A Thief for the CEO

Chapter 5: In Exchange

Riley's POV

The guards get me into a car with tinted windows. Theo turns the van around and sits next to me. As soon as he settles in, the car starts.

“Where are you taking me?" I ask.

He doesn't answer right away. His gaze is lost in the emptiness of the night that passes before us. For a moment, he seems to sigh and then looks at me. His expression is almost bored.

“We need a quiet place to talk," is all he says.

His seriousness intrigues me, but even more his intentions. We spend some time in silence. My heart skips every other beat but as best, I can I try to stay calm, to think what I can do in case I have to flee.

Sadly, there don't seem to have many options for me to escape at this point.

After a seemingly endless amount of time, the car finally stops, in front of the Four Seasons Hotel.

What the hell are we doing here?

Immediately my skin crawls. The man next to me gets out of the car like it's nothing and starts walking in front of me. The two big guys with him make me get out of the car.

I follow them without much encouragement as we enter the hotel and try to remain calm, but anxiety creeps up my body and makes me clench my hands so tightly that I almost feel like it could draw blood.

Inside the hotel, everything is a luxurious atmosphere. It almost feels like a dream. We move in silence, with no one stopping us, and Theo gets into an elevator.

The escorts push me into the elevator. I watch it rise to the top floor, to the Ty Warner Penthouse.

This man must be worth a fortune. I can't imagine what kind of person would spend over a thousand dollars on a luxury hotel room just to "talk".

Or maybe he doesn't really want to talk, I think as I follow him.

“Leave us alone," Theo orders the guards. They nod to him and leave the room.

At another time, I might stop to admire the majesty of the room, but right now all I can think about is this man's intentions.

What does he want from me?

“Have a seat," he asks me.

I obey reluctantly. I sit in a comfortable armchair and watch him pacing back and forth. Theo takes off his tie, jacket and vest. He puts something on a table. A pocket watch, I notice.

Everything about it looks strange, as if it's old-fashioned. Maybe he grew up watching Victorian-era shows and now boasts expensive and particular tastes. Who knows what the rich spend their time on?

While I'm thinking, about it he goes into the bathroom. He comes out with a towel in his hands and hands it out to me. As I take it, I notice that it is damp and warm.

“We're going to talk like decent people, but for that I need you to take off all the makeup you're wearing. I can't concentrate with your face looking like that," he says.

I scowl at him and stand up.

“May I have a moment?" I ask him.

I see the bathroom and he understands immediately nodding.

I walk straight to the bathroom and close the door. Only inside do I stop to breathe. Theo's guards have taken my cell phone, so I can't let Cleo know I'm okay, but at the very least, I can buy time.

I quickly look around me. There is nothing I can defend myself against this man with. After a little snooping around I decide to take a small bottle of perfume, because I know that in case he gets too confident with me, I can spray it in his eyes and buy some time to think about how to escape.

Finally, and knowing that I can't spend the night locked in the bathroom of this luxury hotel, I look in the mirror and begin the task of removing the elaborate makeup that Cleo has done for me.

I peel the layers and layers of concealer off my face and remove the prosthetic eyebrows, nose and chin that made me look completely different.

When I'm done, I don't look so much like an anonymous young man as I look like me again. The lifelong gray eyes look back at me with fear, but also, full of determination.

I nod, run my hands through my hair to dampen it and leave the bathroom.

Across the room, I see Theo. He's behind the bar, preparing some sort of cocktail. His eagle eyes are fixed on me and he gives a whistle of admiration.

“Impressive. You look like someone else."

“That was kind of the idea," I affirm with a grimace and he gestures to me.

“Come. Come closer. Let's talk."

I obey without any complaints. It seems that this man is used to be followed in everything he says.

“What will you have?" he asks.

“Nothing," I answer.

He grimaces with his lips.

“Dialogues are much better with a drink in hand, they say. They help people relax and deals are closed in a better way.

“In that case, apple juice," I ask.

He looks at me curiously. He raises an eyebrow and leaves his hands resting on the bar. I sigh.

“I don't like the taste of liquor," I lie. Actually, it's all to do with my father. I can't tolerate liquor because I hate people who drink, just like him.

“Interesting."

Theo nods and moves behind the bar. He pulls out a glass bottle filled with juice. He sets it down in front of me along with a glass.

I help myself to just wait.

“What do you want from me?" I ask.

“The truth," he answers resolutely.

He pours himself the drink he had been preparing. The liquid is clear and he garnishes it with a slice of lemon.

“And why do you want to know the truth?"

“Call me crazy, or just curious, but I think the truth says a lot about people." He shrugs.

Well, he does seem to be crazy. Or at least, he's a very eccentric guy.

“In that case, why are you interested in hearing it from me?"

“Because you stole from me. Or at least, you tried to," he smiles enigmatically. I keep thinking that his face resembles a cat chasing a particularly appetizing prey.

Of course, I don't like to think of myself as prey.

“And there must be a compelling reason why you tried to steal from me."

“I told you, my sister is in danger. I need the money."

“Ah, but if it's about money... Why not someone else? There are thousands of pickpockets in the world, running here and there while stealing belongings from people of all kinds. But, the question is, why were you interested in stealing from me specifically?"

This man definitely thinks things through. Unable to help myself, I sigh.

“I don't know. You seemed like a guy with enough money to solve my problem."

He clicks his tongue and shakes a finger. He moves slowly and goes to sit on a couch across from me.

“A lot of people have money in this town. Some, almost as much as me," he smiles in a smug, dangerous way."

He crosses his legs and glares at me.

“You could have robbed one of them. Given enough time, you'd have found some sucker you could have coaxed out of a good chunk of change," he says.

“I know. But I don't have time for that," I answer automatically, unable to shut up and tired of his games.

“Exactly," he leans towards me and looks at me with interest. “And due to the fact that you didn't know who I was as soon as you saw me and everything that has happened, I could swear that you didn't have much time to prepare yourself. What's more, I could even believe that someone sent you specifically to steal from me."

“So what if that was the case?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

“If so, we have a friend in common. Or maybe even a common enemy."

He smiles, as if he has hit the heart of the matter, but only manages to confuse me.

But Theo doesn't seem to notice. He leans against the back of the chair, takes a sip of his drink and looks at me with analytical eyes.

“So... here's the deal," he starts to say. “You're going to tell me the whole truth about what happened. And I remind you in a gentle way that I have the means to know if you are lying or not, so I recommend you not to keep quiet about it."

“What's in it for me if I tell you the truth?" I ask, knowing that there is something between the lines in the middle of his words.

The smile on his lips widens. Somehow, he looks victorious.

“If you give me what I want, I'll give you something in return," he answers.

“And what will that be?" I ask, intrigued.

“Simple," he crosses his legs once again and looks at me intently. “The solution to all your problems."