Gretel took a deep breath. “He thinks he’s got it. I swapped it when I was in the roof void. He came in behind me when I was in the vault. It was almost as though he knew my every move.”
“Where is it?”
She reached into the front pocket of her overalls and pulled out the diamond. It fit so comfortably in the palm of her hand. She held it up for him to see.
His face lit up. “Is that…?”
“It sure is.”
He grabbed her face with both of his hands and kissed her right on her lips.
She was stunned.
It had happened so quickly there was no time to savor the taste of his lips on hers. The next thing she knew he had hopped to his feet and was on the phone to someone, and Gunther appeared with two beefy-looking security guards behind him.
“Thank you, Ms. Koch.” Gunther reached out his hand for the diamond.
She looked at the diamond and then looked at Gunther. It was so hard to hand it over. It was so beautiful. She let it slide from her hand to his.
Jack lifted her to her feet and she was too weak to respond. Handing it over was the hardest thing she’d done. It was the most beautiful thing she’d seen, ever. But, hand it over, she had. “He forced me to open some other boxes. He got away with a huge diamond necklace, a jeweled clock and a huge ruby.”
“Anything else?” Gunther asked.
“Not to my knowledge.”
“We’ll check the boxes.”
The security guards soon left, taking the diamond with them.
“I can’t believe he got away—again.”
Jack put his arm around her. “He won’t get far. One of his men will give him up.”
“You think so?”
He nodded.
“Can I see Hazel?”
“I’ll take you there now.” As they walked out of the building, Jack said, “It wouldn’t hurt for you to get checked over as well.”
“I’m fine.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No. Only because I did everything he told me. I had to, for Hazel’s sake.”
“You did good, Gretel. You did really good.”
She held her stomach and looked to her left. There was a bathroom. “I need the bathroom. I think I might be sick.” She rushed in. Two minutes later she came back out, the lower part of her face moist where she'd splashed it with cool water.
“Better?” he asked.
“Much better.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
He opened his car door for her and she sat in the passenger-side seat.
“Jack, could we do a quick stop at my place? I don’t want her to see me in these overalls.”
“Sure.”
“It’ll take me only one minute to change.”
“One minute?”
“You can time me. I know exactly what I’ll wear.”
“That’s a start. I’ll wait in the car.”
With Jack in the car waiting, Gretel hurried past Nick the doorman with a wave, and went up in the elevator. She unlocked her apartment door and laughed with relief.
She called Kent. “All went well and Hazel is safe.”
“I’m glad.”
“I can’t talk too much now, but let Marty know that too, okay.”
“Will do, and Gretel...?”
“Yes?”
“That boyfriend of Hazel’s from the gym had nothing to do with the kidnapping.”
“That’s a relief. Thanks.” She ended the call, turned off the phone and placed it back in the bathroom where she kept it hidden.
Gretel wandered back out to the kitchen. She didn’t get what she wanted, but she did get a little something to keep her itch scratched. Stepping into the better light of her kitchen, she reached into her overalls and pulled out the diamond necklace. It seemed like a million rainbows reflected out of each facet. Then she walked closer to the window where the sun was coming in. There in the sunlight, it was truly beautiful. She would call it her chandelier necklace. This was one that she’d keep. It wasn’t the Purple Promise, but it was good.
“Beautiful isn’t it?”
Her head swiveled to face the voice.
It was Ryan.
He lifted his hands up and clapped. “Well done. Think you can take the Purple Promise from me, eh?”
“I don’t have it.”
“I figure you’ve framed me and made them think I took it.”
“You took it.”
“IT’S A FAKE!” he yelled as his hands curled into fists.
Now she was scared for her life and tiny beads of sweat formed on her forehead. “I don’t have it. I told you.”
“What’s that you have in your hands?”
“The necklace. That’s the only thing I took.” She put it down on the marble kitchen island counter and slid it along toward him. “You can have it.”
He barely looked at it. “It’s a bauble. Worth a fraction of the diamond.”
“It’s something. Something is better than nothing.”
He pulled out a knife. “Tell me where it is or I’ll fillet you like a piece of fish. I’ll start by skinning you alive, one strip at a time until you talk.”
She’d left her cell phone in her handbag and that was in the car with Jack. “You wouldn’t.” Her other cell phones were hidden in her bathroom and bedroom, and he stood between them and her.
His eyes grew more evil and menacing like some of the serial killers she’d seen on TV.
“If I had it I’d give it to you. I switched it, okay? The FBI has got it and they’ve got all your men. They're going to give you up.”
His lip curled into a vicious snarl, and he held the knife high in the air. He slowly walked toward her and she screamed as loud as she could. It didn’t deter him. He kept walking and she sank to the floor and huddled in the corner.
