Chapter 1: Adrenaline

R POV

My first robbing career began on my fifth birthday. Our goal? Queen Elizabeth's beloved crown. Abe and I took a private jet to London and snuck into the Buckingham Palace to steal Queen Elizabeth's first crown.

It was easy as cake.

We both knew that Janine would definitely hold us hostage if we uttered a word of our plan. So, Abe and I simply left Janine a note explaining that we were off to buy a Spiderman piñata.

What could I say? I loved Spiderman as a kid.

But, Aunt Alberta had to call.

And when Janine found out that a five year old girl was committing one of the biggest heists of the year, she shit bricks.

I thought the cookies and milk I left on the counter would have made my hyperventilating mother feel happier. It seemed to make poor, old Santa energized.

Instead, when I came back home with pieces of Queen Elizabeth's jewels tucked inside the soles of my shoes, I found the cookie plate shattered along with numerous other dishware destroyed against the opaque wall.

Well, that's where I got my great temper from.

"She's just a baby, Abe." Janine admonished. "We promised to raise her like normal children."

"Janie, sooner or later, Rose is going to be part of the family business. She seemed to enjoy today. She's a natural! She gets it. Rose understands the thrill of sneaking into the safe room." Abe explained.

"She's too young couldn't have this waited until-"

"Baba? Can I have one of these? They're really pretty." I held a cluck of the queen's stunning diamonds.

Janine glared at Abe. "Honey, right now, we can't ever show these to others. Alright?" She twisted my chocolate curls with her finger.

It didn't take a genius to figure why. So, I understandingly nodded. "Mommy, why do you have red hair? I wish I had pretty hair like yours."

Janine's worried face softened. "Rosie, your hair is beautiful! You know, when I was little, I wish I had your perfect curls. Little boys including your father used to tease me about my hair."

I tiredly yawned. "Daddy! Teasing isn't nice! I love Mommy's hair. It reminds me of red velvet cakes and strawberries. Promise me we'll have some red velvet cakes and strawberries tomorrow?"

"Okay princess, I promise. But now, it's time to go to sleep. We had a long day today. Let's celebrate your birthday tomorrow. Do you still want that Spiderman piñata?" Abe asked.

I closed my eyes and nodded as Abe carried me upstairs to my bed.

The next day, for my birthday present, I received the best gift ever. One of Queen Elizabeth's subtle gems was morphed into a rose-shaped pendant. The pendant worked perfectly with a white gold necklace recently purchased.

Dear Kiz,

You have no idea how proud I am of you. Mommy might not look that happy. But inside, I know she is. It's always part of the Mazur tradition to keep something from the first raid. This necklace is a reminder that you're always a Mazur. Mommy and I will always love you. Welcome to the family!

Love,

Daddy

I screamed the happiest shriek my lungs could give. And, I never took off the necklace ever again.

Present

If I could sum up my life so far in three sentences, it would be this:

I, seventeen year old Rosemarie Hathaway Mazur, am the sexiest vixen ever. I am the top, badass thief that ever lived (next to my parents, of course). And, I absolutely love donuts.

Everyone thought that the Mazurs were rich due to their company that ran oil industries. We were millionaires from the oil company alone. However, being a thief made us filthy rich. Being burglars was a hobby the Mazur generations carried for years. Every significant heist made in history was due to a Mazur's undeniable cleverness.

By the time I turned eight, we were richer than Bill Gates ever had been. But, we couldn't flaunt our fortune, of course. The government was already sniffing our tails. We didn't need more trails leading towards our door.

Therefore, every five years, we moved someplace far. And surprisingly, Abe chose New York. He sadly explained that suburban Montana held too many memories of Janine and that we needed a different setting. A penthouse in the city had been his answer.

We were still all grieving over Mom's death. Abe and I always thought our family would die during dangerous raids or gunfights. However, cancer had taken Janine away from us.

Maybe, a new setting was something we all needed.

Aunt Alberta lived in New York and my father's company headquarters were located there too. By next week, I would be attending one of America's prestigious high schools. Only heirs to multimillion dollar companies attended St. Vladmirs. Unless you were smart like Steve Jobs or something, they would not let others in.

Alberta opened the door and walked into my room. "Rose, Abe wants to speak with you." Alberta was extremely supportive with our move and helped us pack our boxes.

