offending fabric away.
She looked over her shoulder. “And you can tell me what we’re going to steal next.”
He watched her leave. As soon as she was gone, he felt very alone.
He pressed his hands to the sink, staring into the mirror. The burn of retribution once again pounded inside him—twisted with wild rage and grief. Holding her had chased it away, given him respite, if only for a brief moment.
He gripped the ceramic until his fingers turned white. For a second, he was tempted to take her and run. Find that beach she dreamed about, lie on the sand and hold her tight.
With a shake of his head, he reached for a towel. What was he thinking? Giving up his chance of vengeance for a woman.
Especially when the woman would never, ever let anything get in the way of her revenge.
Chapter Seven
“We’re going to steal some old, dusty book?”
Sean found himself fascinated at the way Bay’s forehead creased. He suspected it was a common expression for her. He wondered what she’d look like with a genuine smile on her face or if she ever truly laughed.
“It’s more than that. It’s the original manuscript of a book called The Liber Legis. The Book of the Law. It was written by Crowley.”
Bay reached over to the plate resting between them on the bed and plucked up a grape. “Crowley again?”
“The occultist believed in doing what he wanted, ignoring moral constraints. Even started a religion based on the belief.”
“God,” she whispered. “Sounds just like Leven.”
“Do you know much about Leven’s past?”
She shook her head. “I’ve never been able to find anything on him.”
Sean nodded. “He’s hidden it deep, but before I…entered his employ, I had a friend with some hacking skills do a search.”
Bay shifted, her gaze focused on him. “And?”
“He was born John Gabriel Brown in a small town in Kansas.”
“Kansas?” She shook her head. “Wouldn’t have guessed that.”
Sean paused, uncertain how much he should tell her. “My friend found hospital records.”
She blinked. “Hospital records?”
“From age four Leven suffered a broken arm, broken ribs, infected wounds from being chained and severe acid burns.”
Bay sucked in a breath.
“When Leven was ten, his father strangled his mother to death. In front of Leven.”
“God.” She pressed a hand to her stomach. “I don’t want to hear any more.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Not all abused kids turn into sadistic maniacs.”
“I’m not defending him.” Sean watched the conflicted emotions on her face. “After his father went to prison, John Brown disappeared…six years later, Gabriel Leven emerged on the Chicago criminal scene.”
“Just stop.”
“Look, I wanted to tell you so you understand his obsession with Crowley. Leven abides by no one’s rules but his own.”
Bay lifted her chin. “Just tell me more about the book.”
“Leven paid a small fortune for it in a private sale. It’s like his Bible.” Sean remembered the way the guy talked about it. Quoted from it. Creepy. “Crowley claimed a being called Aiwass dictated the book to him in Egypt. It’s filled with cryptic text but Leven believes that Aiwass was a time thief.”
She sat up. “And the book contains information on thieves?”
“Yes.”
“We have to destroy it. Where does he keep it?” She’d forgotten about the grape caught between her fingers. “Locked in a vault somewhere?”
“Nope. It’s here in Colorado.” Sean pressed the fruit to her mouth. “In his mountain cabin.”
She chewed, her eyes shimmering. “Not even locked away?”
“Don’t get too excited. The cabin’s well-protected. And cabin doesn’t do the sprawling mansion any justice. Cameras, dogs, high-tech security system and guards. It won’t be easy to get in.” Sean helped himself to a cracker.
Her smile was blinding. “It will be if you can steal time.”
He smiled back and fingered her hair. “How could
She looked over her shoulder. “And you can tell me what we’re going to steal next.”
He watched her leave. As soon as she was gone, he felt very alone.
He pressed his hands to the sink, staring into the mirror. The burn of retribution once again pounded inside him—twisted with wild rage and grief. Holding her had chased it away, given him respite, if only for a brief moment.
He gripped the ceramic until his fingers turned white. For a second, he was tempted to take her and run. Find that beach she dreamed about, lie on the sand and hold her tight.
With a shake of his head, he reached for a towel. What was he thinking? Giving up his chance of vengeance for a woman.
Especially when the woman would never, ever let anything get in the way of her revenge.
Chapter Seven
“We’re going to steal some old, dusty book?”
Sean found himself fascinated at the way Bay’s forehead creased. He suspected it was a common expression for her. He wondered what she’d look like with a genuine smile on her face or if she ever truly laughed.
“It’s more than that. It’s the original manuscript of a book called The Liber Legis. The Book of the Law. It was written by Crowley.”
Bay reached over to the plate resting between them on the bed and plucked up a grape. “Crowley again?”
“The occultist believed in doing what he wanted, ignoring moral constraints. Even started a religion based on the belief.”
“God,” she whispered. “Sounds just like Leven.”
“Do you know much about Leven’s past?”
She shook her head. “I’ve never been able to find anything on him.”
Sean nodded. “He’s hidden it deep, but before I…entered his employ, I had a friend with some hacking skills do a search.”
Bay shifted, her gaze focused on him. “And?”
“He was born John Gabriel Brown in a small town in Kansas.”
“Kansas?” She shook her head. “Wouldn’t have guessed that.”
Sean paused, uncertain how much he should tell her. “My friend found hospital records.”
She blinked. “Hospital records?”
“From age four Leven suffered a broken arm, broken ribs, infected wounds from being chained and severe acid burns.”
Bay sucked in a breath.
“When Leven was ten, his father strangled his mother to death. In front of Leven.”
“God.” She pressed a hand to her stomach. “I don’t want to hear any more.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Not all abused kids turn into sadistic maniacs.”
“I’m not defending him.” Sean watched the conflicted emotions on her face. “After his father went to prison, John Brown disappeared…six years later, Gabriel Leven emerged on the Chicago criminal scene.”
“Just stop.”
“Look, I wanted to tell you so you understand his obsession with Crowley. Leven abides by no one’s rules but his own.”
Bay lifted her chin. “Just tell me more about the book.”
“Leven paid a small fortune for it in a private sale. It’s like his Bible.” Sean remembered the way the guy talked about it. Quoted from it. Creepy. “Crowley claimed a being called Aiwass dictated the book to him in Egypt. It’s filled with cryptic text but Leven believes that Aiwass was a time thief.”
She sat up. “And the book contains information on thieves?”
“Yes.”
“We have to destroy it. Where does he keep it?” She’d forgotten about the grape caught between her fingers. “Locked in a vault somewhere?”
“Nope. It’s here in Colorado.” Sean pressed the fruit to her mouth. “In his mountain cabin.”
She chewed, her eyes shimmering. “Not even locked away?”
“Don’t get too excited. The cabin’s well-protected. And cabin doesn’t do the sprawling mansion any justice. Cameras, dogs, high-tech security system and guards. It won’t be easy to get in.” Sean helped himself to a cracker.
Her smile was blinding. “It will be if you can steal time.”
He smiled back and fingered her hair. “How could
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