Page 16 of The Diamond Thief

Shit. I didn’t expect to go this direction with the conversation already. But those buyers no doubt have already put feelers out to see if some other thief made off with the swords. News this big would’ve gotten back to Antony in a hurry.

“I did. And the cold-hearted thieving bitch I slept with last night stole them right out from under me.”

I don’t expect his full-throated laugh. I’ve never heard Antony laugh. He’s not a jolly sort of fellow. He’s the sort of man who would just as soon drive a knife through your heart as shake your hand.

I wait him out until his laughing subsides.

“I’m aware of your disdain for female thieves,” he says. “So what do you want from me?”

“I’m calling because she must have crossed your path at some point. She was trained for the Den.”

“All right,” he says. “Tell me about her.”

“Dark-haired. Slender. Gorgeous. Mid twenties.”

“You’re describing half the women I’ve trained,” Antony says. “I need something a little more specific than that.”

“She took two tiaras as well. Maybe she doesn’t even know the value of the swords.”

“Because girls can’t know anything except how to wear pretty crowns, right?” His laugh is still thick in his voice.

“Dammit, Antony, this isn’t funny. She got through all my security. Every trick in the book she unraveled.”

“Tell me you didn’t use an action sequence to unlock your vault,” Antony says.

“What the hell does that matter? I had all the traditional security on it as well.”

“It’s sloppy. And obviously ineffective.”

“All that may be true. But now I’m looking for the girl.”

“How did you meet her?”

“She paid off one of Sylvester’s escorts to take her place and get in my apartment.”

He roars again. Shit, this is enraging. But it’s also Antony, so I have to keep my cool.

“I’m glad you find this so amusing,” I say. “But I have one hundred forty million on the line.”

“I know,” he says. “It’s shocking. I had a feeling one of these young women would find your Achilles’ heel.”

“And what would that be?” I ask, anger slicing through my words. “Because you know damn well I’m one of your top protégés.”

“Oh, yes, you are,” he says. “But now it seems you have competition.”

“Her? I doubt it. What’s my Achilles’ heel?” I want to know what he thinks my weaknesses are, so I can get rid of them.

“Women,” he says. “You want to fuck them sideways and throw them aside. This one got you. She bested you. You underestimated her completely.”

I exhale harshly, my fingers pressing into my temple. “Fine. That’s obvious. Now I have to find her.”

“What was she into? Every jewel thief has a fetish.”

“I think it was about the tiaras,” I say. “She knew a lot about them. There were items in the vault she could’ve taken, but she didn’t. The tiara was not even the most valuable.”

“What’s my cut if I help you?” Antony asks. “You know nothing in the Den comes for free, especially if I’m throwing one of my own girls under your bus.”

“Ten million on the sale of the swords,” I say.