Page 46 of Prettiest Little Thief (Band of Thieves #1)
“Alina sure got herself a boujie upgrade.” I stood with my hands on my hips and stared up at the massive home.
“Rich bitch,” Evie muttered, and she leaned into me.
I nudged her and laughed.
“Your best friend is rolling in dough too,” Fox said as he stepped up beside us.
Evie sniffed and looked over at me. “She’s a rich bitch too.”
We all burst into laughter.
“She deserves the money and then some.” Lucas kissed the top of my head and handed me the keepsake and key. “You ready?”
“Yeah.” The wooden chest was rough against my fingertips.
Evie and Fox waited at the car as Lucas and I made our way up the pathway. My husband used the heavy brass knocker, a thud sounding from the metal as it met the front door .
The soft click of footsteps neared on the other side just before it was pulled open by Alina. “Yes?”
“Hi, it’s good to see you again,” I began. “We have something for you.”
But Mrs. Gregorian didn’t show any emotion until her eyes landed on the keepsake tucked under my arm. A small smile came to life on her wrinkled face. “You got it from Davit.” She motioned for us to step inside.
“I was just making a pot of coffee. I’ll grab some extra cups.” Alina hobbled out of the room.
I took a seat on her new sofa and placed the chest on a side table. “Do you think she knows about the jewels?”
“Maybe. But she didn’t mention it the last time we visited her.” Lucas wrapped an arm around me and tugged me closer.
The dishes clinked together as Alina came back into the room, setting the tray onto the coffee table. She poured herself a cup and took a seat on the adjacent couch.
“How did you manage to get the keepsake from Davit?” Alina sipped her drink, steam billowing from the mug. Her glasses were perched low on her nose.
I cleared my throat. “It wasn’t easy.” My gaze darted to Lucas, who had a wicked grin on his face. “Anyway, we wanted to make sure it was returned to your family.”
“Did you find what you were looking for?” she asked.
I frowned. “I’m… I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
Alina chuckled and set her cup down. “The jewels.”
Lucas tightened his hold on me. “You knew?”
The elderly woman took the keepsake from the side table, unlocking the relic and pulling out the letters, journal, and portrait. “Of course.” She sifted through the contents. “But what I didn’t mention was I already had them. ”
“Mrs. Gregorian, we didn’t know about the jewels until we gave the chest to the person holding my sister-in-law hostage.” I shifted closer. “That’s what he was looking for. We could have died because we had no idea. He thought we took them for ourselves.”
Alina waved a hand. “No matter. You’re alive and well, aren’t you?”
A little twinge of anger sparked in my chest. “If you’ve had them all this time, then why did you want the two million dollars? You could have sold the jewels and been set for the rest of your life.”
She placed everything back into the box and closed the lid. “Why would I do that when the perfect opportunity presented itself? I’m sure I would have eventually sold some of the sapphires or rubies to stay afloat. But now I don’t have to.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Lucas seethed.
“I have some of the things that belonged to my ancestral grandmother now. And millions to boot.” She glanced around her house. “Minus some of it.”
Lucas was ready to blow his lid. I gripped his thigh tightly, signaling him to relax. It’s not like we were going to hurt an old lady, whether she messed with us or not.
He was so used to being in charge. So used to being in control.
“And when you die? Alone,” Lucas said through clenched teeth.
Alina shrugged and picked her mug back up from the table. “I’ll probably be buried with all of it.”
Lucas opened his mouth to rip her to shreds verbally, but I shook my head, effectively making him rethink that choice.
“We should be going.” I pushed to my feet and pulled my angry husband up. “We have plans for dinner.”
Alina walked us to the door, Lucas storming out without saying another word. I hung back as he strode toward Evie and Fox.
“He loves you.” She gazed after my husband.
“I know.” I watched him as he slid into the car and slammed the door. “I love him too.”
“You’re a good match for him.” Alina grabbed my hand and pressed a small cold object into my palm. She turned and strode back into her house and closed the door.
What a weird woman.
I glanced down at what she’d placed into my hand. A sapphire gem sparkled in the fading sunlight, and surprise lit up within me.
She had given me one of her ancestor’s jewels. Maybe she felt bad for letting us go into Christian’s domain blindly. Lucas had almost died. And while the gift didn’t make up for the fact I was almost made a widow, it was a start.
I scooted into the backseat of the car next to my husband.
“We got played by an old woman,” Lucas said the moment I closed the car door.
“We did,” I agreed. “Kind of.”
“Kind of?” He ran a hand through his sandy-colored strands in frustration.
“Okay. We definitely got played by Alina. But she did give me a parting gift.” I dropped the sapphire into his free hand.
A loud laugh came from him. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. ”
“It may not be enough to pay you back the two million dollars, but you have like a bazillion more. Think of it as a peace offering.”
“A peace offering, huh?”
“I mean, you’re alive and well, aren’t you?” I mimicked Alina’s earlier words.
Lucas pulled me into his lap, causing me to shriek. He smashed his mouth to mine before pulling away and gazing at me with his steely eyes. “I’m alive.” He placed a kiss on my shoulder. “And well.” Another kiss on my neck. “And happy .”