Page 15 of Prettiest Little Thief
“Ridiculous?” The door opened, and I released Lucas’s hand and climbed over his body. There were probably some areas of him I hadn’t meant to touch, but I definitely did. Man parts, in case it wasn’t obvious.
He chuckled deeply, the sound giving me goosebumps. It was a real laugh, and he exited the car behind me. “I would have moved out of your way if I had known you were this excited,” he said.
“Sorry. I get hyped up sometimes and forget my manners.” He offered me his arm again and I took it. The air outside prickled against my exposed skin, and I shivered.
“Are you cold?”
“I’m fine,” I lied, and then my teeth started to chatter.
“Liar.” Lucas unbuttoned his tux jacket, sliding it from his body and placing it over my shoulders. I basked in the leftover heat and wished I could burrow inside of it. “We’ll be inside in a few minutes. They like to check our invitations.”
“How do you know they have the key?” I kept my voice low.
“Sebastian, the owner of this house, and I are acquaintances. An informant here told me that Bash's grandfather had acquired it on a trip out of the country. Just happens to be lucky that it’s here.”
“An informant? You just have undercover spies or something?”
He chuckled. “Something like that.”
“I guess money really can get you everything.”
“Not everything.” Lucas seemed to tense a bit.
“What’s so appealing about a key, anyway? I changed the subject, since something I’d said had sent a wave of tension through him.
Lucas leaned down, his breath clouding in front of him as he spoke. “The artifact is said to have belonged to a woman named Ana. Hence,Anastasia’s Keepsake.She was allegedly involved in an affair with a king. The king would send his mistress gifts and letters unbeknownst to his wife, the key being one half of the gift. Separated from the chest it opens over the years. No one knows what’s inside the chest. There are speculations of a great treasure within but no solid evidence. Apparently, Sebastian’s grandfather had taken a trip to Kiev and stumbled upon the relic in an old shop. The chest wasn’t there, but the key was. He searched for it until he died. No one knows how the seller came across the item, and, of course, it’s all conjecture. It could very well be a piece of junk. Stories tend to change over time, lies and truths becoming intermingled.”
My brows shot up. I was about to ask why it was now in his sights, but I had a feeling he wouldn’t tell me. It made no difference. This was just another job—with the ultimate prize,my freedom. “And you need me to be the person to help you obtain the key?”
“There are certain qualifications that you meet that made me think you’d be the perfect candidate.”
“Like stealing cars?” I asked with a grin.
“Yes. Stealing cars and absolutely wrecking them.” Lucas didn’t seem angry about it anymore. He smirked, and his eyes glistened in the low lighting as he straightened up to his full height again. I wasn’t sure what had caused the shift in Lucas’s demeanor, but I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If he remained pleasant, so would I.
We continued on through the front door once our invitation was scanned, and I handed off his suit jacket to the coat check. Instrumental music played, the lights were dim, and conversations of guests buzzed through the room. People laughed and mingled in every direction, all dressed to the nines. There was a full bar with bartenders, and my intention was to go directly there to get a drink to calm my nerves. The anxious energy that hummed in my chest was almost too much.
When I took a step in the direction of the bar, though, Lucas caught me by the waist. His hand was gentle, and he squeezed my side. The heat sent a zing of energy through my body, warming my insides. It was hard not to gasp at the sensation. At the unusual feeling it provoked from deep within me. He brought his mouth to my ear, his breath skating across my neck. “Going somewhere?”
“I need a drink.” My voice came out husky and low.
“I’ll go with you. The sharks are out, and you’re the virgin blood in open water.” I searched around the room and noticed how many people were staring at me. Gazes peered at me from behind their masks as they whispered to each other. I was freshmeat, and they could sense it. I gave him a sharp nod, and without removing his hand, he strode alongside me to the bar.
“Two shots of the best tequila you have,” I told the bartender.
“I’ll have a gin and tonic,” Lucas said from beside me. He was close. Almost too close. His hand still rested on my hip, and even though I loved basking in the intensity of Lucas Knight, he was still the jerk who was controlling my every move.
The inferno that had worked its way up my spine and through my limbs sputtered at the thought. I stepped away from his reach, his hand dropping to his side. Lucas didn’t seem to mind, and we both took our drinks once they were presented in front of us.
I slugged back both of the shots without taking a breath and shivered at the taste. Lucas’s chuckle rang in my ears, and it pleasantly settled across my flesh. When I glanced up at him, he had a smirk plastered on his handsome face, those piercing eyes locked on me.
“Are you planning on pacing yourself or getting completely obliterated tonight?” he asked.
My tongue swept across my glossy lips; he watched the movement. “It depends how the next couple of hours go.”
“Try not to get too drunk before we go search for the key.”
“Noted,” I replied and immediately ordered two more shots.
