The Heist (2 page)

Lee pressed a button to the side of his desk. Abahti, the tall African, appeared.

“Give the lady what she needs. She’s going to open the safe for us.” Lee's tone was dry and disinterested. Abahti nodded and left. The silence that followed had her chewing her bottom lip nervously. “I didn’t tell him what I needed.”

“He knows,” Lee said.

She nodded and waited.

Abahti appeared. He dropped a small duffle at her feet. Sasha stood there, dumbfounded.

“Well?” Lee said.

“Um, okay.” Sasha checked the bag. Lee was right. There was more than what she needed. She blew out a deep breath. In the past Pops insisted that her skills remain sharp by practicing and she had done so a hundred times before she came in. It was evident how this would play out. There was only one problem: she hadn’t factored in having them both as an audience. This kind of work required concentration.

Her plan had better work; she should never make empty promises to the devil. Touching the cool steel surface, she used the tiny pin drill and unscrewed the plate over the digital timer. Carefully, she removed it and eyed the wires. None of them were colored, several were wrapped—it would be tricky. But Sasha loved tricky. She picked out a pair of tweezers and razor point scissors. With a steady hand, she lifted the trip wires and looked for the main line. At this point it was all instinct, that and the skill of a careful hand. She sniped, the timer blinked off. Sasha exhaled.

A slow moving trickle of sweat eased down her brow over her temple. Quickly she put in the ear-buds Abahti had supplied and the sensitive suction next to the large dial. It was a duo-form door and very close to an Omnibarrier locking system. To the front of it was a five-spoke wheel and the left of it a black and white dial, set to a one-tick timer she’d already disabled. If she hadn’t successfully disengage the trigger, only the master key would reopen it—not even dynamite could cut through it. What the hell was inside that would require such an investment? The Hope Diamond?

She looked back over her shoulder with a nervous smile.

Lee latched on to her hopeful stare, and the man he called Abahti stood behind him with his arms folded. “You ready, princess?” Lee asked.

She nodded. “I can, um, get it open in six to ten minutes if—”

“Do it in four,” Lee told her sharply.

Sasha sucked in a breath. “I…um…okay.”

He smirked and stuck the blunt of his cigar in his mouth. Checking his watch, he waited, then his eyes returned to hers. “Now.”

Sasha turned back to the safe. Her sweaty fingertips made the dial hard to grip and her thundering heartbeat sounded louder than the ticks she needed to catch. She heard Pops in her head.

Screw them before they screw you, kid, never let ‘em see you sweat.

Spinning the dial left, she caught three ticks; spinning it right, she caught sixteen ticks; spinning it left again, she caught twenty-three ticks. They all burned into her mind: 3-16-23. She worked the dial to zero as quickly as she could. She had one chance and if she missed a tick, it was over. Lee would never entertain her again.

“Time,” Lee announced, just as the dial fell upon twenty-three.

Sasha removed her hand and stared at the number. What if it was twenty-two or twenty-four? What if she had skipped a tick or over-counted? What if…?

“Open the safe,” ordered Lee.

“Why don’t you do the honors?” She stepped back. Lee rose and walked over, stopping in front of her. She winked, daring him to doubt her with her eyes. It was apparent that he liked the challenge, before he moved past her. Stepping to the safe, he spun the wheel then dropped the handle. It clicked, unbolted, opened.

Sasha nearly screamed out with joy, and when Lee cast his gaze back at her, clearly stunned, she played it for all it was worth. “Now can we discuss business?”

“Leave us,” Lee said to Abahti.

Sasha straightened her back. She stood proud, her chest heaved upward. “So what do you think of me? Better than
Chocolat
, huh?”

“I think I owe you an apology, Sasha. Apparently, Pops did have secrets, and you were one of them. I’m so sorry I missed that fact.”

“It’s okay,” she replied, stepping in close to him. She put her hand to his arm. “I’m always underestimated or ignored. But I had a feeling about you, Lee.”

“Did you?”

“Just maybe you’d be wise enough to see and appreciate talent no matter the packaging.”

He dipped his finger between the crease of her breasts then traced up the inside curve of her neck to her chin. He smiled down at her. “I think you’re packaged just fine, but be careful, little girl, I don’t play games.”

“I have no game, that’s the problem.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. This little performance of yours was Oscar-worthy.”

