{"id":1992,"date":"2026-01-03T22:04:53","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T22:04:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/thick-as-thieves-brown-sandra\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T22:04:53","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T22:04:53","slug":"thick-as-thieves-brown-sandra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/thick-as-thieves-brown-sandra\/","title":{"rendered":"Thick as Thieves – Brown, Sandra"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Book Preview<\/h3>\n
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Prologue<\/p>\n

That night in 2000<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

T<\/span>alking about it is the surefire way to get caught.\u201d<\/p>\n

He let the statement settle, then looked each of his three companions straight in the eye one at a time, using the deliberation rather than additional words to serve as a warning.<\/p>\n

The huddled quartet was coming down from an adrenaline high. It hadn\u2019t been a crash landing but a gradual descent. Now that they were no longer in immediate danger of being caught red-handed, their heartbeats remained stronger than normal, but had slowed to a manageable rhythm. Breaths gusting into the humid air were just as hot, though not as rapid as they\u2019d been.<\/p>\n

However, what hadn\u2019t let up, not by a single degree, was the tension among them.<\/p>\n

They couldn\u2019t risk being seen together tonight, but before going their separate ways, they must forge an understanding. If, during the process of creating that bond, a threat was implied, so much the better. It would discourage any one of them from breaking the pact to keep their mouths shut. One stuck to the vow of silence, or else.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo not talk about it.\u201d The speaker\u2019s hair was a paprika-colored thatch that grew straight up out of a sidewall. A freckled scalp showed through the bristle. \u201cDon\u2019t tell any-damn-body.\u201d He made five stabbing motions toward the ground to emphasize each word.<\/p>\n

Somewhat impatiently, the oldest of the group said, \u201cOf course not.\u201d<\/p>\n

The one vigorously gnawing his fingernails spat out a paring while bobbing his head in assent.<\/p>\n

The fourth, the youngest of them, had maintained an air of cool detachment and remarkable calm throughout the evening\u2019s endeavor. A laconic shrug conveyed his unspoken Goes without saying<\/i>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of us boasts about it, or drops a hint, even joking, it\u2019ll have a domino effect that could\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can stop going on about it,\u201d the oldest interrupted. \u201cWe got it the first time, and didn\u2019t need a lesson from you to start with.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ditch in which they were hunkered was choked with weeds, some thriving, some lying dead in the mud, having drowned during the last hard rain. The ravine was four feet deep and made for an ugly scar that cut between the narrow road and a listing barbed-wire fence demarcating a cow pasture that reeked of manure. Without a breeze to disperse the odor, the sultry atmosphere kept it ripe.<\/p>\n

At the center of the circle formed by the four was the cause of the resented lecture: a canvas bag stuffed with stolen cash.<\/p>\n

It was a hell of a lot bigger haul than they had anticipated, and that unexpected bonus had been both exhilarating and sobering. It made the stakes seem higher, which wound the tension tighter.<\/p>\n

Following the rebuke about unnecessary lessons, no one moved or said anything until the young, aloof one reached up and ground a mosquito against the side of his neck, leaving a smear of blood. \u201cNobody\u2019ll hear about it from me. I don\u2019t cotton to the idea of jail. Already been there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJuvie,\u201d the redhead said.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill counts.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older one said, \u201cOnly a fool would blab about it. I\u2019m no fool.\u201d<\/p>\n

The redhead thought it over, then nodded as though reassured. \u201cAll right, then. Another thing. We see each other on the street, we act the same as always. We don\u2019t go out of our way to avoid each other, but we don\u2019t get chummier, either. We recognize each other on sight, maybe we\u2019re well enough acquainted to speak, but that\u2019s it. That\u2019s why this will work. The only thing we have in common is this.\u201d He nudged the canvas bag with the steel-tipped toe of his boot.<\/p>\n

The other pair of cowboy boots in the circle weren\u2019t silver-toed. They weren\u2019t worn for show but lived in. This wasn\u2019t the first time they\u2019d been caked with mud.<\/p>\n

The pair of brown wingtips had sported a shine before sliding down into the ditch.<\/p>\n

