5. Raven

5

RAVEN

I walked through the museum, intently studying the paintings. This was one of my favorite parts of the job. Being surrounded by all this priceless art was an incredible feeling. And to think, in just a few hours, one of these amazing pieces would be all mine. I just hadn't decided which one yet.

I cocked my head to the side as I studied the painting in front of me. It was slightly crooked. Most people wouldn't even notice, but the longer I stared at it, the more it bothered me. I was itching to cross the rope barrier and fix it.

"Do you like Cézanne?"

I turned, staring into the gorgeous blue eyes of the man who had been following me around the museum. Though, he thought I didn't notice him.

"I do."

Dressed in a tailored suit with dark, slicked-back hair, he was as smooth as butter. His tie alone had to have cost at least five hundred dollars. And his shoes, I nearly cringed when I saw them. Yes, they were designer and nice, but they weren't at all my style, and sadly, he wouldn't be able to take them to prison with him.

"What's your favorite piece?"

"Actually, I don't have one. I prefer another artist, but you don't carry his work here."

He grinned at me. "You caught me. I'm the owner of the gallery."

"I know." I held out my hand, waiting for him to take it. "Paul O'Ryan. I've heard of you before."

"Really? Does my reputation precede me?" he grinned. His white teeth sparkled in the bright room. As he wrapped his hand around mine, I got the distinct feeling that he did this more times than not.

"Only for the gallery. I heard it's the best in the city."

"I try to find the best pieces while keeping the collection small enough for a person to enjoy in one day, but still want to come back to look again."

I smiled bashfully at him, letting my curls fall in front of my shoulders, hiding my face. This guy was such an easy target. I did my research on him over the past day. He liked his women leggy, in tight pencil skirts and revealing blouses. And the heels…always red. I gave him exactly what he wanted, and that's all it took to draw his attention.

Oh, and one other detail.

I wore his favorite perfume.

"I was here yesterday," I said, smiling at him. "You're right. The pieces are amazing. I had to come back to see them again."

"So, who's your favorite artist?"

I smiled coyly at him. "I'll tell you over a drink."

"I don't even know your name."

"That's because you never asked."

His lips split into a wide grin as he glanced at the floor. "Would you tell me your name?"

I pretended to think about it before answering. "Penelope. But my closest friends call me Penny."

"That's a beautiful name. It matches the woman it belongs to."

This man was a smooth talker. If I wasn't about to rob him, I might actually be interested in him for a fun time before I moved on to my next job.

"So, about that drink…"

"How about tomorrow night?"

"I would, but it would have to be halfway around the country. I'm leaving tomorrow morning on a business trip."

"That's a shame. I have a meeting tonight."

I sighed heavily, knowing this was my chance to get him. "Well, it was nice to meet you." I stepped up to him, pressing my hand lightly against his chest as I leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his lips. Then I hovered for just a second. "Maybe some other time."

I stepped back and turned to walk away, not sparing him a second glance. A smile quirked my lips as I counted down in my head. And right on cue…

"Penny!" I stopped but didn't turn around. "I could probably move that meeting."

I slowly turned and grinned at him. "What time do you get off?"

He chuckled, shaking his head slightly.

"I'll be back at closing."

With a wink, I headed for the door. But my mind was still on that crooked piece of art.

I spent the next few hours preparing for the job. I needed to grab a few things from my stash back at the motel. Then I packed a bag with a change of clothes and the gear I needed. Laying all the tools out on my bed, I made sure each one was polished thoroughly before packing it.

I glanced at the clock, watching the minutes tick down until it was time to go. I was supposed to meet Paul at the museum, and when I arrived, he was just walking outside.

I flirted and did the whole kissing cheeks thing, even though I wanted to wipe my lips afterward. He told stories that were supposed to make me laugh, but failed. I pretended he was the funniest man I knew and played along accordingly. All I needed was his keycard to get back in the museum.

Just as we headed down the sidewalk, he slid the keycard clip off his lapel and slid it into his right-hand pocket. We walked for about two blocks, and slowly, I made my way closer to him. My hand tangled with his, and at the same time, he tried to raise his arm.

I laughed as I slid my arm through Paul's. My fingers brushed against the pocket where I saw him slide his keycard earlier. I gently slid two fingers inside his pocket, lifting the badge with ease.

"Oh, no!" I laughed, stepping away from him. "I think I stepped in dog poop," I said, contorting my body to look at the bottom of my heels. I slipped the badge into my pocket as he bent over and looked for me.

"I don't see anything. False alarm," he grinned as he stood up.

"Thank goodness. Should we stop at this cafe?"

"I thought you wanted a drink."

"Yes, but I didn't specify which kind," I chuckled.

The man was smitten with me. Of course, he was this smooth with all the ladies. I'd seen it when I walked through the doors of his gallery. He just happened to focus on me.

We walked into the cafe, sitting at a corner table. I did the whole flirtatious song and dance, trying my best not to rearrange everything in the cafe. It was chaos. One of the employees was walking around, wiping down tables. When she finished, everything was thrown back on the table in the most haphazard manner.

I forced myself to focus on the main objective, which was to distract this man until I could make my move. We drank coffee and ate scones. The crumbs drove me crazy, but again, I did my best to ignore them.

Thankfully, just as I was about to fake a phone call, he received one. It sounded urgent, and I was worried he would head back to the museum, but when he got off the phone, he said he had to go to his sister's.

"Oh, that's too bad. Well, it was nice of you to show me a good time."

He hesitated as he was about to walk out the door, but finally left. I followed him out, watching as he went in the opposite direction. When I was sure he was really gone, I headed back to the museum. Night was starting to fall and I still had a few hours until I had to go back. I changed in my car and waited a few blocks away, only leaving when I hit the designated time Rafe had mentioned.

Grabbing my tools, I headed for the back entrance. Dressed in head-to-toe black, no one would be able to tell who I was. I pulled out my portable device and clipped into the security box. In just a few seconds, I had the system offline. Of course, it would trigger the alarm, but that's what I was supposed to do. The response time was five minutes, so I hustled inside, heading to the main gallery where one of the world's rarest diamonds was on display from an Indian dynasty. I broke the glass and snatched the diamond, shoving it into the protective pouch I hid in my pants.

I rushed to the front, stopping only in front of the Cézanne, straightening it about five times before it was perfect. Satisfied, I headed for the back door, then pulled off my gloves and casually walked away. Two minutes later, I heard the sirens in the distance. But by then, I was already walking into a bar.