Page 100 of Gathered Sparkle

“Belmont’s master key. You saved us a lot of guesswork and potential screwups.” Ace lips curve into a faint smile. “One less thing to stress about.”

“And no alarms?” I ask as Annabelle steps a little closer, careful not to attract attention. To everyone else, we look like tourists admiring the Lambo.

“No alarms,” Ace confirms. “Not as long as the card’s signal is clean and the doors open smoothly.”

“And the car?” I glance up at Ace. “How do we get it out of there without setting anything off?”

“We’ve got a bypass module for that. It’ll override the keyless entry system long enough to start the engine.”

Behind us, Sylus snickers. “A little digital magic goes a long way.”

Annabelle leans closer, crossing her arms as she whispers to me. “Am I hearing this right? You guys are planning to steal this car?”

I let a sly smile tug at my lips. “Pretty much.”

She lets out a low whistle, shaking her head. “The shit you get yourself into. Girl, I’ve been moved out of our place for not even a month, and now you’re out here planning grand theft auto?”

I chuckle. “It’s for a good cause.”

“Uh-huh. Sure it is,” she mutters, her expression caught somewhere between disbelief and begrudging admiration.

We make our way toward the opposite end of the rooftop, leaving the gleaming Lamborghini behind for now. The wind picks up as we approach the edge, carrying a faint chill that prickles against my skin. My breath catches as I glance across the yawning gap between rooftops, and my stomach twists as the sheer scale of what we’re planning hits me. This isn’t just ambition.It’s madness.

“This is madness,” I mutter my thought, gripping the railing tightly. “There’s no way he can make that.”

“Koen can do it,” Ace replies without hesitation. He rests a hand on the railing beside mine, shaking only slightly, his gaze fixed on the far rooftop.

“I’ll take your word for it.”

Sylus and Annabelle join us, and Sylus gestures toward a cluster of cactus plants a few feet away. “Let’s see if they’re still there.” He crouches down to peek behind the prickly greenery before he straightens again with a satisfied nod. “Yep, still right where we left them.”

“Good,” Ace replies.

“What’s still there?” Annabelle asks, her curiosity now mirroring my own.

Sylus steps back, allowing us a clear view. Hidden beneath the cactuses are several wooden planks stacked haphazardly yet carefully enough to remain out of sight.

“Planks?”

“For the ramp,” Sylus explains, brushing his hands together. “Ric will have to set them up on the railing to create the angle Koen needs.”

“What the fuck are you guys up to?” Annabelle exclaims, her tone caught between incredulity and amazement.

Right.Koen can’t just drive straight into the railing.

Annabelle raises an eyebrow at Sylus. “And how exactly did you get those up here? Pretty sure wooden planks aren’t standard rooftop décor.”

“People don’t ask questions when you’re wearing a neon vest. Walk around like you own the place, and everyone assumes you’re supposed to be there.”

Annabelle snorts, shaking her head. “You guys are unbelievable.”

“And you’re sure this will work?”

Fuck, the more I get to know about the plan, the more hesitant I get.

“It’ll work,” Ace reassures me. “We measured everything. Calculated every angle. This spot is perfect.”

Sylus pulls a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, tapping one.

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