The Wicked

ONE

Brendon Urie carefully counted the hundred dollar bills on his kitchen counter. His jacket was thrown on the dining table a few feet away. It was slightly ripped and torn, but nothing that couldn't be fixed. The tee shirt he wore now had smudges of dirt and blood but, again, it was nothing that couldn't be fixed.

"Another day, another dollar." He laughed outloud as he slapped the last bill on the counter. "Fifty thousand, baby!" He clapped and rubbed his hands together. A decent haul for a quick job.

Brendon gathered the money into a decently neat pile before bringing his knee up against one of the lower cabinets. He stepped back, allowing the cabinet to pop open. Inside was a silver briefcase. Brendon, keeping his eyes and one hand on the money, bent down to type the code to open the briefcase. When it popped open, Brendon slid the money towards himself and let it drop in.

"Mama, can I get another amen." He grinned, slamming the lid of the briefcase before spinning on his heel. He kicked the cabinet, sending it shut, and stepped into his dining room.

Another job done and another score won.

Brendon ripped his shirt off and threw it against the wall. He'd clean up later, but right now he was just enjoying the taste of victory that came from stealing the monument volcano from Joseph whatever his name was. The job was over, he didn't have to remember the details.

When you're a thief, it's best to think of things other than the details when off a job. Don't want to slip up in case someone comes knocking which, though he didn't expect it, is exactly what happened just as Brendon began to stretch.

An eyebrow raised as he looked to his front door. He hadn't invited anyone over. He never did. Everything was done away from the small sanctuary he had secured on top of a hill overlooking the ever thriving LA streets below. Discrete. Out of the way. Not one that people came knocking on.

Brendon strolled up to the door, keeping his ears alert for any other sounds around the house. Was good ol' Joe already aware of what he stole?

Brendon pressed his palm against the door, swiping his thumb to catch the peephole covering so that he could see who was on the other side.

A blonde woman stood there, looking rather bored as she waited for a response. Brendon studied her posture. Bored, but still sexy. Her arm rested against the white brick wall of outside his house and she was using it to hold most of her weight. She wore a dark leather jacket with, what looked like, only a bra underneath.

Brendon resisted the urge to whistle. She was smokin'... But why was she at his door?

"Sorry, Doll, I'm all stocked up on girl scout cookies." He called out, immediately earning the woman's gaze on the peephole.

"Good thing I'm not selling." She quipped back.

Brendon gulped as she continued to stare into the peephole. It almost felt like she could see him through it; almost like she was studying him. "Guess you really have no reason to be at my door, then."

She shook her head. "Actually, I do." She smirked, letting her fingers rise and fall in a cascading wave. "Why don't you open the door?"

Brendon grinned. Who was this girl and what was her game? "What'll you give me for it?"

Her eyes darkened. "Your life."

Brendon pulled away from the door. This wasn't the first threat on his life. She wasn't even the first woman to threaten him. "Not very tempting, Doll." He said, bringing a knife from his pocket. He flipped in into the air, catching it on the third flip. "Got anything else?"

"What about a couple million?"

That stopped Brendon. He hadn't made millions in awhile. Thousands? All the time. Millions though... That was tempting. Brendon clicked his knife shut and slid it back into his pocket. He unlocked the door and pulled it open, greeted by the now smirk wearing woman.

"Tell me more." He grinned, gesturing her inside.

"With pleasure." She agreed, stepping over the threshold. With her, came a new chill in the air.

"Aren't you cold?" Brendon asked as he shut the door. He looked down at her pants, which just appeared to be gold speckled leggings. She didn't seem dressed for a chilly night.

"Never." She said, spinning and immediately catching Brendon's eye. Her iris' were so dark, drawing him in before he even knew he had taken any steps towards her. "I come with a proposition." She said, taking a step towards him.

"Really?" Brendon grinned. He tried to pull his eyes away from hers, but he couldn't. It was like she wasn't letting him.

"The Devil's Key." She spoke without missing a beat, "Ever heard of it?"

Brendon shook his head, taking another step towards the woman. "Should I have?"

She flashed her teeth. "It's a prize." She whispered, further pulling him in. "An ancient artifact to be feared and protected. It holds more power than you can imagine."

Suddenly, her arms were draped over his shoulders and connecting behind his neck. He was pulled forward, his nose brushing against hers.

"And worth millions." She whispered.

Brendon grinned. That was the ticket. "I like the sound of that."

She kept one arm around his neck, bringing the other up behind his ear and through his hair. "I knew you would."

Brendon could have melted under her touch, but he knew better. A mysterious woman offering him millions? Who knew who she worked for.

"What else do I get to know?" He asked.

In response, her lips brushed his. "It's in a museum. It's in Australia. I need you to get it for me."

"Why me?" Brendon slid his arms around the woman's waist. He was still unable to look away from her eyes. "And who are you?"

She rubbed her finger along his temple, almost as if tracing a small pattern. "Call it devine intervention bringing me to you." Her breath was hot against his skin, somehow drawing him closer. "As for me?"

"Yea..." Their noses were side to side, making their lips so close... Brendon was finding the urge to make the connection harder to resist.

She let out a giggle. "Call me Nicole." She whispered.

The next thing Brendon knew, Nicole was leaning against the wall beside him.

Brendon had to double take. Hadn't she just been in front of him? He hadn't even felt her pull away from his fingers.

"Here's for the plane ticket." She winked, slipping her hand into her jacket and pulling out a wad of cash. She tossed it to him.

Brendon easily caught it, though he was still unsure how she had moved away from him so fast. "How do I contact you?" He asked as she pulled his front door open.

She turned back to him with a sly smile. "Don't worry." she spoke as she stepped back over the threshold, "I'll be in touch." With that, she winked and shut the door.

Brendon looked down at the money in his hand. The bundle was heavy. It's height alone indicated a few thousand.

He tossed it to his table and hurried to the door. He pulled it open and rushed out. "Hey! I never said..." He trailed off when he realized that he was talking to no one. Nicole was gone.