I nodded and got up from my four poster bed. We walked silently towards Abe's office. I turned the doorknob and strolled inside. "Abe?"

He smiled. "You are seventeen now, Rosemarie. I was wondering if you had anything in mind about your future after St. Vladmirs."

"Baba, I love what I'm doing right now. Thievery and taking over your company are my priorities."

"Very well, Kizim. Alberta and I have decided it is time."

"Time for what?"

"Your first assignment of course!" Alberta ecstatically screamed.

"Wait! Wasn't my first assignment the Buckingham Palace when I was five?" I inquired.

"No. That was your first robbery. This is your first assignment alone. There will be no me helping this time."

"Why?"

"Oh, Hun! This is just to prove that you will be in charge of all heists in this clan. After your father retires, you will be next in charge."

"Are you FUCKING serious? This is awesome! When do I start? Who do I raid? Please please please can I rob the Badicas? They're mindless jerks!" I hollered.

"Psh. The Badicas are way too easy for this. We're choosing a place where there's high security and lots of traps. That's how you can prove yourself. The Belikov's are the best for this assignment." Abe commented.

"Here are the blueprints of their house." Alberta handed me a box full of files. "The mission is to steal one million dollars worth of goods. The rumored Belikov family ring is worth 650,500 dollars. It's one heck of a ring! My advice is to steal that ring and a few gold bars."

"When do I start?"

Abe sighed. "The sooner, the better. Kiz, I honestly don't think you're ready for this. I took on my first mission when I was twenty."

I rolled my eyes. "Baba, in all the countless missions you and Alberta had taken me, I never caused trouble. I am ready for this!"

Alberta smiled. "I haven't seen her this excited since the Louvre heist."

TRANSLATION: I haven't seen her this happy since Janine died.

"Alberta, the Louvre was pretty damn badass. We shocked the whole world that we could steal from the gallery where the Mona Lisa was being held. We should've taken that instead of the Picasso." I pouted as I scanned the blueprints. "Damn, the Belikov's have an impressive mansion. I would love to live in a place like this."

"Actually Kiz, I decided to buy a mansion as well for us."

"What? Why? Don't tell me they found termites in the penthouse. I'm scared shitless of them. And a world without donuts too!"

"You've raided the Louvre, but you're scared of termites?" He rose a brow.

Damn I always wished I could do that."Termites are revolting!"

"I'll be using the penthouse for times when I can't come home from work. It is in the city hence, closer to my company. The mansion is bigger and the gardens are breathtaking. The point is, however, that the Belikov's will be our neighbors on the left and the Dragomir's on the right."

"Wait! I'm stealing from my neighbor?"

"Yeah, that never stopped you before."

"Well, I think whoever this Belikov guy might be, will hate me for this."

"He won't know it's you." Abe reminded.

"But, he's our neighbor! We never stole from old, Mr. Hoyt across the lawn."

Alberta sighed. "Rose, remember, we are thieves. We do not get emotionally attached to people. Stealing from Alexsander Belikov will not only show that your physically strong but also emotionally."

"Are you up for it, Kiz?"

I nodded. Hell yeah I was!

By the next day, we all flew to New York on my father's private plane. It's first trip already took the furniture. Now, I was officially moving to New York. Saying goodbye to Montana was unbearable. Luckily, father had buried Janine in New York so her grave wouldn't be too far away. In the next 48 hours, the Belikov family would be sacked. There was nothing that could stop me from my assignment.

The security of Alexsander Belikov's house was impressive. Every corner of the mansion had hidden cameras. However, the first flaw he made was not securing the power box. If I cut the red wires in the box, the power would be out. It would be night so one would notice the power outage. Therefore, the monitoring cameras would cease to work.

The problem was picking the locks. Getting the right combination could take hours. Consequently, there was a slim chance I would crack the safe with the Belikov ring. Nevertheless, I was determined. This was my first mission alone and I was sure to succeed in every way.

At exactly 10:16 PM, I arrived at Manhattan. The scenery was breathtaking. Towering skyscrapers lit up like bright fireworks contrasting against the black-purple sky. Before Montana, Janine, Abe, and I lived in Santa Monica. However, L.A.'s Californian atmosphere was incompetent compared to New York's beauty. I instantly fell in love with this city.

The drive was spectacular. We passed the Empire State Building and the Chrysler. There was no doubt I would enjoy living in the Upper East Side.

