Love is Always Write Anthology Bonus Volume

breath. The building he was in front of was made of stone and looked a century old. There was no sign or business logo evident, just a number over the door and a young doorman in a smart black uniform who looked him over and then let him in. The inside was opulent, finished with dark hardwood, velvet curtains, and rich leather chairs. There was still no clue as to exactly what kind of business it was. It could as easily have been a brothel as a bank.
    He was immediately approached by a thin, cold-looking man in a black suit and a middle-aged woman in an immaculately tailored cream business suit.
    Sebastian didn't wait to be spoken to. He simply held out the letter, doing his best to look bored with the whole situation. "I require access to Mr. Cooke's box."
    The thin man smiled. "Of course. One moment." He took the letter and slipped through a side door into another room. Daren had told him they would be matching signatures and access numbers. The woman showed him to a sectioned-off waiting area done in more wood, leather and velvet and furnished with deep club chairs.
    Sebastian chose to stand while trying to look like he did this every day. Then the thin man entered the waiting area, trailed by a very large young man in a very nice suit. Daren felt his hand begin to cramp as he squeezed down on the handle of the empty briefcase.
    The thin man smiled. "Mr. Palmer will take you to Mr. Cooke's box."
    Sebastian gave a little nod, trying not to look relieved. "Thank you."
    "If you'll follow me." The bass in Mr. Palmer's voice sent rumbles through the room.
    Sebastian was led to an antique-looking elevator with an iron sliding door. There was only one button inside and a discreet slit for a security card. The elevator started down, and kept going. Sebastian could feel the pressure in his ears just starting to change when they reached the bottom. The door opened into what looked like the most opulent reading room of any library, ever. He was led past the empty, velvet-topped desks, through a large vault door and into a similarly large room lined with safety deposit boxes, each with two locks.
    Some boxes didn't look much thicker than a couple of DVD cases, while others looked big enough to stash a body in.
    "Your key?" Mr. Palmer held out his hand.
    Sebastian handed over what he hoped was the right key. Mr. Palmer went to one of the mid-sized boxes, slipped in Daren's key, then one of his own, before turning them both. "Will you be working here or in the main room?"
    "Here is fine."
    Mr. Palmer slid out a box a little bigger than the briefcase Sebastian was holding and placed it on a table in the middle of the vault, before giving Sebastian back his key and stepping out. Sebastian was sure he was waiting just outside the vault door.
    Sebastian looked over both shoulders out of sheer nerves, then opened the box. Inside was cash. Stacks of neatly wrapped hundreds looked up at him. It was more money than he'd ever seen in his life. It was probably more money than he'd make in his life. Sebastian wasn't actually sure how much it was, but it looked like a hell of a lot.
    He picked up one stack of hundreds and flipped through it. The bills weren't new or consecutive. They weren't even all printed at the same time. Some had Franklin sitting in a little oval while others had new anti-counterfeit devices worked into them.
    Sebastian flipped open the briefcase and started the transfer, counting bundles as he went. He had reached one hundred when he slipped the last bundle in and closed the briefcase. It fit perfectly. It was a million dollars. He was about to walk out the front door of this place with one million dollars cash in his hand. He felt like he was pulling off a bank heist and his hands were starting to sweat again.
    He slid the deposit box back into its little cubbyhole and closed the door. He picked up the case, discovering that a million dollars wasn't exactly light, and walked out of the vault, with Mr. Palmer falling into step just behind and to the left of him. The elevator door opened. They rode it to the surface. At the top, the thin man was waiting with a smile.
    "Did you find everything satisfactory, sir?"
    "Yes, thank you."
    "Is there anything else we can do for you today?"
    "I believe this will do for now. Have a good day." Sebastian tried to smile in a way that said he was bored with the conversation and was just being civil. He had no idea if he actually managed to get that across, but the thin man stepped