Page 141 of Cross & Crown

them and the store,” Nick continued. “Not unless he was one

of theirs to begin with.”

“That’s a shame,” Julian said. “I was beginning to like him.

His sketch of Cameron notwithstanding.”

“What I want to know,” Nick said heatedly, “is if there

was only one man inside, and his shit was still in his bag when they left him there, who the fuck has those missing artifacts

now?”

Kelly and Julian both fell silent, frowning at Nick. Nick

had been asking himself that all morning. The thieves hadn’t

gotten away with anything, the evidence suggested as much.

But there were still two things missing. So where the hell were they? And why hadn’t they been where they were supposed

to be?

“Well,” Julian finally said, taking a deep breath. “I suppose

you should go ask your amnesiac that question.”

“What’s wrong?” JD asked Nick as soon as he saw him.

Kelly was right on Nick’s heels, trying to calm him, trying

to keep him from blowing up. That had always been his job,

and he was good at it on the rare occasions when he had to do

it. Nick rarely even came close to losing his temper, but when

142

it happened it was seriously impressive. And scary, for anyone

who didn’t know him. Kelly got in front of him and put both

hands on his chest.

“Breathe and think, O,” he ordered.

Nick lowered his head, and his eyes glinted when he met

Kelly’s. “I’m calm. Let me do my job.”

Kelly knew when he’d been beat; he stepped aside and

held his hands up. Nick grabbed his jacket off the back of his

chair, pul ing it up on two wheels and then toppling it over as the leather dragged it down. It clattered to the ground, and

both Hagan and JD stood in alarm.