A little while later, the limo pulled up next to an iron gate and Abe rolled down his tinted window. The gate instantly opened and the limo continued.

"Kiz, welcome to our new home." Abe grinned as the limo drove past the extravagant fountains. "Behind the mansion are the botanical gardens, indoor pool, outdoor pool, track field, and a private gym."

"Wow! The house is very . . ."

"It's too big, Abe! You don't need a mansion and penthouse!" Alberta admonished.

"It's great, Baba! But don't you think it'll be too lonely when I'm alone here? There are at least twenty bedrooms in this place."

"Rosemarie, of course I won't leave you alone too much. But when I do, feel free to bring some acquaintances into this house!"

"You mean friends, Dad?"

"Remember, Kiz. We don't do friends. We just try and blend with society. Although, that is quite impossible do to our badass hair!"

We high fived and Alberta rolled her eyes.

Soon afterwards, the limo came to a complete halt and Pavel opened the door for us.

"Welcome to A La Vista Mazur manor." Trees surrounded a Victorian styled mansion. A polished lawn rolled out from the extravagant steps of the mansion.

I stepped out of the limo. A stubby man greeted me. "Hello, I'm Bob the butler. I'll lead you towards your room, Ms. Mazur." Really? A butler named Bob? I threw an amused glance towards Abe. He simply shrugged and followed me out of the limo.

Bob walked for what seemed a mile. Then, we stopped. He opened a rather large crème door with fleur de lis patterns.

I gasped in surprise. The walls were painted in a elegant soft green. A huge walk in closet already had my clothes hung on mint green hangers. The four poster bed was made of hundred count thread Egyptian silk sheets and plush pillows. There was a small bar and a refrigerator stocked with junk food. Best of all, a glass staircase wound upstairs that led to a small library meant for our small meetings.

"Baba! I love it!" I exclaimed.

He smiled. "I'm glad you like it. I wasn't sure the green/crème scheme would be a great clash together but the decorator insisted. She said that the green would remind you of Montana. I hope that's okay."

"It's great Baba! Where's Alberta?"

"She had to leave but, she left her condolences. She's expecting good results from the Belikov raid."

"You know, our friendship with our neighbors next door won't be off to a great start." I sighed.

"I know, Kiz. Just think. After this robbery, you'll be in charge. Right after this, we'll have some fun. Let's rob the Louvre again."

"No way! Are you serious? I've really wanted to steal the Mona Lisa! Can we?"

"Rose, you know very well that the Mona Lisa will attract unwanted attention to us. Right now, focus on the Belikov raid. I'll understand if you don't want to complete this task. Seventeen seems a bit young for-"

"Abe! I got everything planned already for this. Don't worry. Remember, I'm still badass Rose Mazur from who robbed the Buckingham Palace when I was five."

Abe grinned. "That was pretty badass. Want a milkshake?"

I narrowed my eyes. "If it's donut flavored then I'll take one!"

"Deal."

D POV

I, Dimitri Belikov am the sexiest bachelor of all New York. However, Ivan Zeklos almost passed me by once.

I was pissed at him for a week.

But afterwards, we hit shots of Russian vodka at the nightclub and it was all good. From then on, he became my wingman. And when I was feeling trapped with my extremely annoying father, he came to my rescue.

Today, school was rather excruciating. St. Vladmirs was a dull academy that promised that seventy percent of the attendees would be accepted into Ivy League schools. What it needed was a star; it needed a supernova to lighten the monotonous lectures of dreary professors.

"Note from Ivan." Tasha handed me a paper.

I unfolded the crease and it read:

Dimitri! My place at 5. Bring the vulture if you want.

By vulture, Ivan meant Tasha.

I gave a quick smirk at Ivan, confirming our plans. But then, Tasha linked her arms through mine and smiled a phony simper. "Will you be picking me up at 4:30?"

"Tasha I really think-"

"Great. I'll see you then. I'll wear the black lingerie you seemed to like." She sauntered off to her next class.

I sighed as Ivan approached me. "Dude. You need to get laid with someone other than Tasha. I know these amazing Brazilian twins few doors down. I could hook you up with one of them . . . or two."

"Ivan, as much as I appreciate your concern, I just need to break it out to Tasha that she and I will never work out. It's just the matter of when and how."

