Avarice Read online

  They had found some semblance of peace there, hidden away on their island. It made Ody’s skin crawl to be away while out on bounties, but they had to bring in supplies from somewhere. Fortunately, not many knew of the island, and those that did didn’t dare mess with the brothers. Just in case, they were always careful to cover their tracks before returning home.

  “What do we know of the uncle? Will he be a problem?” Ody asked, apprehension tensing his shoulders.

  “Oh, most definitely.” Midas shook his head, pointing down at another paper. “We need to avoid the pirates at all costs. They have the numbers to be a true threat. This needs to be a stealth mission, not a muscled one.”

  Ramé grumbled beside them. While Midas was the brains of their little operation, Ramé was the muscle, and he hated stealth missions.

  Ody snorted, shaking his head. “Something tells me we won’t get out of here without some sort of fight, don’t you worry.”

  Grinning, Ramé’s eyes sparkled. “Promises, promises,” he sang, chuckling.

  “So, what’s the plan?” Ody sat back, looking at Midas expectantly. While he may have been the leader in their little trio, Ody knew when to delegate. He made the plans run smoothly, but tiny details were better left to his brainiac brother.

  Midas rubbed the back of his neck as he looked down at the pictures splayed out in front of them. “A little birdie at the market told me our mark is after something. Papers about her heritage. We let it be known we have said papers. Lay the trap and wait for her to take the bait.”

  “Sounds too easy,” Ramé mumbled.

  Midas lifted a brow. “The best plans usually are.”

  Ody nodded and stood. “Work out the details. We’ll go to town and plant some seeds this afternoon.”

  They had a mouse to catch and a home to return to.

  Chapter Four

  Ava

  There were definitely perks to being a pirate.

  Ava grinned as she stared up at the elaborate yacht before her, her eyes tracking the hunk who stood on its deck. He was turned away from her, his naked back bathed in moonlight as he perused the open sea. There was something almost regal about the way he stood, his status evident in more than just the boat he owned.

  Ava sighed, shaking her head. Someone that gorgeous and wealthy needed to be brought down a peg or two. She would simply balance the scales.

  Tucking a golden lock of hair back into place beneath her beanie, Ava watched him turn, enjoying the sight of his muscled torso as he went back inside. She waited a moment to ensure there were no other signs of activity, then began to creep closer to the water. She had been coming here for about a week now, watching the behemoth ship and learning its weaknesses.

  Tracking the yacht’s routine had been child’s play, really. Now came the fun part.

  Ava wondered if the men who owned this ship knew just how thoroughly they were about to be swindled.

  The familiar adrenaline tasted sweet on her tongue as she tracked the security cameras, ticking off the time of each oscillation, tapping out the seconds on her thigh.

  One... two… three.. swivel.

  Ava ducked into a neighboring building’s shadow, resuming her count.

  One... two... three... swivel.

  She elegantly dropped down onto the edge of the marina, hugging tight to the low wall to stand on a small ledge of concrete that kept her out of the sea. She wore an all-black wetsuit, the tight material flexible enough to not hinder her movements. Apart from the pale skin of her face, she was nothing but a shadow. She had tried wearing the face masks some of her fellow pirates preferred, but they made her feel claustrophobic, like seaweed around her face that would drag her down into the ocean.

  Being a pirate wasn’t easy.

  It wasn’t about getting wasted on rum and swordfights. It was so much more than that. It was freedom. It was being on the open sea with nothing tying you down, nothing but your dreams and the will to pursue them. Oh, and the treasure didn’t hurt.

  It wasn’t for everyone, that was for sure. It took moxi to be a pirate.

  But more than that, it took patience.

  Peeking up around the dock, Ava scanned for the last camera.

  One... two.. .three... swivel.

  And into the water she went.

  Holding her breath, Ava swam the short distance to the base of the yacht, careful to stay well beneath the surface. Knowing that one of the men circled around every ten minutes, she knew that if she went harborside, he would be on the opposite side, giving her the time she needed to slip on board undetected.

