“No! Besides,” Francesca looked at Lucia, “Lucy won’t leave the family, just the business. Am I right?”
“Of course.”
“Now, let’s focus on my plan to steal theMadonnaright back.”
She stepped toward the table, spreading out a marked-up floor plan with deliberate precision, the shift in energy unmistakable—back to strategy, back to control.
~ ~ ~
After the meeting, Lucia set to walk Penelope back to her car, angling for an invite to spend the evening together. She’d missed her terribly, more than she should, considering they’d only just seen each other. It was hard to believe they hadn’t even known each other for very long—yet sometimes, it felt like she’d known Penelope for years.
Unsettling, if she were to dwell on it, which she didn’t. But it was true.
They were chatting in hushed tones and heading toward the front door when Skye’s voice rang out behind them.
Lucia turned.
“That’s it? You’re just done with us?” Her chest heaved.
She sighed. “It’s not that simple.”
“Sounds like it to me.”
Penelope leaned closer, whispering, “Maybe talk to her? Clear the air.”
“But—”
“Come by after? I’m home.”
A smile spread over Lucia’s lips. She nodded. “Drive carefully.”
Penelope squeezed Lucia’s upper arm and left.
When the door fell shut and Lucia turned fully, she rolled her eyes at Skye mimicking gagging.
“Really?”
“You’re insufferable together. Someone could die of DKA watching you.”
“Right. So?”
“What? Suddenly you wanna talk because your girlfriend told you to? That’s pathetic. Aren’t you just replacing whose orders you’re following? From surrogate mommy to…” She tilted her head. “Whatisshe to you, Gracie? I suppose sugar mommy is a thing, no?”
Lucia crossed the space in a heartbeat. “Mynameis Lucia, and what thefuckis wrong with you?” she snarled. “This isn’t about me and Penelope! You’ve been awful to me for months, then it got a bit better during the heist, and now you just had a tantrum over me leaving only to turn around and insult me.”
Skye looked at the floor. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Too bad. Spill it, Skylar.”
Skye’s head snapped up, and her eyes widened. “You don’t care anyway.”
“Why the fuck would I be asking?”
Skye chewed at her lower lip. She sighed, looking away. “I… Fine. I did one of those ancestry things a few months ago.”
“Oh.” Lucia almost wished Skyewouldstop talking. Looking into the past always made you bleed.
“Should’ve known better than try and figure out who abandoned a crack baby in a condemned building, huh?”
