Dead Weight: The Orphans of Antwerp Book One by Kat Faitour

Author:Kat Faitour [Faitour, Kat]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kat Faitour
Published: 2017-04-21T05:00:00+00:00

* * *

Mason tapped his fingers on the desktop as he impatiently glanced at the closed door to his office. It was late afternoon and Margaux was in the stables with Thomas, getting a stall ready for the horse they’d adopted. He would be delivered the next day.

“So she’s there with you? At your house?”

Hope’s question brought his gaze back to the computer screen. Clara had insisted on Mason gathering the Orphans. She said they deserved to know how the original plans had changed regarding the Taylor lot of diamonds. And since he could hardly invite them over without unwanted explanations to his current houseguest, he should host a video conference call instead.

He’d intended it to be quick, but so far, the others weren’t cooperating. As was typical, Noor was quiet, but Hope and Cullen had questions.

“Yes, she’s here.”

“So let me get this straight,” Cullen interrupted. “You went to South Africa. You failed to steal the diamonds. Instead, you developed a friendship with Margaux Taylor. But somehow this friendship,” the word came out as a sneer, “has brought you no closer to the stones. Rather than use her trust as a means to gain access, you’ve allowed her to stay at your house and use your safe to store the lot. Sounds cozy, Mason, but not exactly helpful.”

Mason frowned. “Cool the attitude, Cullen. I have a plan.”

“Then please, for fuck’s sake, clue us in.”

“I would have stolen the diamonds…”

“Save your excuses for Ruby. She knew she should be the one to go.”

“That’s enough,” Mason barked. He gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. Now was not the time for him to let Cullen get under his skin. “I’ll cut to the chase. The diamonds are here, with Margaux, in my home. I’m working on convincing Ms. Taylor to allow us—or what she thinks of as my team—to do the cuts and prepare the lot for auction.”

“Wait,” Hope interjected. “So she knows you run a lab that produces synthetics?”

Mason winced. “Please don’t call them that. You know it’s not an accurate term.” He sighed. “But yes. She knows we grow diamonds. She seems to be genuinely curious about the process.”

Traditional mining families opposed lab-grown diamonds, sometimes with surprising vehemence. Overall, the industry bent backwards to discredit the alternative method of obtaining diamonds, despite its advantages.

Mason panned his eyes from Cullen to Hope then Noor. Clara was away, no doubt on her mission to find Ruby, who was also absent.

“I will convince her to use our lab. Your jobs,” he pointed and Hope and Cullen, “will be to act like normal employees. Do not mention our personal relationship or breathe a word about anything other than diamond cuts and polishing.”

“No shit.” Cullen was still sullen.

Mason smiled humorlessly. “We’ll do a switch. We’ll use what we have in stock to replace what we can. We might need to grow some of the substitutes. It’s a large batch of stones.”

“It will be imperative to assess the mined stones as quickly as possible.” Hope’s voice was quietly serious.

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