Page 39 of The Diamond Thief

When nothing about his expression confirms or denies my concern, I ask, “Did you speak to him about our situation?”

“He’s the one who gave me your name.”

Unlike Elena, I have zero cause to worry if Antony hates me. “If you are so good at your job, why don’t you know where I put the swords? And how did I get in your vault in the first place?”

Elena covers her eyes. “Just give him his damn swords back,” she says. “All this is happening because of you.”

“No, it’s happening because Jacob Holt is a sexist ass working in a misogynistic Den.”

“Enough!” Jacob roars. He snatches up his phone. “Arthur, bring the car,” he hisses into it. Then to the driver, “Pull the hell over. Now.”

“What?” I cry. “After all this? No. This job goes on.”

He stands up in the van. “Without you.”

I unbuckle and stand next to him. “The hell it will.”

“Watch me.” He grabs my shoulders and turns me around. Before I can react, he jerks my arms behind me and secures them with something I can’t see.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“It’s time that you and I had a little reckoning.”

The van pulls over. I can barely breathe, I’m so angry. “You can go fuck yourself,” I spit out.

“Such lovely language,” he says, and I sweep my leg to kick his shin.

He doesn’t flinch.

“Let go of her, you big bully!” Elena says. She jumps from her seat to pull at me.

“Time for this job to end,” Elliott says. He takes a small bottle from a pouch attached to his seat. What is it? Chloroform?

“Going real old school, aren’t you?” I hiss.

He tosses the bottle to Jacob. “Hardly. This is advanced stuff. You’ve never seen it.”

“What is it?” Elena asks.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Elliott says smoothly. He puts his arm around her, but she throws it off.

“Antony is not going to be pleased about this,” Elliott says to Jacob.

Elena lunges for me, but Elliott holds her back.

My nose fills with the burn of chemicals, and I sink into oblivion.