Page 18 of Wanted 2

He just waited, damn him. And why did he have to look so smoking hot, his muscles outlined so temptingly in the dim lighting?

I took a fortifying breath. So, he wanted the truth, did he? Well, in this, I could give him the truth. Lots of it. “Truth is, I got myself into a mountain of trouble and debt. Pure stupidity on my part. But I’m paying it back, and the guy’s an asshole. I used pretty much my last entire paycheck on the first payment and the rest on Jeremy. I’ve got nothing left, and I wouldn’t ask, only Jeremy’s science fair hit me out of the blue. I don’t need much, just a little.”

I guess he heard the authenticity in my voice, because he strode out of his library and in the hallway, lifted his hand. “Follow,” he said.

I did, heart pounding.

He led me to his office, unlocked the door, and disappeared inside.

I almost called him back. Almost. I’m ashamed to say how close it was. I felt like the worst kind of jerk. Jeremy should always be first. How could it even be a contest?

“Come in, Kassandra,” the Count called me from inside.

Showtime.

I entered his office to find he’d lit a candle on the edge of his desk. He stood before the large oil painting of the dragon and the beautiful sword-wielding woman.

Please, please let the cameras be angled right. Please.

The painting slid aside, revealing the safe.

I could scarcely watch. This was my one and only shot. I’d run out of luck and out of time.

Then, his fingers danced over the keypad as he plugged in the security code and all I could do was pray. Does that sound bad? I’d been a good person…well, lately. And did the fact I prayed for success so I could steal cancel the whole praying thing out? Making it all null and void?

I wasn't raised religious, so I wasn’t sure how all that worked.

I heard the safe swing open.

I didn’t look. I couldn’t. Bile rose in my throat and I swallowed it down with a grimace. Only when I heard the Count move to his desk did I finally raise my eyes.

He stood there, counting his hundred-dollar bills. “Here. Five hundred should be enough?” He raised a quizzical brow.

What the hell kind of science fair had he ever participated in that needed five hundred dollars?

“Plenty,” I whispered hoarsely. “Thanks.”

God, I felt like the worst kind of human.

“My pleasure, Kassandra.”

Now, I felt even worse.

I left, clutching the money tightly in my fingers and feeling them burn in my own version of Hell.

The next day,I forced myself to wait until noon to collect the cameras. I’d never seen the Count out of his bedroom at that time, and as this was my last day, I couldn’t afford to take any kind of chance.

It was Saturday, and since Jeremy wasn’t in school, he sat in the kitchen, writing the pros and cons of each Science Fair project idea. He’d narrowed his choices down to three.

“Be right back,” I murmured as I slipped his laptop out of his backpack and ran to the nearest guest room.

My fingers trembled as I downloaded the file from first camera onto the USB drive. “Please,” I whispered a prayer. “Pleeeease let me see the code.”

Carefully, I inserted the USB drive into the computer and began playing the file. Since I’d been in the room, I knew the time already, so I skipped through the hours of dark, empty office until a ray of light fell across the screen.

I tensed.

That must have been when the Count had opened the door.