Crushed by Leen Elle Read Free Book Online Page A

important. We're not obligated to steal or anything like that."
     
    "So Cleo takes care of you?" Sophie was insanely curious about how this household functioned. She felt like the sooner she figured it out, the easier it would be to blend in.
     
    Rylan laughed at her question. "Cleo barely has anything to do with us. She pops in every now and again, but for the most part we're on our own. She takes care of all of our basic necessities. Since we're not allowed to enroll in a school, she pays for private tutors to teach us, but that's the limit. Robert's the closest thing we have to a parental figure."
     
    Sophie noticed that Rylan's expression darkened.
     
    She hadn't planned on asking more, but he decided to answer her unspoken question. "My father was arrested two years ago. They had enough evidence to link him to various other thefts, so he ended up getting a ten year sentence."
     
    "Ten years?" Sophie's eyes widened.
     
    "The other thefts weren't small." Rylan explained. "They were high profile cases that involved very famous pieces of art. He was lucky he got off with only ten years." While Rylan spoke matter-of-factly, there was something about his expression that seemed lonely.
     
    "I guess I must be crazy." Sophie mused. "Being a thief isn't going to be easy."
     
    "Working for Cleo means risking everything. Yeah, she can offer you a dream-like future, but the sacrifices you make while working towards that goal are difficult." Rylan reached out to place a hand on her arm. The gesture was brotherly, and it didn't feel the least bit awkward. "As long as it's Robert teaching you, you'll be fine. He's the best thief Cleo's ever known, and we all trust him. He'll show you the ropes."
     
    Sophie hadn't even thought about the learning process. She figured teaching was the last thing Robert wanted to do, and she felt guilty that he'd been forced into it. However, she needed to learn in order to reach her goal, and she wasn't going to back away from the challenge.
     
    She lifted her hand to touch her newly cropped hair. She still wasn't used to the short length, and every time she remembered what she'd done, she felt a pang of regret.
     
    Rylan seemed to notice where her thoughts were headed, and he smiled at her sweetly. "It honestly doesn't look that bad. You're pretty enough to pull it off."
     
    Sophie laughed, appreciating him for lying so convincingly. "Thanks." She replied, and motioned to the boxes scattered around her room. "And thanks for helping me unload all of these. It's nice to know I'm not completely alone."
     
    "No problem. Like I said before, if you need anything just ask and I'll be happy to help. Oh, and I'll try talking to Gwyn about being more friendly. She's stubborn, but I'm sure she'll come to like you." Rylan pushed himself up from the bed and walked towards the door to leave.
     
    As she watched him exit the room, Sophie felt her heart sink. She'd temporarily forgotten how lonely it was going to be living here. She'd grown used to loneliness over the years, but she felt like she really wanted to fit in. After all, she was going to be a permanent resident until she reached her goal.
     
    A part of her knew that this whole situation was crazy. Any normal person wouldn't have come this far, but as Sophie stared around her scattered possessions, she knew that there was no turning back. She still didn't know what it would take to be a thief, and the reality of how dangerous her tasks would be hadn't fully hit her. Right now she was still basking in the dream Cleo had created, but that small bubble of contentment was coming closer and closer to bursting.
     
    Yet, behind her naïve trust in Cleo's promise, she felt determined to see her task out to the very end. All she needed to do now was bide her time, because with or without the support of the people here, she was going to fulfill her dream. It was all she felt like she had left to cling to.
     
    *  *  *
     
    "Hey." Teddy greeted her, while