Fierce Impact - Julie Trettel Page 0,47
Berlin, it was one of my favorites. I expected to feel some peace there, but once I let myself in I didn’t settle. In fact, it was quite the opposite, I was restless and stirring. It was too quiet, which let my mind wander to all the what ifs and other places I didn’t want to go.
Grant had told me he made it a point to not live with regrets. Would he regret his time with me? Would I regret leaving him? I hadn’t even given him a chance to explain. I had felt the sting of rejection knowing he didn’t want me on the Force, and I’d run. I had no idea that pain would not only follow me, but worsen with each mile I put between us.
Was it a mistake? Should I have heard him out? It was too late now. I took some small warped sense of comfort knowing they had most likely pulled him from the team, and I wouldn’t have to face him on this mission. If he was half as miserable as I was, then no doubt his wolf was going wild trying to track me.
My wolf stirred at the thought. Mate, she whimpered in mourning.
I knew I had covered my trail well. He’d never find me unless I chose to be found, and, for the moment, I wasn’t ready to face him.
I still needed to show them all just how good I was and that I could have been a true asset to the Force. My pride and ego were damaged as much as my heart. I was angry, sad, and basically an emotional wreck with a chip on my shoulder.
I read over the case file again. I didn’t have time to setup security and multiple escape routes for this one. I was going in half-cocked, and even though I knew better I couldn’t seem to stop myself from doing it anyway. Did I want to be caught? Or worse, dead? Maybe. The only thing I knew for certain was that I was the wildcard no one was expecting.
The file showed minimal security. The ring was only valued at $200,000 which meant only a collector of shifter items would really be interested in the thing, or if they simply wanted it for the stone, which was where the real money was. I couldn’t remember the last time I took a job worth under a million, and this one was only paying $50,000. Under any other circumstances I would have scoffed at this job. Even the pay out was a joke for the appraised value of the piece, but I didn’t care about that. I knew this was the last job I’d do on this account anyway after the fiasco down in South America.
Not finishing a job tainted my reputation. I was confident it was the right thing to do, and I knew the vase was safe with Westin. Despite everything that had happened, I didn’t harbor any ill-will towards them, just Grant Phillips.
My heart lurched in my chest just at the thought of his name, which made me even angrier.
I pushed it aside and pulled up the blueprints of the location. It was in an old hotel and on the surface looked like an impossible job, but I knew there was no such thing. I gave it my full concentration and after a few hours of research, I’d found what I was looking for.
The hotel dated back to the thirties and there was an unmarked hidden tunnel that dropped into an underground room that entered into the old tunnel system used by the Nazis during World War II. I knew there was a possibility that the tunnels had collapsed, and there’d been reports of several, but I had to believe there was a chance. I’d have to improvise in route should any unknown obstacles occur.
The thing was, there were no security cameras inside the room where the ring was being showcased. It would be open to the public until eight, and then the room would be emptied for the actual auction down the hall. There were several items being auctioned, not just this one.
There would no doubt be security guards stationed outside each room. I needed an in.
I considered a few things, like the airduct between the ladies’ room and the room where the ring was being kept, but with a twenty-foot ceiling that didn’t seem like the best option because I’d have to drop down in a dress without alerting the guards