0 January Secret Agent #15

TITLE: The Jewel Thieves
GENRE: YA Contemporary

My brother Raj put his espresso down with a sharp click against the saucer. “Remind me why we’re in Italy, Sasha?” He shot me his evil grin. Then he stole my biscotti.

I kicked Raj’s ankle with the pointed toe of my high-heeled shoe. We were at a café in Rome, next to the colossal Bank of Italy, and not far from the city’s largest university. A row of palm trees hid our table from the bank’s security cameras. Drivers raced through the cobblestone streets, filling the air with echoes of blaring car horns. While Raj had been watching the bank, I’d been subtly checking out a supercute college guy at the next table. Adorable Scottish accent. Lovely golden-red hair. A smile to die for and dimples.

But unfortunately, supercute college guys were not the reason Raj and I happened to be in Italy.

“The limo’s here,” Raj whispered in French. All traces of humor vanished from his face.

From beneath my eyelashes I watched a black limousine cruise towards the no-parking zone in front of the bank and stop. Moments later a woman with silver-grey hair emerged from the back. The diamonds around her neck caught the sunlight and sparkled.

“That’s Isabella D’Agnelli,” someone whispered.

A waitress took a picture with her phone.

“She’s still so beautiful,” I said. I’d seen all Signora D'Agnelli’s movies a million times.

Raj fixed his dark eyes on me.

“What?” I put my sunglasses on. “I’m completely detached.”