Thief of Mine (14 page)

“Well clearly, I don’t have it.” Stella spread her hand
spread out, empty of everything but her car keys. The park was crowded with
healthy people doing the fitness thing and families doing the togetherness
thing. It was a nice big patch of green in a crazy city.

“But Kit does.” Camille looked at the woman speculatively.
How far could she push her she wondered?

Stella looked at the redhead with deadpan eyes. She could
think what she liked. She was getting no information out of Stella. That Kit
was a liar was undoubted. However, she wasn’t about to rat on him to this
nutcase.

“I wouldn’t have a clue what Kit does and doesn’t have.”

“You’re his woman.” Camille watched as the woman stiffened
slightly, betraying her feelings. She could tell there was a story there.

“No, I’m not.” The sooner this “witch” dealt with that the
better. Stella herself would deal with the issue later herself.

“You’re with Kit.”

Stella hated explaining herself to anyone let alone people
she didn’t like.

“No, it was nothing more than a one night stand.” Even
saying those words made Stella feel slightly sad. Was that all it really was?
It seemed so much more. Yet she knew it was unrealistic to think otherwise.

“I don’t believe you.” This one had fallen hard for Kit.
Camille understood that only too well.

“I don’t care what you believe.”

“I saw the way Kit looked at you,” Camille said wondering
what he saw in this woman. She was attractive, but nothing extraordinary. Kit
stole rare and beautiful things for a living. Why her? Camille’s interest was
piqued. “You are special to him.”

“Look Camille, if this is some sort of jealousy thing, you
can have him.” Even as she said the words she hated the thought of this woman
or any other with Kit. But eventually another woman would be and she had to get
over it. As for Stella, she had already decided not to have sex again. It was
all too complicated and emotional for her. “I’m not fighting for him.”

“Get me the idol.”

“Give me a break.” Stella wasn’t about to be ordered about
by this drag queen. “What is it with you people? It’s a figure that belongs to
history. You can’t buy and sell that.”

“You don’t understand,” Camille told her dismissively.

“And you know what? I don’t want to.” Although the concept
of greed was not hard to comprehend.

“It’s a fertility goddess.”

Stella already knew that. Kit had told her the same thing.

“Are you looking to get pregnant, Camille? Raise you own
little coven of medieval throwbacks?”

Camille smiled at her words. Attitude had its place. But it
did not hurt or deter her from her purpose.

“I want the power within the idol.”

“You know you could probably get that eating an energy bar
for breakfast.”

“You held it in yours hands. What did you feel?” Camille
could tell by the look in her eyes she had felt something unaccountable.

Stella had felt something but she was not going to say what.
The less this one knew that better.

“I felt it belonged back with its people.”

“Her people have no concept of how to appreciate her.”

“And you do?” Stella sighed tiredly. She was well and truly
over chatting with Camille. There were just so many megalomaniacs you could
deal with in one day.

Camille looked at Stella Rowallan. This was not a happy
woman. And it had nothing to do with their meeting.

“Kit has really hurt you hasn’t he?”

“We’re not doing the sisterly bonding thing so just forget
it.” Stella had no intention of crying over Kit with this woman.

“He will come back to you.” That much Camille knew. Kit was
not someone who would turn his back on true love.

“And I will shut the door in his face.” Why was she even
discussing Kit with this woman? Probably because it was the one topic that was
constantly on Stella’s mind.

“If I hurt Kit, would be you upset?” Camille assessed her
thoughtfully.

“No.” Of course Stella would be but admitting weakness to
this woman was the last thing she wanted to do as people like Camille thrived
on the fear and weakness of others.

“You’re a liar.”

“And you’re a cow.” Stella had had enough. She had better
things to do than stand and talk to Camille. “Is this what this I ‘hold his
life in my hands’ crap comes from?”

“You do,” Camille told her. “Kit loves you.” And that meant
he would do anything for Stella Rowallan. That was how she would get back the
idol.

“Kit loves money.” Stella had to remember that as first and
foremost.

