Page 113 of The Heart of a Villain

Mom chose me a red “mini ball gown dress” as Elena called it, with thin straps and a corset holding everything together, with a chiffon skirt ending just above my knees.

Elena settled on a strapless, long silky gown hugging her from head to toe, which resulted in Pierre losing his shit, which was hilarious, so she wore a long coat.

Caroline opted for jeans and didn’t want to hear a thing from us about her lack of makeup. We barely convinced her to go out tonight to follow the tradition.

She preferred to stay at their penthouse, and while I supported the idea, Elena kind of wanted to go to the burlesque show, so why are we here?

“This doesn’t look like Uncle Lachlan’s club,” Caroline mutters, zipping her jacket, while Elena laughs.

“This is where it all started, remember?” She must read the confusion on our faces, as she sighs, placing her hands on her hips. “Our moms left us here with the nannies, and we all ran around the library, picking books we liked, and drove the librarians crazy.” Ah, yes.

I think after this we were forbidden from entering it for around two years, and Mom’s cheeks were so red from listening to all the shit we pulled.

They grounded us for a month, although we had no regrets.

In our defense, it’s huge and has so many hallways and books we treated it more like an adventure.

“Okay. But it still doesn’t explain what we are doing here.”

“We made a pact to be best friends after we stole a book from here.”

Pierre barks a laugh. “Hardly counts as stealing. We brought it back the next day.”

Yeah, the guilt weighed heavily on us, and besides, all of us had countless books at home.

“Whatever. That’s how the four of us started, and that’s how we should celebrate it now, since we all turned eighteen.”

“Does this sound lame only to me, or…?” Elena glares at Caroline, who shrugs and adds, “I’m not in the mood for this shit. You got me out of the house. So let’s go to the club and check it out.”

“Hey! This is going to be fun.”

We share a look with Caroline, and amusement flashes in her gaze. We all silently decide to indulge her in whatever plan she has swirling in that pretty head of hers.

Elena has her own way of dealing with anxiety, and I think right now, the whole situation with her sister worries her, so she wants to do something she can control.

And loving people means learning to cope with their trauma mechanisms.

We nod, and she squeals, hugging us both, and then she lays her palm open to Pierre, who drops three straws in different lengths into it. “The plan is simple. The one who gets the shortest straw has to sneak inside the library, get the same book we stole all those years ago, and get out. So we can make a new pact.” She opens her arms wide, while I still the laughter erupting from me because what a ridiculous idea. “And then we can go and have the time of our lives at Uncle Lachlan’s club.”

I lean to the side, studying the dark building that has no lights on, indicating that everyone already left while a security guard patrols the place. “They probably have cameras inside. How do you propose we do that without getting caught?”

It’ll be ironic to get in trouble with the police for stealing a book, all things considered, and I don’t need this on my record.

She rolls her eyes. “I’m not stupid.” I can practically hear a duh at the end of her sentence. “The library is old and doesn’t have surveillance cameras. Hence the security guard.” She lowers her voice to a whisper. “One of us is going to distract him, while the one who loses goes inside, takes the book, and then we’ll all bring it back in the morning. No one will know.”

“It’s still a crime, though,” Caroline points out the obvious, and I throw my arm over her shoulders, squeezing her while freezing my ass off out here. “Can’t we just celebrate it differently?”

“Just indulge me here. We won’t get caught.”

“They’re thinking about closing this library altogether, since no one comes here anymore. Hardly a dangerous task,” Pierre pitches in and then snatches the straws from Elena, mixing them behind his back before making them all peek from his fist. “Come on. Choose which one.”

I frown. “Shouldn’t you participate as well?”

“Or even better. Be a gentleman and take this ‘hardly dangerous task’—as you put it—yourself, and go get us the book,” Caroline offers, and we high-five each other as she reads my mind.

“I will if Elena gets the shortest straw.” We stick our tongues out at her as she giggles, although it’s good to see her this happy. “Come on. Have pity on my freezing balls.”

We all laugh and choose our straw, and Caroline groans at picking the shortest one. “You’re going to make a pregnant woman sneak inside the building? Shame.”

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