“Well, you better steal the egg before the glorified mercenaries get there. I have faith in you. You are still the only thief I’m rooting for.”
“Yeah…” She fell silent, fear for Cash and Clover bubbling in her chest.
“You can do it,” Peter said, mistaking her silence.
“Yeah. I know.”
“Actually, that’s why I called you,” Peter said. “Of course, I’m more concerned with your safety than some guard’s, but this rumor isn’t just bad news for him. It’s bad for you too.”
“What’s wrong?” She perked up.
“It’s just a rumor, so nothing’s been confirmed.”
“Peter, what’s wrong?”
“There’s a new player on the board.” Peter’s somber tone chilled Sable to her very marrow. “Word on the street is The Ombra is coming for the egg.”
The Ombra?” Sable practically shrieked into the phone, which earned her gawking expressions from a passing family. Realizing this wasn’t a conversation to be discussed in public, she rose from the park bench and aimed for her apartment.
“It’s just a rumor,” Peter said. “No one has heard from The Ombra in years. Most assume they’re in Europe, but there are whispers they’ve returned for the egg.”
“Shit,” Sable cursed under her breath.
“I might be wrong.”
“But you might be right.” Sable ran a hand over her head, itching to yank the wig off and free her ears. The Ombra was a name whispered withbothfear and respect in her world.TheShadow. No one knew who they were. They didn’t know if the thief was a man or a woman, human or supernatural. They were an utter mystery, but one thing everyone knew with absolute certainty was that The Ombra was the greatest thief alive… and the most dangerous. If The Shadow was coming for the egg, this competition was over. They would win, and they wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone in their way… Cash included.
“Have there been any confirmed sightings?” Sable asked. “Acompetition this prolificwould surely draw their eye, but it’ll also inspire ridiculous rumors. Is there definitive proof they’ve returned from Europe?”
“No,” Peter said. “It’s just whispers, and you’re right. I’ve heard crazy things about this competition, so this could be all talk, but I wanted you tobe aware. Keep your eyes open and be careful. No number of zeros is worth ending up in the morgue.”
“I agree,” Sable said. No prize was worth Cash’s life either. When she was younger, she’d looked up to The Ombra, but their increased violence caused her to lose respect for the legend. She’d set out to surpass The Ombra and make the name of The Rabbit’s Foot even more famous, but if that goal cost Cash his life, she didn’t want it. They hadn’t gone out on another date since the tacos and margaritas, but they’d talked almost daily. The Fae guard was more dangerous than Peter had predicted,andnot because he was a decorated soldier. But because he was the man who held her future in his eyes.
An alarm sounded on Peter’send of thephone line, and her friend grunted. The sound of someone tripping followed his voice, and he grunted again, this time so awkwardly that Sable couldn’t stop herself from laughing.
“Hey, I have to go,” Peter said as the trill grew louder.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Of course. I just forgot I set this damn thing to remind me when to make the next move. Scared the hell out of me, though.”
“Oh, very secretive.”
“Always, my friend.”
“As long as you aren’t helping the competition.”
“I would never, and you know that,” Peter said. “I’m insulted that you would even say that.”
“I’ll text you later.” Sable chuckled.
“Not if I text you first. Bye, girl.”
Peter hung up, and she shoved the phone into her pocket. With The Ombra possibly on the playing field, her timeline had been cut drastically short. She had to make her move soon. If shewassmart, she would call Cash and flirt the information out of him, but the thought of tricking him into helping her made her sick. She didn’t want him to participate in something that would get him fired, so she’d stopped asking about the museum. Everything she’d learned, she’d discovered on her own, and when she talked to him, they spoke aboutnormalcouple topics. In moments of weakness, she wondered if she should save him and give up, but with players like Corvid and The Ombra in play, her absence would hurt him, not help. If she stole the egg, she’d make sure he was safe. The Shadow would make no such accommodations. Sable couldn’t leave. Winning was no longer just about her. Yes, she wanted the recognition, but her triumph would also save the man she couldn’t stop thinking about. He would never want to see her again, but at least she was a thief of honor. She would steal the prize the right way, and no one would die, especially not the Fae male her heart craved. The guard she saw in her dreams... and daylight fantasies, for she swore his gorgeous visage was walking toward her.
“Sable?” Cash waved, and she jerked to a stop, doing a double take at the towering man and adorable boy rushing for her. She wasn’t daydreaming. He was standing two feet in front of her with a football in one hand and Clover’s fingers in the other.
“Sable? I thought that was you.” A smile spread over Cash’s lips as she slid to a surprised halt before him. Sheclearly hadn’t noticed them approach her, lost in herownworld, but Cash had spotted her from yards away. He’d seen a stunning brunette from across the field and couldn’t take his eyes off her. Guilt festered in his chest for finding a stranger so gorgeous when he was dating Sable. They’d only been on two dates, yet it felt like a betrayal to stare longingly at another woman. The moment he was close enough to see her features, though, his attraction made sense. His mystery park visitor was none other than the woman invading his heart.
