The Thief's Stolen Heart

Chapter Eleven

Reece couldn't fall asleep. He laid in bed staring at the ceiling, his mind stuck on this evening.

He kept seeing Lynn's blue dress swirling around as they danced, her bright green eyes shining as they talked. Her soft hands in his, her blush when he complimented her.

Every time Reece closed his eyes he was there dancing with her again, like it was a dream that was too good to ever forget.

As he laid there, he realized that he was beginning to fall for Adalynn Caine. Shit.

* * *

Reece woke up late the next day, bone tired from last night. He was up too late to wake up any time before ten.

He rubbed his face and stared up at the ceiling. He was going to have to see Adalynn today. And the next day. After his realization last night, he knew that being around her now was going to be difficult to say the least.

He finally found the energy to get up and get dressed. When he walked into the living area of the guest suite, his grandfather was stiffly sitting in a chair and he gave his grandson a cold stare.

"Reece. Come sit."

He had prepared himself for this, but he still didn't want to hear it. He begrudgingly sat down.

"I have Mr. Caine's trust. I have landed in a place where our job is the easiest. Stealing all we can and leaving. As for you, you have gotten nowhere. And that is unacceptable. This Adalynn Caine was difficult from the beginning, but now I'm only seeing laziness and hesitation from you."

"Grandfather, I have seen no evidence that Adalynn has her own stash of money. My other targets were given piles of it, loads of jewelry, they were spoiled beyond belief. Adalynn doesn't have anything for me to take."

Mr. Graves was furious. "That sounds like quitting talk to me, boy, and I will not have it. I have worked hard for this job, and you will not be the one to ruin it. Find Miss Caine's fortune, bug her phone to learn more, search her room. Do anything. Just get to work. I'm tired of waiting for you, and I'm not walking away from this job with less money than I planned."

Reece knew there was no arguing with the old man. "Yes sir." He finally brought himself to say.

"Good. Now get to work. I've already set a few things in motion."

Reece left without another word. He wanted to punch something. Particularly his grandfather's crooked old face. He wanted to get in his car and drive away to anywhere away from here. Last night he told Adalynn that he wasn't going to hurt her. And he was heading toward doing just that.

* * *

Lynn was out by the pool for the hundredth time that week, it seemed. She was determined to swim, to get over her fear of water. She let out a slow breath. "Okay, here we go."

She lowered herself into the pool and stood frozen to the spot as she looked at the rest of the pool. The deeper end. Right now the water was at her chest, but at least she could still stand.

"It's just water. It's just a little pool." She whispered. She took a step forward, but stopped again. "It's water. I'm scared of water."

Lynn turned back and grabbed onto the edge, taking in deep breaths as she closed her eyes. "You're fine, Lynn. You could swim when you were seven. Come on."

She finally faced the water again. "Good start." She whispered. She began moving forward slowly, determined to make it. The water crept up her body as it grew deeper. She stopped when it was at her chin. "Don't panic."