7. Thea

Chapter 7

Thea

S wirling the paper straw with her tongue, Thea forced a smile. Not that it mattered, not when Mr Expensive Suit was currently having a full conversation with her breasts. She should be offended, but she'd purposely worn the bra that really gave the girls the lift they deserved.

If the men she was talking to were too busy looking at her boobs, then they were less likely to notice her stealing their wallets. Which was the whole reason why she'd dressed up in her most revealing outfit: make up, heels, perky tits, and all.

"Is that your natural hair colour?" he asked.

Of course fucking not, she wanted to say. Instead, she said in her huskiest tone, "Why, do you like it?"

"Hmm." He nodded, his gaze barely flicking toward her platinum blonde hair before returning to her boobs.

It wasn't her favourite colour, and despite it being pretty noticeable, it wasn't as distinctive as her usual pink, or her natural. She was careful not to be recognised, making sure to rotate through venues as well as hair colours.

It sucked that the charms to change her physical features were so expensive, like selling kidney expensive. And illegal, which was why Roach was hounding her to return the bloody charms she'd borrowed.

Roach:

I need the charms back.

That was Roach's fifth text in an hour.

"You want another drink?" he asked, not caring for her answer before raising his arm toward the passing bartender. Not that she would drink much of it. But she'd smile, flutter her lashes and thank him just as she had several times that night.

While he was distracted, she quickly replied to the message.

At Nectar. I have them, so will drop after.

Thea appreciated Roach helping her, but she was incredibly possessive when it came to her stuff. Like a dragon hoarding over her gold. If Roach wasn't getting paid, no way would she have let Thea borrow those charms without a contract written between them in blood.

Roach:

Working?

Always {money bag emoji}

Roach:

Be there soon.

Thea chucked her phone down as soon as Mr Expensive Suit turned back in her direction, drink in hand. The crowd seemed slightly quieter than normal for a Thursday night, the pickings slim. She'd already shared a drink with a guy, and his watch, along with a business card she had no intention of keeping, sat snugly in her clutch bag. She would be lucky to get one or two more after her target before she risked saturating the crowd.

"So, where were we?" he said, his teeth unnaturally straight and white. His chi sparkled slightly, so she pegged him as a mage rather than a witch.

"I don't know. Where were we?" She crossed her legs, drawing his attention down. "Why don't you tell me a little about yourself? Mr…?"

"O'Reilly. Niall O'Reilly. I'm a solicitor for Windsor and Clark. About to become a partner, actually," he said with an air of smugness. "One of the youngest to achieve the position."

"Oh, that sounds – "

"Plus, I'm thinking about taking my golf seriously this year, possibly entering into some tournaments if I have the time."

Thea hummed her interest. "I used to – "

"Hey, are you tattooed elsewhere?" he interrupted, eyes tracing the designs spotted on her legs.

Thea cleared her throat. "Maybe."

"They're… hot. But they're not very professional." He reached forward, placing his palm flat on her right thigh. "Don't you have problems keeping a job?"

Irritation prickled at her, but she kept herself composed. "Not many places are so small minded that a few pretty pictures inked on my skin would stop my ability to work. And if they believed they would, then they wouldn't be a place worth working."

Niall snorted his amusement. "You'd have to cover up if you worked for my firm."

"Well, good thing I don't work for your firm."

"The septum ring would have to go, too." A smug smile, his fingers beginning to stoke up her thigh. "I've never met a faerie with piercings. Aren't you all allergic to metal?"

Thea's cheeks began aching with how forced her smile was. "They're fae-friendly gold."

She luckily had a high tolerance to iron, which was a common allergy amongst the Fae. Other metals didn't really bother her as much, but she still preferred the fae-friendly coated gold, or sometimes even plastic jewellery for her piercings.

"I'm a waitress, by the way. If you're interested at all." She'd been a waitress for a total of three hours, two years ago, before she'd been fired. In her defence, the boss had touched her butt without permission. She'd punched him just as her father had taught her, and then she'd stolen his car and scrapped it for more money than her shift would have made her, anyway.

"Hmm." He was clearly no longer paying any attention to what she was saying, his hand sliding further up her thigh to disappear beneath her skirt.

Thea grabbed his wrist, and his head jerked up with annoyance. "We've only just met. Can't a girl finish her drink first?" she asked, keeping her tone relaxed.

He hadn't even asked her name. How rude.

