Page 45 of Broken Rules
“Why?”
“The baron knew war was coming. While his so-called faithful servant was safeguarding his wealth, the Baron was making arrangements for his family to emigrate to America, which at the time was easier said than done. Because of his political connections, the baron essentially had to smuggle his household out of Germany. On the night the baron had meant to flee the country, Pieter was nowhere to be found. So reluctant was the baron to leave without his trusted manservant, he delayed his plans, but in the end, he had to do what was best for his family. Together, his household secreted away under the cover of darkness, but when they arrived at the cave. It was empty.”
Savannah gasped. “Oh, no!”
“Oh, yes. Pieter had betrayed the baron. He stole it all—money, all the family’s belongings—and upon arrival in New York, he stole his master’s identity as well.”
“You can’t be serious!”
“The baron was left nearly destitute and trapped in Germany. He was later captured and died in prison; meanwhile, Pieter Weber, or rather Pieter Von Wilder, came to America and became Pieter Wilder. He then went on to marry an English woman named Alice who, prior to meeting Pieter, worked as a prostitute in New York—”
“Wait, wait, wait! Hold on a minute. Are you telling me that Joe isn’t royalty?”
“He is not,” Damien confirmed. “In fact...when you think about it, he is actually descended from a thief and a whore.”
“Oh my God! How did you find out about this?”
“There are resources at my disposal.”
She jumped off the bed and grabbed her phone. “Wait until Brandi hears this!”
He reached out and gently took the phone away. “How are you going to say you came by this information?”
Her shoulders slumped. “Oh, you’re right.”
“And when the painting goes missing, how will it look if you just told someone where it originally came from?”
She faltered. “When it goes missing? But I thought you said you weren’t going to steal it anymore.”
“When a priceless piece of art suddenly turns up as someone’s Facebook status, interested parties take notice.”
“Parties as in plural? Your client isn’t the only one who’s interested?”
“I do not doubt that Joe has attracted both lawful and unlawful attention to himself.”
“What do you mean lawful?”
“The FBI has an art crime team made up of a dozen or so agents. I fully expect one of the agents, hoping to catch a thief like me, is already here in Rye or will be soon. I’ve kept an eye out, but I’ve yet to confirm the presence of anyone other than myself. But it’s only a matter of time, and by that I mean hours or days, not weeks.”
“Holy crap!” She expelled a rush of air. “This is intense.” Then she sat up. “How much were you getting paid for the job?”
“One point two million dollars.”
“Holy shit! Who is paying you that much for the painting?”
“I can’t tell you who hired me.”
“Why? Don’t you trust me?”
“It isn’t a matter of trust. It’s a matter of safety.”
At the mention of safety, her chest tightened. “You have to be careful,” she told him.
“Joe is the one that needs to be careful. Other parties interested in acquiring that painting probably aren’t as nice as me.” He pulled her close. “I’m losing you right now, aren’t I. You’re thinking...what the hell am I doing with this guy.”
She shook her head, circling her arms around his neck. “You’re giving me way too much credit. I’m actually just worried about losing you.”
“Since, I am still in-stock, and you actually have the night off, what would you like to do this evening?”
