The Christmas Heist_A Stolen Hearts Novella

by Mallory Crowe

  There would be the normal workers behind the desk. The computers might actually have a more sophisticated security system, but he didn’t need to hack into anything. He already knew the room he was going to.

  The keycard system, however, was different. Usually there were two different keycard machines at a hotel. The normal one hooked up to the computer system with the good security, and then there was the backup. Assuming anything ever went wrong with the computers, staff couldn’t exactly tell guests they couldn’t print them a new card if they lost one. Especially not a place like this. They wouldn’t want to piss off the high-class clientele. So somewhere, behind the reception desk, there was one of those keycard machines that could make him any keycard he wanted. It was probably behind a locked drawer or door, but getting into locked doors was kind of his specialty....

  Now he just needed a distraction big enough to get everyone out of the reception area.

  Pulling the fire alarm was too noticeable. Not only would it cause way too much attention to the front of the building, but it would be super noticeable that he was the only one not running to the door. Also, there were probably at least two different employees working the desk. So if he called one away, there would still be one person on duty. So this job needed to be twofold. The first one would be easier. Getting someone to abandon the desk completely would be the challenge.

  He started with the easy one. Austin took out his phone and dialed the number for reception. He stood with his body mostly behind one of the decorative columns in the lobby so he wouldn’t be noticed. The lobby itself probably looked gorgeous to anyone walking in from the street, but to him it looked just like any other fancy hotel lobby. The floors were decorative tile, and marble columns gave the place an elegant feel. However, he could tell from what he was leaning on that it was really just hollow wood with a marble-like coating over it. Like a lot of these fancy places, it was all style and no substance.

  The lobby was mostly deserted. It was just past dinner hour, so there weren’t a lot of people coming and going from the restaurant down the hall, but there were still a few stragglers heading out to late-night clubs or bars. The guests weren’t what interested him. Someone at this hotel was the one who tried to get his attention. Someone at this hotel was the one who invaded his personal space. Someone at this hotel was the one who threatened his family.

  The phone started to ring, and Austin watched as the male receptionist answered. “This is Marriott Marquis Hotel front desk, how can I help you?”

  Austin kept his voice lowered, so people around him wouldn’t notice what he was doing. “What the hell is wrong with you people?”

  “Um, excuse me sir?”

  “Have you even looked in the stairwell? There is vomit that is completely stinking up the place. It’s even seeping into the walls. I need someone on this ASAP. How can you subject your guests to something like this? It’s disgusting.” Then he hung up before anyone could ask any more questions. He knew it wasn’t the smoothest way to distract somebody, but vomit sure as hell would get people’s attention. And a place like this would freak out if they thought something so base and disgusting was interfering with their guests.

  The poor receptionist had gone ash-white as he hung up the phone. After one second of standing there like a deer in the headlights, he suddenly ran off, headed in the direction of the stairway. Austin purposefully had not told him what floor, so the poor guy would have to go stairwell to stairwell trying to find out where exactly the offending mess was.

  And that left just one more person to deal with. The young girl behind the desk was staring intently at the computer screen in front of her. He wondered whether she was doing something work-related or just skimming through Facebook.

  Whatever she was doing, it was about to stop. Because she was the only one at the desk, it would take a lot to get her to move away. Luckily, Austin had a lot in his arsenal.

  He approached the desk carefully and put on the same smile he’d just used to try to impress Toni. Although Toni had met him only with skepticism, this girl met his eyes and he could tell immediately when she softened. Her tense shoulders seemed to relax, and her mouth twisted in the subtlest of smiles. She wasn’t put off by his good looks or intimidated by him. This girl was pretty enough to have her own share of men. Which meant he couldn’t totally charm her into giving him everything he wanted, but he could use his looks to some extent.

  He thought back to when he’d first met Jennifer. When he sat next to her in the first-class seat on the plane and she looked at him with a smile similar to that. Not threatened, not swooning over him, but intrigued. And as they talked, they met head-on in a battle of wills that had stroked them each higher and higher, and by the time they got off the plane, they’d been unable to keep their hands off each other in her limo. Even though he’d known she’d be nothing but a distraction on his job, some things couldn’t be avoided.

  This girl didn’t exactly do it for him. She was too young and too blonde. Funny. He used to have a total thing for blondes, but ever since he’d met Jennifer, it had been brunette or bust.

  “Hello there,” he said in his most charming voice. “I was wondering if you could answer a few questions about the hotel for me.”

  Her pleasant expression stayed on, but he could tell she was intrigued. “Of course. That’s what I’m here for.”

  “Well, my boss is a rather important man, and he’s very particular about where he stays. I wouldn’t want to book a suite anywhere without first of all checking it out personally.”

  “Oh really? I assume I can ask who your boss is.”

  Austin let out a little laugh. “Oh, you can ask. I’m afraid I’ll just have to lie to you.”

  “It won’t be the first time a handsome man lied to me,” she said smoothly.

  Austin wanted to groan. This was so much easier when the marks weren’t smooth. “So can you tell me about the presidential suites you have here?”

