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Chapter Fifteen

“ Are you sure we should be doing this?” Annabelle asked.

“ Park here.” Gina indicated an empty spot on Ocean Avenue a hundred yards south of Tino’s house and closer than where they’d been parked for the last two hours.

“ And no, I’m not sure.” In fact, she’d been vacillating over the wisdom of going through with it.

Especially the part about involving her friends.

There was still time to call it off. All she had to do was say the word.

Coming back alone for next month’s payouts would protect her friends, but many of the women at the Center —especially Marilyn —didn’t have a month.

Without the money this rip would net the Center , they wouldn’t stand a chance.

They’d be forced to return to the hellhole from which they’d fled. They needed to relocate now .

Gina took an unsteady breath, praying for the umpteenth time in the last hour that they would get through this unscathed.

Tino’s newly renovated, one-story house perched high on stilts overlooking the river, a testament to new construction codes enacted in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy .

They’d been surveilling the location all day, brainstorming on a last-minute plan to access the house, get into the safe quickly, and vamoose without being seen. Not an easy task.

The pricy shore home lay on a narrow spit of land surrounded by ocean on one side and the Navesink River on the other. One main road in, one main road out. If they needed to blast out of there in a hurry, there’d be no place to lose a tail. Less than ideal for emex.

To their left lay the sandy beaches of Sea Bright , New Jersey . Beyond that, nothing but distant ship lights twinkled in the inky blackness enshrouding the Atlantic .

“ Okay , spill it.” Margo laid her arm on the headrest and twisted in her seat. “ What was up with you and Franco Falzone last night?”

Anna unzipped her jacket and adjusted the earpiece of her com unit. “ And what did Jack say about it when he took you home last night? I thought he was about to punch Tino’s lights out.”

Her stomach twisted into knots. What to tell them?

Not the truth, and certainly not when they were about to pull the biggest rip of their thieving careers.

Afterward , yes, because Jack was right.

It was too dangerous. If it weren’t for the Center’s dire financial straits, they wouldn’t be here.

This was their last job. Putting her friends in any more danger after tonight was selfish.

“ Franco Falzone is a criminal,” she said, feeling horrible for withholding the truth. “ His presence at the fundraiser tainted the Center and all the good it does. That’s all there was to it.”

Margo arched a brow and twisted her lips. “ That’s lame, Gina . Really lame.”

“ Let it go. Please .” In an effort to derail the conversation, she began stripping off her jacket, grimacing at the slight stinging sensation across her nipples—a reminder of Jack’s voracious, then sweet, lovemaking.

She dropped the jacket on the seat between her and Anna , fully aware her friends weren’t buying her bullcrap.

When she’d awoken that morning, Jack was gone.

No note. Not even a hearty thanks for the sex on the way out the door.

For a moment her heart had clenched with disappointment.

Eventually logic and sound reasoning had won out, and she’d accepted it for what it was.

Jack had used her for sex. Maybe she’d been using him too.

Last night, her emotions had been the driving force and overridden every stitch of her common sense.

Breaking into Tino’s house and stealing the cash could very well impact Jack’s investigation, not to mention she was putting her friends’ lives on the line, but she worried for the women and children at the Center more. There was no other choice. Saving lives was the priority.

She shimmied out of the black sweatpants and gasped at the achy soreness between her thighs.

“ Are you okay?” Kinsey eyed her with concern.

“ I’m fine.” Other than worrying about Jack’s reaction when he heard what they’d done.

“ You don’t look fine.” Margo’s eyes narrowed.

“ It’s nothing,” she reassured them, practically laughing at the ridiculousness of the conversation. Her pain was a bittersweet reminder of the most amazing sex she’d ever had. Sex . That’s all it was. So what had he meant when he’d said I don’t want to lose you?

“ Gee -nuh .” Kinsey sported a knowing smirk. “ You still haven’t told us what Jack said to you after he took you home last night. Or maybe the correct question is, what did he do to you last night. Were there handcuffs involved?”

“ Really ?” Anna gasped. “ You guys did it?”

Margo groaned. “ I hope you know what you’re doing. Getting involved with him—an FBI agent—could land us in some serious trouble. Especially after tonight.”

