With a huff, Nash spat out,“Of course he does.”
Gray ignored him and continued.“If we do this, then we get a fresh start. I can leave, and no one will ever follow me or you again. He said that he needs a gesture of good faith to convince the organization at large to leave us alone.”
“What do we have to do?” I growled, tears still streaming like a leaky faucet.
He finally met my gaze, his a churning blue ocean.“He wants the Rembrandt back.”
My jaw dropped.
Nash scoffed and turned away from us, mumbling a terse,“Fuck this.”
Gray continued,“He mentioned it holds sentimental value for him and the organization, and that it’s considered company property. Apparently, it was their very first heist. He and my dad, back when they were young and in Canada, took it as a prank, and that prank eventually launched the family crime business in New York, overthrowing the Don that was there before.”
I blinked rapidly, trying to process the emotional whiplash.“But the Rembrandt? How are we supposed to get it back, Gray? It’s in one of the most secure museums in New York, and that piece is under heavy surveillance given its history and recovery. We’re talking about the MET Museum. Nobody juststealsfrom the MET, Gray, and if they do, God help them.”
Nash turned back to us, nodding in agreement.“It’s impossible.”
Gray looked confident, if not cocky.“Come on, guys.” He held his hands up, gesturing to each of us but excluding Sybil.“The three of us are world-class thieves. I think we can figure it out.”
“Four!” Sybil chimed in, pushing off the wall to stomp up to Gray. She looked fierce and determined; her face angry like I’d never seen before.“Thefourof us.”
Gray chuckled and looked her up and down.“You?”
She crossed her arms over her chest and popped a hip with sass.“I’m PERL, asshole. So you can go fuck right off,” she bit out.“I know how to be sneaky, mister.”
Gray’s brows rose.“PERL, the million-dollar artist?”
“She is,” I chimed in. I hadn’t yet shared that information with him, not wanting to make things awkward for Gray or Sybil, considering he’d stolen her art last year right out from under us.
“You’re PERL?” he pointed a finger.“This tiny thing? You’re the person behind all that?”
Sybil nodded, growling like a kitten.
Gray laughed once in astonishment.“I retract my statement then.” He looked genuinely impressed.“Evading public scrutiny for a decade as a highly sought-after mystery artist is quite a feat.”
I rolled my eyes.“So, what are we saying?” I interrupted their little popularity contest.“Are we really going to steal it, like inThe Thomas Crown Affair? Walk right in and out with a painting I risked my life to recover in the first place?” I looked from one to the other.
Nash adopted a wide stance.“It doesn’t sound like we have much of a choice, Bee. Gray’s right, we need to do this, and if we have to do it like Thomas Crown, then we will.”
I huffed. Why on earth did he almost seem excited?“This is insane,” I said.
“This is Dad,” Nash challenged in return, easily trumping my complaint.
I hated he was right. I’d do anything if it meant getting Dad back.
My scrutinizing gaze landed back on Gray.“How sure are you that David can and will do this?” I grumbled.
Gray slid onto the bed beside me, his shoulder nudging mine. He took my hand in his, enveloping it.“Remember when I was saved from Matteo’s gunshot because someone jumped in front of me?”
I searched his face, a question forming.
“That was David,” he said.“He just told me.”
I reached across and grabbed his arm with my free hand.“What?”
Gray was nodding, his shock mirroring my own.“He was apparently undercover, part of the rival mafia group that was trying to oppose Matteo’s rise to power. David was trying to stop him, but Matteo was unstoppable that night. David saved me only by taking that bullet. I guess he’s spent years regretting how that night went down, wishing he’d acted sooner to save the family. He blames himself. When the cops arrived, Matteo fled the scene, thinking David another dead henchman and leaving him behind. Matteo never knew David had crossed him.”
A hand covered my mouth, tears once again pooling. It was beauty amidst the chaos.