“Get me the idol and I will not hurt him.”

Stella weighed up the threat and found it wanting. Yes,
Camille wanted the idol. But as for hurting Kit, she doubted it. Deep down,
Camille still loved Kit and that kind of love never died.

“Well, this had been truly dramatic, Camille. And great
dress, by the way. You know, I don’t know why more designers aren’t doing the
creepy, medieval witch thing. But I must be going.”

“Kit will die if you do not get me the idol.”

A cold shiver ran down Stella’s spine. The woman meant it.
Whether she carried the threat out was another thing.

“Are we done here?”

“Choose wisely, Stella Rowallan.”

* * * * *

“Oh for God’s sake. Haven’t I dealt with you people enough
today?” Stella tried to close her front door on Kit Kincaid.

“Let me in, Stella.” Kit knew he could quite easily shove
the door open, demanding entry, but he did not want to push Stella any further
away than he already had.

Stella knew she had no option but to let Kit in. She didn’t
want to be conducting her personal business out on the doorstep with the
neighbors overhearing that she had sex with a thief who had slept with a witch
to steal a priceless artifact to sell for a huge amount of money. At the moment
her life could beat a television soap opera any day. And she didn’t want the
Police turning up on her doorstep on an anonymous tip, to test her skill at
lying.

“Whatever this is, make it quick.” Stella walked into her
lounge room and waited to hear whatever he had to say. Hopefully it would be
quick and painless and she could get on with her life.

“You know we have to talk, princess.” Kit had spent a
sleepless night wondering how to get Stella back in his life. He could not even
concentrate on business. And that had never happened before. The pursuit of
Stella was much more important than the pursuit of money. She was now his main
priority in life.

“Okay, all I have to say is Camille wants to kill you over
the idol.”

“You saw Camille?” This was not something Kit wanted to
hear. Camille was a loose cannon.

“She summoned me. She said I hold your life in my hands or
some other dramatic drivel.”

Kit smiled softly at Stella. She could deny it all she liked
but she loved him. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have gone to see Camille to find
out why she was threatening his life. It gave Kit hope. He couldn’t care less
how long they had known each other. Love happened and it wasn’t to be thrown
away on technicalities.

“You were worried about me.”

“No, I just remembered what you said about her maiming you
and I thought I would just check out what she had to say.”

“As a public service.”

Stella always felt suddenly warm when she was alone in a
room with Kit. She wanted to believe it was early onset menopause and not that
she wanted him on her and in her and a part of her. She was over him—well,
pretty much.

“I would do that for anyone.” Depending entirely on who the
person was, of course, but Kit did not need to know this. He knew more than
enough about her.

“Would you?” Kit would be more than happy to sweep Stella
into his arms and kiss away whatever hurt she was feeling. But now was not the
time. She had her hands on her hips and her stance indicated she would fight
whatever he had to offer. He wanted her to come to him willingly.

“Bottom line is the girl wants the idol. Give it to her, don’t
give it to her, it’s all the same to me. Just leave me out of it.”

“I can’t.” Kit knew that as well as Stella did. They were
not destined to be apart.

“You can. You just never darken my doorstep again.”

“I love you, princess.”

“And I love vanilla ice cream but that does not mean it’s
good for me.” As much as Stella wanted to believe he loved her, she couldn’t.
Maybe it had a lot to do with the fact she had never been loved in any way by
anyone one. Maybe it was the whole timing of meeting him. Maybe she was just
scared. Whatever it was, survival instincts told her to go carefully with her
heart.

Kit sighed in frustration. He wanted to be back with Stella.
His heart and soul demanded it.

“If I give Camille the idol will you be happy?”

“Yes…no, don’t give it to that nutcase. She probably has all
sorts of wacky things she plans to do with it—world domination, decorative
doorstoppers. She’s nuts. Just take it back to the museum.”

“Will you trust me if I do?” At this moment Kit would do
anything to gain Stella’s trust.