  Ava let her breath out slowly, ever silent, as she breached the surface. There would be no ridiculous hiccup or sneeze to fumble up this quest tonight. No. Tonight was special. And, for some reason she couldn’t logically explain, personal.

  Reaching into her fanny pack, Ava pulled out the two suction-cup palm attachments, fastening them to her wrists. Sure, fanny packs weren’t exactly stylish, but neither were wet suits and beanies. She looked like a stoner surfer from the 80s. If it weren’t imperative she remain silent, Ava would have snorted at the absurdity of it all.

  With the cups firmly in place, she began her ascent. Grateful for all of the pull-ups Lobah had forced on her, Ava hauled herself up the side of the yacht with ease, reaching the top and pulling herself over the ledge.

  What would Lobah think of her current quest? Ava winced thinking about it.

  Lobah was fierce, and the best damn thief Ava had ever seen. Ever the professional, she would not be amused at Ava’s emotionally fueled antics. Some people pirated for fame, some for greed. Lobah pirated because it was embedded in her very soul. But Lobah wasn’t here, and what Lo didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.

  Ava focused again on her task. Once onboard, she slowly shimmied out of her wetsuit, bunching it together and hiding it under the tender, then reattached her trusty fanny pack. Her black leggings and tank top hugged her slender form, making her one with the shadows. The only thing that stood out was her golden hair, which she double checked to make sure was still secure beneath her beanie.

  Maneuvering through the interior of the cabin was the trickier part. Ava had researched the boat’s design dozens of times, but rich pricks loved to add their own little touches. All she needed was to trip over a damn foosball table.

  Her emerald eyes scanned the darkness, her body hugging the sides of the cabin as she listened for movement.

  Ava closed her eyes, using her senses to reach out and explore the yacht. One of the perks to being a Wyvern Affinity was knowing where to find the good stuff. She simply felt the pull and followed. Easy, really.

  Within moments, she knew this cabin had a cellar. She also knew there was a vault in that cellar, one that held something exceptionally valuable. The images of the layout flitted through her mind like an old memory. Vague but reliable.

  Then those images flipped to another room, where a tanned, muscular, golden body lay splayed across silken sheets.

  Shaking her head, Ava cursed, trying to ignore the heat in her cheeks. It would be just her luck for her Affinity to glitch while she was on a mission.

  Silently, she made her way to the cellar, grateful to find every room empty on her way. Running her fingers along the elaborate decor, Ava had to remind herself repeatedly to stay focused. There were just.. so many.. shinies…

  A door to her left opened, jolting her out of her gold worship. She molded herself to the side of what appeared to be a bar, her heart racing.

  “Any sign of her?” a deep voice asked.

  “Nothing yet. She’ll show.”

  Rocking rubies, even their voices were like honey.

  She listened as the two men made themselves a drink. As she eavesdropped on their conversation, she plotted her escape. Man, was she grateful for the ring Lobah had given her for her birthday last year. Mixed with the pheromones of the Myrodia beetle, it masked her scent almost completely. It was so rare, Ava only wore it on special occasions. />
  Wait. Were they talking about her? Surely they had no idea she had been staking them out…

  “The Council has upped the bounty. If we don’t bring her in soon, every headhunter this side of the continent will be hitting these waters,” honey voice number one said, irritation obvious in his tone.

  “She’ll show. We laid the bait perfectly. There’s no way she can resist. You worry too much,” Velvet Voice number two replied.

  Ava’s mind raced. The Council was the boogeyman of their kind. They policed the Affinities, ensuring that no one stepped out of line. Had she robbed one of them on accident? No. She vetted her marks thoroughly. Usually.

  Everyone except these three.

  How stupid could she have been? She had gone and gotten herself trapped on a boat with bounty hunters.

  “Come on. We don’t want to scare her away. We’ll wait in the pool room.”