Sasha wanted the life—the diamonds, the thrills, the money, the adventure. But Pops and her sister kept her insulated. Her talents were even concealed from Lee on jobs he bankrolled.

“Well,” she muttered nervously, putting distance between them. “I can share the plan with you.”

“Plan?” Lee asked.

“How we can get my sister back in for this, because you will need her, Lee, if you want to get those stones.” Sasha picked up the article. “The Jesus Stones. The biggest score yet.”

“You have an idea on how to bring
Chocolat
in?”

“It’s foolproof.”

“Interesting. This I want to hear.”

“Me!” Sasha announced, turning, her skirt lifting in a swirl around her thighs. She stopped and struck a pose for him.

Lee chuckled. “You? Tell me more.”

“Kidnap me, tell her I hit one of your casinos, and ran a tab of um...two-hundred-thousand or something. Put me up as the carrot, and I promise she’ll bite.”

“You’d do that to your sister?”

Sasha smile faded. “She’s my half-sister.”

“She’s your family; she’s wiping counters and slinging corn-beef hash to protect you from men like me.”

“Well, who asked her? I’m grown. I don’t need her protection! I’m sick of her dictating every aspect of my life! Besides, Pops would be alive if she—”

Hearing the irrational shrill in her voice, she stopped herself. Sasha sounded like a spoiled child. Sucking in a breath, she gulped down her anger. “
Chocolat
can get those stones. Michelle would never do it. What you have to do is use them both against each other. Michelle’s need to protect family,
Chocolat
’s love for the chase, the game. Turn her inside out, Lee. I’ve cased it; and it’s like the Paris job we did for Pops five years ago. She can do it, and she
will
do it if you use me.”

“Let’s have another drink,” Lee decided, returning to the bar.

Sasha nodded. Her gaze then returned to the rows of trays on display inside the safe. “What’s in there?”

“Look for yourself, you opened it,” he replied.

Surprised at the privilege, Sasha leaped at the chance. She stepped to the safe and removed a black tray, then walked over to his desk and put it down. Opening it, her breath caught in her throat. Diamonds the size of nickels were cut in different styles and strewn across the black tray.

“Oh God, these are beautiful.” She ran her fingers over them. “They’re the coldest pieces I’ve ever seen.”

Lee stepped up behind her. She shot upright from the light brush of him against her backside. Blushing, she tried to move away, but he brought the wine glass around for her and prevented her escape. Sasha, trapped between him and millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds, relaxed. She accepted the wine.

“You like that?”

“They’re beautiful. Not since Pops have I even been around so many.”

“Then you’ll like this,” Lee told her in his husky whisper. It made the tiny hairs on the inside of her ear stand on end. Leaning in to reach over, he brushed his arm over the side of her breast, sending a current-like tickle through her. Sasha nervously downed big gulps of wine, while watching him roll back the velvet. Underneath was a diamond cluster necklace on a square-cut diamond bracket chain. It nearly blinded her.

“Now I know why they call it ‘bling’. I swear they’re actually sizzling. They’re so
hawt
!”

Lee lowered his wine. Reaching inside, he removed the necklace. “Turn around, princess.”

She grinned and turned for him, scooping up her hair. He brought the necklace up to her neck and fastened it. “
Now
it’s beautiful.” He ran a finger down her bare shoulder.

Sasha just stood there, warmed by the wine. It mixed in her bloodstream with the shot of whiskey and suddenly she felt loopy. Her eyes closed.

“You like it?”

“Yes, very much.” She swayed, fingering the stones.

“It’s yours.”

“What!” Her eyes shot open. She whirled, startled and splashed her wine onto his shirt. “Shit! I’m sorry!”

“It’s okay.” He took the glass from her hand. He brushed the wine off the front of his shirt.

“I’m such a klutz.” She blushed. “I should just go.”

“Hey, I said it was cool—look at me.”

Sasha did as she was told. He ran the back of his hand across her cheek. “You have no idea how rare you are. Just like that diamond, that’s why it’s yours.” He reached behind her and picked up some diamond bangles, putting them on her wrists. “And these as well.”

“It’s too much, I couldn’t.”

“Just say thank you.”

“Oh, um…okay. Thank you.”

