shot with the Russian Mafia. Yeah, well, he was only living in the shadow of his uncle. Now he was one to worry about. Even Darla didn’t screw with the mafia—Russian or Italian.
But Slava was a different matter. He didn’t even sound or act Russian, and he thought he knew everything just because he’d been in the joint. Some big-time con he was. He’d stolen some checks, signed his own damn name, then written his driver’s license number at the top. What a moron.
Darla snorted with laughter but quickly turned it into a cough.
She’d make him eat crow. This so-called princess had a bag full of jewels. She’d seen the precious gems flashing when the overhead lights hit them. Enough that it made her mouth water. The princess didn’t have a clue she would soon be parting company with her stones. An innocent just waiting to be ripped off.
The job would’ve been simple, one Darla could’ve handled herself. Hell, it wouldn’t have been the first job she’d done alone. But almost as soon as the chick left the store, she’d joined the man.
Good-looking SOB, and he was stuck to the princess like a bee on honey. Nope, he knew he had a good thing and he wasn’t about to let her out of his sight.
She still might have attempted to rob them, but it didn’t take her long to figure out he was a cop. Crap, just her damned luck.
There’d been some kind of wreck in front of the police station and the good-looking cuss seemed to know the uniform handling the accident. Probably undercover, since he wore his hair longer than the average street cop.
But Darla wanted those jewels.
That’s where Slava came in. He might not have much for a brain, but he damn sure had muscle. He could distract the guy long enough for her to get the jewels. If Slava got caught in the middle—oh, well. She’d be out of the country and she wouldn’t have to divvy up the jewels.
She could see it now. An Italian villa complete with a pool boy. She might even have a pool installed.
“So what am I supposed to do?” Slava asked, interrupting her delicious fantasy.
“Just hang close to the phone until I give the word.”
“Gotcha.” There was a pause. “I was going to the store later. Outta beer.”
She pinched her nose between her thumb and forefinger. “Take your cell phone.”
“Oh, yeah.” He chuckled. “I forgot about that.”
“I’ll call you when I need you. Make sure you keep gas in your car just in case.” It was bad enough his brain ran on empty.
“Gotcha.”
She snapped her phone shut and dropped it back inside her purse. She really had to choose her partners better. And with the princess’s jewels, she could have just about any partner she wanted.
The lights above the grocery store began to flicker. Darla frowned. What the hell was going on? Power outage? Bad weather blowing in?
Not a cloud in the blue sky. In fact, it was pretty clear.
She scrunched down in her seat. If there was an impending storm, she sure didn’t want to be in the path of a lightning bolt. It’d be just her luck she’d get struck.
No, she was going to be really careful until she had those jewels in her hot little hands.
Chapter 10
Nick grabbed a loaf of bread and tossed it in the cart. The sooner he got out of the store, the better. The next thing he knew...
The lights flickered.
His feet came to a grinding halt. He jerked his head around, almost giving himself whiplash.
No Kia.
The lights flickered again.
He looked up as a hazy blue and yellow cloud formed, floating above the next aisle over.
Ah, crap!
He whirled the cart around and ran to the end of the aisle, taking the corner on two wheels, then came to a dead stop.
Kia sat on the floor, surrounded by open boxes and bags of chocolate cookies, snack cakes, and candy bars. She looked up, smiling. Her teeth were evidence enough of what she’d been doing.
“Chocolate, Nick, it’s wonderful.”
A man came around the corner, took one look, and hastily left.
She came
But Slava was a different matter. He didn’t even sound or act Russian, and he thought he knew everything just because he’d been in the joint. Some big-time con he was. He’d stolen some checks, signed his own damn name, then written his driver’s license number at the top. What a moron.
Darla snorted with laughter but quickly turned it into a cough.
She’d make him eat crow. This so-called princess had a bag full of jewels. She’d seen the precious gems flashing when the overhead lights hit them. Enough that it made her mouth water. The princess didn’t have a clue she would soon be parting company with her stones. An innocent just waiting to be ripped off.
The job would’ve been simple, one Darla could’ve handled herself. Hell, it wouldn’t have been the first job she’d done alone. But almost as soon as the chick left the store, she’d joined the man.
Good-looking SOB, and he was stuck to the princess like a bee on honey. Nope, he knew he had a good thing and he wasn’t about to let her out of his sight.
She still might have attempted to rob them, but it didn’t take her long to figure out he was a cop. Crap, just her damned luck.
There’d been some kind of wreck in front of the police station and the good-looking cuss seemed to know the uniform handling the accident. Probably undercover, since he wore his hair longer than the average street cop.
But Darla wanted those jewels.
That’s where Slava came in. He might not have much for a brain, but he damn sure had muscle. He could distract the guy long enough for her to get the jewels. If Slava got caught in the middle—oh, well. She’d be out of the country and she wouldn’t have to divvy up the jewels.
She could see it now. An Italian villa complete with a pool boy. She might even have a pool installed.
“So what am I supposed to do?” Slava asked, interrupting her delicious fantasy.
“Just hang close to the phone until I give the word.”
“Gotcha.” There was a pause. “I was going to the store later. Outta beer.”
She pinched her nose between her thumb and forefinger. “Take your cell phone.”
“Oh, yeah.” He chuckled. “I forgot about that.”
“I’ll call you when I need you. Make sure you keep gas in your car just in case.” It was bad enough his brain ran on empty.
“Gotcha.”
She snapped her phone shut and dropped it back inside her purse. She really had to choose her partners better. And with the princess’s jewels, she could have just about any partner she wanted.
The lights above the grocery store began to flicker. Darla frowned. What the hell was going on? Power outage? Bad weather blowing in?
Not a cloud in the blue sky. In fact, it was pretty clear.
She scrunched down in her seat. If there was an impending storm, she sure didn’t want to be in the path of a lightning bolt. It’d be just her luck she’d get struck.
No, she was going to be really careful until she had those jewels in her hot little hands.
Chapter 10
Nick grabbed a loaf of bread and tossed it in the cart. The sooner he got out of the store, the better. The next thing he knew...
The lights flickered.
His feet came to a grinding halt. He jerked his head around, almost giving himself whiplash.
No Kia.
The lights flickered again.
He looked up as a hazy blue and yellow cloud formed, floating above the next aisle over.
Ah, crap!
He whirled the cart around and ran to the end of the aisle, taking the corner on two wheels, then came to a dead stop.
Kia sat on the floor, surrounded by open boxes and bags of chocolate cookies, snack cakes, and candy bars. She looked up, smiling. Her teeth were evidence enough of what she’d been doing.
“Chocolate, Nick, it’s wonderful.”
A man came around the corner, took one look, and hastily left.
She came
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