Page 28 of Knot a Thief

I lift my coffee cup to my lips and stare over the rim at him. “I need revenge. I warned you it would never go away.”

“And when do you plan to steal it?” he asks, sharpness coating his words.

“When Garrett needs it.” My words in response are just as sharp.

“When he has an omega,” Seb answers his own question.

“There’s no fun in stealing it before then.”

Seb flicks through the files in front of him. His shoulders tense and I sense the anger coursing through him. “He might have one now.”

“He doesn’t.”

Seb stares at me.

I point my nail over the file before his anger bubbles to the fore, as it has before now. “What else do we know?”

“We’ll need to be well-prepared,” he says, curtly.

I nod. “I agree. Their security may be relaxed, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. The DuPonts didn’t amass their wealth by being careless.” The salty sea breeze mingles with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee as I lift it to my lips.

Seb leans forward, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “No, they stole most of it, and someone wants it back.”

“We need to continue with caution. He could be using us,” I say, my voice low and serious as I turn from Seb, and stare at the vast blue ocean in front of me, and think about that.

When I turn back to him. Seb’s eyes meet mine, and he gives a slow nod of agreement. He understands the gravity of the situation we’re about to step into. The DuPont family is notorious for their ruthless protection of their secrets, and if we’re being contracted for this job, it possibly means someone has caught their attention, and we could easily find ourselves trapped in the jaws of danger.

“I’ve managed to gather some intel on the island’s security system,” Seb reveals, pulling out a tablet from his bag. “It’s state-of-the-art, equipped with motion sensors, heat detectors, and an advanced surveillance network.”

I lean in closer, studying the blueprints and security schematics that illuminate the screen. “Impressive,” I murmur, my mind already racing with possibilities. “But if we can disable their surveillance and bypass their alarms, we might have a chance.”

Seb nods, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. “I’ve been brainstorming some ideas. We could try exploiting a vulnerability in their network, or perhaps create a diversion in another area of the museum to distract their guards.”

I consider his suggestions, weighing the risks against the potential rewards. This job is unlike anything we’ve ever attempted before, and failure could have dire consequences. But the allure of the DuPont family’s treasures, particularly the fabled Circle of Life, is impossible to ignore.

“We need to be meticulous,” I say, my voice steady and determined. “No room for errors or oversights. We’ll study every detail of their security system until we know it better than they do.”

Seb grins, sensing the fire that has ignited within me.

“That’s the spirit, Ava. Which is why I’ve been gathering every bit of information I can find about their systems, their routines, even their family history. And I’ve got something interesting for you,” he adds, reaching into his bag and pulling out an old, weathered journal.

Curiosity flickers across my face as I reach for the journal.

The leather cover feels soft and worn beneath my fingers, as if it holds secrets of centuries past.

I open it carefully and see the elegant handwriting. Though it’s a copy of a book. The faded pages show how old the original is.

“What is this?” I ask, my voice filled with wonder.

Seb leans in closer, his eyes glisten, his excitement palpable. “The original belongs to the family of an ancestor of the DuPont family, a man who was also a renowned art collector and thief. He documented his heists, his strategies, and even hints at the hidden treasures on the island.”

“How did you get it?” I can hardly contain my eagerness as I skim through the entries of daring thefts and elaborate schemes. Loving that the journal offers a glimpse into the mind of an old day master thief.

“Everything has a price. Do I contact Silas about our decision?”

“Yeah.” I turn the page and grin, seeing the DuPont island and how it sits deep in the Mediterranean Sea. An island that is blocked on Google Earth. “We might just have stumbled upon the key to unlocking their secrets,” I say. Anticipation seeps through my veins.

“Do you fancy a trip to DuPont Island, the tourist way? Our contact can get us on the next flight in.”

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