Kit didn’t understand that it was the right thing to do. He
had a different set of values from Stella. He was in things to get things. If
he returned the idol he expected Stella to return to him. She knew he wanted to
be with her. But there was still that issue of trust between them and trust was
hard to give when the one time you believed someone’s promise they broke it.

“Kit, this thing that sprang up between us was wild and
exciting, but it’s over. It’s not meant to continue. It’s like wildfire, it has
burnt itself out.” Her words were lies, of course, but she had to say them just
the same. This whole thing with Kit had shaken her little world pretty badly
and Stella needed to get some perspective. “I want more than this.” However
wanting more and getting more were two different things. It wasn’t just Kit she
didn’t trust completely. In different circumstances, she could even possibly
accept he was a thief. What she doubted was herself. Was what she was feeling
for Kit just sexual or something more? “I want more than just sex.”

“You know in your heart you are wrong. We have so much more
than sex and you know it. And you can throw that up at me as many times as you
like but it still doesn’t change the way we truly feel about each other.” Kit
knew by the look in her eyes there was no point staying and trying to convince
Stella otherwise. The woman needed time to think.

Stella worried about what might happen if she dropped her
guard and gave in to her thief and he left? Surely it was better to stop the
heartache now before she gave into the feelings that were threatening to spill
over and overwhelm her?

“Good bye, Kit.”

* * * * *

“What the…” One minute Stella had been pulling grocery
shopping out of her car and the next she was…where? Where was this? She tried
to sit up but she realized her hands and legs were bound— she was spread eagled
and tied to some weird stone table she was lying on. And she was naked. Just
the sort of way a woman wanted to wake up in a strange place. Stella raised her
head and looked down at her naked body, seeing weird symbols painted on her
breasts and thighs. What the hell else had happened to her when she was out
cold? Waking up as a naked finger painting was not exactly reassuring.

“Welcome to my home Stella,” Camille said as she glided over
to her, touching the bound woman softly.

Stella flinched under her touch. She was picky who touched
her, especially when she was naked.

“Do you tie everyone up naked and paint on them?” Stella
took in her surroundings. How clichéd was this place? Pictures of the pentacle
symbol on the walls, crystals on shelves and masses of candles that burnt
brightly, casting eerily shadows everywhere. Where did this woman shop? Witches
R Us? And how long had Stella been knocked out? It had been daylight when
Stella had gone shopping, now it was night. Had she been lying naked all that
time? And if so what had this woman been doing to her? The fact that Camille
had caught her was frightening.

“I need Kit to give me the idol. We watched you. We heard
you tell him not to give me the idol, so we know he won’t.”

This freaky woman and her coven of crazies had been staking
out her house?

“I don’t have that much power over Kit, and get your hands off
me.” Camille’s fingers were circling the painted symbols on Stella’s body and
there was not a damn thing she could do about it. The woman may have slept with
Kit but clearly she was interested in anyone. Stella suspected that making her
helpless was some crazy power trip for Camille. Well, power trips did not work
on Stella Rowallan.

“I can see why Kit likes you. You’re very fuckable.”

“I don’t bat for your team, witch woman.” If she didn’t
consider spitting a disgusting habit Stella would have lobbed one right in the
witch’s eye.

Camille slid her fingers down Stella’s legs. She felt the
shiver run through Stella’s body.

“Don’t do that!” Stella yelled out loudly as the woman’s
fingers toyed with her. She was no lesbian and wouldn’t be treated like some
plaything to this demented woman. Okay, the spitting thing now seemed doable.
How did one go about that? Why had she never had the sense to hang out with the
tough girls at school? They always knew how to spit, smoke and swear.

Camille removed her fingers. She did not like the virginal
prudish types. That sort needed to be taught a lesson. She smiled in
anticipation of what she was going to do to this woman.

“Well, we have to persuade you in some way to make Kit give
up the idol.”

“It ain’t going to happen, so just back off, Betty.” Hell,
Stella could have been a tough girl at school if not for the glasses and braces
and acne…

Camille laughed at the woman’s bravado.