  “Of course. The top-of-the-line suite takes up about half of our top floor. There are three different bedrooms, two baths, each with a jetted tub, access to the private roof balcony for private parties, and there are a number of complimentary room service items provided. Are there any dietary restrictions for your guest?”

  “Oh, that’s a whole laundry list we don’t need to get into right now. That all sounds great,” said Austin. “So tell me about the beds. What size are they?”

  The girl narrowed her eyes and he could tell she was getting a tad more annoyed with him. Good. He wanted her to want him to go away as quickly as possible.

  “Well, all of our mattresses are a queen size. All of the blankets are down comforters and the pillows are all natural feathers. We do have allergy alternatives if your boss needs it.”

  Austin grimaced and shook his head. “Eeesh. I do need feathers. This is really important, though. Do you know if the feathers are from European birds or American birds?”

  She gave him a blank expression. It was obviously a question she’d never been asked before. “Umm... I’m sure I can look for you.”

  “Anyone can look. I need to be absolutely certain. My client cannot sleep on a bed with European birds. They must be American birds.”

  “Can he just bring his own pillow?”

  “You want him to bring pillows for all the beds in that suite? What kind of service is this?”

  “Umm... I mean... I’m sure I can find out for you.”

  “You’re going to need to. This is a deal breaker, and my client is going to need the room for a month.”

  “A month? I don’t even know if we—”

  “I need you to check! Or just give me a key and I’ll go check. Whatever is easier for you.”

  The girl stammered and picked up the phone before setting it back down. She must have realized that asking the maid whether the pillows were made of European or American feathers would be pointless.

  No one would be able to answer that question because Austin had made it u
p for just how ridiculous it was.

  “I’ll be right back.” She rushed off.

  He watched her go and waited until she’d gotten to the elevator and the doors had closed behind her before he got to work. That had taken longer than he anticipated. He must be rusty. He would only have a few minutes before the other reception clerk came back, and he needed to work fast. Luckily, he wasn’t that slow. He pulled out the keys he had picked off the girl as she had gone by him. Hopefully it would be enough to get him the key maker. He rummaged through all the drawers and started on the locked cabinet behind him.

  The rush that hit him as he rummaged through things he knew he wasn’t allowed to look at was instantaneous. Don’t get him wrong—the rush he got from Jennifer was intoxicating and exciting. But this was different. Knowing he had won, knowing he had gotten one over on somebody.... He knew it wasn’t healthy to feel this way, but damn it felt good. And then when he opened up that cabinet and saw the key maker he was looking for, it felt fucking amazing.

  He’d made enough hotel keys in his time that the process was practically second nature even though he hadn’t done it in so long: insert the key, program the room, wait for that little green okay screen, take the key. Easy. As soon as he shut the cabinet and walked away from behind the counter, the male receptionist was coming back. He was seemingly relieved that he didn’t end up having to order any of his staff to clean up some horrible mess in the stairwell. Except for the sheen of sweat on his brow, he didn’t seem any worse for the wear. And when the girl came back, she would probably be relieved that the hotel wouldn’t have to deal with such a high-demand client. Not wanting to run into her on the elevator, Austin went for the stairs. He’d only programmed the key for one room. The room he was supposed to meet this guy at.

  When he reached the tenth floor, he approached the room cautiously. He looked around for anything that he should be suspicious of. But it looked like a normal hotel hallway. There were no hidden cameras that he could see. Obviously hidden cameras weren’t meant to be seen easily, but Austin knew the signs: if any of the recessed lighting looked as though it had been recently changed out, any wires appeared as though they didn’t belong.

  Although there was one chance that he held at the back of his mind that he didn’t give much stock to. The chance that whatever they were looking for, whoever was trying to find them, was just an idiot. Somehow their address had come up by chance and luck.

  But Austin didn’t believe in luck. He made his own luck and didn’t take chances. And that’s what he told himself as he withdrew the Glock from his holster and slid the keycard in the door.

  He was early by an hour. He hoped that the element of surprise, combined with the fact that he didn’t knock, would be just enough to give him the upper hand and get him what he wanted out of the conversation.

  Of course, he didn’t know what he wanted. There were a lot of unknowns. That was the reason he didn’t tell Jennifer what he was doing. If she knew he was running into this all half-cocked, she’d never let him go.

  But when it was her and Lucy at stake, he didn’t need to wait for permission. He would act when he needed to act, and do what he felt was necessary to take care of his family.

  And that’s what he told himself as he walked into and the man stood up from the bed.

  The man across from him was nothing spectacular. Just around six feet tall, with balding hair. If Austin had walked by him on the street, he probably wouldn’t pay him much attention. And that was saying a lot, since Austin was pretty damn attentive.

  The man held his hands up, as though to signal he was not a threat. “Austin Benedict, I assume?” said the man.

  “Jackass who invaded my private space?” Austin kept the gun right where it was.

  The man shook his head. “No, no, no. That wasn’t my intention. That was why I suggested we meet here. I really don’t want to intrude.”

