Celt. (Den of Mercenaries #2)(40)



Smart.

“He’s putting it up for auction in a few days.”

Which would explain the invitations she had, and the fact that she had been allowed to attend in the first place. The nondisclosure agreement was enough to ensure that she wouldn’t talk to anyone about it, and if Gabriel moved it within the next few days, it would be gone with no one the wiser.

But, it also gave him time.

Now, he at least knew where the painting would be, and because of the replica she’d made, he would be able to take it without anyone realizing it was gone, at least for a time. That was the easy part though, it was trying to move it while with Amber that would be the hard part.

Not only would he have to find enough time to slip away, he would also have to make sure he kept track of her because once it was time to leave, they had to get out.

But despite the obstacles he would face, Kyrnon smiled and said, “Should be fun.”



* * *



After an hour and a half of getting ready, Amber was finally dressed, her clutch and heels in hand as she headed downstairs where Kyrnon was waiting. Despite the short timing, he was attending with her. If anything, he seemed more interested in going than she’d expected.

And waiting for her at the entrance to her building was Kyrnon, in all his tall, bearded glory.

He didn’t look nearly as rugged as he usually did. He was all cleaned up, and had even went as far as trimming his beard. She had to blink twice to make sure he was the same person. His vest and trousers were navy, a crisp white shirt beneath with a solid black tie that was held in place by a silver clip. For the first time since she met him, his hair was also styled, gelled back into place. The navy suit even managed to make the auburn tones of his beard stand out more.

There was just something about a man in a three-piece suit.

“I have to say,” Amber said as she looked him over. “You’ve been holding out on me.”

He smiled, touching a hand to his chest right over his heart as his gaze swept over her. “You take my breath away.”

She gave a little spin, showing him the open back. “Do you like?”

“I like it enough,” he said with a kiss to both her cheeks. “But I’ll better on my floor later.”

“If you’re lucky.”

With a gruff laugh, he urged her to the car he’d been standing in front of. And it was … well it was amazing.

Amber might not have known just how much money he possessed, but the sight of his car was just another reminder that he had to have a lot of it. A Ferrari, she believed it was, from the logo near the door, but it didn’t look like any one she had ever seen before.

“You said acquisitions, right?” she asked as he helped her into the passenger seat, the leather incredibly soft beneath her. “I didn’t know that paid so well.”

He was gone a moment as he came around the front of the car, then was in the seat next to her and pressed the start button for the car. Laying a hand on her thigh, the heat of his palm almost a little too hot, he pulled off.

“Aye, I did, and it does.” With his sunglasses in place, she couldn’t accurately read his expression. “Besides, the work I acquire is worth a hell of a lot more than what I get paid for it. People are willing to pay any price when it means something to them.”

“Really?” She didn’t doubt that, but she was curious about what he did.

He nodded, weaving effortlessly through traffic. “I was once tasked with tracking down this wee statue from the 18th century, ghastly little shite really, but the owner was willing to pay three-quarters of a million for me to return it to him.”

“Wow.” That number kind of boggled her mind, but then again, hadn’t she been paid twenty-thousand just to paint a replica? “It must have been worth a fortune.”

“It was, but I ken it had more sentimental value than anything,” Kyrnon said glancing over at her.

“Do you have anything you would pay that much for?” she asked, shifting so she was facing him.

Keeping one hand on the wheel, he pulled his glasses off, dropping them in the cupholder. “A cabin.”

She was intrigued. “A cabin? Where?”

“Near the Irish sea. Just grass and rocks and water.”

His voice had changed, dropping an octave. This meant more to him than just the money he would spend, it was something else.

“You miss Ireland,” she guessed, “and your family.”

“Both. It’s been a while since I’ve been back.” His smile turned rueful. “I’ll take you out there, see how you like the water then. Cold enough to freeze a man’s bullocks.”

“I would love that.”

“And you?”

She thought on her answer a moment before saying. “Silver Car Crash.”

“By?”

“Andy Warhol.”

Kyrnon nodded. “Fair enough. He does good work.”

Amber loved his work, and that painting was definitely her favorite. “So yeah, if I had endless amounts of money, I would buy one of his works.” She sighed. “But sadly, I’m not that rich, and even if I were, there’s not many of his works left that aren’t in galleries or lost.”

“I’ll look for it.”

Amber’s brows drew together. “What, the Warhol painting?”

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