The Pursuit Read Free Page A

Hunters International
and
Love It or List It
from America on my laptop,” she said. “I have a safe-deposit box in the vault that I visit at least twice a day, though all that’s in it is some makeup.”
    “But it’s thanks to her that we’ve learned every detail of their security system,” Dragan said, “and were able to construct this accurate re-creation of the vault to try to devise a way in.”
    “Impressive, but overkill. Getting in is easy,” Nick said.
    Litija was skeptical. “You just told us all of the reasons why it can’t be done.”
    “Let me kill him,” Zarko said.
    Nick looked at one of the remaining men, who’d said nothing so far, and had a face only a turtle could love. “What’s your opinion?”
    “I think we spent too much on your coffin. When Zarko is done with you, it will be easier to bury you in bags.”
    “I’m sorry I asked,” Nick said. “What about you, Litija?”
    “I’d really like to see you do it, because you’re cute, funny, and are the only person besides Tom Selleck who has ever looked good in that outfit,” she said, gesturing to his aloha shirt and shorts. “But I don’t believe that you can.”
    Nick turned to Dragan. “I guess you didn’t share my résumé with them.”
    “I don’t ask for advice on my decisions,” Dragan said.
    “I’m relieved to hear it, considering the consensus of the room. So let’s make a deal, shall we? Think of me as a willing and eager participant. I’ll even overlook how you got me here.”
    “Very gracious of you,” Dragan said. “It’s been a pleasure watching you try to turn this situation to your advantage. I can see why you’re a world-class con man, but it also makes me worry that I’m being swindled. So here’s my one and only offer. You will remain as our guest. If you get us into that vault and out safely with the diamonds, we’ll give you a ten percent cut. But if anything goes wrong, you die. How does that sound?”
    “Fifteen percent would sound better,” Nick said. “But I’m in.”
    “Excellent,” Dragan said. “What do you need?”
    “A car, for starters,” Nick said.
    “Cars are not a problem. That’s how all of our robberies begin.”
    “I thought you’d appreciate being in your comfort zone.”
    “What kind of car would you like?”
    “One that can fit in Litija’s purse,” Nick said.
    —
    Kate’s dad, Jake O’Hare, was in shorts and flip-flops when Kate handed him his boarding pass.
    “I’m going to Antwerp and I might need help,” Kate said. “We have just enough time to get to the airport.”
    “Andy’s not going to like this,” Jake said. “We have a one o’clock tee time.”
    “Since when would you rather play golf than execute an unlawful extraction?”
    “You didn’t tell me the part about the unlawful extraction,” Jake said. “The answer is never.”
    Kate had grown up as an Army brat, following her father around the world while he performed “extraordinary renditions” with his Special Forces unit. He was retired now, living with Kate’s sister in Calabasas, enjoying the good life and missing the old one.
    “Are you traveling in those clothes?” Jake asked. “They look like you slept in them. Not that I mind, but the TSA might pull you out of line thinking you’re a vagrant.”
    Kate looked down at herself and smoothed out a wrinkle in her navy blazer. She hadn’t slept in the clothes, but they weren’t exactly fresh either. She’d kicked through the dirty laundry on her floor this morning and chosen some clothes that looked the freshest.
    “I just rolled in from Hawaii and didn’t have a lot of time to put myself together,” she said. Not to mention she wasn’t all that good at the whole pretty-girl thing. She didn’t have time. It wasn’t a priority. She had no clue where to begin. Her father had taught her forty-seven ways to disable a man with a toothpick before she was nine years old, but he hadn’t exactly been a fashionista role