“Por Dios,” he exclaimed. “Your eyes, I notice they are different colours. Amazing. Like a work of art in themselves.”
She glanced at the floor, but smiling. “You are a charmer, Mr Delgado.”
“Please. Call me Luis. So tell me, Gabriella, do any of the pieces tempt you to buy?”
She sighed and turned back to the canvas in front of them. “I do like this piece. But to be honest with you, I was sort of hoping some of his earlier works might be on display. There’s one painting in particular that I’ve been searching for. Just to see it would be wonderful. To stand in front of it, absorb its power and presence. Do you know the piece I’m talking about – his Campo Complementarios Número Tres?”
“Of course I know it.” A shiver of eager anticipation ran down his arms. “Because I own it.”
She looked at him and her full lips made a perfect circle. “Is that so?” she gasped. “I knew it was with a private collection but, wow, that’s unreal. I don’t suppose I could…”
“Of course,” he boomed, already one step ahead of her. “In fact, I am having people to my house this evening. A little business, but a little pleasure too, you know how it is. There will be drinks, good food. Why don’t you come along?”
“I’m not sure I should,” she said. “I don’t want to get in the way if you’re busy.”
He touched her softly on the arm. “My house is grand. Room for everyone. You will not be in the way. After I’ve finished doing business we can… talk some more, get better acquainted.”
She glanced at the floor before gazing up at him with those big exotic eyes. “Well if you insist,” she purred. “Thank you. I’d love to.”
“Wonderful. Give me your address and I will send a car to pick you up this evening. How does seven-thirty sound?”
Gabriella smiled at him, a glimmer of something else in her eyes now. Lust, he hoped. “It sounds absolutely perfect,” she replied.
Forty-Three
Acid yanked the black dinner dress up over her chest and jiggled it into place, trying to ignore the way Danny was looking at her, his expression a mixture of admiration and concern sprinkled with more than a hint of frustration. It reminded her of the way Spook often looked at her, and it was pissing her off.
“Ya will be careful though, right?”
“Jesus, Danny, this was your idea, remember? Your plan.” She straightened up and checked her profile in the bathroom mirror, sucking her stomach in as she did. “Like you said, it’s a simple job, in and out. From what he was saying it sounds as if he’s got a lot on this evening, so he won’t miss me if I nip to the bathroom and accidently find myself in his office. It’s all good.”
She turned from the mirror and stepped into the bedroom where Danny was sitting pensively on the end of the bed.
“How do I look?”
“Amazing,” he said, shaking his head. “As always.”
She sucked back a deep breath. “Aren’t you sweet. But I need you to get your head in the game. If things do go awry you have to be ready to move in a second. Do you understand? Have you got everything?”
He nodded to the unit opposite where a black Harrington jacket was laid out with a set of night vision binoculars, a Bersa 380 and two spare mags of ammo (all procured from Sonny an hour earlier). “Aye, all set. So you know where you’re going?”
“Yes. For the tenth time. Don’t worry.” She picked up the black Gucci handbag off the bed and checked the contents – mobile phone, a lipstick and a roll of euros. They’d discussed the possibility of her carrying a weapon (the handbag was big enough, having being chosen to easily conceal two Fabergé eggs without making it obvious), but the view was she’d probably get searched going in and it wasn’t worth the risk.
“Are you nervous?” he asked her.
“I don’t get nervous.”
He shook his head. “How the hell do ya not get nervous?”
“Easy. You focus your attention only on what you have to do next, regulate your breathing, listen to your guts.” She caught his eye, him staring at her with a worrying intensity. “Worst thing you can ever do in situations like this is overthink it. In fact navigating cerebrally at all is a bad move. Best to go by feeling. Instinct. I trust that I’ll know what to do, when I need to do it.”
“And that works, does it?”
“Hasn’t let me down yet.”
Danny got to his feet. “First sign of trouble and you’re out of there, agreed?”
“Agreed.”
Because it was the right move, deep down she knew that. Get the eggs and get out of there with minimal impact. But hell, what she wouldn’t give to show that sick fuck Delgado and his cronies what she could do. Give her a Glock and a handful of ammo and their trafficking days would be over.
Shit.
She shook her head, a bitter laugh dying in her throat. Who the hell was she trying to kid? They were right. They all were. She’d lost it.
“Acid?” She looked up, the fog clearing as she saw Danny’s concerned expression. “You with me?”
“Yes. Sorry.” She tapped her temple. “Going over the plan, that’s all.”
“Good, cos for a moment there it looked a lot like you were overthinking it.”
“I’m fine.” She stuck her shoulders back, chin up.
“Listen, I know he comes across all sophisticated but don’t underestimate him, or his fella Hugo. They’re bad men.” He walked over and put his hands on her shoulders. “Are you sure you’re up to this? I know I’m the one that’s leaned on you, but after everything ya said, I’m having second thoughts myself and—”
“Hey,” she hissed. “I’m not one of your little twinks, Daniel. I’ve been carrying out covert missions like this for sixteen years. It’s what I do.”
Danny raised his eyebrows, gave her a thin-lipped smile. “It’s what you did. That’s
