Chapter 10 #3
Sable followed the thief in red into the restroom and settled before the gold-framed mirrors.
She pretended to touch up her makeup while she waited, and when the woman finally left the bathroom, Sable spun on her stilettos and swiped her palm against the woman’s clutch.
The thief had no idea she’d touched her, though, which was a win for Sable’s success.
Her brush with the purse had deposited a micro tech disrupter onto the material, meaning that the instant woman in red passed by a guard or a camera, it would disrupt the electronics, and security would realize she wasn’t a guest. They would quietly escort her out of the museum to the waiting police.
One thief down. Who knew how many left to go?
“There you are.” Cash caught her by the waist and spun her slowly as she emerged from the lady’s room. “I have five minutes. Dance with me?”
“You don’t need to ask because the answer is always yes,” she said as he pulled her onto the floor.
The soft orchestra music danced through the art to escape into the domed ceiling.
The goddess of love statues stood highlighted at the edge of the room, and Aphrodite’s outstretched hand mocked Sable as Cash spun her through the couples.
Many believed if you touched the goddesses, your love life would be blessed, and when Sable first arrived in town, she’d been inches away from taking Aphrodite’s stone hand.
She’d reached out, but the group of four thieves had distracted her, and now she was paying the price.
She was about to betray the man she was certain she was supposed to marry one day, and while her treason would save his life, her actions would break his heart and ruin his career.
She should’ve taken Aphrodite’s hand. Maybe it wasn’t too late, though. Maybe she still could.
“What are you thinking?” Cash asked as he pressed a kiss to her cheek.
“Do you believe the superstition?” she asked. “Do you think if you touch one of those goddesses, they’ll bless your love life?”
“Our statues?” Cash twisted until he was facing the sculpted art. “I don’t know. Not really.”
“You don’t think they have any power?”
“The goddesses? Yes. Those statues? No. But I do think that if people believe touching them helps, then they are blessed.”
“So, if people trust they’ll find love and happiness, that’s the blessing. There’s no magic, just the power of positivity.”
“Exactly.” Cash slid his hand down her back, resting it seductively on the curve of her ass.
“Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe the goddesses bless those who touch their stone hands, but I think that if you believe you’re blessed, you are.
For example, I am incredibly blessed to be dancing with the most beautiful woman in this room.
I trust we have a bright future ahead of us, and I’m pretty sure she likes me too.
I don’t need a statue to tell me I’ve hit the jackpot with her. ”
“Cash…” Sable trailed off, trying not to cry.
“What’s wrong?” He suddenly looked nervous. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No.” She cupped his jaw in her hands and pulled his face to hers. “No, you didn’t. You’re the best man I’ve ever met. I hope you know how amazing you are.” She kissed him, and for a moment, they forgot they were in a crowd.
“Sable,” Cash moaned against her mouth as he dipped her gently. “Why do I feel this way about you? How am I falling so hard already?”
“Because you might be the one,” Sable whispered so he couldn’t hear her.
“Next time there’s a gala, I’m not working it.
” Cash kissed her again, his lips so delicious against hers that everyone in the room needed a cool shower just from watching them.
“Next time you wear this dress, I want to dance and drink champagne with you, and then take you to a luxury hotel where I make love to you all night because I hate working when you look more beautiful than those goddesses.”
“Don’t say that.” She playfully swatted his muscular biceps. “Don’t insult the gods.”
“They aren’t insulted.” He gave her a quick peck on the lips. “They aren’t blind. They see how gorgeous you are. In fact, the goddesses are probably congratulating themselves on what a superb job they did making you look like one of them.”
“Cash?”
“Yes, Sable?”
“Nothing….” She trailed off.
“It’s okay. You’re safe with me.” He spun her around and dipped her playfully. “What is it?”
“I shouldn’t.”
“Oh, come on.” He nuzzled her neck with a dozen kisses. “You can’t leave me like that.”
“I think.” She hugged him so she didn’t have to see his eyes. “I think I lo—”
His breast pocket buzzed against her chest with a very specific vibration pattern, and Cash jerked away from her.
“Sorry, that’s Clover’s signal,” he said.
“No, of course. Answer him.” Sable stepped away as Cash read his son’s text.
“Um… I have to go.” He slipped his hand against her cheek and kissed her. “Will you be okay by yourself for a few minutes? Clover asked me to come upstairs. It sounds urgent.”
“I’ll be fine.” She gripped his forearm to assure him. “Go get your son.”
“We’ll talk when I get back, okay?”
“Sounds good.” She squeezed his hand, and then Cash rushed toward the stairs.
Sable watched until he disappeared, and only once he was gone did she let the tears come.
That was the last time she would see him.
This was the perfect time to steal the egg.
