"Rory, you're on lookout. Colin, stay in the car and keep it fucking running this time. If I catch you napping again, I'll kill you myself," I say, glaring at him but glancing at Ellie and Rory. Ellie is beside me, her hands shoved into her black denim pants.
"Fine, I'll stay awake," Colin says. He's tall and round with soft features and a wicked streak. He's also a damn good driver and knows every back alley and side street in the Halo—as long as he's alert enough to do it.
"You brought your watch?" I ask Rory.
"Yep. Just tell me when and I'll start it," Rory says, her red-stained lips shining in the moonlight.
While we're all wearing black, Rory looks like a supermodel rather than a thief. Dark eyes, a perfectly straight nose, and a lean figure. Her dark skin blends in with her clothes, but that doesn't take away from her beauty. If anything, it enhances it, somehow. Tonight, her hair is tied up on her head like a pom-pom, making her already angular face appear sharp as a knife.
Unlike Ellie, Rory still works in the movie industry doing modeling jobs, commercials, and she even has a small, recurring role on Contrary, a weekly TV show.
She calls what we do her side-hustle. I can't believe she isn't on every billboard in the world. She's much prettier than fucking Arielle Knightly, the angel leader's daughter. But then, Rory is human, and, in our world, humans are the bottom of the totem pole. Hell, we're probably more like the dirt holding the totem pole in the ground.
"Let's go." Ellie and I take off in the direction of the warehouse, each carrying a duffel over our shoulders. Rory follows behind without a duffel. According to Fileze, two should be enough.
I take the steps up to the entrance two at a time. Pull out my lock-picking tools, kneel, and get to work. Ellie uses her phone to shine a light on the knob, though I don't need it.
I've always been able to see in the dark. It can be a starless and cloudy night, and I can still see like it is daytime. Weird, but true. I chalk it up to having bigger than normal pupils.
In no time, I hear the lock click and turn the handle.
"Start the time," I whisper at Rory, knowing we've tripped a silent alarm.
She clicks a button on her wristwatch and nods. "Go. You have two minutes."
We enter together, and then I take off in the direction of the office. According to Fileze, there is money and diamonds in the safe. I need to crack it and collect everything inside. The office is up a bunch of metal stairs. Again, I take them two at a time, not waiting for Ellie, though she isn't far behind. I hear her huffing and puffing.
The two of us should work out more, not that we have the time.
I have the door unlocked and am inside before Ellie reaches the top. "Damn, Mira. You're moving extra fast today," she says, out of breath.
I grunt, already pulling out my tools for the safe. It's an old one, just as Fileze said, and I'm grateful. Many new safes require an iris scan or a fingerprint to unlock. Not this one, though. Excited to crack it, I set down my duffle and press my ear to the safe door, turning the combination lock several times.
"How can you hear anything?" Ellie asks, holding the light for me.
I hold up a finger, telling her to be quiet. Listen for the first click, turn it around once, listen for the second, and finally hear the third. "Easy peasy," I say and open the door.
Ellie's eyes get wide. "You're amazing," she hisses and removes her duffle.
"Thanks." I don't tell her I have better than average hearing because I don't want to sound like I'm bragging.
Together, we empty the contents, including loads of cash, and two velvet bags of diamonds, filling both bags.
Finished, I close the safe, relock the office door, and race down the steps.
Ellie trails behind, grunting at the weight of her full duffle. "This thing weighs a ton," she huffs.
I don't even notice the burden of mine.
Rory is waving frantically. "Hurry up. Thirty seconds," she says, holding open the door.
Once the warehouse access is relocked, we race to the waiting car.
In the distance, I can hear sirens and guess they're coming for us. But it isn't the police we have to worry about. It's the vampires.
Thankfully, Colin kept the fucking car running, and he's awake.
Bonus points!
Colin takes off like a bat out of hell as soon as we're all in.
While he drives, I try to settle in the passenger seat, but my eyes are alert, searching for vampires. Somehow, I feel them closing in, even though I don't see them. Any second, I fear they'll find us and make us their midnight snack or worse.
"Almost there," Colin says. He's leaning forward, so his chest almost touches the steering wheel. It makes no sense how he can drive like that, but it works for him, and I don't say anything.
"You see anything?" Rory asks.
I hear the fear in her voice. "No. You?"
"Not yet," Rory says.
"No," Ellie adds.
Is that a hint of hopefulness in her tone? I swallow, knowing that can't be.
Without incidence, we make it out of vampire territory. Relieved, I finally take a deep breath but keep my eyes open for danger until we reach our meeting spot.
Fileze's silver SUV is already there. His headlights are on, giving the abandoned parking lot an eerie glow.
"Pull up in front of him," I tell Colin.
When he's parked, I grab my bag. "Ellie, will you come with me?"
She doesn't respond right away, and I glance back, waiting for her to say something.
"I'll do it," Rory says and hefts the bag settled between them.
"Cool," I say, giving Ellie a strange look. Something seems off about her, but I can't tell what.
Rory and I carry the bags between the two cars, waiting for Fileze to get out. Instead, he rolls down his window. "Put the bags in back, bitches."
The werewolf is such a dick.
The trunk pops open with a click.
Rory and I look at each other and carefully make our way back.
The trunk is empty, and I set down my bag. Rory does the same.
"What about our cut?" I ask.
Fileze watches me in the rear-view mirror, and I see his eyes flash gold for the briefest moment. He could tear me to shreds if he wanted to, but I don't care. As the leader of this crew, it's my job to fight for us. The man owes our team, and we will get paid.
"It has to be counted first. Then you'll get paid," he sneers.
The truck starts to close, and I yelp, moving out of the way before I'm squished.
"Fileze," I shout, moving to the driver's side of the SUV. "Pay us now."
He snorts, giving Rory and me a once-over with his eyes. "You want to get paid now?"
"Yes, dammit. We earned a cut." I'm floored that he's acting this way. Sure, he's an asshole, and sure sometimes he doesn't pay us what he promised, but at least he pays.
"Fine." He turns and speaks to one of his lackeys inside the vehicle. Then tosses out a single bundle of money, backs up, and takes off.
I pick up the bundle and see it's a quarter of what he promised. "What a fucking asshole."
"How much is it?" Rory asks.
"A thousand." I walk back to the car, and we get in. "Looks like we get two-hundred and fifty apiece," I say and rip the seal. Then hand out two hundred per person. "Want to break the rest at a club or should we go to an all-night diner and eat?"
"Diner," Colin says, licking his lips.
Rory shrugs, tucking her bills into a pocket. "I could eat."
"Me, too," Ellie says.
"All night diner it is," I say. "Colin, since you're driving, you choose the place. I'll pick the music."