Ironic coming from her of all people. Who’d have thought that Alex would actually have been the victim in all this? Well, at least the least culpable. The pieces of the puzzle were swirling around me and I was so drained, I was starting to feel dizzy. Somehow the only really clear thought I had was that this was going to top every crazy Derek story Diana’s ever told me.
“Does Gran know about this?” I heard myself ask.
Mother laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous, Cora. Nobody knows about this except for the three of us, least of all your grandmother. And it’s going to stay that way.”
I crossed my arms. “Don’t be too sure about that. I know the truth and there’s nothing you can do to buy my silence.”
My threat was met with a condescending laugh. “And who exactly is going to believe you?” she asked. “When it’s my word against yours?”
“Why would I lie?” I countered.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Mother said. “Maybe to keep your boyfriend out of jail? If I were you, I wouldn’t even want to hint that you knew anything about it. He might think you’ve been in on it since the beginning.” She laughed again. “Oh that would be a betrayal, wouldn’t it? So yes, I think you’ll stay quiet.” She checked her watch. “And on that note, I’m going to be missed at the ball, and so will you, Cora.” She looked at Jackie. “I believe our work is done. You should leave before the guards wake up. Hopefully we never see each other again.”
Jackie shouldered her bag. “Let’s hope not,” she said, popping the window in the kitchen. Before she disappeared into the night, she cast me a look that might have been pitying. I took it to mean as such. I’d have given anything to escape out that window with her and leave Mother behind forever.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Alex
She came out of the servants’ quarters window just as I’d expected her to. Midas… After all this time, after so many failed heists at her hands, there she was. At the beginning of this job, I would have done anything to be in this position, standing in the shadows of the rooftop, the element of surprise mine. But now?
“Midas,” I called.
Jackie turned quickly at the sound of my voice, stepped back to put more distance between us.
Then she smiled, the lazy grin I only saw when we were alone together. This was the true Jackie, the facade of the perfect royal assistant as much a sham as the name “Jackie” probably was. “So you’re not so far behind after all,” she said. “How long did it take you to figure it out?”
“Right up until about fifteen minutes ago when I realized Scott couldn’t tell a lie to save his life,” I admitted.
She barked a laugh. “You thought I was Scott? Oh please, I’m almost insulted.”
“And you? When exactly did you know how to find me?”
The grin widened at the memory and I got the impression she’d been looking forward to letting me in on the joke. “It was right after the last job. Remember the bust of Catherine the Great I stole out from under you?”
“How could I forget,” I muttered.
“Well, let’s just say maybe you should have treated your partner better on that heist. He put out a message to me, told me you frequented a bar called Saul’s and that you were a Grade A asshole.”
I groaned. “You mean Jordan sold me out to you? God, what a little bastard.” I only vaguely remembered the heavy breathing kid I did one job with back in the spring, but what memories did exist weren’t pleasant.
“It only takes one bad confidant to do you in,” Jackie said.
“Yeah, I know all about that.” I looked past her, nodded to the window behind which Cora lay. “You think she’s a smart choice?”
Jackie didn’t take her eyes off me. “Sure, for a civilian. But you? Are you really going to give up the life?” she asked. Unlike Saul, there was no judgment in her voice, only curiosity.
“You’ve never thought about getting out?” I asked.
She shrugged, walked closer to the edge of the roof without turning her back on me. “I’ve considered it once or twice. Always got pulled back in though. Never been much good at anything else.”
I grinned at the familiar words. “The time will come. I hope it does for you, anyway.”
“Until then,” she said, “I’ll keep being the best.”
“Are you sure you want to take the Crown? Maybe it’ll ease your conscience to return it to its rightful owners.”
She scoffed. “You might be getting soft, Flynn, but I’m not there yet. Besides, I earned this shit. You think this has been a tough job? While you got to shack up with a princess and go to Sarah Goddamn Summers’ penthouse, I’ve been working harder than I’ve ever worked in my life. I don’t envy you if Cora’s who you’ve chosen. That woman in there is insane. She really expected me to put together her visit perfectly like I’ve done it all my life! Up all night, yelled at all day, a million jobs to juggle and people to handle.” She shook the bag holding the Crown. “I earned this shit.”
I couldn’t argue with that. I took a teasing step forward, and that was all it took. Jackie turned on her heel and disappeared over the edge, landing in a slide down the decline of the roof, and launching herself across the narrow alley to the roof of the opposite building.
I made no move to follow her. I’d removed my waistcoat and vest, but had to keep the restricting trousers and dress shoes out of basic decency. Besides, what I really cared about was back in the servants’ quarters.
Once it was clear I wasn’t following, Jackie called up to me across the gap. “Oh and she’s going to blame it on you, so I’d move quick.”
