Page 61 of Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined
“Cathedral girl,” he mused.
“Consider that your payment,” she said. “Help me escape right now, or I’m telling everyone everything I know about you two.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
INTERNATIONAL CRIME
“Don’t threaten people who are taller than you,” Percy replied, “which, by the looks of it, is just about everyone.”
Joe placed the box down on the table and began untying the ribbon that held it closed.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, sneaking a nervous look up at him. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Quite right,” Percy agreed. “It’s incredibly rude.”
“Percy,” Joe gasped out. “It’s the sheath!”
Percy glanced over his shoulder, then turned to Althea with a smile. “That’s a very good start. I’m far less likely to sell your organs now.”
Joe let go a heavy sigh. “Percy, don’t say that to her.”
“She knows I’m joking, don’t you— What’s your name?”
“Althea.”
“Althea knows I’m joking, don’t you, Althea?”
She gave an uncertain half nod as Joe tsked at Percy, then said to her, “Why do you need us to help you escape?”
She glanced back at the closed door, as though Cleo might be standing over her shoulder. In a rushed whisper, sherevealed, “She makes me work for her against my will, but I can’t leave because she’s stolen my passport. When she finds out what I’ve done tonight?—”
“Don’t worry about that right now,” Joe said. “Your passport. Is it in her room? Upstairs?”
“Yes. She keeps it with her own, in her bedroom. But her security won’t ever let me in there unless she tells me to go and clean up after her.”
“That’s not a problem,” Percy said. “I’ll go ask her for it.” He was arrested instantly by Althea’s hands on his chest.
“No, you don’t understand. I’m her property. I’m not allowed to leave without her approval. She cannot find out I’m gone until I’m on a plane. Even if you get it from her, which I doubt you could, she’ll have the police bring me back. She’s done it before, but…” She turned to Joe. “I… Have I done the wrong thing by telling you? I don’t know, I saw you in the church and?—”
Percy rolled his eyes. “Which time?”
Joe grimaced with a blush, saying stiffly, “We’ll help.”
“Just, please, if you can hide me at the cathedral, with nuns or something, or get me out of Libya. Please get me away from her and I’ll figure something out. I know I can’t do much without my passport, but it can’t be worse than living like this.”
“Not the cathedral,” Joe said softly. He looked across at Percy, whose eyes were searching the carpet as he formulated a new plan. And Joe was miserably certain he knew what Percy was thinking.
Percy could get the passport very easily, all by himself. And he needn’t steal the sheath that night either. They needn’t kill half the staff and security guards. In fact, it would be an incredibly simple matter for Percy to gain entrance to the princess’s bedroom, then, later, take the passport while she slept, stepping out briefly to give it to Joe, before he put Althea on a plane. Then Percy could even stay for breakfast to distractCleo, leaving Althea plenty of time to arrive safely in another country, while he walked away with the very thing he wanted and no consequences at all.
Percy raised his eyes to Joe’s, a hint of worry clouding them and darkening his brow. “Joe…”
“Yeah.” Joe nodded, his heart sinking. It was the obvious thing to do.
Percy continued, “I know you can be a bit sensitive about this sort of thing, so I want to make sure you’re going to be okay with this plan if I go ahead with what I’m thinking. If it’s all right with you, I’m going to steal a car, traffic this girl to Tunisia, have her smuggled aboard a boat to Sicily, then find a criminal gang there to obtain a fake emergency travel document for her.”
And in that moment, Joe was sure there wasn’t another man on earth even half as wonderful as Percy. “I love you so much.”
“Then international crime was the right decision.” Percy smiled, happily accepting Joe’s kiss on his cheek.