“ We’re not involved.” She fell back against the seat. “ It was just sex, and it won’t go anywhere. It can’t.” Although one tiny part of her brain wanted it to.

It was just as well he hadn’t stuck around this morning. Nothing good would come of it. Partly because after tonight, he’d probably arrest her.

“ Why can’t it go anywhere?” Anna pressed.

“ Because he’s an FBI agent, and the only thing between us is physical attraction and sexual chemistry.” Okay , amazing sexual chemistry, but that’s all there was to it.

“ Why can’t you get something going with an FBI agent?” Kinsey piped in. “ Especially one as hot as Jack .”

“ Because —” Because if it weren’t for Franco Falzone and the FBI , her father would still be alive. “ It was only a one-time thing.” Then why couldn’t she stop thinking about the man?

Ironically , she feared being in a relationship because he’d only leave her. On the other hand, she feared being alone, unloved, and with no family of her own. Which was worse, she didn’t know.

“ So how was it?” Kinsey’s face lit with such excitement Gina couldn’t stop the grin forming on her lips. “ Yeah ,” Kinsey nodded as her smile broadened. “ That’s what I thought. I want to hear all about it later while we’re counting the cash.”

Not . A . Chance . Reliving last night would only make her think about Jack even more.

“ Tino .” Annabelle pointed to the cream-colored Cadillac sedan as it backed from the driveway and sped north on Ocean Avenue . In the dim light, Gina could just make out his face. His was the last of six vehicles that had been parked outside the house.

According to her informant, Tino wasn’t spending the night there. Which meant the safe was loaded with cash and the house would be empty.

“ Radio check, ladies,” she said, grateful for the diversion and eager to get this job behind them. No matter how she rationalized it, defying Jack’s orders left a terrible ache in her heart.

He’d be so angry with her. Sex with him was a big mistake. It was messing with her normally logical decision-making process. Because whatever had happened between them last night was more than just sex. For her anyway. Now she cared about him and what he thought of her.

“ Loud and clear,” Margo answered. “ One of us should go in there with you.”

Gina pulled the hood over her head, tucking in her hair and adjusting her earpiece.

“ That’s not necessary. This won’t be different from any job we’ve done before.

” Then why was the anxiety in her belly worsening by the second?

“ Just wait nearby to help with the bags.” There should be enough cash in Tino’s safe to fill two duffel bags. Can anyone say jackpot?

She slung the empty duffels over her shoulder. “ Everyone ready?”

“ Ready ,” her friends replied as one.

“ Then let’s do this.” She opened the door and closed it quietly behind her.

The air was cold with a stiff breeze blowing off the ocean. On nights like these, her suit provided little protection, and she shivered.

She began a steady jog to the driveway, her breath condensing as she ran.

Seconds later, she stood at the foot of the stairs leading to the house.

Her heart hammered, and she waited for it to slow.

This was the final time they would do this.

She prayed the women waiting in the car would still be her friends after she told them the truth.

After everything they’d been through together, they deserved to know.

Gina tiptoed up the stairs, searching for cameras near the door.

There were none, reinforcing the intel she’d received.

At the top step, she lifted the edge of the doormat, checking for a pressure sensor.

Nope . She reached into her pouch for the strip of supermagnetized metal to fool the door’s sensors but stopped.

The wood door had two glass panels, allowing her to see inside.

The house was completely dark. Except for the steady green light on the control box just inside the door. Meaning the system was deactivated.

Her scalp prickled with unease. Leaving the alarm system off made no sense. Tina hadn’t left with any cash. They’d have seen the bags.

She stuffed the thin piece of metal back into her pouch and cocked her head to listen. No sounds came from the house. She pressed her hand and cheek against one of the glass panes and closed her eyes, feeling for telltale vibrations. She couldn’t detect any movement inside.

Using her tools, she easily picked the lock, then cracked the door open an inch. Sure enough, no beeps came from the wall box. The system really was deactivated. No time to worry about why.

Letting out a silent breath, she went in, being careful not to step on the mat in case a pressure sensor lurked beneath. She nudged the door closed and listened again. Still nothing.

With her tiny penlight as her guide, she padded softly down the south hallway to the small office where the safe was hidden. So far, everything was exactly the way her informant described.