He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her up to her feet, and then she felt the cold hard blade of the knife piercing her skin. “You’ll have to get it back,” he growled.
“There’ll be no way. It’s done. I’ll get something else for you. Take the necklace. There’s a few million there. I know that for a fact.” She knew he might kill her then and there. There’d be no time for apologies or goodbyes to her family members.
“Say goodbye, Gretel.”
She closed her eyes tightly knowing it was the end. She thought of Jack. Would he find out she’d kept that necklace aside? Stolen it.
The knife pierced into her flesh and her eyes flew wide open in shock.
Then there was nothing.
Darkness.
Chapter Thirty
Gretel opened her eyes. An evil face peered down at her. She tried to scream but her throat hurt.
This had to be hell.
Her mother and father were right.
Hell was real and so was the devil. Something she hadn’t wanted to think about, not for a moment.
“She’ll be okay,” she heard a voice say.
Her head turned to the calm and familiar voice. It was Jack.
That meant she was alive. She turned back to the evil face and realized it was Monica and she was in a dressing gown.
Jack stepped forward. “Gretel, it’s me, Jack.”
She smiled weakly at him.
“You’re in the hospital. You’re okay. Monica’s here. You’re in the same hospital.”
“I’m sorry, Gretel. I was wrong about you. Jack told me what happened, how you risked your life and how that man tried to kill you. The doctor said you’d be okay.”
She closed her eyes as though that would block the sound of Monica’s shrill voice. In the darkness that ensued, she remembered the chandelier necklace that she had in her hands when Ryan was in her apartment. They must’ve thought he’d brought it in.
Hazel was safe, she was off the hook, hopefully Ryan and his men were in prison, and all was right in her world.
Three weeks later.
Gretel let Jack into her apartment. She was out of the hos
pital, the scar on her neck was healing nicely thanks to an excellent plastic surgeon, and Jack had agreed to come for dinner. She’d learned that Doug, who lived in the apartment underneath her, had heard her screams that day when Ryan had attacked her and he’d called the police. Meanwhile, Jack had been on his way up to her apartment because she’d taken so long.
Ryan was now sitting in a prison cell, denied bail, awaiting trial.
“I’ve got something to show you,” Gretel said as she let him into her apartment.
“What is it?”
She pointed to the antique Qing dynasty vase she’d purchased online.
“Is that …”
“Yes. I won it.”
He chuckled. “You mean, you bought it.”
“It was an auction. I won the auction.”
His nose crinkled as he walked closer to inspect it. “I hope you didn’t pay too much.”
“Enough.”
He turned around to face her. “I’m glad you’re okay, Gretel. The bureau is more than pleased with how you handled the situation, switching the Purple Promise like you did. It was a stroke of sheer genius.”
The scene replayed in her head, jogging her memory about something she’d forgotten. “It was nothing.”
“It was something. It was a big something.”
She laughed. “Thank you for keeping Hazel safe. You promised you would and you did.”
“All’s good all around.”
“Shall we go?” Gretel asked.
He frowned at her. “Go where?”
“Dinner.”
He looked over at the kitchen and then back at her. “I thought you were cooking it.”
She shook her head. “I’m not much of a cook.”
“But you said come to your place for dinner, so I assumed…”
“I thought you FBI agents only dealt in facts." She wagged a finger at him. "Never assume anything.”
His lips turned upward at the corners and he barked a laugh.
“I invited you here for dinner, and from here we’ll go there. And, you can tell me how you found those people who had Hazel.”
“I can tell you that right now. It was from the phone they gave you, and from following that SUV that was parked outside your place. We just put all the pieces together like a giant puzzle. How is Hazel?”
“She’s doing a lot better. She doesn’t blame me at all.”
“You couldn’t help it.”
“I still feel it was my fault.” She headed to the door. “Reservations are at seven. We can walk there if you’re up for a walk.”
“I am.”
As they walked up the street in the cool evening air, Jack said, “We recovered everything from Ryan Castle except for a large ruby.”
“He’s not giving that up?”
“No. He says he hasn’t got it. What’s more, he’s blaming you. He claims that you had the diamond necklace with you when he broke into your apartment. Said you were admiring it at the window.”
“I hope you don’t believe him.”
“Of course not. He is a liar, a compulsive one.”
“He sure is. I guess that ruby must be worth a fortune.”
“It’s a Burmese ruby said to be valued at a cool thirty million.”
“Wow, that much for a ruby?”
“That’s what they say.”
Later that night, Gretel found herself back at the scene of the crime. She walked into the bathroom where she had pretended to be sick a few weeks before. She walked into the stall, locked the door, and stood on the toilet lid. She lifted off one section of the ceiling and pulled down a small box.
Her heart beat fast with anticipation.
Once her feet were back on the floor, she lifted the cover off the box to see the red gem.
