It Started With a Heist

Chapter 1

EMMA

"Come on, Emma. You know you can't resist a good art heist," said Eric, a mischievous grin on his face. "Plus, you've always loved Van Gogh."

Well, I couldn't argue with him on that; however, what he was asking me to do went against the plan I set my mind to after a very long debate with the angel and devil on my shoulders.

Letting out a sigh, I looked to my left and saw the devil on my shoulder flashing a devious smirk, knowing very well that he was close to winning.

After all, I really did love Van Gogh...

Everything started on a moonless night in a high-security museum in Europe when two world-class thieves decided to steal the same pigeon-blood ruby at the same time. And instead of fighting over it, they decided to share it. And voila, it was love at first sight—or first heist, for that matter. And ever since that day, they have become the best partners in crime—literally and figuratively.

That was the story of how my parents met. Then, my dad proposed to my mother on a trip to the French Riviera with a multi-million, 18th-century diamond ring belonging to Marie Antoinette.

Their crime spree continued for a while more until they learned they were pregnant with their first child, my brother, Eric. And after he was born, they agreed to settle down and quit the life of crime for good. But eventually, they realized they weren't suited for the everyday 9-to-5 life and ended up going down the same wretched road.

My parents tried their best to give my brother and me a normal life, but it was difficult when we couldn't stay in one place for too long. And with two very sneaky kids poking their noses into everything, they realized it was impossible to hide the truth from us.

And well, some things just ran in our blood...

Eric and I were constantly mistaken as twins; however, he was two years older than me.

I understood why it was easy for people to see how similar we were; however, they never came close enough to find out how deep our differences ran.

We looked so much alike with our deep blue eyes and dark brown hair. But most people never pay attention to the small details. If they did, they would have noticed that Eric's eyes were ocean-strong, swimming with warm sun-lit currents like our mother's. But my eyes were electric blue with a black tint on the outline. My dad used to say they resembled that of a wolf—so beautiful and dangerous at the same time. Also, his hair was much lighter than mine, with golden hues that glistened in the sun.

Growing up, we also had very different interests and skills. Eric has always shown magnificent mathematical and technological prowess; he has been dismantling and assembling computer devices since he was still in diapers. And he was a planner through and through.

On the other hand, I preferred relying on my instincts and thinking on my feet while in the heat of the moment. And while Eric was shy and reserved as a kid, I was so sly and smooth-talking, and troubles always followed wherever I went.

But our differences made us a perfect team, pulling heists and running cons that people never saw coming, even when we were still kids.

Once, we came up with an idea to hack into the system of a big toy store and make huge shipments to be delivered to several foster homes across the country just before Christmas. I always wondered whether we were on Santa's good or naughty list that winter...

The bond between Eric and me was tightly woven. We were homeschooled and moved a lot growing up, so we were always each other's best friends. And we have always been inseparable and could feel and understand each other as if we had a secret language.