"A drink I bought." His irritation was on the edge of anger, his fingers digging in hard enough she was sure he'd bruise if she didn't calm him down. "Surely you can show me your appreciation?"

Any guilt at what she was about to do disappeared into thin air. Not that she ever really felt guilt, not when she chose her marks carefully. She tried to target those that wouldn't miss the money. Who'd be able to replace the items without struggling financially.

She didn't actually care if Niall would be affected financially or not. He was an arsehole .

"And how would I show my appreciation?" she asked, lifting his glass. He watched, the arrogance returning as she pressed her lips to the rim in what she hoped was a seductive fashion. "Oh sorry, this one's yours."

She straightened her arm so her sleeve covered the top slightly, the powder she kept there falling perfectly into the amber liquid. He was too busy staring at her to notice, and within seconds of him drinking, the hand that was gripping at her skin loosened.

Thea dramatically gasped when he slumped forward, head knocking over her glass as he swayed.

"Sir, are you okay?" She slipped her hand inside his jacket, removing his wallet while everyone else was distracted by the spill. His watch came next, and then the golden ring on his right hand. "Can someone call him a taxi? He's clearly had too much to drink."

The powder was nothing but ground up valerian root and a few secret ingredients she'd bought from the market. After a few hours' sleep, he'd be fine – probably.

Standing from the stool, she pulled down her skirt, fighting the urge to kick at him. He looked up at her, pupils blown wide and with no recollection of the last few hours. His mouth gaped open, words slurring together as someone approached to help.

Stealing was like walking the edge of a blade, knowing she was taking something from someone else. Even better when she took from someone who didn't need it. Like Mr O'Reilly, who'd entered the bar with an air of superiority that called to be humbled. He waltzed in with a few of his work colleagues, speaking down to the staff as if they were beneath him while flashing his expensive watch and bad attitude.

It was addictive, that rush. The ability to inconvenience someone, because she knew he'd immediately replace everything. But for a day or two, he'd be pissed.

"Hope you feel better soon," she whispered to him with a wink, stepping away just as one of his work colleagues approached. The commotion hadn't brought too much attention to her as she slipped into the crowd, content to watch and wait. Because the bar was full of the same type of people as Mr O'Reilly, it wouldn't take long before she caught the eye of her next target.

JAX

Jax watched from the corner, nerve twitching in his jaw. Thea's laughter echoed around him despite how loud it was, an enchanting sound that had his beast wanting to howl in song.

She was currently flirting with the second man in the space of an hour. She'd been there longer, he was sure of it. But in the time he'd been watching, she'd only consumed the smallest amount of alcohol, despite half a dozen empty glasses in front of her. She was subtle in the way she emptied them, making the men believe she was far drunker than she was.

Jax cocked his head, unable to pick up her conversation amongst everything else. Nectar was an upscale bar, their clientele usually those just finishing work off the financial district. Jax stood out amongst the suits, but he wasn't exactly trying to blend in. It didn't matter if she saw him, because she'd taken something that belonged to him. And he was going to get it back.

He allowed himself to memorise every curve of her body, the dress she'd chosen is tight. The fabric criss-crossed over her breasts to leave a triangle of tattooed sternum on display. It was shaped to expose the entirety of her shoulders and neck, with contrasting long sleeves. Then there were her legs, dressed in heels that emphasised their long length. She was tall, much taller than the prick she was currently working on.

A few more tattoos were stamped on the fair skin of her shins and thighs, bringing his eyes down to the short hem. He'd found her immediately in the crowd, naturally drawn to her even when he was looking for brown, or even pink hair, not blonde.

With her make-up soft, accentuating her larger eyes and high cheekbones commonly found on the Fae, she looked – fuck – like a woman he'd happily devour while the world burned around them.

Having watched her for long enough, he began moving closer, not wanting to give her the opportunity to run. Not that he wouldn't find her again.

He stopped when he stood behind her, forcing his eyes to the man sitting on the stool to her right. The guy stuttered mid-sentence, eyes widening at the silent threat.

"Robbie, are you okay?" Thea asked, reaching over to grip his wrist, right over his watch.

Jax jerked his head to the side, and the man almost tripped on his own feet to follow the instruction. Thea jumped to stand, stiffening when she backed up against him.

"Oh, excuse…" Her words drifted as she turned, the skin on her cheeks flushing a warm pink. "What are you doing here?"