'HALE' Gabby and I cried. Ben had stumbled back slightly and Nick had caught him. Other guests were turning around at the commotion caused.
'Get him out of here' I hissed to Gabby and Nick. They nodded and carted Hale off before more trouble could be caused. 'I'm so sorry' I said to Ben
'It's fine' Ben said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, causing blood spats to stain it.
'Let's get you cleaned up' I began to pull him towards an exit, as we were leaving I caught my Grandmother's angry and embarrassed gaze. I dropped my head and continued walking. The corridor was full of waiters and servants fluttering around. Two particular servants caught my eye.
'The Two Gallows, really boys?' I snapped, Hamish and Angus shrugged
'It was worth a try' Angus sighed
'Hello Ben' Hamish said bluntly
'Hey boys' Despite his bloodied jaw, Ben still managed to smile
'Which way did they go?' I asked
'Follow us' The boys turned around and walked further down to where it became quieter, they then turned sharply into a side room. It was dim and dusty, dust cloths covered the furniture. The only light came from the opened curtains, the moon slicing into the space.
'What were you thinking?' I hissed as I moved towards Hale who stood prompted up against the sofa
'I thought he was Jamie' He grumbled
'Well he isn't' I snapped 'If you took a break from being this over protective asshole that you've now become, we would have had a chance to explain!' I snapped. Hale laughed
'We're all over protective Kat! You're different to the girl that robbed the Henley, or the cleopatra emarald' He paused 'you aren't the girl that came to my house' he shook his head 'you aren't the girl I left with'
'Kat' I turned to Ben who was standing by the fireplace 'What's going on?'
'I joined the magicians' I stated, Ben tensed and faced me squarely
'Are you for real?' He asked 'After everything they did!' His voice boomed around the small room
'I'm trying to fix it!' I exclaimed
'They killed your mother and my father Kat! You seriously joined them?' His voice broke slightly
'I needed to know, I needed-'
'Jamie?' Ben finished off for me. At my silence he ran his hand through his hair 'Jesus, Kat. You still have the act for making us worry'
'Who are you?' Hale asked. I could see Gabby roll her eyes and the brothers share a look.
'AHHH' I screamed in frustration. I turned to face Hale. 'Ben and Jamie are twins. Both our families hold titles here. When I was younger and not on a heist, I was growing up here' I gestured around the room
'Kat taught me and Jay about stealing' He chuckled 'Jamie was stupid enough to get caught one time'
'I remember that' Gabby added, then she looked at me 'That was the last thing on his record, other than that, he's a ghost' I nodded and turned back to Hale.
'This is my father's lifestyle. I walked away from this life to be with my proper family. I buried everything I had to do here with my mother' I looked out the window,, the city was silent, the small lighthouse could be seen shining its beam rhythmically on one side of the view. I gave a small shiver. Something was familiar. This view.
'Turn the light on' I ordered. Someone did what I asked and I looked around the space in a new way, not the way a thief would, but a little kid wanting to find the perfect hiding place in a game.
'Kat…' Ben began, he too looked at the room as if looking back in time. As if bringing the room back to life.
'What's this room?' Angus asked
'Mine' I whispered. The darkness had concealed the little bed in one corner. A doll's house laid bare and abandoned. I ran my hand along the wooden frame, I closed my eyes and could imagine myself as a little girl playing with a doll strapped to the roof of this doll house planning my first heist. And then I remembered it…
'So while you distract one of the guards, me and Gabby will enter through the air duct' I announced proudly
'Hey, what about me?' Jamie pouted
'You get to keep watch' Gabby giggled
'Unfair! I'm a way better distraction that Ben'
'Snooze you loose buddy' Ben playfully punched Jamie 'Besides, it's Katie's plan, she decides what we do' Ben smiled at me and I beamed back at him.
'Everyone understand?' I asked. They nodded 'Okay, so now-' before I got to finish, my father burst through my bedroom door, I had never seen him like this before, he looked worried and angry. My grandmother was following him, tears rolling down her face.
'We're leaving girls' he ordered
'Why!' I groaned
'We're leaving!' He bellowed.
'You will regret this Robert' My grandmother warned
'Katarina will not be involved in your scheme! She needs to be with family!'
'She is with family!'
'Not your kind'
I remember that I had never used the doll house properly for many years before that day, but we used it to plan out heist. A bunch of teenagers being something they weren't. Gabby came with me to stay with my grandmother for a week while the rest of the family was on a heist. I remember that that was the last time I stayed at my grandmother's house. I never got to complete that first heist. I remember the journey home, how silent my father was. Once we landed, the rest of the family was there...apart from my mom. Gabby went away with her mom, Uncle Eddie and dad took me back to the house. I remember sitting on my chair; Eddie next to me and my father opposite me. I remember them telling me that mom wasn't going to come home. I remember crying on what was her bed. Sometime during the night Jamie had taken a flight, he'd brought some liquor and we sat, our backs against the wall staring at the rain spitting outside.
'I can't believe she's gone'
'She's in a better place now'
'Will you stay with me?' I turned to the boy whose shoulder I've been crying on.
'Of course Katie' He smiled and I smiled.
'Promise you'll never disappear and leave me' I said hopefully. He thought for a moment
'I promise. Trust me' We stared into each other's eyes he before kissed me on my forehead. We went to sleep. The next morning I woke up to an empty room and a simple note
Trust Me.
Somehow I've never been able to trust anyone truly since.
'We never got to do that heist, did we?' I chuckled
'No' Gabby gave a sad smile 'It would have worked'
'What were we going to steal anyway?' Ben asked bewildered. I snapped out of my gaze and stared at Gabby. She came to the same realisation as me.
'The necklace' We said at the same time 'We planned to steal the Ali Van Peor necklace'
