He carefully placed the sapphire back into the pouch. "The buyer wired the funds an hour ago. We’re clear."
A sharp knock rattled the door. Three distinct raps. A pause. Then two more. micky bells talia
He looked up at her. For a moment, the professional facade cracked. There was a weariness in her face that mirrored his own. They had been doing this dance for ten years—he found the trouble, she walked into the fire to snuff it out. He was the brain; she was the blade. He carefully placed the sapphire back into the pouch
"Don't use the front door. The doorman is a gossip." Three distinct raps
Mickey picked up the pouch. He undid the drawstring and let the object slide out into his palm. The Azure Star caught the desk lamp's light, fractured it, and threw blue shards across the ceiling. It was breathtaking. It was also terrifying.
She looked like a storm trapped in a human form. Her trench coat was soaked, her dark hair plastered to her forehead in jagged streaks. She didn't look cold, though. She looked annoyed.
Standing in the dim hallway light was Talia.