Of course Sarina Harmont was making me her scapegoat. Should have seen that one coming the minute I got accepted for the job without so much as an in-person interview. It was obvious all along that I was who they wanted for the job.
I gave a mock salute. She flipped me off. I smiled and turned away, back toward the window. Jackie was gone and hopefully she’d be far away by the time she realized just exactly who was the best in the world.
I pulled open the window and ducked back inside the servants’ quarters. Cora and her mother both stopped mid-sentence to look at me. They were red faced and looked like they’d been fighting.
“Am I interrupting something?” I asked.
Cora was fighting tears. “Alex!” she said. “You need to go! They’re-”
I walked over to stand beside her and pulled her into my arms. “Just trust me,” I whispered into her ear. She looked at me carefully and then past me to her mother. I could feel the decision she was making and I prayed she chose correctly.
She wrapped her hand in mine. “I love you too,” she whispered.
“Cora!” My future mother-in-law stomped her foot. “Haven’t you been listening to anything I’ve been saying?” she asked. “This man is going to prison and you could be too if you’re seen as an accomplice.”
I studied her. I didn’t think we’d ever have a good relationship, so I didn’t feel too bad about what I had to do. Unhooking my hand from Cora’s I went to the wall and pushed open the passage. Then I leaned down and picked my phone up off the ground.
“What’s that?” Sarina asked sharply.
“My phone,” I said. “Once I saw the chapel was empty, I knew someone told Jackie about the entrance so she could escape without getting caught on any of the security cameras in the great hall. I followed it and heard you all fighting up here. I thought about sticking around to hear all of it, but I also wanted to catch Jackie on the rooftop. So I recorded everything so I could listen to it later. Maybe with Scott. He’s getting the police, by the way.” I smiled. “I hope you didn’t say anything too incriminating.”
Sarina whitened. “Would you really do that to Cora’s own mother?” she asked. “Condemn her family to public humiliation?”
I shrugged. “I mean, it really would just be you, wouldn’t it? But, of course, that decision is entirely up to you. Let’s make a deal. Say you give us your blessing and ma
ybe butt out of Cora’s life?”
Sarina didn’t have a choice and we all knew it. Cora gave a shriek of happiness and ran into my arms, hugging me. Then she pulled back.
“But wait,” she said. “The police. Once they find out the Crown is gone, they’re going to look into you. They’ll find out you’re not who you said you were.”
Sorry Jackie, I thought. “Who said the Crown is gone?” I asked.
Both their faces were blank. “I knew Midas - that’s Jackie - was gunning for the Crown. And obviously I had my own plan to steal it originally. Once I fell for you, I knew I couldn’t go through with it, but that didn’t mean I wanted Midas to get it either. The Crown never spent a full night in the chapel,” I explained. “I switched it almost the moment it got here, with a fake I had a friend make.”
Finding someone skilled enough to do the forgery hadn’t been easy, but Saul did know all the true professionals in the city. I’d picked it up at the bar that day that he was out, switched it the night I became suspicious of Scott. Ever since, the legendary Crown of Athea had made its home amongst my socks in the second floor bedroom.
“So what does that mean?” Cora asked, knowing but needing someone to confirm before she allowed herself to hope.
“It means,” Sarina said stiffly, “that your little boyfriend ruined everything.” She whirled on Cora. “I hope you haven’t gotten used to your standard of living because things are going to change drastically around here.” That was as close as she was going to get to admitting defeat. She stalked from the room as gracefully as she could, leaving Cora and me alone together at last.
Cora turned to me, stepping closer so we were only a few inches apart. She gazed up at me and there was a shimmer of emotion in her eyes.
“I’m sorry I ran,” she said.
I took one of her hands in mine and squeezed it tightly. My heart was pounding with adrenaline that would make a normal man stutter or twitch. But instead it made all my senses come alive - her perfume unable to completely hide the familiar sweet scent of her hair, the warmth of her skin pressed against mine, her breath coming low and steady. And, of course, the sight of Cora herself, dressed in that stuffy costume, large eyes turned up toward mine, drinking me in like she never wanted to let me out of her sight.
“Can’t say I really blame you,” I said. But would she run again? I knew the answer, could feel it vibrate throughout the room in waves, but I needed to hear it from her.
She must have read the question in my eyes, because, instead of answering, she grasped my neck with her free hand and pulled me down to kiss her. My mouth dominated hers as I grasped forgiveness from it, redemption for my crimes and hope for a new life. Free from the memory of Katrina, free of regret and loneliness and fear. She offered me acceptance and I took it greedily.
