Page 101 of Steal My Heart

“Is this a full reenactment?”

“Why? Are you planning on robbing me?”

“Who says I haven’t already?” Remi challenges.

“Me, because of my heavy?—”

“Hand?”

“I was going to say pocket.” I smile, giving her another spin. When she falls into me, her hand slides up my chest and removes the slim box from my dress shirt pocket.

“Open it,” I tell her, releasing her other hand.

She opens the velvet box, gasping at the gold necklace with a delicate butterfly charm made from diamonds. “It’s so pretty!”

“There can be honor among thieves,papillon.”

Removing the necklace from its cushioned box, I tell Remi, “Hold up your hair for me.” She does so, and I drape the necklace around her neck and fasten the tiny clasp. When I spin her around, she’s crying.

“What’s wrong?” At a loss, my thumbs gently gather the tears from under her eyes.

Remi looks as though she’s about to run, but I don’t want to play games right now. Scooping her up into my arms, I carry us to the couch, sitting her on my lap with my arms wrapped around her. “Tell me.”

“You want to know how I got busted? It’s not that no man has ever taken care of me; it’s that every man has betrayed me!”

Remi

A few months ago…

“Remi, there you are,” my dad calls, and I ignore him, picking up the pace. “Hold up. Is that a leopard?” He catches up with me, eyeing Nola.

“She’s not a leopard. Or a bobcat. Or a cheetah. Or any other wild cat, alright?”

“Alright.” He holds up his hands. “Can we talk?”

“I’m working.”

“You’re walking a damn cat on a leash.”

Nola hisses at him.

“I’m working.” I grit.

“Look, baby girl, I’m sorry. I fucked up, alright? Please come home. I miss my partner in crime.” My dad’s so charismatic, every time I say I’m done with him, he pulls me back into his orbit.

But not this time.

“I bet you do. Let me guess, you’ve been evicted. Again.” I had more addresses growing up than a military brat.

“It’s just a temporary setback.”

I scoff. “It always is.”

“Listen, I’ve got us a hustle lined up that’ll get you back your keyboard and then some. I’m talking big bucks.” He rubs his hands together.

“Bye, Dad.”

Nola and I shake him on the way back to the hotel. “Yeah, that’s my dad. He’s a real piece of work.”