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Prologue

King - Two Years Ago

Never pick a fight with your boyfriend when you’re in the ht just decide you’re not worth a hundred million dollars and it’d be better for him to ditch your ass at the scene of the crime

Hypothetically speaking, of course

“Elek, what the fuck?” I hissed, finding it difficult to hide my exasperation “We’re in theabout what comes next”

I bent back over the hundred- on the floor in front of es of the canvas to s to tuck it into a roll It felt al as valuable as this into a tube, but it was the only way to practically transfer it

“You won’t even consider it,” Elek continued, as if I hadn’t spoken “It’s an easy job Security is h the roo in arcs across the floor

My shoulders tightened, a rebuke on the tip of ue, but instead I closedto keep calm and focused I hated distractions while I worked Which Elek knew, but it never seemed to stop him

I tried to tell hiht I should know—as an art history student, I’d taken an interest in art theft and forgeries which included quite a few stories of art thieves getting caught I’d thought that perhaps itfor an auction house or insurance co out fakes

But then I’dolder man and ended up on the other side of the equation

Distractions

“This should be obvious, yes,” he said

He wasn’t going to let it drop, which meant the only way to end the conversation was to respond, “I just don’t see the point”

He stopped his pacing and turned toward me “It’s on the list,” he said evenly “That’s the point”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes Elek and his damned list Over the years he’d compiled a wish list of items he wanted for his own personal collection In the past he’d only stolen items on the list if the opportunity arose—like if he was on a job at the sahtjobs around the list itself, which see we couldn’t turn a profit on

I shrugged “It’s not a job I’m interested in”