I’d risked it all, put everything on the line, and this time, it’d worked in my favor. I always thought my greatest prize would be something I’d steal. Who would have thought it would turn out to be something I won?
She pulled away first, coming out of the kiss grinning up at me. I would have been happy for it to never end. But she had other plans. She tugged on my hand, nodding toward the stairs.
“We’re missing a party,” Cora said. “Come on. I’d like you to meet my gran.”
EPILOGUE
Cora
My family’s visit never got more intense than that night of the costume ball, a relief as I didn’t think I could handle any more surprises. I’d never had high hopes for family gatherings, but Mother had officially hit a new low that I wasn’t eager to see bested.
It pained me in the beginning, once the shock wore off, to have to use blackmail to keep my own mother at bay. But as the weeks of their visit slipped away and the true extent of my freedom became more and more apparent, I decided that I could live with it. Thanks to Alex, I had more power over my life than I’d ever had before. So much so, that at first, I wasn’t even sure what to do with it.
Then the ideas came steadily and I couldn’t believe that I’d lived years of my adult life blocked from these decisions before.
Malik was sent home, to both of our immense pleasure. Alex moved into my room and not a word was said to anyone asking for permission (although we did keep it down at night). Most satisfying though, was taking a big red marker to the schedule Colette had given me, marking off all the events I found completely unnecessary for my attendance. Instead of following Mother around the city, I spent the visit exploring New York with Hendrik, Alex, and eventually Diana, making memories with a brother I almost never got to see.
Mother and I never spoke about what had transpired in the servants’ quarters on the night of the ball. The police had come at Scott’s call, but she’d spoken to them privately and they left without making a fuss. She’d also quieted Micah and the guards, who, as the whispers rumored, had come to passed out in the dining room after a round of toasts. I wasn’t sure what she said (or promised) to any of them, but because the Crown was found safely in the chapel, it appeared nothing had happened and, besides, there was no one to blame.
Mother kept her distance for the rest of the stay and I did likewise. I worried that some retribution was coming my way and had Alex copy the recording of her confession on four different flash drives just in case. But it seemed as if Mother, for once, was willing to admit defeat. I wondered if there was a newfound respect for me somewhere there, but maybe that was hoping for too much. Still, I didn’t fully relax until the family left the manor and were back on the plane home, the Crown safe in Micah’s locked box.
Mother’s threat of change was made apparent almost as soon as they’d touched down in Athea, although I think she overestimated how much it would upset me. As it turned out, Mother had used some of her time in the city to find a buyer for the Harmont Manor. Later I learned that it was sold to the United States government and would be converted into a museum. The rumored sales price was so exorbitant, I realized that Mother had figured out a way to make up the money she’d lost in her failed insurance scheme. I hoped it would be enough to get Mother out of whatever hole she’d dug herself. (Unless she was buying nuclear warheads, which- actually I wasn’t even going to consider that possibility.)
I’d been trying to give Mother her space, but since I was still searching for a job and tired of mooching off Alex, I got in touch with a lawyer and learned I had quite the grounds for a case against my mother stealing my inheritance. I’d sent a message of my own her way and received a chunk of the estate money in return. She apparently agreed with me: “Cordelia Harmont Sues Crown Princess for Theft” did not make a good headline. Although it probably would have been a front page.
I used the money to rent a small apartment in a slightly crumbling building in Harlem close to school that Alex constantly thought he heard rats scuttling in. I maintained the strict belief that he was hearing things and relished the lack of security guards, tourists, and suffocating elegance.
Speaking of school, my final major life change was my degree. Political science went out the window, and I started over, applying at Columbia’s Film School. I would be starting in a few weeks and I couldn’t wait to pursue something I was actually passionate about.
The future was looking up, but nothing looked quite so good as the present. It was morning and I sat at the edge of my bed, gazing out the window and wondering what I’d ever done to deserve this kind of happiness.
I started when a hand slid around my waist. Alex might have given up his thieving ways, but he’d never be rid of his catlike movements.
“Morning, beautiful,” he breathed into my ear.
“Going to work soon?” I asked
He scoffed. “I don’t work. I lend expertise.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. You show up on time and Scott pays you. Just admit you have a job.”
I could feel his smile against my cheek. “Never.”
He completely did, working at Scott’s security company, giving advice as to how to impro
ve measures to combat theft. I was happy for him. It gave him something to keep busy doing while I wasn’t home.
He flopped back onto the bed, pulling me on top of him. He leaned up to kiss me, but I pushed him back down. I took a moment to just look at him, losing myself in those startling green eyes that would never lose their twinkle of mischief. Alex was mine and I was his and our future was ours, nobody else’s.
With that thought in mind, I pressed my lips to his.
Thank You for Reading!
The Professional Page 22
