“I told you to stop doing that, I can’t focus with that clinking noise,” I grunted as I manoeuvred myself around the steel box, tools in hand.

She eyed me, irritated at my short patience.

“I get nervous, it calms me,” she said, as she continued to clink her ruby nails against the glass door.

You would think that being in my line of work, patience would come in large amounts, it had to. However, I wasn’t gifted with that quality. Nor had I managed to attain it. It was fine;I got the job done either way.

I retrieved my knife and picked it into the safe. In the past, we tried saws and other hardcore tools, but they did nothing except screw us over. Our targets upped their security hugely, affixing triggers to the safe. A trigger that alerted anyone if a certain degree of harm were to come its way.

A banging noise whipped my attention to the glass door that Sienna currently had watch of.

“Jess what the fuck do I do?! There’s incoming! You know I’m crap at stalling them,” she screeched, her eyes wide with terror.

I paused my work, and set my tools down, “Do you remember what Cyrus taught you? Never through the steel, against it. Got it?” I was calm and deliberate with my words, ensuring she understood her task.

“Got it,” she exhaled, her shoulders slumped as she visibly relaxed.

I stepped over the guards on the floor, as I retrieved one of their radios.

Don't worry, they weren't dead.

Yet.

I scanned our surroundings weary of possibles. The beauty of the volt, was the enforced glass which meant that we could see out but they couldn’t see in, a hugely flawed structure.

My eyes stopped in their tracks. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

We’re being watched.

I didn’t get the feeling often, but when I did, it was never good.

“Alpha this is bravo, do you read me? Over.” A male voice spoke from the radio I held.

“I have you read, what’s up? Over.” I match his deep tone.

“There was an altercation on the ground floor, Do you have eyes on the vault? Over.” The man seemed somewhat bored in his tone.

They should get better security.

“We have eyes on. Do you have it handled? Over.” My eyes flick to Sienna who stifled a laugh. I brought my finger to my mouth and signalled for her to remain silent.

“Copy. We have it handled. Over and out.”

I exhaled the breath I withheld, done with whoever the boring fuck on the other end was.

The heist was perfect until our eyes met from across the crowded vault.

Time truly stilled that day.

“Drop the radio slowly and place your hands on top of your head,” he commanded, how the fuck was he conscious? I had Sienna triple-check those doses. Sienna never miscounted.

I looked over at her, as she shook like a leaf in her pretty frock. I nodded at her, that being the only reassurance she needed.

She knew I had this.

“Couldn’t add a please to that?” I asked.

I may lack patience, but stalling?

No sweat.

I took in his appearance. He had a certain look to him, distinctive. His eyes lacked the boredom of general surveillance. He wasn’t normal security, not assigned to this place anyway. No this was- fuck.

CIA.

I'd been had.

Well, that’s if he made it out to tell the tale.

“I think I’ll make the commands, Jess, seeing as I’m the one with the gun, on your knees. Now.” He demanded.

I sunk to my knees, hands on my head.

He took purposeful strides over to me and placed the barrel on my temple.

As he placed the cuffs on me, he began to search me.

“Watch your hands, or you won’t leave here with them,” I sniped, I knew how these men get, they took liberties if they weren’t being watched.

“Not my type princess,” he muttered, entirely monotone.

His hand stopped under my dress.

“Really?” He mocked, as his fingers grazed my inner thigh, retrieving my knife stashed there.

I kneed him in the stomach, “what did I just say about hands?”

He didn’t so much as flinch at my assault, still, it felt good.

“How long have you been conscious?” I asked.

“About five minutes from when you stuck that pathetic thing you call a needle into me,” he grunted.

“Please just let us go, we haven’t actually taken Anything. At least it’s not like attempted murder, just a few scuffs on a metal box. No biggie,” Sienna added. Her chest was heaving.

I used siennas fluster to get to work on my restraints. Internally screaming with joy when I managed to retrieve the wire from my bra.

“That may be the case for you ma’am, but you,” he inched closer toward me, my knife in hand.

“Well, you haven’t just attempted to, have you?” His grey eyes lasered into my greens, scrutinizing me.

I lurched forward, climbing onto him.

“My bad, did I not mention? I removed the pathetic things you call cuffs as soon as you stuck them onto me,” I breathed raggedly, as I restrained him.

His eyes sparked with something other than monotony for the first time. Amusement overtook them.

What the fuck did he find so funny?

Anger surged through me.

I grabbed the back of his head, his hair in between my fingers. I swiftly booted him in the back as I held him in place against a wall to cuff him.

If he came with backup which he most likely did, I have about five minutes until they swarm in.

Bees to honey.

Unfortunately for them, I was in no sense sweet.

“If you weren’t a thief, I’d hire you,” he smirked.

“How did you find me?” I was curious more than anything.

“I'm not permitted to tell you that Jess,” he spoke, quieter than before.

“I could beat it out of you,” I suggested, casually.

He tipped his head back laughing, “ you can try,” he mused, smugness all over his expression.

Shit, I didn’t uncuff Sienna.

As I turned to my right I saw the barrel of a gun in my peripheral.

“On your knees, don’t make any sudden movements,” her sweet voice was no longer present.

I bristled internally at her sudden change in demeanour.

Fuck.

Ten men? No problem.

One, highly motivated, woman?

A problem.

I do as she says, knowing better than to piss off a woman scorned.

“Why,”? I asked, anger in my tone.

“It’s quite simple Jess, this is my job, we were never friends,” she snickered. As she uncuffed the prick next to me.

I was angry at myself more than her, how could I have missed my best friend’s, deception?

But now was not the time for reflection, I needed to get out, now.

This was bigger than I had anticipated.

“Reece, watch her. I need to inform Delta of our status.” She spoke to him with such familiarity. It only spurred me on further.

She left immediately, sealing the vault behind her, I locked eyes with Reece.

How do I play this?

It was difficult to be coy with a gun pointed at your head.

“Knees, now Jess.” I did as he asked, I was always compliant until I had a plan.

I was ambitious but not reckless.

A laugh bubbled in my throat when cable ties appeared from his pocket.

“Really?,” I asked.

“Really,” He responded.

“Not too tight, I might like it,” I whispered into his ear as he stood before me.

He assessed my face, finding that I wasn’t at all joking.

“Was it worth it Jess?” he asked, as he tightened the cable. He watched my face closely, as he gave it one final pull.

“Was what worth it?” I respond.

He moved from me, hands clasped behind him.

“This,” he gestured around the vault, “… way of living.”

I bit my inner cheek, unsure of what he was getting at.

“Is your career, what you thought it would be?” I asked, gently pulling on my ties, careful not to be obvious

His eyes narrowed slightly, “Nice evasion.”

“Can you do something for me, Reece?”

Always use their name, forces a connection between you both.

“Depends,” he strode closer to me, achingly close.

“Tell Sienna,” I loosened my restraints, little by little. She probably shouldn’t seal her colleagues in a vault…with a criminal.”