Page 78 of Hidden Ties

CREED

JAMIE BEGLEY

PROLOGUE

As he slunk through the shadows, Kyler surveyed the mansion. Lighted grounds would have to be navigated to reach the prize.

He rolled down his ski mask and stepped out of the shadows. Staying out of the field of vision of the security cameras, he followed the line of trees to give him much-needed coverage until he could reach the back pool area. There, he squatted down and removed his backpack, pulling out the silver masking tape. He put the backpack on once again, then lowered himself to the ground.

There was a minuscule portion of the side yard which remained unlit. Crawling, he made his way there, to a side window, maneuvering himself as close as possible before he rose flush to the house, slid his hand through the hole of the masking tape, and then held his breath as he carefully raised the window. Relief filled him when the window opened easily.

He had called in a big favor for the window to be unlocked, as well as for the layout of the mansion. That favor hadn’t been something he had wanted to ask for, either. It left a loose end he would have to deal with later.

Pulling himself inside the window, he dropped onto the floor of the laundry room. He moved quickly as he opened the door to run through the hall, past the dining room, making his way up the stairs. Turning left, he slid through the doorway of the master bedroom.

The woman sleeping on the bed didn’t have time to fight before he flipped her over onto her stomach and taped both of her hands together. Not worrying about the screams filling the air until her hands were contained, he flipped her back over, placed another strip of masking tape over her mouth, and glared threateningly down at the woman.

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

Her frightened eyes were filled with disbelief at his assurance.

He lifted her from the bed and carried her to the closet to deposit her onto the floor. Then, bending down, he taped both of her ankles together.

“All you have to do is stay still until someone comes and lets you out. Can you do that?”

The woman nodded.

He raised the bottom of his black shirt to let her glimpse the gun strapped to his waist. Satisfied at the terror in her eyes, he lowered his shirt.

He slipped out of the closet and closed the door behind him. He was taking a chance leaving her, but murdering a woman in cold blood wasn’t part of the deal he had made.

Going back to the coffee-colored, four-poster bed, his hand went to the intricately carved post at the head of the bed. Slowly twisting the acorn on top with his gloved fingers, he removed the key hidden inside. He twisted the acorn back on top, then went to the dresser and opened the first drawer, taking out a leather tray. Kyler gave a grunt of satisfaction at the collection of watches and jewelry inside. Fucker deserved having his shitstolen. If he owned shit like this, you could bet they would be locked in a safe. What was he thinking?

He snickered to himself. He did own them now.

After shoving the jewelry into his backpack, he zipped it closed.

He got more than what he had come for. He ran back downstairs to the laundry room and was out of the house in less than four minutes. Crawling back through the side yard, he waited until he was back in the shadows before getting to his feet to run.

When he sighted the car waiting for him, he picked up speed, nearly barreling into the car before he could slow down.

His hands were shaking so hard he could barely open the door. Then he looked at the woman behind the wheel. “Let’s go.”

She put the car in gear without a word.

His cousin looked more scared than the woman he had left in the closet.

They were several miles away before she cast him an anxious glance, gripping the steering wheel as if it were a life preserver. “You find it?”

Kyler raised the key up so she could see it in the dim light. “Have I ever let you down?”

“No, you haven’t.” She gave him a vindictive grin. “I wish I could be there when the son of bitch realizes it’s gone.”

“Yeah, like that’s going to happen,” he scoffed. “We’re dead meat if he finds out we’re the ones who took it.”

“How’s he going to know? I only found it because I had to dust that stupid bed.”

“There better be something good in there, Camy. I didn’t chance going back to prison for chump change.”