Page 186 of To Catch a Sub

“I thought I was the one who believed in fairytales.”

“You do insist on mentioning truth.”

“I can’t tell who’s winning,” Andrei whispered.

“Colette,” Landon and Rolf said at the same time.

“Why would a thief risk stealing the paintings and forging a letter to secure the provenance?” Mateus asked. “The Ochs didn’t pay them.” There was a short silence. “I checked.”

“Maybe it was because private collectors like the Eggers are everything that is wrong with the art world.”

“The noble thief? Another fairy tale, Colette.”

“Or maybe the Klimt, Matisse, and Allori paintings weren’t the only things this…hypothetically…thief took.”

“I never said it was three paintings. Or the names of the artists.”

“Didn’t you? Surely you must have.”

The jolt as they cut the second ring wasn’t as bad, and Colette sagged.

“Just a bit more,” Landon said, stroking her forehead. “Rolf is going to file the edges to make sure they’re smooth, then remove them.”

She nodded jerkily.

“Just a little longer, love,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“What else did you take, and how much is it worth?” Mateus asked. “I find myself morbidly curious about the going rate for art theft.”

Colette smiled at Landon. “Did you really quit your job?”

His brows rose. “You want to talk about this now?”

She nodded.

He exhaled. “Yes. They told me to go home and wait, rather than look for you. So I quit.”

Her heart clenched, but there’d be time to talk about that later.

“In that case,” she pulled him down so she could whisper in his ear. “I took a jadeite necklace worth ten million euro. I wore it like a collar at a club and asked the first Dom I saw to take me up on the stage and use me. I wanted everyone to have a chance to admire the necklace as he flogged me and then bent me over and fucked me.” She smiled against his ear. “Then sold it.”

Colette let go of Landon. He straightened slowly, staring at her in shock.

“What did she say?” Andrei demanded. “It has to be good.”

“Pay attention.” Rolf was carefully scraping the cut end of the nipple ring with a metal file. She was doing her best to ignore the odd vibration it caused.

Colette laughed at Landon’s expression. “Imagine all the fun things I can tell you now.”

“Will any of your stories involve you not doing something dangerous or illegal?” he asked faintly.

“Only mildly dangerous,” she assured him. “Nothing like…recent events.”

“How much?” Mateus asked again. “What’s the price for vigilante art justice?”

“Ten million,” Landon replied.

Colette smacked him. “Don’t talk to the authorities. You’re never going to survive as a civilian.”