Chords, Cars, and Cons

Chapter Eight: Death, Destruction, and Dilemmas

Chapter Eight: Death, Destruction, and Dilemmas

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New York, New York

Two weeks, two days until deadline

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I should have seen it coming.

The streets were busy, bustling with people dressed in their night-out best. Music blasted, the bass rumbling under their feet as they walked. Neon lights blinked, casting a sickly glow over the throng of faces.

Mandy let her hand slip into Daniel’s. His affection was the result of a long-con years ago, a con he had discovered when he caught Mandy red-handed, attempting to make off with a priceless heirloom that belonged to neither of them.

He had not been angry. He had laughed. You just wanted this as one of your knick-knacks, am I correct? You just wanted to add it to your collection, stick it on a shelf where it will get dusty. You’re too rich to care about the money…and you’re too cold to care about anything else.

That’s what he had said, and that was true. Daniel had read her well, something no one had been able to do except Russell. But that was expected. Russell had the same cold heart as her. They were family after all.

After that, she and Daniel had stayed friends. Almost friends. She didn’t trust him because she didn’t trust anybody. Daniel didn’t trust her because she was a thief to her very core.

The way they were walking, hand in hand, all smiles. It was a finely tuned act, neither letting the other know what they were feeling. Honestly, when it came to Daniel, Mandy never knew. He was one of the one’s she cared about, the only one, really, besides her brother and Tony.

And he was useful. She had to admit, for all his cleverness and charm, Daniel was infinitely useful. And he was willing to be used, even by Mandy. Or, more accurately, Sophie. He knew that wasn’t her real name, just as she knew Daniel wasn’t his.

“So, what do you need?” asked Daniel. His words were hidden by the noise of the crowd.

"You get straight to the point, don’t you?” mused Mandy.

“I haven’t seen you in over a year, Sophie. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t want something,” said Daniel easily. “Word had it you were back in town, you and your kid brother.”

“He would hate to hear you call him that,” said Mandy.

“Good thing he’s not here,” responded Daniel. “What are you scoping out? What do you need?” He flashed a brilliant, madcap grin. “Better question, what are you willing to pay?”

“Anything,” said Mandy, her tone going from playful to serious in half a second.

He watched her eyes, watched the mask fall away, saw her desperation before she could put the mask back in its place. Because Julian, Julian was watching. And Julian’s father, he was searching. And the authorities, they were waiting, just waiting for Mandy and Russ to fall into their open arms.

There only two ways this could end: caught or dead, and Mandy didn’t know which one she would prefer.

“Sophie, what’s going on?” demanded Daniel. He turned to face her, the crowd moving around them.

Mandy looked around anxiously, at the tops of buildings, at the blur of faces pushing past on all sides. Then she looked back at Daniel and decided instantly, in a second. She had never trusted him before, but maybe she should have. And now, she had no choice.