steal ten million dollars worth of diamonds from Titus Phillips.”
Serena froze.
Her whirring pulse banged against her eardrums.
They know Titus is my client.
They’d been watching her. Dani’s kidnapping wasn’t about something Dani had done. The kidnapper targeted her.
Milo gripped the phone to stabilize it. “Why don’t you do it yourself? Why go to all the trouble to kidnap Dani and force us to do it?”
“Because your sexy little bitch is one of the best thieves out there. Don’t you think we’ve attempted to steal from Titus before? He’s impenetrable.” The thin lips that peeked through the hole of the mask stretched until their corners disappeared behind the material. “Besides, Serena knows his house better than any of us.”
The air in the stale garage grew thick. Milo’s corded muscles jumped against her spine. His hot breath blew on her temple.
Serena shook her head and laughed derisively. “Yes, I’ve been inside his home and you’re right—it’s impenetrable. And I haven’t stolen a thing in years. If you failed, I will too.”
“You’re not going to fail, Serena. You love your sister too much. Besides, we’ll provide blueprints and up-to-date details of his schedule. With your experience, it’ll be a cinch.” He turned the camera, and Dani’s image filled
the screen. Duct tape covered her mouth, and one eye was swollen shut. Her hair was plastered to her head and ropes surrounded her upper body, knees, and ankles.
The blood left Serena’s head and plummeted to her feet. A whimper escaped her mouth, and she clamped her hand across her lips to stifle any further sound. The screen moved closer to Dani’s face, putting every cut and bruise on display.
The need to reassure her sister, to pull it together to give her strength, vibrated through Serena, but her brain couldn’t form a single word. Then the kidnapper’s covered face replaced Dani’s.
“We’ll do it.” Milo’s steady voice rumbled against her spine.
“Good. Text me your email address and I’ll send the information. You have twenty-four hours.”
The screen went black.
CHAPTER 6
Milo half carried, half dragged Serena into the house. Hell, he was far from close with Dani, but seeing her beaten and limp in a chair had shaken the fuck out of him. Serena rooted herself in the hallway despite his urging her to the sofa.
“Twenty-four hours? That’s impossible.” She shook her head. Milo studied her face. Her lips were almost as pale as her skin, and dark half-moons had formed beneath her eyes. She needed sleep, but convincing her of that was going to be a pain in the ass.
“We’ll make it work.”
She snorted. “How? It takes months to plan a job—and one of this magnitude is even more dangerous.”
He slipped his arm around her shoulders and gently moved her up the stairs with him. “If he’s sending the blueprints and surveillance data, that’s half the battle.”
Christ, who was he kidding? They’d be trusting a criminal’s homework, and the likelihood of it being conducted to either of their standards was slim. Regardless, Milo sent his email address to the kidnapper’s number. The phone was undoubtedly encrypted, but he made a mental note to have Rhett investigate it anyway.
“How do you know Titus?” He hated to change the subject, but when the bastard on the phone had dropped that piece of information, Milo had felt as if a bomb had been blasted inside his head. Serena claimed to be on the straight and narrow, and everything he’d heard about her until she’d shown up at his bar had supported that. But her having any kind of relationship with a man like Titus tore her valued reputation to shreds.
She turned away and rubbed the knuckle of her index finger across her forehead. “He’s a client.” She made a sound halfway between a hiss and a snort. “Well, not exactly. I’ll find out Sunday if he’s going to sign with me. Not that any of that matters anymore.”
Milo stopped beside her at the top of the stairs and shoved his hands into his front pockets to prevent himself from touching her. From the moment she’d stepped into the bar, that’s all he’d wanted to do. And it was a damn dangerous habit to get into.
He rolled that information around his mind and relief replaced some of the tension that had taken hold of his muscles. Silence flowed between them. She peeked up at him, waiting.
“Where were you coming from when you were attacked?” He’d heard tidbits of her statement to the police and was fairly certain she’d said she had just left a potential client’s house.
The muscles around her mouth softened. “Titus’s. I’d assessed his property and was heading home.”
He scratched his fingernails under his chin. “They must have been following you.”
“The attackers?” She shook her head as soon as the words left her mouth. “Never mind, of course the attackers. Ugh, I’m so damn tired I can’t think.” She dropped her head momentarily then straightened.
“Wait, that doesn’t make sense. Why would they attack me if they wanted me to steal from Titus? Wouldn’t they need me alive?” Confusion puckered the skin between her eyes, and Milo’s index finger ached to smooth the lines. He commanded his rebellious hand to be still and not touch her.
“You said the attacker wanted you to come with him, right?”
Slowly, she nodded. Then her eyes grew wide. “They were going to force me to rob Titus, and when I escaped, they went after Dani to blackmail me.” Her hands fell to her stomach, and she hunched forward. “Oh my god, this is all my fault.”
Dammit to hell and back, there was that pull from behind his solar plexus, dragging his body to hers. He cupped her chin in his palm and tilted her head until her gaze met his.
“This isn’t your fault.” The words grated through his throat. Tears sparkled in the corners of her eyes. He smoothed his thumb along her jawline and she swallowed.