"Do it after the sex. That's when it hurts the most."

I gave him a glare. "She's going to be running to Christian by the time I'm done with her. Father needed help with a business deal. His only solution was for me to temporarily date the Ozera girl."

"Dude. Your dad has issues. My old man writes me a check every month and leaves to Europe doing god knows what. I'm just happy that he doesn't stick around too often." Ivan said.

"He's the only family I have left."

"Alexsander doesn't act like it."

At 4:30, I ditched Tasha. Honestly, I really wasn't planning to. I was pleasantly driving to Ivan's house but halfway there, I remembered that Tasha was waiting. I hastily sent her a text telling her I'd meet up with her tomorrow.

Technically, I had to wait five months for my official drivers license. However, the police rarely pulled over seventeen year olds driving flashy Porsches and Lamborghinis. They knew the risks of meddling in with affairs concerning the rich. Therefore, we were free to drive and party.

I pulled up my apple-red Porsche into Ivan's extensive driveway and tossed the keys to the valet. No one exactly knew what Ferdinand Zeklos did for living but he associated with the Mazurs frequently. Speaking of the Mazurs, they would be moving next door by the end of this week from Montana. Other than there booming oil business and the death of Janine Mazur, the Mazur name was an enigma to most people in the Upper East Side. I just hoped that they weren't those families that would daily stop by and bring in freshly baked blueberry pies.

"Dimitri, my wingman! Would you care for a glass of scotch?" Ivan smirked in a silly manner.

"Sure, why not?"

"Ah, I see that you're not accompanied by the vulture today. Break the news to her?"

"I wish."

"Stay low on the scotch. Dear, old dad surprised me with a visit today. He's upstairs with Abe Mazur and his daughter." Ivan informed.

"They're my new neighbors. I hope the hate blueberry pie."

Ivan threw me a curious glance. "At least Abe's daughter is hot. I've never seen anyone that delectable. Dimitri, as long as you break up with the vulture, I'm giving up this conquest for you."

"Well, thank you Mr.?" A curvy brunette stood by the side of the door.

"Zeklos. Ivan Zeklos. This is Dimitri Belikov." I threw him a look; I could easily introduce myself.

"Well, I would like to be treated more of a human than a consolation prize. Would you not agree?" Her hazel eyes met mine. "By the way, It's Rose Mazur."

"Perhaps you wouldn't be a consolation prize but something that could satisfy a insatiable hunger." I proposed.

She smirked. "Go fuck yourself."

"Gladly, but I would love a partner that could rub things, suck things, moan with-"

If looks could kill, I would have been murdered by Rose Mazur's glare.

"Hey Rose . . ." Ivan began.

"What?" She seethed.

"Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"

I mentally face-palmed myself.

R POV

Normally, I would feel some sympathy towards the people who lived in the residences I hit. However, I felt zero compassion towards Dimitri Belikov. The Mazurs were partially related to the Zeklos family and the Ivashkovs. We paid Ferdinand Zeklos a visit about our mission. He wished me the best of luck.

Ferdinand explained that his son, Ivan fell too short in the art of thievery. He also informed us that Ivan wouldn't be joining the business anytime soon. It bothered me that my long distant cousin was describing me as a delectable consolation prize. He would totally regret it once he found out that I was related to him.

Dimitri, was a different story. He was cold-hearted. He took pleasure in sleeping with women and throwing them away as if they were raggedy dolls. I promised myself that I would not be one of those girls fawning over him because of his good looks.

Needless to say, he was hot. And he became sexier when he whispered those words to me in his husky drawl with a twinge of accent. However, I wasn't willing to be like that Tasha girl who was used and would be thrown away.

With that, I stripped out of my couture dress and zipped up my leather pants and my leather gloves. Once I was fully decked out in black, I added my black diamond earrings for flare and kissed the rose necklace for luck. I was ready and willing to steal from the Belikov's.

At 1:41 AM, all the lights went out. Five minutes later, I cut the red wires, cutting off the power. I silently crept into the kitchen door and fingered my gun. I never shot it before but, I was willing to if it ensured my safety.

I silently ventured further into the house until I was greeted with an extravagant set of doors similar to mine. I silently turned the knob and was greeted with a man in bed.

Not just any man, but Dimitri Belikov sleeping like baby.

