Danger Is What You Taste Like | Sam Drake x Lara Croft

4. Once A Thief, Always A Thief

There was no telling how much toner had been used to print out all of the articles and newspapers that lay strewn all over the floor in front of her, all of them bearing bold headlines that, with some, slight variations, read Long-Lost Artifact Bought By Private Collector . Other newspapers Lara had laid out even dared go so far as to speculate who had bought the artifact in question and why . Even if all of the evidence suggested that it was the Scepter, no insiders were willing to admit it and the public would have to accept that they would remain in the dark unless, by some miracle, the information they craved got leaked.

Thus, Lara, Sam, and Sully only had their gut instinct to depend on. And a little extra outside help from one of Lara's many friends that happened to live in high and low places.

One of the letters, if the postcard she'd received in an envelope could even be called that, had been mailed to her by one of her father's contacts based in Italy had a picture of the Colosseum told her more about what was happening down there than the short note on the back ever could.

Perhaps a picture really is worth a thousand words, Lara thought as she flipped over to the back, where her father's contact had scribbled out a quick message in his delicate cursive.

Rumor has it that Gianna Rossi will be placing some pretty valuable items at auction in Italy. The location, as you probably guessed, has been set for the Rossi Estate. Your scepter might be one of them but can't be sure. Haven't been able to scrounge up any further details. Sorry, Lara, that was the best I could do.

- A. Fletcher

"The Rossi Estate, huh? I've been there a few times myself. Could tell you stories," Sam commented as he casually read the note over her shoulder and earned an exasperated look from the tomb raider herself before she strode over to her father's desk and left Sam looking sheepish where he stood in the entryway.

She doesn't take bait that easily.

"Lara, don't listen to him. He only went there once," Sully interjected, looking wholly unimpressed while he smoked his cigar with a disdainful look that was clearly directed towards Sam. His look of disdain only added salt to the treasure hunter's wounds.

"Really, now? Then you must be familiar with the place," Lara commented, though Sam felt that she was mocking him and the fact that she made no effort to hide it only added insult to injury.

"And I thought things went well!" he couldn't help but protest, albeit sheepishly.

"Sam, the 'last time' you were there, you and Nathan made such a mess that I'm not sure if they'll let you in a second time without shooting you on sight."

"I'm sure I can get us in and out of there without a single guard firing a bullet," Lara interjected, hoping to placate her partners before they started shooting each other out of spite.

They didn't have guns on hand, not as far as she knew, but that certainly wouldn't hold them back if they were determined enough.

"Let me make a few calls and if everything goes according to plan, we'll be dining with high-class criminals at the Rossi Estate by tomorrow evening."

Sure enough, they found themselves landing in Italy in time for the auction and Lara, not to be intimidated by the women at high society who were sure to be present by any means, had donned an evening gown made of black satin that trailed down to her knees, had a skirt that naturally fluffed out because of its frills, and clung to her in all the right places, which was something that didn't go unnoticed with Sam. The tease of her heart-shaped neckline only made it more difficult to keep his eyes off her.