  “Having a personal note delivered right to my door? Giving absolutely no specifics or information about who you are? That sounds pretty damn intrusive to me.” The man paled, and Austin had a feeling this might not be the mastermind he’d originally thought.

  “I assure you I can give you answers to everything. Give me a chance to explain.”

  “Well, buddy, in case you haven’t noticed, this is your chance. Use your time wisely before I get into a bad mood.”

  The man’s eyes darted to the gun and then to Austin’s face, clearly realizing that if this wasn’t a bad mood, he didn’t want to see what that was. “My name is Ryan Graves. I contacted you because I need your help, and I didn’t know who else I could ask.”

  Instead of asking for information, he just waved the gun a tiny bit, urging the man to go on. He didn’t have all fucking day. This was not an interrogation.

  “There’s a certain item I need procured. I heard you are the best at it.”

  “I’m out of commission right now.”

  “Yes, I heard that, but this is different. I’ve heard about you. You and your wife. You help people, don’t you? People who need help?”

  “She’s not my wife. And I think you have me confused with Jennifer’s sister.”

  “I thought all the sisters help people. Isn’t that their thing?”

  “I think you can assure yourself that you don’t know a damn thing about our thing. What the hell makes you think you’re deserving of help?”

  The man shook his head. “No, no, no. It’s not for me. I’m simply a friend. The woman who needs help is named Lily. She’s a purely innocent soul who’s done nothing wrong in this world, but circumstances have always worked against her. She was born into a well-off family, but her father squandered all of her inheritance, and then even when he passed away he didn’t take care of her. She had no money but she was left one thing: the Cypher Ruby. Except instead of going to her, the attorney managed to cut her out of the inheritance and had it left to the estate, and they’re donating it to one of his handpicked charities this weekend. This can’t happen.”

  “You want me to stop something from being donated to charity? Excuse me while I don’t go running to assist her.”

  “You don’t understand. It’s not a real charity. It’s just a front so the attorney can get the money for himself without actually giving himself the ruby. They’re making a whole hubbub about it, getting written up in all the papers, but it’s all just a lie.”

  “Why should I believe a damn thing you’re saying?”

  Graves simply shrugged. “I don’t expect you to believe anything. I expect you to fact check me. Look into this. Liliana Reinheart. Everything I said backs up. Her family recently passed away in a tragic plane crash, and she was cut out of the inheritance completely. She has an amazing track record and has dedicated her entire life to charity. After everything this girl has suffered, I want her to get what she deserves. Now I may be barking up the wrong tree here, but everything I’ve read says that you’re one who likes to see people get what they deserve. Aren’t you?”

  Austin knew the guy was full of shit. What kind of reading could he have possibly done on his family or Jennifer’s? What could he possibly know about their mission? What they wanted or didn’t want? He wasn’t some avenging angel. That was Scott, not him. He was nothing but a thug who happened to be on pause at the moment from doing his thugly duties. He wasn’t like Toni. He didn’t have any illusions about what he was or why he did what he did. He was a thief because he liked it. He was a thief because he liked money. He was a thief because he liked getting away with things. There was no rhyme or reason or deeper good motivation behind it. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.”

  Graves nodded, but he seemed oddly undefeated. “I understand. But I also think that once you leave this room, you’re going to immediately start looking into everything I told you. And then I hope you’ll change your mind. Because you’re her last hope.”

  “No.” Toni folded her arms in front of her chest and glared at Jennifer, but Jennifer wasn’t deterred b
y the glare of her younger sister.

  “I didn’t say anything,” said Jennifer.

  “You didn’t have to say anything. I can see you thinking it.” Toni leaned forward and turned the laptop on mute. They could no longer hear what was happening to Austin. “I didn’t plant that bug on your husband just to see you go and throw yourself in danger.”

  “Come on.” Jennifer rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to be putting myself in any danger. You know I’d look into anything before I do it. Meaning, I’d have my amazing hacker of a sister look into it for me.” She batted her eyelashes in Toni’s direction.

  Toni was not swayed. “You go bat those eyelashes in some other direction. The job he wants you to do is tomorrow. There’s no way I can do research to figure out if this is legit in that time.”

  “Tomorrow? How do you know it’s that soon?”

  “I know because I looked up the fundraiser while the guys were talking.”

  “You already managed to look up the fundraiser but you don’t think you can do the research by tomorrow night?”

  “I can do a lot of things in a very short time,” said Toni. “But I can’t make any guarantees. I know you once you get started with something. You can’t stop yourself. If you’re going off planning for some heist or something for tomorrow, you’re not going to want to stop at the last minute. I will start looking into it, and if—and that’s a big if—there’s something shady behind this blood cypher or whatever, I will make sure it gets into the right hands. But you need to give me more time.”

  “All right,” said Jennifer. “That all sounds very reasonable.” Just then, little Lucy started to fuss in her playpen, and Jennifer used that as an excuse to turn away from Toni’s prying eyes. She picked up her little dark-haired daughter and started to bounce her on her hip as she turned in a circle, contemplating what she should do.