It didn’t sparkle like the chandelier necklace, it didn’t have the light reflecting off every facet like the Purple Promise had, but it was no less beautiful.
She put her face closer to it and whispered, “You’re coming home with mamma.” She tucked it into a pocket, smashed the box it came in with the heel of her boot until the pieces were small enough to flush all the remnants down the toilet.
When she was approaching her apartment building, she saw Jack pacing up and down outside.
Did he know?
She was sure she’d covered her tracks and hadn't been followed. They’d just been out for dinner, she was supposed to be at home. What excuse would she have for being out?
He caught sight of her and hurried over. “Gretel, where have you been? You haven’t answered your phone.”
“I left my phone at home. Why? What’s wrong?” She held her breath hoping he wasn’t going to search her.
She’d be caught red-handed—literally, ruby red.
There’d be no chance he’d ever fall in love with her.
And, it would make Monica’s day if she was found guilty of something.
Jack said, “It’s Ryan Castle. He’s escaped.”
Gretel’s fingertips flew to the scar Ryan had inflicted. This wasn’t over. She wasn’t safe until Ryan was locked up. Taking a deep breath, she did something she knew she had to do. “Jack, I had a hunch where Ryan hid that ruby that you said was missing, and I was right.” She took the ruby out of her pocket and put it in the palm of his hand.
He looked at the gem and stared into her eyes. “This is the ruby? The Prince’s Tears?”
“I didn’t realize it had a name, but yes, this is the one from the vault.”
“They’ve just posted a reward for this of five hundred thousand.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want it.”
“Where did you find it?”
“In the garden, where he was probably overpowering the man he took hostage.”
“I don’t know how you did it, Gretel. Let’s get you up to your apartment where you’ll be safe. I’m calling for extra security to watch over you until Ryan’s back behind bars.”
The look on his face made her happier than the ruby had.
He linked his arm through hers and walked with her to her apartment, and at that moment, she was pleased she’d given up the ruby. She only hoped that tomorrow, or the day after, she wouldn’t regret it.
I hope you enjoyed Controlled.
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Blessings,
Samantha Price
The next book in the series is Book #3 Heist.
Gretel Koch Jewel Thief
A Short Prequel - Breakout
Gretel never dreamed she'd be caught, let alone thrown into prison with common criminals.
Thanks to her jewelry heists, Gretel Koch had lived the high life.
For years, her heists around the globe had confused the authorities.
Letting her guard down and trusting a man led to her capture. Her plan was to escape, find him, and take back the diamonds he stole from her.
But could Gretel get past the bars, the thirty-foot prison walls, the psychotic inmates, not to mention the heavily armed guards?
Book #1 Shiny Things.
Nothing beats the high of stealing ...
unless it's the euphoria of getting away with it.
Gretel wasn't living if she wasn't planning her next heist or jostling stolen diamonds from one country to the next.
Her high life crashed around her when she fell in love with the wrong man.
Book #2 Controlled
Gretel Koch is doing her best to curb her stealing ways,
but when the Purple Promise, a rare 22 carat purple diamond, is on display offered for sale to the highest bidder, the temptation is almost greater than she can bear.
What will she do when her old life collides with her new?
Book #3 Heist
Gretel Koch wants to go straight, but when a prominent jeweler, who once helped her move stolen goods, brings to light a mistake she
made that's affecting him, she's honor-bound to fix it.
Conveniently, he's got a way she can make it up to him.
He tells her one of New York City's richest and most influential men wants items back, stolen from him. He knows exactly where they are and who took them.
With her FBI minder otherwise occupied, Gretel goes undercover on a mega yacht to right wrongs. She'll absolve herself of her error and stolen goods will be returned to their rightful owner.
How long will it take Gretel to realize nothing is as it seems?
Being at sea has its own unique problems.
Is this one time that Gretel is in way over her head?
Book #4 All That Glitters
Gretel Koch is still working with law enforcement even though there's one member of the team who thinks she's up to her old tricks and back to her old ways.
Jack believes in her and that's all Gretel cares about. He has a case he says is perfect for her.
When Gretel comes face to face with her prison escapee, ex boyfriend, Ryan Castle, the case becomes a low priority for her.
Castle is out for revenge.
Can Gretel get him back behind bars before he ruins everything?
About Samantha Price
USA Today Bestselling author, Samantha Price, wrote stories from a young age, but it wasn't until later in life that she took up writing full time. Formally an artist, she exchanged her paintbrush for the computer and, many best-selling book series later, has never looked back.
Samantha is happiest on her computer lost in the world of her characters. She is best known for the Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries series and the Expectant Amish Widows series.
www.SamanthaPriceAuthor.com
Samantha loves to hear from her readers. Connect with her at:
Controlled (Gretel Koch Jewel Thief Book 2) Page 14
