Heart of a Thief. Gail Barrett

the corner and disappeared.

      His pulse leaped, and he gave chase. She had several yards on him, but he was faster, especially with her tight gown and spiked heels impeding her pace. He bolted down the hall and sprinted around the corner just seconds after she did, catching up in a few long strides. Furious now, he grabbed her arm, jerked her around and shoved her against the wall.

      “Where is it?” he demanded. He gripped her arms and leaned against her, blocking her in with his weight. Behind him several guards rushed past, their guns drawn and radios squawking, shouting instructions and commands.

      “What? Where’s what?” She struggled uselessly against him, her chest heaving, her eyes pools of panic and fear.

      “Luke, let go! That man…the gun—”

      “The necklace. Where is it?” He tightened his hands and gave her a shake, and her eyes whipped back to his. “And I don’t mean the fake.”

      “But it’s…” A flush stained her cheeks. Her breath rasped in uneven pants. Confusion edged out the fear in her eyes.

      “You know where it is. In the safe in the library, right where Antonio put it. Where else would it be?”

      Antonio? He blinked, shook his head. What did his partner have to do with this? They’d never discussed the need for a decoy to fool potential thieves. This woman was just trying to distract him. And he didn’t have time for these games. “Prove it.”

      Ignoring her protests, intent on finding that necklace before his career was destroyed, he dragged her down the hall, not caring that she had to jog to keep up with him. He towed her through a store room and detoured down another hallway, while questions spun through his brain. Who would want to kill the Roma royals? A terrorist? Or was their shooting just a distraction for the theft?

      He stopped at an unmarked door, released her long enough to unlock it with his master key, then grabbed her bicep again. “Let’s go.”

      The temperature dropped as they entered the oldest part of the palace, an area off limits to guests—a section the security cameras didn’t reach. The musty air, water-stained ceilings and threadbare carpets reflected years of disuse and neglect.

      But Luke knew every stone, every crack in this medieval fortress. He’d spent months memorizing the layout, checking for weak points, scouring the dungeon and ancient bolt-hole, making sure no terrorists could worm in—never suspecting that the real danger would come from inside.

      He stopped in front of the huge door leading to the library, its ornate carvings and inlaid panels layered with dust. Cautious now, aware that this could be a setup, he turned the knob, then kicked the massive door open. When nothing moved, he gave Sofia a short, sharp tug and pulled her inside.

      He let go of her arm, closed the door, and scanned the room. The vaulted chamber looked empty, except for a few stray pieces of furniture and the cases of books.

      “Which safe?” he asked, his skepticism rising. There were two antiquated wall safes in the room, neither secure enough for current use.

      “Behind the painting. The one by the fireplace,” she said.

      He strode over to a small lamp perched on a table and flicked it on, then turned toward the fireplace. The dim light threw shadows on the frescoed ceiling and illuminated the paintings on the walls.

      “You mean the Pacheco?”

      “So you know art.”

      He scowled. Did she have to sound so surprised? He’d left the slums of El Salobral a lifetime ago. “A thief’s got to be able to identify the loot, right, Sofia?”

      Her eyes flashed. “You would know.”

      He hissed out his breath in disbelief. “You’re not still trying to pin that on me?”

      “But you did steal it. Don Fernando showed me—”

      “Yeah, right.” Disgusted, fighting back the futile rage that heated his blood, he crossed the room to the painting. There was no point trying to defend himself. She’d chosen to believe Don Fernando over him long ago.

      But her disloyalty still rankled.

      Anxious to end this farce, he turned his attention to the safe. He found the hinge in the gilded frame easily enough and swung the painting out from the wall. But when he examined the lock—an old-fashioned disk tumbler—suspicion again crawled through his gut. Why leave a priceless artifact in an unguarded safe—one with a lock a beginner could crack? Nothing about this made sense.

      Unless this was a trap. His unease mounting, he swiveled his gaze back to Sofia. She was rubbing her arms, scanning the room. From nerves or guilt?

      “What’s the combination?” he asked her.

      “I don’t know. I don’t!” she protested when he shot her a dangerous look. “I just made the decoy. Ask Antonio. I brought it here early this evening, he swapped it for the original, and that was it.”

      “The hell he did.”

      “But…he did.” Her mouth sagged. “You don’t think that I…”

      Damn right he did. Fed up now, he stalked back to her, moving too close, invading her space. Then he gripped her chin and tugged it up, forcing her eyes to his. “I wouldn’t suggest lying to me, querida.”

      “I’m not lying,” she gritted out. Her cheeks were flushed. Her nostrils flared. Outrage sparked in her eyes.

      His gaze held hers. She didn’t waver, didn’t blink.

      Five years ago he would have believed her. Then again, five years ago he would have crawled through fire for this woman.

      He was a lot smarter now.

      He admired her acting ability, though. She had that fervent indignation, that innocent sincerity part down pat.

      Wondering how far she’d take this game, he stroked his thumb down her throat, tracing the path his mouth once took. Her eyes turned narrow and dark; her pulse quivered beneath his hand. He lowered his gaze to her lips—moist, lush, tempting—and heard that ragged hitch in her breath.

      His own heart kicked in response.

      He hissed out his breath and stepped back. This woman was trouble. Dangerous. A distraction he couldn’t afford.

      Scowling, he strode back to the safe. He dragged in a breath and exhaled, forcing his pulse to calm, his heart to slow, driving the carnal need from his blood.

      “What are you going to do?” she asked.

      “Crack the safe.” He glanced back. “Unless you want to share that combination after all?”

      Her forehead wrinkled. “But I told you, Antonio—”

      “Right.” Fed up with her deception, he turned back to the safe. He flexed his hands, loosened his shoulders, waited until his hands were steady, his breathing calm. Then he reached for the dial.

      His attention focused completely on the lock, he turned the dial, closing his eyes to feel the movement of the drive cam. He concentrated, slowly moved the dial, working to align the lever to the groove in the wheel. Sensing, feeling, listening.

      Acting like the thief he used to be.

      The thief too many believed he still was.

      The first wheel clicked into place.

      “Por aquí. In here,” a man said outside the library door.

      Luke’s heart stopped. He opened his eyes and sliced his gaze to Sofia. Her eyes widened, and she bit her lip.

      Suspicion rolled through him. Were those her partners? Had she been heading here all along? “Expecting someone?”

      “What? Of course not.” Fear