He was with his son. He was distracted, and security was about to be busy with the thief in the red dress.
Now was her chance to win the game and save his life.
She glanced at Aphrodite’s statue and lifted her fingers to her lips, trying to memorize the feel of his mouth on hers. Cash expected to return and finish their date, but Sable knew the truth. That was their last kiss. At least it had been a beautiful one.
“Cash,” she whispered, staring longingly at where he’d vanished from view. “I think I love you.” And then she left the revelry.
Sable slipped nonchalantly through the decadent corridors until she came to an employee’s only storage room.
Glancing around to make sure no one had followed her, she stepped inside and found the shelf where her stash hid behind an old box.
She’d hidden the bag during her last break-in attempt, and it was partly why she’d worn this dress.
It was relatively easy to slip on and off without help, and she made quick work of changing into a sleek black outfit before strapping the harness and belt of supplies to her body.
Sable took care not to smear her lips as she changed.
Below her natural shade of lipstick, she’d applied a thin film to her bottom lip.
She felt dirty wearing it, but she knew Cash would kiss her tonight, and it wouldn’t be a quick peck on the mouth either.
They could barely keep their hands off each other, and she had correctly predicted that, when she showed up in that outrageously sexy gown, Cash wouldn’t resist her.
His tongue and lips danced over hers, leaving his DNA on the film.
It was a specially designed tool that enhanced the genetic material coating it, meaning that when she approached the egg, the Fae magic would read Cash’s signature and allow her to pass without triggering the alarm.
It wouldn’t stop the scanner from reading her as well, but Cash’s genetics on her lips were enough to trick the system.
Almost every guard had seen her dancing with Cash, so she was banking on the fact that if someone looked at the scanner and saw her DNA passing through the barrier, they would merely assume the head of security was giving his girlfriend a tour.
Her presence, along with his identification, shouldn’t raise any suspicions, and after bypassing all the other security precautions, she could simply walk through the magic, pluck the egg from its stand after disabling its sensor, and retreat the way she came.
In a matter of minutes, she would be the game’s winner, and with a sense of dread and determination, Sable climbed into the vents.
Cash jogged up the stairs to the Egypt exhibit.
Clover had wanted to say hi to Sable, but he’d opted to answer his son’s text alone.
The urgency of Clover’s request told him the boy was upset about something, and it was probably best to address his concerns before submitting her to the more emotional side of parenting.
“Have you seen my son?” Cash asked the same female volunteer who’d taken their picture.
“Um…” she scanned the room of popcorn-eating children. “He was over there.” She pointed at a group of ten-year-old boys. “Hmmm… some of them aren’t in their seats. Barbara, where are the kids that were sitting there?” she asked the older woman passing by.
“Bathroom,” Barbara answered. “Greg took them.”
“Thanks,” Cash said as he left the room and strode down the hall to where a man stood watch over the restroom entrance.
“Greg?” Cash asked.
“Yes, sir?”
“My son texted me. Is Clover in the bathroom?”
“Yes, sir,” Greg said. “I escorted him and a few boys here.” He knocked on the door. “Clover, your dad is here.”
The two of them fell silent as they waited, but after a minute, the door remained closed.
“Clover?” Cash knocked. “It’s me.”
A toilet flushed inside and a moment later, the door opened. Cash breathed a sigh of relief until he saw the strange kid.
“Clover isn’t in there,” the boy said.
“What do you mean?” Greg asked. “He was part of this restroom break.”
“Yeah, he was, but he isn’t in the bathroom,” the boy answered.
“Then where is he?” Cash asked, panic rearing its ugly head in his chest.
“I dunno.” The boy shrugged.
“Where is he?” Cash asked Greg.
“I don’t know, Sir. The boys were right behind me.” The man frantically scanned the hallways. “You said your son texted you? Maybe he was upset and didn’t want his friends to see him cry, so he ducked into another room to wait?”
“Maybe.” Cash pulled out his phone and dialed his son, but Clover didn’t answer, the ringing eventually sending him to voicemail.
His panic doubled as he tapped on the find-a-phone app.
His son’s cell was connected to his so that he would always know where the boy was, and Cash exhaled his fear when Clover’s phone pinged down the hall.
It seemed Greg was right. Another kid probably hurt his feelings, and he wanted to hide his tears.
Cash wasn’t happy that his son had wandered off when he specifically asked him to stay with the group, but at least he wasn’t missing.
“Clover, it’s Dad.” Cash knocked on the door before pushing it open.
“What’s wrong, buddy? Why are you hiding in here?
” He flipped on the light switch and froze, his entire body stiffening at what waited for him in that dark room, and a primal, sickening fear churned his stomach.
His worst nightmare stood before him, and terror tainted the venom in his voice.
“Where is my son?”