Pickpocketing Love

Pickpocketing Love

Maire Scully

Prologue

Luca – 16 years old

"Go away." I try to slap the annoying person who is trying to get me out of bed.

"Ouch," Aurora yells, when my brotherly response hits the mark. "Get up, Luca. We are going to be late. Mom wants me to make sure you are on time for Mass."

"Stop talking you little brat. Go away," I growl, pulling the covers over my head and borrow deeper into the feather mattress. She tugs at the blankets and punches me with her tiny fists, doing no damage, but annoying the hell out of me.

"Luca, Mom will lose it if we are late for church again. You've been late the last two weeks. Mom, Dad, and Max left a while ago." Why couldn't they have left Max here instead of Aurora? He is less of a pain and would gladly skip church with me. Aurora, on the other hand, is the perfect child. She gets away with everything being the girl and being the youngest. Her nine-year-old puppy dog eyes work wonders on my parents. But Max and I get the brunt of our parent's displeasure. I can't even be mad at them, because I've fallen for her tricks just as often.

"Ugh," I mutter, throwing the covers aside. "Fine. Give me a second to change."

Grinning, knowing she has won, she scurries away, leaving to get changed. I open the blackout curtains and my large room is flooded with bright light. I take refuge in my large walk in closet. Digging through my clothes, I find black pants and a button-down shirt. It won't pass mom's inspection as suitable church wear, but I don't have time to be picky. Aurora was right about me being late for church the past two weekends, and if there was a surefire way to get on Mom's wrong side, it's being late for Church. It's almost worse than not showing up at all.

"Shit," I mumble, checking the time on my cell. Slipping on my shoes, I race down the stairs and find Aurora sitting at the kitchen table, playing with the trim on her light blue dress. Jerking my thumb toward the garage, I say, "Time to go." I grab my keys off the counter.

Aurora rolls her eyes. "Oh, now you are ready, and I have to rush." She grumbles but hurries toward the garage, more scared of Mom's wrath than I am. The garage lights turn on automatically when I open the door, and before me I see our luxury cars lined up in the large six-car garage. I eye the lovely black BMW with tan leather seats that had been my sixteenth birthday gift, and I love it more than I could any girl. It purred and drove like a dream. I've only had it a few months and have kept it spotless. An achievement since my room looks like a bomb went off ninety percent of the time.

"Hey. Watch the fingerprints and the windows." I warn Aurora as she eyes the freshly washed car.

"No fun."

"You'll be the one washing it if it gets messed up." She sticks her tongue out before climbing into the backseat. Sitting in the driver's seat, I pick up my ray ban sunglasses and back out.

"Dad would not make me wash your car."

"We'll see about that," I warn and watch in the rearview mirror as her fingers fall to her lap. Dad does dote on her, so there is a chance nothing would happen, but the threat worked. No harm, no foul.

Minutes later we pull into the church parking lot. We got here in record time, only breaking a few traffic laws. The light gods are looking after me this morning.

Locking the car, Aurora and I hustle towards the large wooden door at the entrance of the church. The Church is not as massive as some in town, but it's big enough to make you feel small. It has a small-town church vibe, and everyone knows everyone else, good and bad. More bad in my family's case, but no one can complain about the regular generous donations from mom and dad. Whispers follow us everywhere we go, but especially here at church. Some of them conceal dark truths, while others are mere speculation. My mother may wish to hide our family's sins in the most profound parts of her mind, but I prefer to embrace them. She and the rest of the congregation can have the light. I prefer the dark—much more fun.