Page 98 of All's Fair In Love & War

From the moment I received his text, I knew I wouldn’t be attending the engagement dinner. There was no location, no explanation, just a time and a simple instruction.

Wear all black. Trust me.

And because I was me, and because he was Dallas, I did exactly that.

Less than an hour later, I slid into the passenger seat of one of his many vehicles, and the first thing he asked me was, “Have you ever robbed a museum before?”

He didn’t bother with a hello or ask how my day had gone. He just looked over at me with a crooked grin and dropped the question like it was nothing serious.

I turned toward him, arching a brow. “No, I haven’t robbed a museum, and I have no intention of ever doing it."

He gave a nonchalant shrug and faced forward again. “I know you like chicken, but I didn’t know youwereone.”

My head snapped in his direction, and I narrowed my eyes at him. “Excuse me?”

“I said, I know you like chicken, but I didn’t know youwereone,” he repeated, his tone still infuriatingly casual.

“I’m not a fucking chicken,” I snapped.

He tilted his head, clearly unconvinced. “Could’ve fooled me.” Then, as if he hadn’t already pushed every button I had, he folded his arms at his sides and started flapping them like wings. “Bawk, bawk, bawk,” he added, making exaggerated chicken noises without a trace of shame.

I stared at him, unimpressed. “Are you seriously mocking me right now?”

He didn’t stop. If anything, he leaned into it.

“Just say you’re scared, and I’ll turn the car around without judgment. I’ll even stop to get you some nuggets on the way.”

“Who on earth would be dumb enough to break into a museum?”

He shot me a look that was pure gasoline. “Someone who’s fun. Someone with the balls to do what everyone else only jokes about.”

I scoffed. “I’m pretty sure everyone in your phone has more balls than brains.”

He grinned wider. “And yet you dressed the part.” He flicked his eyes up and down, taking in my black on black outfit.

“I hated every second of it,” I lied.

Dallas caught the lie and let it hang in the space between us. “Are you going to ask me why I asked about breaking into a museum?”

“I assume you want to have an airtight alibi when you get arrested for grand larceny.”

His foot pressed down on the gas, and the car surged, rumbling at a velocity that was at least a misdemeanor. “Youdon’t get arrested when you do it right, sweetheart. So, are you down, or do I need to take you back home so you can change into your pajamas and pretend to be a good little Bulgari?”

I leaned back in the seat, folding my arms across my chest, wanting to be offended, but I couldn’t stop the small smirk threatening to betray me.

“I’m too much of a bad bitch to ever fit the mold of a good little Bulgari.”

“Then prove it,” he said, his voice smooth and entirely too confident.

“You’re out of your mind,” I found myself saying to him for the millionth time.

“I’ve been told that more than once,” he replied. “But we’re already halfway there, so if you’re going to back out, now’s your only chance.”

I glanced out the window, and sure enough, the skyline had changed. The quiet residential streets were gone, replaced by downtown buildings lit in gold and blue against the night sky.

Twenty minutes later, we pulled into a shadowed alley behind the city’s historical museum. The structure towered above us in all its old-world glory. Its tall columns, arched windows, and thick iron gates made it look more like a fortress than a destination for school field trips.

Dallas parked, popped the trunk, and got out without another word. I followed him, watching as he pulled a black duffel from the back of the car like he’d done this kind of thing before.

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