  She listened as they made their way across the room and sighed in relief as the door shut behind them.

  Time to go.

  Ava stood, turning away to head for the window. She paused as she got to it. That pulsing energy slammed into her again. Come, Ava… It seemed to purr. Your treasure is in here…

  Biting her lip, Ava debated her situation. She could feel the men in the other room and knew she could slip into the cellar and out again undetected. For whatever reason, she could feel the Griffins as if they themselves were treasure, their essence calling to her. That would help her to avoid them in her escape.

  Her eyes scanned the room she was in, taking in the opulence of it all. Then her gaze landed on a small picture frame hanging on the far wall. Walking over to it, Ava felt her bitterness twist in the depth of her soul. It morphed into something she was even more uncomfortable with.

  Longing.

  The three golden boys smiled back at her from the picture. They each held a fish out in front of them, as if offering them to her. They were shirtless, and the backdrop of the ocean only highlighted their gorgeous “otherness.”

  Her heart twisted. Before she could think better of it, Ava snatched the picture from the wall, carefully removed it from the frame, and tucked it into her fanny pack before putting the now-empty frame back in place.

  Then she went to find her treasure.

  The vault was your standard run-of-the-mill model. Apparently these men were all beauty and no brain. Who had this type of wealth and didn’t properly secure it? They were practically begging to be robbed.

  Pulling out her supplies, Ava made quick work of breaking the vault open, silently working the combination until she heard the telltale clink. Holding her breath, she opened the small door, looking inside.

  Stacks of money and diamonds littered the vault, along with random parchments. Ava pushed the loot aside, searching for the real treasure she could sense deeper within. Sliding her hand up the back wall of the vault, she felt a tiny ridge, barely noticeable. Pressing on the trapdoor softly, she heard it release with a snap. She reached into the hidden compartment, surprised, as she withdrew a small burlap bag. Peeking at the contents, she felt a childish giggle bubble up inside her.

  The crimson bauble sparkled in the darkness. A ruby the size of an egg.

  Ignoring the other goodies, Ava slipped the prize inside her fanny pack, nestling it next to the stolen picture. Then, being careful to make sure everything else was exactly as it had been before, she shut the vault once more. One of the reasons she was such a successful pirate was that she knew when to say when. It was a lot easier to get away with stealing when it took weeks for her marks to realize anything was missing.

  Ava made her way back to the window, silently easing it open. It was just big enough for her to fit through, thankfully.

  “Well, hello.”

  Ava froze.

  As if in a horror movie, she slowly turned, feeling her heart skip a beat as she watched the golden god she had seen in the bed earlier unfurl from the chair on the opposite side of the bar. Her eyes trailed down his body, taking in all of that glorious, golden skin as he took a slow step towards her. His dark hair was thick and curled just above his shoulders. A rogue disguised as a gentleman. His black boxer briefs only seemed to highlight how golden his skin looked in the faint moonlight of the cabin.

  Ava swallowed, trying to seem nonchalant as she debated the logistics of getting out of the window before he could reach her. “Hello,” she replied back, hoping to avoid him simply rushing her.

  “You were not the thief we were expecting tonight.” He tilted his head, a predatory gesture that was not lost on her. He took another step closer to her.

  “Hate to disappoint.” She smirked, feeling her own predator rise within her. Wyverns fought to the death for their treasures. She certainly wasn’t going down without a fight.

  “Disappointed? Hardly,” he murmured, his gaze flicking down her body.

  The door opened to their left. It was the only chance she was going to get.

  Twisting her body, Ava used her Affinity’s grace to jump through the window, nearly flying, as she plummeted into the murky ocean below.

  She heard the men curse as she swam to shore, knowing she would only have moments before they were on her.

  Fuck, the water was much colder without her wetsuit.

  She pulled herself up onto the beach, ignoring the shouts from the dock as the men raced after her. Reaching deep inside herself, she focused on her desire for the ruby in her possession, allowing that greed to push her legs harder as she darted down the nearest alleyway.

