“Why don’t we switch gears now?” Viktorwiped his mouth with the cloth napkin.
“Did you just say switch gears?” Ismirked.
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“No, it just not normal teen speak, that’sall.”
He glowered at me, a look of distaste spreadacross his face.
“I mean, are you really a teenager?Seriously?”
He seemed to suddenly find it all very funnyand laughed outright. “Do I seem like the kind of person who wouldreturn to high school after he left it?”
I chuckled. “No, but your choice of wordswas odd. It’s funny.”
“Are you doubting me?”
“Maybe. I mean, the way you’re beatingaround the bush, I think you’re going to ask me to do somethingillegal or something.”
“Are you opposed to doing somethingillegal?”
“Well,” I stuttered, “of course. It’sillegal.” I looked around, eyes wide like I was afraidsomeone would overhear. “Are you for real? You really want me to dosomething illegal?” I didn’t want to seem too eager to join hislittle gang. I thought showing some scruples would be a goodthing.
“Whoa! Whoa! Just calm down.” He held hishands out in front of him, moving them up and down like he wastelling everyone in a choir to sit down.
I took a deep breath and eyed him.
In a low voice, he said, “Tell me about yourarrest.”
I let my eyes shoot open and brought myhands to my lap, rocking a couple of times. “Who told you I’d beenarrested?” No wonder he felt he could be so out in the open aboutdoing illegal things.
“I have connections. I’ll leave it at that.”That terrible grin spread across his face. “Just tell me aboutit.”
“What? Did you do a background check on meor something?” I appeared totally indignant. I wanted him to workfor me so that he would feel like he’d really done somethingamazing by hooking me.
“Or something.” He pulled in one corner ofhis lip and bit on it.
“You can’t just go around looking intopeople’s lives without their consent. Can you? Come on. How did youeven have time for that?”
He leaned forward, his forearms resting onthe now almost empty table, his head moving toward mine.
“Why did you break into that car? I thinkit’s so funny.” He echoed my earlier words.
“You wouldn’t think it was very funny if youhad no car to get anywhere. It’s not like I stole the cars oranything. I just borrowed them. If I needed to be somewhere, I’dhotwire the nearest car, go where I needed to go, and then returnit. No harm, no foul. I’d even leave money for gas.”
“Them?”
I covered my mouth, like I’d said somethingI shouldn’t have, but then smiled, like I was really proud of myaccomplishments and excited to talk about it. It was time to lethim know I wasn’t really opposed to illegal activities.
“So, it wasn’t just once. Even better.Ingenious. I knew there must be a reason behind your criminalbehavior. Seriously, the way you hold yourself, no one would everknow.” He had been looking at his fork, but his eyes flicked tomine when he said the last sentence. He liked the idea of me beingtotally incognito.
“But you found out. How did you find out?The records are supposed to be sealed.”
“Like I said, I have connections.” He tiltedhis head to the side and fingered the fork he’d been eyeing.
“What, do you want me to steal cars?” Ichuckled. Right after I said the words, something inside me feltstrange. Was I afraid? Maybe I wasn’t supposed to get mixed up inthis mess after all. Maybe I should have gotten the heck out andlet someone else finish the operation or maybe I should have doneit from afar and not get directly involved. I tapped my foot,trying to get rid of the odd feeling.
“Yes.” He said it completelymatter-of-factly.
Instinctively, my eyes flitted toward theexit, and I couldn’t ignore the fact that a massive, tall, andunbelievably tan man stood between me and the exit. He must havehad to have his clothes custom made for him; there was no way hisbiceps would ever fit into any shirts I’d ever seen. Would I standa chance against him if I had to? I suddenly wished I had my knifein my boot and my gun on my thigh.
I turned my head very slowly back to Viktor.“Hmm. Interesting. I never would have thought…”
“So, you ready to join us?”
I let my true feeling of nerves manifest onmy face in the form of a flush, but managed to make it seem asthough I was excited, though scared. I leaned forward, letting mybody indicate eagerness.
“I’ll admit I’ve missed the thrill—but I’vealready been caught for this. I could get in a lot of trouble. Icould lose my chance at a future.”
“Or this could be the best chance you’veever been handed.” He looked extremely self-satisfied. I could tellhe thought I should be overcome with gratitude to him. “Now, justsit there nicely, and I’ll fill you in on all the details before myuncle gets here.”
“Your uncle?”
“Alexander Molgilevich to you. He’ll serveas the witness to our agreement. How many cars have youstolen?”
“I just told you, I didn’t steal any. I justborrowed them.” I laughed. Was Alexander the man Jericho hadcalled? My heart raced at the prospect of meeting him.
“How many cars have you borrowed, then?” Heleaned back in his seat.
“This doesn’t leave this table?” I leanedforward and spoke low.
“Of course not.” Behind his eyes he waslaughing.
“A hundred and two.”
His jaw slackened for an almostimperceptible second, and then he recovered. I’d obviously wowedhim.
“And how did you learn to do that?”
“The Internet. I learned all the ins andouts and then tried it. I guess I have a knack for it. Knack isalso a word normal people don’t use any more, but I like the soundof it.” I grinned, raising an eyebrow.
He shook his head. “Whatever, Word Girl.What types of cars were you able to get into?”
“Most older makes and models. I don’t own asmart key. That would be awesome you know, to have a smart key andbe able to get into almost any car you wanted.”
“If you were given a smart key,
