Untitled Book 2(87)

I remain silent, not knowing how to start this conversation.

 

“Shay?”

 

I cringe and sit back down. “The feds were in contact with me. Well, they tried to be in contact with me, but I’d been avoiding them. When they called, I’d send it to voice mail. Remember that day in the jewelry store when I went to buy Faye’s present? The woman I was speaking to was a federal agent. She cornered me, wanting me to go with her to talk, but I said no. I didn’t want to work with them or have anything to do with them. I didn’t think they could help in the situation, but maybe they can now?”

 

I don’t trust the feds, mainly because I knew my father was working with them, and look what happened to him. I just don’t see another way out of this now though.

 

Vinnie searches my eyes, then says, “How can they help, Shay?”

 

I swallow hard. “I think I might know where the ledger is. I mean, I know of a place where my father kept some of his important documents. I’ve been thinking, racking my brain, and if it is anywhere, it has to be the place where he left it. It’s worth the shot, don’t you think?”

 

His expression hardens. “And you didn’t think this is something that I should know?”

 

I stand up and walk to him, resting my hand on his chest. “I didn’t lie or betray you in any way, Vinnie, and I would never. I just didn’t want to be involved in all of this, I didn’t want the feds contacting me, or coming here. I don’t physically have anything. I didn’t touch it or look at it, I just know where it is.”

 

“We need to get it, now,” Vinnie says, pacing up and down his room. “Tell me, Shay.”

 

So I tell him exactly where the ledger is. My father hid it in one of the investment properties he owned, in the attic, in a locked chest. He told me about it before he went to prison, just in case. The only issue is, the property is rented out, so tenants are living there. We’ll need to wait until they’re not home, then break in to retrieve it.

 

I just hope this is the right move.

 

* * *

 

“Where did you even get that outfit from?” Vinnie asks Faye, grimacing. Sin brought Faye with him for the retrieval, apparently she’s good at improvising in difficult situations. What we didn’t expect though, is her showing up dressed like a nun.

 

Yes, a nun.

 

“I like to dress up now and again,” she says, turning to Sin and winking. “And come on, everyone likes nuns. They can’t not let me in their house.”

 

“Hopefully no one’s home,” I mutter, rubbing my forehead with my palm. We park around the corner, and Faye gets out, holding a Bible in her hand.

 

“I’ll go suss out the situation, then I’ll message you,” she says to Sin, kissing him on the lips. “Let’s do this, team!”

 

She walks off, leaving us all looking after her.

 

“What the fuck is the plan again?” Vinnie asks, turning to Sin with a quizzical expression on his face.

 

“Faye is gonna see if anyone is home, and if they are, she’s going to distract them while you break in,” Sin says calmly, like he does this shit every day.

 

“What am I doing?” I ask, looking between the two men, realizing that Sin just said while you break in, not while we break in.

 

“You’re going to come with me,” Vinnie says. “You know what this fuckin’ ledger looks like, right?”

 

“I’m going to sit here and wait for you guys to jump in and speed the fuck away,” Sin says, gripping the wheel. His phone beeps. He reads the message, then turns to Vinnie. “There’s a woman home. Faye is having tea with her in the kitchen, she said she left the front door unlocked, so run in, turn left then go up the stairs.”

 

I swallow hard. Fuck, I’m about to rob a house while an innocent woman sits there talking to Faye, the nun.

 

We get out of the car and Vinnie grabs my hand. “Don’t panic, okay? We’re just going to go in and out.”

 

“And if she sees us?”

 

“We’ll worry about it then.”

 

Great.

 

Vinnie opens the door, and we both tiptoe inside. The first thing I hear is Faye’s louder-than-usual laugh. We turn left, and head up the stairs, looking around frantically for the attic entrance. We find it to the right, an opening with a handle on the ceiling. Vinnie pulls the handle, and stairs appear, reaching the floor. It makes a bit of a noise, and I’m scared the lady heard, but then I hear Faye singing some sort of church song, probably trying to cover any sounds. We climb the stairs into the attic, and I look around for the chest. When I find it, I tap Vinnie on the shoulder. He opens the chest, grabs the box inside, and we get the hell out of there.