The navy blue trainers had some mileage on them.<\/p>\n

\u201cSix months is a long time to wait to divide it up,\u201d the eldest said, eyeing the carrot-top. \u201cIn the meanwhile, why do you get to keep the money? We didn\u2019t vote on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you trust me with it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

If the one with the gingery thatch took offense, he didn\u2019t show it. \u201cWell, look at it this way. I\u2019m the one taking all the risks. Despite our pledge not to talk it up, if one of you lets something slip, and somebody who wears a badge<\/i> gets wind of it and starts snooping, I\u2019m the one holding the bag.\u201d<\/p>\n

The other three hadn\u2019t missed the emphasis he placed on that certain word. They exchanged glances of patent mistrust toward the self-appointed banker, but no one argued with him. The youngest gave another one-shouldered shrug, which the redhead took as consensus.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce you get your share,\u201d he said, \u201cyou can\u2019t go spending cash like crazy. No new cars, nothing flashy, nothing\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

The older one cut him off again, testier than before. \u201cYou know, I could well do without these instructions of yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo call to get touchy. Anything I tell you is a reminder to myself, too.\u201d The redhead fashioned a placating smile, but it wasn\u2019t in keeping with his eyes, which reflected the meager moonlight like twin straight razors. He then turned to the nail-biter, who was running out of fingers on which to chew. \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter with you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen stop with the nervous fidgeting. It\u2019ll single you out like a red neon arrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

The older seconded that. \u201cHe\u2019s right. If you come across as nervous, you had just as well confess.\u201d<\/p>\n

The nail-biter lowered his hand from his mouth. \u201cI\u2019ll be okay.\u201d His Adam\u2019s apple forced down a hard swallow. \u201cIt\u2019s just\u2026you know.\u201d He looked down at the bag. \u201cI still can\u2019t believe we actually did it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we did,\u201d the redhead said. \u201cAnd when you report for work on Monday morning and are informed that the safe was cleared out over the weekend, you\u2019ve got to pretend to be as shocked as everybody else. But don\u2019t overreact,\u201d he said, raising his index finger to underscore the point.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a soft \u2018holy shit\u2019 will do. Something like that to show disbelief, then keep your trap shut. Don\u2019t do anything to call attention to yourself, especially if detectives start interviewing all the store employees, which it\u2019s certain they will. When your turn comes, you stay ignorant and innocent. Got that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGot that<\/i>?\u201d demanded the older.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure. I know what to do.\u201d But even as he acknowledged his responsibility, he dried his palms by running them up and down his pants legs, a gesture that didn\u2019t inspire confidence among the other three.<\/p>\n

The older sighed, \u201cJesus.\u201d<\/p>\n

The nervous one was quick to reassure the other three. \u201cLook, don\u2019t worry about me. I\u2019ve done my part, and I\u2019ll continue to. I\u2019m just jumpy, is all. Out here in the open like this.\u201d He made a sweeping motion with his arm that encompassed the pasture and deserted stretch of country road. \u201cWhy\u2019d we stop out here, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought we should come to an understanding,\u201d the redhead said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd now we have.\u201d The oldest one started up the embankment and gave the nervous one a warning glare. \u201cYou had better not screw this up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t. By Monday I\u2019ll be okay.\u201d He wet his lips and formed a shaky grin. \u201cAnd six months from now, we\u2019ll all be rolling in clover.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a group, they climbed out of the ditch, but the adjourning optimistic prediction didn\u2019t pan out.<\/p>\n

By morning, their plan had been shot to hell.<\/p>\n

One of them was in the hospital.<\/p>\n

One was in jail.<\/p>\n

One was in the morgue.<\/p>\n

And one had gotten away with the haul.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Book Preview Prologue That night in 2000 Talking about it is the surefire way to get caught.\u201d He let the statement settle, then looked each of his three companions straight in the eye one at a time, using the deliberation rather than additional words to serve as a warning. The huddled quartet was coming down … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1991,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[105],"class_list":["post-1992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-sandra-brown"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1992"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1992\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}