“I feel like—wait, why are we upstairs?” Her gaze swept the second-floor hallway.
He let go of her face and circled his hand around her wrist, pulling her to his bedroom. He led her toward the king-sized bed in the center of the room. “Because, you need rest.”
She shoved his chest. “Are you crazy? I can’t rest. And neither can you. We have hours, Milo. Hours to put together a plan, disguises . . . My god, we’re going to need earbuds and mics.” She ran her hand over her hair, which was still smoothed back into a ponytail. “I couldn’t sleep if I wanted to.”
He cloaked her hands in his. “Look, I know all that. I’ll stay awake and get a head start, but you need sleep. It’s after 2:00 a.m. We’ll need to be awake another twenty-four hours at least, and you’ve probably already been awake for eighteen.”
Her defiant, upturned nose lowered.
“Sleep, stare at the ceiling—but at least lie down. If you drift off, I’ll wake you in two, three hours, tops.”
She massaged the skin at her temple. “All right, fine. Two hours.” She turned to the bed and he pulled the covers back. She crawled into the sheets and dropped her head to the pillow.
He lifted the blanket and tucked it around her shoulders. “Try to rest.”
“Milo.” Her hand popped loose from the coverlet to grip his wrist. “Stay with me?” Her voice was already raspy with fatigue.
Milo opened and closed his free hand. His body ached to do as she asked, but a siren of warning screamed at him. Getting too close to Serena would unravel him.
“Please?” She tugged on his hand and he swallowed. Resisting her was impossible.
“Okay.”
She scooted over, and he crawled under the covers next to her. She turned on her side to face him, her cheek cushioned against her hand and her eyes closed. Her breath came out in quick puffs, and he moved closer. Her lashes lifted, and the dark blue hue of her eyes struck him in the chest.
“Sleep, honey.” He brought his hand to the back of her head and massaged. A soft moan coasted through her lips. She snuggled closer and burrowed her face in the crook of his neck. A few minutes passed and her breathing became regular. Her muscles went limp, and a low purr rumbled from her throat.
He smiled and pressed his lips to her forehead.
God, he’d missed this.
Familiarity. Comfort.
Her.
Being with Serena was bringing back memories with the force of a comet—memories that he’d buried beneath a shitload of pride, regret, and resentment. He’d met Serena and Dani when his father started working with their uncle Sebastian, before their mother died. Serena rarely talked about her mom, but Milo remembered his parents talking about Catalina Metcalf and her prescription-drug addiction. Milo’s mom had always felt sorry for the girls and often had Milo invite them over after school so they wouldn’t have to see their mother high.
He’d never forget the first time he saw her after her mother died. Serena had been eleven years old, her face pale, her hair the color of straw, and her eyes the largest and saddest he’d ever seen.
Fourteen years old, he’d felt awkward as hell being instructed to keep Dani and her outside while his father and their uncle had conspired bigger jobs in the house. Serena had sat in the grass shredding a long piece of grass between her fingers while watching him with a cold, hard stare. Even though he and Serena had been friends for a couple of years, everything about her screamed a
t him to stay away. Instead, he’d sat beside her in silence and copied her motions. He’d also kept one eye on Dani while she climbed a tree, and he’d thought for sure she’d plummet to the ground and break her leg, which would earn him a beating from his father. Serena had watched Dani too, but she’d been completely unconcerned, as if seeing her nine-year-old sister climb to the thinnest branches of a tall tree was nothing new.
Serena hadn’t said a word to him that day. But every time Angelo and Sebastian got together after that, he was deemed the babysitter. Not that he’d cared. He preferred being with Serena to hanging out with the friends he’d always been different from. A bond had grown between Serena and him—hell, even between Dani and him, but Dani had always been wilder than her sister. When Serena turned sixteen, her face changed almost overnight: her cheekbones became shapelier, her lips fuller . . . a lot of other places became fuller, too. He hadn’t had to “babysit” her for years by that point, but they still spent almost every day together—half the time stealing for her uncle and his dad, but they were smart enough to take a cut for themselves and plan their own jobs.
He closed his eyes and forced the past from his mind. This was exactly what he hadn’t wanted when he laid eyes on her at Alban’s and then at Tasha’s bar. Reliving his past. Yet here he was, unable to think of anything except the history the two of them had. Falling asleep wasn’t an option. Not while her fingers were curled into the neckline of his shirt, not when her breasts were snuggled against his side and her knee was wrapped over his thigh.
He gently cupped the back of her neck. Her soft, silky skin branded his fingertips. He shouldn’t be turned on right now, given the dire circumstances. He and Serena had never even had sex. He’d licked, touched, and sucked on every part of her, but before their relationship could go to the next level, her uncle had ratted out his dad and brought everything to a screeching halt.
The burn for Serena ran long and deep and hadn’t lessened at all over the years. His dick stood like a steel rod in his jeans, his lips tingled remembering the hot cavern of her mouth—from two fucking years ago at Alban’s—and if he slid his hand down it would fit perfectly over her heart-shaped ass.
The Last Heist (Pretty Thieves Book 1) Page 7