Startled, I hid in his walk in closet because I felt like I was eerily being watched. My heart beat erratically. If Dimitri was awake, I was toast. A few minutes after, when my breathing slowed evenly, a shadow emerged. A girl with black hair crept into Dimitri's room and shook him awake.

If she was a pregnant ex-girlfriend, I wouldn't be surprised.

A shirtless Dimitri rubbed his eyes and muttered exhaustively. "Tasha! What are you doing here? What time is it?"

"We need to talk. Are you cheating on me? I swear I heard someone in this house."

He sighed with exasperation. "You snuck in my house at midnight to talk? Can this wait until morning?"

"Fine. Under one condition. Sleep with me."

That desperate little bi-

"Tasha, I'm not having sex with you."

Thank god.

She pouted a little but climbed into Dimitri's covers. She took off her cardigan and laid next to Dimitri. "We are so talking tomorrow." She murmured.

Dimitri rolled his eyes but a little afterwards, he too fell asleep.

Luckily, when the two were knocked out, I spotted a safe underneath a box full of random files. I pulled the box aside and attempted to crack the code.

An hour later, I was soon to give up and move onto the next safe. I droplets of sweat dripped down my back due to my nervousness. My pounding heart signified that I needed to move on. But as soon as I gave my last try, I heard a familiar click noise. The heavy metal case held pounds of gold bars, stacks of a hundred dollar bills, and a Harry Winston jewelry box. This couldn't be it, could it?

I cautiously opened the jewelry case and an alarm blared.

I scrabbled, threw the heavy ring box and a few gold bars into my sack. I was ready to run until my hair was stuck onto a hanger.

Dammit, I forgot to tie my hair. I yanked on my hair but it wouldn't come out of the hanger. So, I took the hanger off from Dimitri's jacket and hurriedly scanned the closet if there were any evidences left behind.

Satisfied that there were no pieces of evidence, I bolted. Until, from the corner of my eye, I spotted one shimmering diamond earring.

Crap! That was mine.

However, I heard footsteps from Dimitri's bed. Regrettably leaving it behind, I ran through the mansion, out of the kitchen doors, and into the bushes. The hanger was still stuck in my hair so I yanked it out, making sure that loose strands wouldn't be littered carelessly.

I needed my other earring back. There were probably fingerprint evidences on it.

Soon afterwards, they must have used a backup generator because the house lit up with lights again. Through the shadows of the window, I saw a distressed Dimitri ignoring Tasha's attempts to soothe him.

I needed to get out of here. And so, I forged up a plan to travel through the bushes until I was met by Abe's fence. He promised to open it for me in case of emergencies.

Right when I was about to go along with my plan, I realized that there could be a tracking device set in the ring. Touching it alone had set off an alarm. I opened the jewelry box and was amazed by the engagement ring nestled inside. The diamond was bigger than any other diamond I had ever seen. Beside it were two other diamonds and around the base of ring had tiny rubies glittering around its circumference. This must've been the famous ring.

There were also two other rings along with the engagement ring. One with a large emerald and the other with a big sapphire. Matching the sapphire ring accompanied a pair of heavy sapphire earrings.

Confirming my suspicions, I found that there was a tracking device inside the jewelry case. I set it under the bush, carefully placed my jewelry inside my sack and ran home. They never would find out who robbed the Belikovs. So I left with one feeling I never felt in my life.

Guilt.

3RD PERSON POV

Tasha worriedly glanced at a motionless Dimitri. She had never seen Alexsander Belikov so angry.

"I called the FBI this instant. One more trouble from you, and you're out to boarding school. I don't care if you're getting good grades at St. Vladmirs. How will you run Belikov Industries if you are so irresponsible!" Alexsander spat.

Tasha walked into the closet once again. The famous Belikov jewelry had been swiped away. No traces of evidence were left behind. She swore she saw someone creep inside of here. However, her eyes spotted something Alexsander and Dimitri missed. She crept closer to the dazzling object and picked up a black diamond earring. Fingering it, she quietly put it in her pocket.

How very Cinderella-like. She mused.

Well, I hoped you enjoyed it. Feels free to leave comments or questions. I hope Tasha isn't here to cause trouble.

Why do you think she kept Rose's earring instead of giving it to Dimitri or Alexander?

Will Rose's guilt force her to return the Belikov jewels?

Well, until next time. I'll try to keep fast updates.