Page 40 of The Devil Wears Orange
He realized that disposing of the stolen art quickly lessened the chance of capture. But for a time, however brief, the art ishis. And right now, it appears he has bothMistress in a Red Dressand Charlotte Milton to contend with, though he must rid himself of the first before it becomes too hot. As long as the painting remains in his possession, theMistresscould be his downfall. Or perhaps Ms. Milton will hold that honor. She shares an uncanny resemblance to hisMistress.
For the moment, he possesses Lady Sheffield, but it’s Lady Milton he’d like to spend more time with. And Monaco would have made for a perfect backdrop until Professor Jack Carey appeared at the casino that night.
Ten years had passed, but Rashid recognized Jack – hairstyle and spectacles unchanged – from a newspaper clipping of him presenting the retrieved painting to the Queen of England. Rashid doesn’t believe in coincidences. This heist, being significantly flawed, has led Professor Carey to his front door—unless he had been following Charlotte instead. He fled Monaco that night, but in hindsight, he wonders if he would have been better off not pushing Charlotte to Dubai. Besides, he can’t shake that niggling question – what if Charlotte is working with the Professor? There’s no basis for it except…except…except of all the casinos in all the towns in all the world, Charlotte Milton walked into the very room where he sat with a hand of cards. Well, he considers, if she is working with Professor Jack Carey, it’s best he keeps Charlotte close to maintain an eye on her. And if she’s innocent of any spying, well, keeping Charlotte intimately close to him is an added bonus.
Chapter 21
@BitchinDiva8901
OMG some tourist dude in Monaco snapped pic of #EditorInThief #CharlotteMilton at a casino. Must be nice to be a rich bitch.
@FashionSmasher4367
Ha ha she thinks she’s a Bond girl. Look at that pose. #TheDevilWearsOrange
@CovetThis6889
Is that Versace? I’d kill for that dress. #TheDevilWearsOrange
@HarrietCatwalkStyleMag
Replying to@CovetThis6889
She got that Versace for a steal!
@HowToWearIt3434
HOW IS SHE NOT IN JAIL?
@ImThatDude$$$
Hey I played a couple of hands with her. Nice lady. Didn’t know a damn thing about Josephine Baker tho. Never knew she was that #EditorInThief til my wife tole me
@HowToWearIt3434
Replying to @ImThatDude$$$
Is it true she lost big to #PrinceRashid? He’s hot!!
@ImThatDude$$$
Replying to @HowToWearIt3434
She lost big but didn’t seem too heartbroken. They looked pretty cozy at the bar if you know what I mean.
@HarrietCatwalkStyleMag
Replying to @ImThatDude$$$ and @HowToWearIt3434
WHAAAAAAAAAAT! Charlotte was with Prince Rashid? WTF!!!
Chapter 22
Heat seizes my nostrils,occupies the space around me, suffocating me as I descend the steps of Rashid’s private jet. When Rashid turns to smile at me, I catch my reflection in his aviator glasses and like what I see. If I had a photo of myself descending onto the tarmac, I’d splash it all over social media and hashtag the hell out of it.I’m back, be-atches!it would scream. But I’m not Harriet with her kick-ass attitude. Besides, I’m hesitant to return to social media. Strangers are trying to destroy me and, from my vantage point, they’re succeeding.
A driver, who looks to be in his mid-50s, his face thin and clean-shaven, holds open the door to a white limousine.
“Omar will be your private driver while in Dubai,” Rashid tells me, and briefly speaks to Omar in his foreign tongue in what sounds like an exchange of pleasantries.
