The Heartstone Thief (Dragon Eye Chronicles Book 1) by Pippa DaCosta

Author:Pippa DaCosta [DaCosta, Pippa]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Crazy Ace Publishing
Published: 2017-05-24T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Regular coaches did not stop at Agatha’s coach house. Those that did didn’t do so to refresh their horses, but to refresh their paying customers’ carnal needs.

My coach dropped me beside the entrance off Jules Street, tucked away between two high brick walls and hidden behind the neighboring tanner’s hides strung up to dry. As the carriage pulled away, two fresh-faced women and a man I recognized as a regular worker appraised me. I approached through the melting slush. The light from the single oil lamp above the door smothered the color in their clothing. All three were dressed in some of the best tailored outfits Outer Circle Brean gems could buy. Agatha never skimped on her investments.

The three gave me the prerequisite once-over perfected by whores and thieves everywhere, taking in the quality of my shoes, the cut of my cloak, whether I was well groomed, and lastly, the look in my eye. How much was I worth and was I trouble?

“If you be wanting the services of this fine house, sir, you’d best visit by way of the front door,” the woman with powder-blue eyes said. It must have been exceedingly dark for her to misjudge me so spectacularly.

She reconsidered her assessment when I stepped into the light. A frown chased away her fake smile. Trouble, that frown said.

“He’s Agatha’s,” the male said with more warmth than the woman’s greeting. “I’ve seen you here before. Business or pleasure, sir?”

“Business,” I replied before he could latch onto the wrong assumption.

“I’ll escort you. What is your name?”

“No escort required. I know this house well, I assure you.”

I knew each room, each hidden staircase, and each creaking floorboard. It was only when I’d gotten greedy and Agatha’s extended family complained about their missing gems that they discovered they had a thief among them. Agatha sent me out on the street to earn back the money I’d stolen; I went gladly, because otherwise, she’d have used her cleaver to separate my hand from my wrist. Few things motivated a twenty-year-old cocksure thief quite like a madam brandishing a cleaver. As it happened, I’d earned the gems back and more, saving myself from pursuing the same career as my male friend here.

They let me enter with no further challenge. I carried enough familiar swagger to cruise past the people gliding about the reception rooms in their lace and satin finery as they entertained their clients. If Agatha heard me call it a brothel, she would have her cleaver out. This was a respectable Pleasure House, or so she called it. Her clientele—gentile and city guards alike—agreed.

The air smelled of face powder and sweetness, and the lure of familiarity slowed my steps. I had my hand on the stair bannister, about to ascend, when a voice purred in my ear, “What have we done to deserve your esteemed company, sir?”

“Catherine.” I didn’t have to work to smile. She was always a pleasure to see. Catherine knew me from the years when I would peek through her door while she entertained her clients.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.