He gave me an address where I could meet him in an hour, just enough time to change, put on the watch he’d given me and slide back into being Faith Edmonds.

JAZ TOOK ME to an upscale tapas bar with the assurance, as we walked in, that he was buying. Obviously, Faith could afford a nice meal, but he seemed to think it was only polite to announce that he was paying when he’d made an expensive choice. From the way he grinned as we walked in, his arm around me, he was happy to be taking me to a place he considered more my style.

Had he not been flush after collecting his share from Guy, this would be a luxury he couldn’t afford. From the clues I’d picked up, Jaz’s and Sonny’s parents had worked menial jobs for the Cabal. They’d grown up in working-class lives that had dipped dangerously close to the poverty level after they left home. To them, joining the gang was like winning a lottery, and as much as I’d love to tell Jaz to keep his money, I knew this was important to him. I kept my mouth shut, ordered a moderately priced meal and enjoyed it.

As we ate, I knew I should ask more about the gang-Cabal encounters, but I wasn’t eager to remind myself I was here under false pretenses. When conversation did circle to the gang, Jaz started it. He’d talked to Guy that morning. It seemed the police hadn’t been notified about the heist. The Herald had run a tidbit about the contribution after Guy’s tip-off, and he’d delivered the money, via courier, to the agency.

“Guy might not say it, but he was really pleased with your idea about the charity. He said it was brilliant.”

I must have looked surprised.

He laughed. “Yeah, he let it slip that it was your idea. But only to me. As far as everyone else knows, it was his. Which is for the best. Saves you from getting crap from the others, who don’t appreciate handing over a cut of their share to charity.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“Sure. With Guy’s original plan, the robbery would have been reported. That’s not a big deal—Guy knows his stuff and we haven’t had the cops sniff around since I joined. The big concern, though, is the Cabals. The minute it showed up in the paper—hell, the minute it went out on the police scanner—the Cortezes would know it was us. Then they’d make sure we know they have us covered.”

“In other words, letting you know they’re watching.”