“Not like that.” He dropped his hand to her neck, running his thumb down its center, clasping his fingers around its slender curve. He drew her to him and kissed her. Sasha’s eyes widened at the abruptness of his kiss. Her lashes fluttered then lowered when he licked her lips and tongue. She put her arms around his neck and followed his instruction. His tongue, one long swirl in her mouth, and the wine, left her head spinning. The liquor, mixed with the excitement, had complete control over her. Then his hand went to the tie around her neck and she came out of the spell. Lee wiped his mouth and shook his head.

“Maybe you should have one more glass of wine,” Lee said, stepping around her. But Sasha didn’t want it to stop, not after a kiss like that. “No… Lee…wait,” she protested.

He did.

Sasha lifted the glass of wine from his hand and swallowed the remainder down, quick and fast. Then she moved up against him, turning him to the desk. “How about we seal this deal properly?”

“You’re a little minx, aren’t you? Sexy little minx, you’re too young for my taste.” He made a gesture to stop her hand as it eased down his zipper. Sasha wouldn’t be turned away. Lee was the real deal. Sexy, rich, powerful—what girl would not want to be desired by him? Her fingers quickly worked the strap free of his belt buckle.

“I guess this is something I’ll have to prove as well.”

Sasha felt her adrenaline spike. It was wrong, her desire for this ruthless jewel smuggler. Still she wanted all of it. There was something enticing about the forbidden. The excitement, the glamour, and a bit of danger that thievery brought overruled her common sense. She went to her knees. She had his dick in her hands in seconds. It was poised inches from her mouth. Lee’s hand pressed her shoulder to push her off when she stroked him and it dropped away. His cock curved up thick, from the shaft to the purple smooth head. Sasha had never sucked a cock before, but this one made her mouth water. Her eyes darted up to his, and he stared down at her with baited breath as she eased her lips over his thickness. He grabbed the back of her head and thrust into her open mouth; she nearly gagged when the tip hit the back of her throat and his balls smacked her chin. It was deliriously exciting to have his smooth dick sliding over her tongue. She tried her best to keep her throat open as she reveled in applying varying degrees of pressure with her lips. Once the muscles in her jaw were used to the motion of his cock going in and out, she mastered it even better, using her tongue to lick whenever his withdrawal permitted only an inch to remain. She placed her hands on his hips to brace herself. The wave of lightheadedness swooped in on her harder. She gripped his muscled thighs. It must have been the wine.

She took hold of his shaft in one hand and pumped her jaws as she worked him in and out. He didn’t make a sound. Her head bobbed as she kept sucking, licking, slurping over his knob. She blinked up at him. Though her vision blurred and cleared, she could see the veins protrude in his neck as his head dropped back in pleasure. Still he didn’t make a sound. His hips jumped faster and his cock jerked. Lee was hers. Sasha sucked him harder, refusing to give up, ready to the pay the price. But he slipped from her mouth. She went to reach again and a dizzying wave went through her. Her vision clouded once more. She touched her head to shake it off. She reached for his cock to suck him once more, taking him half in.

“Stop.” Lee groaned. He pushed her off. The separation of her tongue and mouth from his cock caused a wet plop. She dropped back on her bent legs, panting as she tried to collect her bearings.

“Not too young, huh.” She chuckled. The mere thought of his cock inside her gave her strength to pursue him. “I got something even sweeter for you.” She tried to rise. That was her first mistake. Now the room spun, and it spun fast. As if she were caught in the center of a funnel cloud. Lee caught her by the arm when her legs gave out. “I...I...I...feel funny.”

Then blackness came as she was brought up into his arms. Trusting Leith Sullivan was her final mistake.

***

Lee lowered Sasha carefully to his bed. He kept an apartment lavishly decorated to the back of his office. He leaned in and kissed her between her brows. “Rest, princess. Lee will take care of everything.” He walked out of the room to find Abahti had returned. “Pay a visit to
Chocolat
. Tell her we have her sister. If she wants to see her again, she’ll meet with me.”

Abahti nodded.

Lee picked up the wine glass he laced with a tranquilizer. His dick still jumped from her sucking. He’d imagined several ways to pay back Pops for his treachery, but never this. Even he wasn’t enough of a bastard to envision this. He hoped the drunk fool was turning over in his grave. The irony of the gift handed to him was too sweet of an opportunity to pass on. There would be no turning back now. Lee set the glass behind the bar.