Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 102071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Now we’d see who played whom. Time to reclaim everything Eli had taken that didn’t belong to him.
I rang the doorbell and checked the time. In ten minutes, Eli would be leaving for the event at Willow’s gallery—the one to raise money for their favorite charity. I would have sneaked in while he and his fiancée were away at the party, but he had an alarm, and I didn’t know the code. So I needed to be invited inside.
I ignored the flurry of nerves in my chest as I waited on the doorstep and steadied myself for this last mission.
Eli answered the doorbell, looking surprised for a moment. Then he beamed. “Good evening, Ruby.”
I beamed back like nothing unusual had happened the last time I was there. “I’m headed home soon, and I didn’t want to leave the island without saying goodbye.”
“Aren’t you sweet?” He opened the door wide, sweeping his arm to invite me inside.
Step one—enter the home.
My stepfather dropped a quick kiss onto one cheek, then the other.
“You look handsome,” I said, gesturing to his tailored suit and crisp button-down shirt.
Step two—butter him up.
“Why, thank you.” He smoothed his shirtfront. “Wait until you see Willow. She’s stunning as always.”
“I have a gift for her,” I told him, holding up the small gift box I carried. Then I looked around and leaned in, lowering my voice. “I think everyone in the house will get enjoyment out of it, actually.”
Eli’s eyes lit up in excitement. The man did love gifts. “Oh, now I’m intrigued.”
His fingers twitched like he wanted to grab it and see, but I pulled the box toward me. “Wait until Willow comes down.”
“Willow, my love,” he called out. “Ruby is here to say goodbye. And she has a gift for you.”
“Be right there.” Willow’s cheery voice came from upstairs.
I turned to Eli as if making small talk. “Are you excited about the fundraiser?”
“Oh, yes. It’s going to be wonderful,” he said. While putting on his cufflinks, he waxed on about how much money they hoped to raise. One cufflink got hung up, so he removed his Rolex and set it on the entryway table.
Wait. That wasn’t a Rolex. That was a different watch. Shinier, sleeker. A Vacheron Constantin.
“Let me help you,” I said, reaching for the cufflink and then sliding it through the buttonhole in the shirt.
“You’re a dear.”
Their silver tabby prowled into the room, tail lashing and nose twitching, and leaped smoothly onto the same marble-top table, sniffing the box that I’d set there while I helped Eli.
“Be patient, Jade,” chided Eli with a chuckle.
Jade blinked at him then at me, as if we were thinking the same thing. You’re one to talk.
A minute later, Willow descended the staircase like a princess at a cotillion. Her black hair was swept high on her head in a twist, with tendrils curled at her cheeks, and her black dress hugged her perfect body.
“Oh, Willow,” I said loudly and clasped my hand to my chest. “You look stunning.”
It was the right thing to say, and she was so pleased, no one questioned how loudly I’d said it.
Because what I was really saying was showtime. Loud enough for Jake to hear me upstairs.
From then on, I had to try very hard not to think about Jake breaking in upstairs. Of course, the harder you tried not to think about something…
I focused on Willow, who giggled and turned in a catwalk circle. The diamond adorning her throat caught the light.
Everyone had a weakness.
For some, it was food, like Eli and his sweet tooth. As for Willow, the woman adored shiny objects.
Jake might have been the pro at cat burglary, but I knew our targets. I knew what would keep their attention, what quirks would give away their passwords, what habits would make them easier to track. Jake literally couldn’t do this without me, and when he’d told me as much, I’d nearly levitated with pride and happiness.
Facing Eli and Willow on their home turf, I was tethered by anxiety—and a little excitement. I used all those things to out-Willow Willow.
“This is just a small thank you,” I gushed, laying it on thick as I handed her the gift, “for being so generous with your time, and taking such good care of Eli, and, gosh, just generally for being you.”
Step three—give the gift.
Willow batted her lashes and gazed lovingly at the white box with the blue bow. She took it and held it to her chest with a lucky-me shimmy, then thanked me effusively for the gift. “That’s so sweet of you!”
“The pleasure is all mine. Though, I have to be honest—it’s not just for you.” She looked even more curious and enticed. That was what I needed. To keep their attention on me and away from what was going on in Eli’s office.