Chapter 10
Sable hung above the sensor-filled floor, stifling the urge to scream.
The museum microphones would pick up anything louder than a breath, and screaming would bring the entire security team down on her dangling head.
She hadn’t seen Cash since she agreed to be his gala date, and she didn’t particularly care for this moment to be their reunion since she was currently hanging from the ceiling by a harness to avoid the weight sensors in the tiles surrounding the Precieux Exhibit.
Based on her three-dimensional simulator, this approach should yield success, and it had almost worked.
She hovered close enough to see the magnificent golden egg down to its finest details.
She was the only thief who’d made it this far, but Cash was smarter than her, it seemed.
The last line of defense was a DNA scanner, and only the Fae authorized to handle the egg could pass through the barrier without triggering the alarms. The second she crossed that invisible border, the scan would detect the Easter Bunny within her, and unlike the other security defenses she’d either hacked or tricked, this one couldn’t be disabled because it wasn’t a device.
It was Fae magic, and only someone versed in magic this powerful could combat it.
Sable opened her mouth and silently snarled at the egg before retreating into the ceiling vent. She’d failed, but she hadn’t expected to succeed on her first try. Cash was too smart to be defeated in a single night, so she’d predicted this would be a dry run.
Sable pulled the vent cover back into place and stared at the shining egg.
Conflicting thoughts waged battle in her mind, and she sat in her hiding spot for so long that she lost track of time.
No one would notice her until right before opening, though, when the next scheduled electronic scan pulsed through the building to search for unauthorized heat signatures.
Sable used the silence to work the problem before her, both the Fae DNA sensor and her relationship.
She hadn’t seen Cash because the gala preparations were consuming his time, but just because they hadn’t had a date didn’t mean they hadn’t talked.
They spent almost every evening on the phone together, nurturing their connection emotionally and mentally without the physical getting in the way.
It killed her not to revisit their night on the couch, yet their growing friendship was the intimacy she truly craved.
But by strengthening their bond, she was also increasing their heartbreak.
The more he loved her, the more her crime would destroy him, which was why she sat frozen in the museum vent.
She’d attempted the theft tonight, but her heart wasn’t in it.
She couldn’t bear to be the reason Cash lost everything.
A soft sound captured her attention, and Sable shifted in her cramped hiding spot to see Corvid enter the room.
Right on time. There was more than one reason she’d remained in the vent, and it also accounted for why she’d started testing her break-in strategies.
Other thieves were getting restless, and the theft attempts had increased, so while Sable weighed her future options, she took it upon herself to ensure no one else succeeded.
She’d thwarted three attempts already, but Corvid had gotten the farthest beside her.
He would fail. He didn’t know what she knew.
Most didn’t have the insider information she had access to, but Sable didn’t feel like waiting for him to trip the alarm.
She wanted to go home and sleep, so she pulled the laser from her belt and shined it on the heat sensor.
It overheated within seconds, triggering the echoing alarm, and Sable retreated through the vents to the exit as the guards chased their intruder.
Corvid was good, but The Rabbit’s Foot was better, and it seemed she’d become another guard, protecting the egg when she was supposed to be stealing it.
“I can’t believe you’re still awake,” Peter said when she answered the phone.
“If you didn’t think I would be awake, why are you calling me?” Sable pulled off her wig, tossed it and her apartment keys on the kitchen table, and collapsed onto the couch.
“I would’ve left a message.”
“Sure.”
“Okay fine, I wouldn’t. I would have dialed until you picked up,” Peter chuckled. “How did it go?”
“It went until it didn’t.” She gave her friend a quick recap of her failure. “We knew my first attempt would fail, but I didn’t retreat completely empty-handed. I removed Corvid from the playing field.”
“Wow, that’s huge for you.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“You guess? Are you okay?” Peter asked, and she opened her mouth to assure him she was fine, but she paused before the words escaped.
Peter was the only person who knew she was The Rabbit’s Foot, and while their relationship revolved around theft and hacking, they were friends of sorts.
Would he understand her predicament? Could she confess her feelings for Cash to him?
Would he help her figure out how to navigate these uncharted waters, or would he abandon her as she destroyed her thief’s reputation because of a man?
Over the past week, she’d almost called her mom four times, but every time she tried to dial, she found she couldn’t bring herself to admit the truth about who she was to her mother.
She needed someone who understood her love of thievery.
“Actually, can I talk to you about something?” she asked, deciding to be brave.
She didn’t want another competitor to hurt Cash, but she no longer wanted to betray him.
A lot of zeros wasn’t worth sacrificing her soulmate, and while her mother was better suited to help her navigate the emotions surrounding a mate, Peter was the only one she could confess to.
“Yeah, of course… actually, will it take a while or is it quick?” Peter asked.
“A while. Why? Do you need to go somewhere?”
“No. I called to tell you something,” he answered. “Can I mention it before we talk? That way, it’ll be off my mind, and we can focus.”
“Sure. Go ahead.”
“Okay, so I’ve been listening for any news regarding The Ombra, and unfortunately, the rumors have been confirmed,” he said. “They’ve returned from Europe, and they’re coming for the egg.”
Sable cursed as she stood up and walked to the kitchen. She needed a glass of wine for this conversation.
“Yeah… I would make your move quick,” he said.
“It’s not like I’m not trying.”
“No, I know. I’m sorry,” Peter said. “It’s just I worry about your safety with The Ombra in play.”
“I’ve held my own so far, and I did just help security catch Corvid. They caught him without realizing I was a few feet above their heads.”
“I know, and you’re awesome, my friend, but that’s not why I’m worried. The Ombra operates without honor. They won’t let you get in their way, and what’s more, they won’t let any guards get in their way either.”
“What do you mean?” Sable asked, suddenly worried about Cash.
“The security guard whose life you saved,” Peter said.
“The Ombra has officially placed a target on his head. They want him gone, and I’m nervous about you being around the other thieves.
They’ll be gunning for that poor man after this announcement, and if you get in their way, you’ll be nothing but collateral.
I would steal the egg before someone takes out that guard. This game could get bloody.”
Bloody. Sable almost choked on her wine.
“What was that?” Peter asked. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said. “And, are you sure?”
“Yes. During this competition, it’s open season on him.”
Sable swore, trying not to get sick over the sink, and all thoughts of quitting fled her mind.
Every day that egg sat in that museum was a day where a thief might decide winning wasn’t enough and they wanted Cash’s head as well.
She’d been so close to giving up her spot in this competition to choose a future with Cash, but this changed everything.
If she backed out, someone would kill him, and she couldn’t live with herself if that happened.
She couldn’t quit. She had to break his heart because if she stole the egg, then the price on his head lifted.
Winning was the only way to save him, and his survival was more important than her heartbreak.
He would hate her for this betrayal, but he had to be alive to experience hatred, and his life was worth her suffering.
“Anyway, I just wanted to update you,” Peter said. “So, what did you want to talk about?”
“Nothing,” Sable lied, because there was no point in confessing her feelings now. She had to steal the egg and stop the clock on The Ombra’s bounty. She had to save Cash’s life.
“What are you guys watching?” Cash asked.
“That treasure-hunting movie where they use history as clues,” Clover said.
“That’s a good one. You’ll have fun.” Cash fixed his son’s bowtie and then pulled out his phone. “Smile for me. I want a photo of you in this suit.”
“Oh, come on, Dad,” Clover whined.
“I know, I know, I’m so uncool, but do this for your poor father. He wants a photo of how handsome you are.”
“Okay, fine.” Clover backed up until he stood against an ornate pillar and smiled wide as his father snapped a few shots.