They drove toward the industrial part of the city. The buildings here were old and covered in graffiti. There were no neon lights here, just flickering streetlamps and the smell of salt and old fish. Jaxson pulled up behind a large warehouse.
"Lock the doors," Jaxson said. "I'll be five minutes. Do not get out of the car, Isabella. I mean it."
He stepped out and disappeared into the shadows of the warehouse. Isabella sat in the heated leather seat, her heart pounding. She looked at the dashboard. She looked at the expensive red dress in the bag in the backseat. She felt like she was living two lives at once.
She looked out the window. She saw Jaxson talking to a man in a long grey coat. The man looked nervous. Jaxson handed him a thick envelope—more money. Then, another car pulled up. A silver sports car.
A woman got out. She had long blonde hair and was wearing a very short leather skirt. She walked right up to Jaxson and put her arms around his neck. She leaned in and kissed his cheek.
Isabella felt a surge of jealousy that felt like fire in her veins. Who was she? Was this the "Boss"? Or was this someone else?
Jaxson pushed the woman away, but he wasn't being mean about it. He said something to her, and she laughed, tossing her head back. Then Jaxson looked toward the SUV. He looked like he was worried Isabella was watching.
He turned back to the man in the grey coat and pointed at the warehouse door. They all went inside.
Isabella couldn't help herself. She had to know. She unlocked the door and stepped out into the cold, salty air. Her new red-bottomed heels clicked loudly on the pavement. She tried to walk quietly, sneaking toward the side door of the warehouse.
She found a small window that was cracked open. She peered inside.
The warehouse was full of crates. Jaxson was standing in the middle of the room. The blonde woman was standing next to him. They were looking into a crate that had been pried open.
Inside the crate, Isabella saw something shiny. It wasn't drugs or guns. It was gold. Bars and bars of solid gold.
"Is it all here?" Jaxson asked.
"Every kilo," the blonde woman said. Her voice was high and sharp. "But the Boss wants his cut by tomorrow, Jaxson. You know he doesn't like to wait. And he heard about the girl."
Jaxson stiffened. "The girl has nothing to do with this."
"She has everything to do with this if she makes you soft," the woman said. She reached out and touched Jaxson's chest. "You used to be the best thief in the country. Now you're playing house with a bookstore clerk? It's pathetic."
Isabella gasped. A thief? Jaxson was a thief? That's where the money came from. That's why he had an armored car.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed Isabella's shoulder from behind. She screamed and turned around.
It was Marco. He was a huge man with a scarred face. "The Boss said no witnesses," he growled.