Page 63 of Perfect Vengeance

Not. A. Chance. Reliving last night would only make her think about Jack even more.

“Tino.” Annabelle pointed to the cream-colored Cadillac sedan as it backed from the driveway and sped north on Ocean Avenue. In the dim light, Gina could just make out his face. His was the last of six vehicles that had been parked outside the house.

According to her informant, Tino wasn’t spending the night there. Which meant the safe was loaded with cash and the house would be empty.

“Radio check, ladies,” she said, grateful for the diversion and eager to get this job behind them. No matter how she rationalized it, defying Jack’s orders left a terrible ache in her heart.

He’d be so angry with her. Sex with him was a big mistake. It was messing with her normally logical decision-making process. Because whatever had happened between them last night was more than just sex. For her anyway. Now she cared about him and what he thought of her.

“Loud and clear,” Margo answered. “One of us should go in there with you.”

Gina pulled the hood over her head, tucking in her hair and adjusting her earpiece. “That’s not necessary. This won’t be different from any job we’ve done before.” Then why was the anxiety in her belly worsening by the second? “Just wait nearby to help with the bags.” There should be enough cash in Tino’s safe to fill two duffel bags. Can anyone say jackpot?

She slung the empty duffels over her shoulder. “Everyone ready?”

“Ready,” her friends replied as one.

“Then let’s do this.” She opened the door and closed it quietly behind her.

The air was cold with a stiff breeze blowing off the ocean. On nights like these, her suit provided little protection, and she shivered.

She began a steady jog to the driveway, her breath condensing as she ran. Seconds later, she stood at the foot of the stairs leading to the house. Her heart hammered, and she waited for it to slow. This was the final time they would do this. She prayed the women waiting in the car would still be her friends after she told them the truth. After everything they’d been through together, they deserved to know.

Gina tiptoed up the stairs, searching for cameras near the door. There were none, reinforcing the intel she’d received. At the top step, she lifted the edge of the doormat, checking for a pressure sensor. Nope. She reached into her pouch for the strip of supermagnetized metal to fool the door’s sensors but stopped. The wood door had two glass panels, allowing her to see inside. The house was completely dark. Except for the steady green light on the control box just inside the door. Meaning the system was deactivated.

Her scalp prickled with unease. Leaving the alarm system off made no sense. Tina hadn’t left with any cash. They’d have seen the bags.

She stuffed the thin piece of metal back into her pouch and cocked her head to listen. No sounds came from the house. She pressed her hand and cheek against one of the glass panes and closed her eyes, feeling for telltale vibrations. She couldn’t detect any movement inside.

Using her tools, she easily picked the lock, then cracked the door open an inch. Sure enough, no beeps came from the wall box. The system really was deactivated. No time to worry about why.

Letting out a silent breath, she went in, being careful not to step on the mat in case a pressure sensor lurked beneath. She nudged the door closed and listened again. Still nothing.

With her tiny penlight as her guide, she padded softly down the south hallway to the small office where the safe was hidden. So far, everything was exactly the way her informant described.

She swung the beam to a large air conditioning intake grate low on the wall. Bingo. She put the end of the penlight in her mouth, holding it steady with her teeth while she plucked a screwdriver from her toolkit. Seconds later, she had the metal grating off and was staring at a one-foot by three-foot— WTF!

The rapid beat of her heart slowed. This was definitely not the Grandy safe she’d been expecting. She ran the red beam over the safe’s make and model, confirming what she suspected. This was a Burnbridge 5000, the queen—no, make that the king—of all high-end safes. What in the world was Tino doing with this puppy? It cost as much as a Porsche.

Duh. She and her friends were to blame. He’d probably bought it because of all the rips they’d been doing.

The Burnbridge 5000 had 10-gauge steel-alloy armor plating on the door and all five sides, eliminating typical safe vulnerabilities and making it virtually torch and drill resistant. Not that she’d brought along a borescope and a drill with diamond or tungsten carbide bits, all of which she’d need to drill a hole through this type of reinforced metal to watch the tumblers align.

She sank to her knees. The duffel bags slipped off her shoulder and fell to the floor. All their plans had just gone down the crapper. She’d come prepared for the Grandy’s digital keypad, one for which her robotic dialer could run all possible combinations.

Think. Think! Gina rubbed her forehead, wracking her brain for a solution.

This beast was old school, using a combination dialer. With massively thick alloy surrounding the locking mechanism, it would be nearly impossible to feel—let alone hear—the notches as they lined up on the multiple interlocking wheels inside. I’m not good enough to crack it. Dear god, she’d been arrogant. And stupid.

She fisted her hands. I have to try. Giving up wasn’t in her genetic makeup.

Unzipping the largest pouch on her belt, she slipped out her stethoscope, one with astounding acoustic sensitivity and earpieces specially molded to fit her ears. She pulled off her gloves and stuffed them in her belt. Leaving prints behind was a risk, but she’d need every bit of touch for this job. Besides, it didn’t matter. She’d never been fingerprinted in her life, so her prints weren’t in any database, and Tino would never call the police. What would he say? Officer, someone ripped off all my illegal cash?

She yanked off her hood and plucked the com unit out, letting it dangle against her shoulder. Next, she positioned the pink rubber tubes in her ears, adjusting them until the world around her went dead silent. She pressed the chest piece firmly on the door and closed her eyes. Slowly, she turned the dial.

At first she heard nothing except the beat of her own heart. She had to slow the darn thing down. Just breathe. In. Out. In. Out.

It wasn’t working. The earpieces were so sensitive she’d have to hold her breath. She held her breath and tried again, turning the dial nearly a full revolution before she heard it. Click.