Big Ben (See No Evil Trilogy #1) - Nana Malone Page 0,92

fences by brokering deals, but Downs isn’t interested in that. He wants the jewel back by any means necessary. If we get that for him, he’ll vote with us and sway whoever else we need.”

Bridge laughed and shook his head. “Well, we’re done then. What, we’re to rob her on the street? It’s impossible.”

I laughed and poured myself yet another glass of scotch. My lids had started to feel loose and my tongue slightly numb. The alcohol was taking swift effect. I hadn’t eaten a goddamn thing all day. So yeah, I’d be feeling this shit in no time.

East, on the other hand, was clear-headed and calculating. “Well, it’s not entirely impossible. We could attempt it.”

Bridge turned around and stared at him. “Are you mad? Corporate raiders, yes. Ruthless billionaires, sure. But we’re not fucking diamond thieves. This isn’t some James Bond flick. If we try to steal from them, we’re dead.”

I shrugged. “Well, possibly. Or, maybe we happen to know a diamond thief who can steal it for us.”

Bridge’s gaze snapped to mine, and East laughed. “Of fucking course. If we ask for help, our chances of survival go up twenty-fold, but would he do it?”

Bridge stared at me. “You’re really going to ask for help from the goddamn prince of the Winston Isles?”

“Before he was a prince, he was a con man and a thief. I happen to know he’s pulled off a jewelry heist before.”

Bridge laughed. “Are we really considering this?”

“Look mate, I’ve just told you what the price is. Whether or not we’re going to risk it is up to us. If we don’t, Van Linsted gets away with what he’s done. He becomes the most powerful man in the UK, and then he will be unstoppable politically. He can do anything he wants.”

East rubbed his jaw. “I say we can do it.”

Bridge glared at him. “Are you insane? We are going to steal one of the largest diamonds in the world?”

East shrugged. “Look, with the right plan, it’s possible. I have the tech we might need, and with Prince Lucas, we could do this. We just need the right plan.”

Bridge turned to me. “Are you in on this?”

I was distracted. My mind was on Livy and what she was telling Dexter right now. Was he going to go quietly? I was also worried about her safety. He had already proven he made poor decisions that had bad repercussions for her. You left her with security. Focus on this.

My mates were all in. I needed to be too. Before I had started to fall for Livy, I’d had another priority and I needed to see that through. The difference was now I had something to lose. “I’m in. But we all have to be in, or we don’t do it. That includes Drew. We’re probably going to need his help.”

Bridge cursed and sat back, staring at the ceiling. “So which one of us is calling Prince Lucas?”

As I downed the rest of my fourth scotch it went down smooth, and I said, “I’ll do it.”

Livy

I had considered going to Telly’s, but I couldn’t get over the fact that Ben had known. The entire time we were in Paris, he had known about Dexter’s affair and he’d said nothing to me. What, he’d thought I wouldn’t find out? Why keep that from me?

Think harder. That’s not why he kept quiet.

I shook that voice of reason off. I was in no mood to be reasonable.

The numbness had given way to anger by the time I pulled into my usual parking spot at London Lords. I’d ditched Todd in favor of driving myself. The low simmer had turned into barely banked flames. I got off the elevator, I ground my teeth as I marched. I had no idea what I was going to say. No idea what I wanted the outcome to be, but I wanted the goddamn truth, and I wanted to know why he’d kept those important facts from me. He was my friend, no, more than just my friend. And he’d let me be humiliated. He’d lied to me.

I tracked him down at the loft and followed the lights until I found him in his bedroom, in his closet. I’d never been in his room before. Even so I only barely registered that his closet was the size of the dining room and living room of my flat. Correction, old flat.

I didn’t bother knocking, just shoved open the door. I was so furious, not even the