"Thieves' Gambit" by Kayvion Lewis, Chapters 35–47

Look what they’re wearing too. Raven black layered with charcoal and onyx? I’ve been wanting to slap some sense into these faux pas since Marseille.

Kyung-soon blew some wayward strands of hair.

Even if I did know anything, the way my hands were shaking as the residual adrenaline pumped through my veins was not going to let me be of much help right now.

“I dunno. That’s up to you.”
My breath caught. The words reverberated around me. Up to me, huh? No one had ever put it that way.

“So, did he confess his secret love for you while he was unable to compose himself? Because that’s totally what would happen on TV.”
Mylo leaned back in his chair. “Ah yes, the old drunken confession trope. My favorite, followed by the one where one lover steals the other’s phone because they think their S.O. is up to something.”

“But you...you feel genuine. Like an actual, real person that I could know. And I really, really like you for it.”
My breath thinned, but I forced myself to speak anyway. “So that’s the only reason? You only asked to kiss me because I felt...tangible to you?”

Did he just tell me that, without being prompted, with no reason to, out of nowhere?

Of all Count’s rendezvous places, this was the outlier. When I saw that our tickets were to the British Virgin Islands, I expected to be confined to another back room or secret underground wine cellar, not for our driver to drop us off at the gates of a private resort.

“Well, our organizers have decided to be generous,” Count said, clearly relishing drawing out the suspense.

Noelia looked completely placid, more like a preprogrammed robot than a girl.

What gave me the right to choose?
“Ten seconds.”
“Ross,” he implored.
“Five seconds.”
“Devroe,” I whispered. “Devroe moves on.”

“No way you only want to see if we’ll kidnap them just because you told us to.”
Count’s tablet buzzed again. “Somebody watching thinks you’re very cynical, Ms. Quest.”

“We have no intentions of killing them, if that’s what you’re worried about. As a matter of fact, it is imperative that you bring your target to us alive. Beyond that, what we do with them isn’t your concern.”

I pressed my palms against my forehead, trying to wring out some loophole in what Count might have said. Something implying that there was another way to win this phase.

“Little Quest, always finding the least opportune moments to call, aren’t we—”
“Put my mother on the phone. Now.” My tone left no room for quips.

“Everything we’ve stolen so far has had real value, political or monetary. One of the reasons my auntie doesn’t work as much anymore is because her cover was blown by one too many of the wrong people. People who I’m sure would pay to get their own slice of revenge. She has monetary value.”

I alternated between watching him and scanning Google Maps in ten-minute stints, dissecting all the routes in and out of the town before restashing my phone with the rest.

If I said this is going to work, then it will. Noelia Boschert doesn’t concoct losing plans.

The campus was ridiculously massive. Like someone took a slice of Central Park, dropped a few stately buildings inside, and wrapped an iron gate around it for safekeeping.

But charm wasn’t enough to trump my instincts, and they were telling me I was right to be worried.

For Noelia’s sake, and since we were being at the very least cordial now, I didn’t let myself smile.

“Is that another quote from your stellar, elitist father?”

I shot Devroe a glare. He could really cool it with the animosity.

The new spreadsheet was so large, it took a few seconds to load. But once it did, rows and rows of names and numbers and addresses unfurled on the screen.

“What is this about?” Count said slowly. There was a hitch of apprehension in her voice. Unease.

He had all the energy of someone just walking out of a pretty awesome spy movie. Not gonna lie, I was a bit pumped up on those vibes too. Not to mention the euphoric relief of knowing my mom was about to be safe.

Could anyone in the fam really fault me if I took a few international freelance assignments with my new crew?

The buildings started to dwindle. Soon fields and farmhouses took their place.

I opened the copy I’d downloaded from his phone, like it would automatically update with airport itineraries I could follow.

“It was impressive. Because we’re an organization of our word, we’re still working on the wire transfer. However, you don’t get complimentary favors without some quid pro quo.”
“Fine. What do you want?”

“What do you want? Either you’ve got an update on the bank transfer or you’ve figured out what the price for getting my aunt back is.”
“Both, actually. It’s fortuitous that you didn’t listen to me. Since you’re in town, how about we all meet and discuss the...new situation.”

From the outside, it looked like a resort, but inside, tarps and scaffolds hung over everything.

She wore a glittery red cocktail dress but still held her tablet like a talisman.

Her fingers, her nails. When I last saw them, they were all perfect and glossy. Now two of them were scuffed and chipped, as I’d expect from someone who’d been held captive in some brig for the last couple of weeks.

Was this what she called fine? My sanity, my emotions. Those were both dangerously close to being permanently dented.

I would’ve stayed with her for years, and if I ever even entertained the notion of leaving, all she’d have to do was mention that one time I tried to leave and got her kidnapped.

“The senior Ms. Quest reached out before the start of this year’s competition enquiring about what this year’s phases would entail. We usually would be tight-lipped about this, but she explained her intentions and assured us if you did enter, you wouldn’t have any advance knowledge. So, yes, I informed her of this year’s exciting twist in the final phase.”

Devroe was still there, watching, glowering.

“Yes, we’ve decided to amend our agreement about that. We’ll accept the payment for her, but with a caveat—you accept your own year-long contract with us.”

Count beamed, and the crowd murmured a pleased consensus, except for some who still seemed miffed that they hadn’t gotten to see an entire family wiped off the board in seconds.