  The shouts became lost in the distance she’d put between them, her treasure fueling her escape.

  Who said greed couldn’t be useful?

  Chapter Five

  Ramé

  “Who the hell was that?” Ramé asked as they walked back towards the yacht, their breathing ragged.

  Midas ran his hand through his rumpled hair in frustration. “Fuck if I know,” he grumbled. They had come to this bay to catch one pirate, only to be sideswiped by another.

  “More importantly, what did she take?” Odyeus murmured calmly. Ody was always the collected one. Cool, calm, efficient. He had been military since he could walk, it seemed.

  Midas cursed again, his temper seeming to get the better of him. “How did she slip by us? I thought we were ready?” Since Midas was the intellectual one in their group of misfits, it must have irked him to no end to have a plan go awry. If it wasn’t such a risky bounty, Ramé would have laughed at the disgruntled look on his foster brother’s face.

  Once back on the boat, the three of them headed straight to the vault to assess the damage.

  “Why didn’t she take the loot?” Ody asked, his keen eyes taking in the wealth left behind.

  “Maybe we spooked her?” Ramé chuckled. He remembered how startled she seemed when she had seen him rise from the chair in the parlor. Her golden eyes had widened, fascination and desire pouring from her. His Griffin had enjoyed that, wanting more, wanting to feast on her innocence…

  Focus, Ramé.

  Bending down, Ramé reached into the vault, searching for the documents they had put there as a trap for their target. Papers they had conveniently told the keeper at the market needed to be kept a secret, knowing he would sell the information to the highest bidder.

  But curiously, they were still there.

  “Wait..”

  The ruby. Their mother’s ruby was missing.

  Irritation and rage flooded him, instantly traveling to his brothers, their connection throbbing with it. While they may not be bonded by blood, they were brothers all the same, tied to one another. Perhaps it was the years they had served together, fighting against the vast legions of powerful Affinites that hunted their kind. Maybe it was the fact that they shared such a rare Affinity. Or maybe it was simply being raised together in such a brutal world. Whatever the case was, they now rose as one, their rage palpable in the small room.

  “We have to find her,” Midas said.

  And when th
ey did, Ramé thought, they would show her the consequences of stealing from a Griffin.

  Chapter Six

  Ava

  Ava stretched as a smile crept across her face. She felt something sharp digging into her hip, but she didn’t mind. This was her happy place. With a yawn, she reached down and withdrew something pointy and shiny out from beneath her.

  And yes, she slept with shinies. Don’t judge her…

  Standing, Ava looked down at her modest bed, the lone mattress lying on the floor of her tiny houseboat—who needed box springs, really? The bed was covered in trinkets; various watches and pearls, her sleeping companions. She couldn’t explain why, exactly, but there was comfort in sleeping close to her shinies. It gave her a sense of home.

  The ruby she had stolen the night before peeked out from beneath her pillow, glimmering in the sunlight that shone through the window.

  Ava picked it up, running her fingers over the smooth surface. It was beautiful, almost achingly so. Compared to her other treasures, there was something different about this piece. It was powerful, full of energy and warmth, but also incredibly sad. It made her want to weep as she held it to her breast, close to her heart. Perhaps she would put it on a necklace.

  Tucking the gem into the pocket of her silky turquoise pajama bottoms, Ava headed to the bathroom and went through her morning routine. It was Sunday. The last day for the weekend-only marketplace. Maybe she would sneak down for a walkthrough. It wasn’t the smartest idea, what with those men still out there, but Ava needed to work the crowd. A girl had to eat, didn’t she?

  Besides, they hadn’t seen her in her Sundays’ best.

  After her shower, Ava took care in picking her finest clothing. A white sundress with bright yellow sunflowers hugged her torso to perfection, flowing out at the hips in a romantic wave. It complimented her hair, which she had curled delicately, letting it flow down her shoulders.