Page 65 of Scarlett Thief (Criminal Underground 2)

“But you don’t think it’s weird that the lifestyle you and Hadrian seem to enjoy is also enjoyed by our mark—the Prince?” I arched my brow.

“I’m not particularly surprised,” Hadrian spoke up. I turned my gaze to him and he tilted his head as he continued. “There are a lot of people in the world that are into BDSM. The clubs aren’t just for BDSM lifestylers. They’re for rich and powerful people.”

I arched a brow, unconvinced, and he smirked. “It’s a playground, Scarlett, and the Prince and his wife are powerful people,” he continued. “They may not be actual rulers of anything, but they still have a lot of old money and connections. People like that are under constant watch and supervision. Is it truly that surprising that they would subscribe to what society considers a deviant pastime? No. For a lot of men and women, it’s freeing in a way they can’t find in their average lives. I didn’t take you to be so judgmental, especially not now.”

I huffed. “I’m not being judgmental,” I said. “Just cautious. It almost seems too good to be true—like it might be a trap.”

“Oh, it will be.” Hadrian grinned. “Of that, I’ll make sure—but it won’t be a trap for us.”

When he got that look on his face, I knew he was planning something horrible. It should’ve made me nervous. It should have made me very concerned. Instead, it only seemed to make my thighs clench and my panties grow impossibly wet.

“You have a plan?” I asked.

“I’ve got a friend in Sweden,” he said. “A pretty incredibly forger.” His eyes glittered with dark amusement. “What do you say we turn the tables on that ex of yours?”

It hit me what he was suggesting. Forgery. The necklace. Jaxson. “You want to frame him for trying to steal the necklace and replace it in the meantime,” I guessed.

Wolf looked at Hadrian with a respectful note in his gaze. “It’s a solid plan.”

“I have those on occasion,” Hadrian replied lightly. “But the plan comes with a twist. You’re not going to be the thief,” he said, directing that last statement at me.

“What?” I frowned. “What do you mean I’m not going to be the thief.”

“If this Jaxson guy knows you as well as you say, then he’ll know that’s exactly what you’re here for. He’ll be expecting that from you. We need to switch things up.”

“Then who’s going to steal the necklace?”

“Me,” Wolf suddenly announced, surprising me.

I jerked my head back and looked at him with severe doubt. “Have you lifted something straight off of someone’s body?” I pointed out.

“No, which is why you’re going to teach me,” he replied.

“I can’t teach you how to execute the perfect lift in a matter of hours!”

“Scarlett.” Hadrian’s tone made me look back to him even as my panic mounted. “Wolf’s a professional. I’ll set something up beforehand and cause a distraction. It’ll be easier with the forged necklace. Hell—he can trip, rip it off her neck and when he comes up hand her the fake one. She’ll be getting a necklace back, regardless—just not the real one. Trust me. There are layers to this plan I’ve yet to explain.”

“So, explain it then,” I said.

Before he could, though, Wolf’s fingers tapped away at the rim of his crystal glass and he spoke. “They’re going to be there.Tonight.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Hadrian said with a wave of his hand as he sat back.

“We need to get into that club, steal the necklace, and deal with Scarlett’s problem,” Wolf shot back. “Do you truly think it’s possible?” He meant Jaxson—that much was obvious. It wasn’t a long flight from Rome to where the Prince lived in Switzerland. I had no doubt that Jaxson would either be with him or closely following because he knew I would be too.

“It’s going to be difficult,” I said.

Hadrian’s smile widened as he lifted his crystal glass and swallowed down the rest of his drink. Then, with a wink, he set it down on the table and looked between Wolf and me. “Good thing we can handle difficult.”

I rolled my eyes, fighting back amusement. Yet, there was also dread solidifying in the pit of my stomach, mixed with a sense of … adrenaline? Excitement? I’d never had a team I could rely on. Not one that I felt comfortable enough to trust. It was different, in a good way, not to feel so fucking alone in the midst of a dangerous job. No matter how low level a thief—one step in the criminal world for however long was always another second your head was on the chopping block. I’d been chancing it for so long, I’d grown immune to the feeling of balancing on the precipice. This job was more than just a paycheck, it was my goddamn life. All of our lives. At first, I’d been more than terrified—and angry—because I hadn’t trusted them, but now…

Looking between the two of them, I felt as if we could truly do this. We’d been cocky and stupid the first time around, the odds were against us because we weren’t working together. Not really anyway, but now it was time to plan a mission as a real team.

And this time, we would succeed.

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