1.2 | The Prince of Thieves

Chapter 62

A/N: Welcome to the final chapter of The Prince of Thieves. I hope you'll enjoy :)

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They had gone on their holiday to the various spots they both wanted to share with each other. Hana brought him to Seoul where they shared a macaron croissant in a cozy cafe, the tinkle of the spoons against their cups and the murmur of the other customers the only noise in the shop. Leon had kept stealing glances at his watch, disbelieving of the time.

It was 1.30AM and here they were, drinking coffee and eating pastries in a cafe while a light rain pattered against the windows.

'The last time I was here,' she murmured under her breath with her cup of hot chocolate in her hands, 'it was raining too.'

A slight smile crossed his features at the thought of his wife and her brother dashing to this hidden spot for shelter. It was a wonder they had found it in the first place, for it was tucked discreetly beside a flight of stairs, a warm glow of light from its glass door the only indication that it was open.

'This croissant is nice,' he stated.

The pastry crackled when he pierced it with a fork, but the layers within were soft and chewy. Layered on its top was a coating of baked meringue, and a generous sprinkle of powdered sugar and hazelnuts.

She nodded enthusiastically, her eyes bright.

'But Bouchon's croissants are still my love,' she whispered to him, after casting a careful glance to the counter.

'You have many loves,' he observed with a raised brow.

'Bouchon's my favourite,' she gushed, leaning over to beam in his face.

'Uh huh,' he muttered as he sipped at his coffee.

His back prickled at the scrutiny of the other customers. There were three of them, and it seemed they were regulars or friends for they conversed easily with each other and the barista. By the way they whispered, it seemed they were discussing him and her. Not in a bad way, but one of curious interest in a pair of strangers.

Then she paused and grinned at him.

'You're my favourite too.'

Leon set his cup down and shook his head with a small smile.

'I love how I come after croissants,' he muttered.

Then he brought her to his Grandparent's farm in Krasnodar, where they went traipsing in the forests, helped his grandmother sell pie at the farmer's market, and made friends with the old ladies in the village. He had told her a little of how Ded ran the Krasnodar branch of the Federov bratva from his farmhouse. Unable to let go of his heritage, and not wanting to neglect his farming, Ded had simply combined both into an operation that Uncle Renat aided him with.

Who knew Ded's award-winning cabbages could be conduits of certain goods?

After that, they returned to New York where they had booked themselves a chalet by a beach to enjoy the last of the sun before the colder months set in.

Leon was doing laps down the length of the pool as she watched with a pair of sunglasses perched on her nose. Her float bobbed gently on the surface of the water, close by the pool's edge, while a foot was partially immersed. She had a glass of juice in one hand, the condensation slipping over her fingers and then spattering onto her shirt as she took slow sips.

'You don't want to come in?' he called out when he came to a stop by the edge and pulled off his goggles.

Red rims smudged his under-eyes and he pressed a finger to a spot. Then with a sweep of his arms, he swam over to her, causing her float to wobble precariously. Hana set her glass down, then gripped onto her float for good measure.