Page 102 of Lost to Thievery
He walked out of the bathroom, into the museum, people in tuxedoes and fancy gowns milling about. He turned into a corridor, then stopped at the elevator. He made sure no one was watching then got on and pressed the basement floor button. When the elevator doors opened, it was pitch black, except for a glowing yellow path. “Let’s follow the yellow brick road,” Liam chuckled.
“Right arm.” The sudden deep, unfamiliar voice made me jump. We couldn’t see who it was. It was too dark.
A purple light switched on, and Liam’s arm appeared in the frame. The image of a devil glowed on his wrist that wasn’t visible before.
The man patted Liam down, taking his phone and gun, then handed him a flashlight. “You may go through. Watch your step.”
Liam turned the flashlight on, revealing a hole blasted through the basement wall. He laughed excitedly as he stepped into the tunnel. “They made a walkway between the museum and the building next door where the auction is. You know, for privacy.”
Emerie snorted.
Liam switched off his light as he neared the end of the tunnel. He stepped into another basement room, extravagantly decorated in golds and deep royal reds. Priceless art adorned the space—on the walls, on pedestals, in glass boxes. People were roaming around, admiring the art and artifacts, but they were all blurred, completely unidentifiable.
A larger group stood off to the side, crowded around a painting, lifting their hands as the auctioneer rattled off the price.
“Fucking hell,” Owen breathed as he slowly lifted out of his seat, his eyes glued to the video.
“That’s billions…billionsof dollars in stolen items, right there,” Emerie whispered in shock as she took in the room on the projection.
“Welcome to the last Collector’s Auction.” Liam held his arms wide, then laughed. “Oh, I can imagine your faces right now! Well, take a good look. You’ll never see anything like it again. Grayson is bored with it.”
He walked deeper into the room, passing two men who were discussing the auction.
“Why do you think they’re stopping the auctions?” one asked.
“I heard it’s because the Collectors had a fallout with the Underworld King,” the other answered.
Liam snickered. “Morons.” He made his way to the crowd of people betting on the painting. Everyone was blurred, except for one woman in an elegant white gown.
“Gemma,” I breathed.
She turned to us with a smile and winked.
“Sold! For fifty-three million dollars!” I heard the auctioneer say, the crowd clapping through excited murmurs.
Where were Grayson and Hunter?
“That’s a wrap on the auction,” Liam whispered to us as he moved with the small crowd of people. “But I have one last surprise for you.”
He paused at the bar first, to get a drink, downed it, then walked up to the podium where the crowd was waiting. “You guys can’t see it, but man! This place is crawling with perps. Smugglers, thieves, gangsters, you name it. Four of the FBI’s most wanted men are in this room right now.” He laughed. “You guys would’ve had a field day!” He made his way to the front of the crowd. “Eyes open, kids. You’re gonna wanna see this.”
Grayson came walking out onto the stage from behind thick, red velvet curtains. He sauntered to the edge of the podium, his head high. I half expected to see more scars after our altercation, but his face was flawless, completely healed.
He lazily tugged at the cuff of his black suit as his eyes drifted over each face in the crowd, looking almost bored.
I swallowed hard.
I had never seen him like this. He looked like a god, quiet power radiating off him as he stared down his nose at the people beneath him.
For the first time, I really comprehended the name he was given.King of the Underworld.For the first time, I understood it,feltit.
The crowd was silent, waiting on him to speak.
“I have a special guest for you. In a special art performance. Put together by yours truly.” His voice slithered up my spine, my body breaking out in goosebumps.
The thick curtains parted behind him, revealing a statue of sorts on a pedestal. The crowd started clapping, but it quickly died off, replaced by low murmurs rippling through the space.
“That’s a human,” Syntax said, squinting at the footage on the wall.
