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She chooses a new rhythm, one that makes me want to lose my mind in an instant. My hips buck involuntarily, the tight coil of heat within me growing too intense to remain contained any longer. I’ll come in my pants at this rate —and the fun’s only getting started.
“Slow down,” I warn her.
Raquel doesn’t listen. She redoubles her efforts, moving like a practiced seductress.
Maybe not a virgin after all.
It hits me all at once, euphoria and adrenaline mixing in my veins like the ultimate cocktail. I come, still fully clothed, breathing hard from the sheer force of my climax. My thoughts are a fuzzy haze. So fuzzy, in fact, that I almost don’t register it when Raquel hops off my lap.
“Looks like you’ve made quite the mess there,” she teases. “You’ll have to change your pants before you even think about running after me.”
My mouth drops open. “Thatwas your plan?”
Raquel shrugs. “I’m not some helpless idiot, Gabriel. I know how to work a mark.”
I stand, but I don’t get very far. The front of my pants is uncomfortably sticky. She’s right. I can’t chase her down like this. It’d be fucking humiliating.
Raquel throws a cheeky wink at me over her shoulder. “Au revoir.”
I huff a laugh. I realize now that I’m not dealing with a little bird, but a minx.
This is the first and last time I underestimate her.
Chapter 8
Raquel
The path forward lies over your heart.
It’s clearly another one of Dad’s coded messages, but I don’t have a sweet clue what he means.
Montpellier is a beautiful city near the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It’s one of those amazing places where the old and the new weave together —where the shiny and efficient tramway network that zips past old buildings left over from the Reformation. Several storefronts are heavily decorated, some of them still sporting pumpkins and fall leaves while others have already moved on to festive Christmas paraphernalia.
There’s a university nearby, which means the city’s center square is bustling with activity. You’d think I’d learn to avoid big crowds, but in truth, hiding amongst a sea of people is the best way to disappear altogether. Dad’s first lesson when I joined the Red Ravens was that there’s no better way to hide than in plain sight. The trick is to blend in.
Don’t walk too slow, but don’t walk too fast, either. Act like you belong. Have a destination in mind and make your way there without eye contact, but don’t look like you’re actively avoiding people, either. Just move like you’ve got places to be, errands to run and people tend to leave you well enough alone. And if you see cops coming —for the love of God— don’t run.
What I need right now is access to a computer, and what better place to find one than at the public library. It takes me twice as long to find it because I have a hell of a time figuring out the street signs, but I thankfully know how to say “Bibliotheque?” to a random passerby who helpfully points me in the right direction.
I keep my head down as I pass the librarians at the front counter, settling in by an unused public computer in the back corner of the library. Hopefully I won’t be disturbed here. I open a search tab, hands hovering over the keyboard and…
And I type nothing.
I don’t know where to start.
This whole thing feels like such a strange dream. Fear, betrayal, hope… I feel like I’m lost at sea, buffeted by strong winds and aggressive currents. I hate feeling this out of control. If Lucius thinks he can play me like a damn puppet, he’s got another thing coming.
The path forward lies over your heart.
I stare at the open browser. I know Dad couldn’t justtellme how to find the encoded account passwords, but shit. How am I supposed to find them with a clue that vague? I bite my nails, deep in thought. I pause briefly, the contact of my fingers against my mouth reminding me of the buzzing sensation on my lips.
My God, what a kiss!
For a moment there, I thought for sure I’d give into Gabriel and let him have his way with me. I knew I was in over my head, but that’s the thing about mind games. All it comes down to is confidence — a fake it until you make it approach. I had to lower his guard somehow, and what better way to do that than with the promise of sex?
I’m not ashamed of having to use my body to get what I want. Being a thief of my caliber means being able to adapt on the fly. Was Iactuallygoing to sleep with him? Of course not, but there’s no reason for him to know that. I may not be holding onto my virginity for anyone special, but I sure as hell don’t want to lose it in such an unceremonious manner.
Besides, despite all his supposed honor, I’m sure Gabriel wants me out of his hair. He has a daughter to take care of, a life to get back to. Everything else —Lucius’ double-cross, Dad being taken hostage, the ransom— has nothing to do with him.
