Spent — Deirdre Riordan Hall

Rule #1 Never get caught. Rule #2 Never admit to anything. Rule #3 Never get involved with boys. It's not until Ru Rocklin is caught shoplifting that she considers exactly what has been taken from her. For sixteen years, she's lived on the fringe and in isolation with her older sister, Silky, a master thief who doubles as Ru's guardian -- lying and thieving is the family biz. After she's given the ultimatum to go to school or kick it in jail, Ru meets Julian Freese, and finally feels, well, normal. At least until the shame of her not-so-normal life pushes them apart. But when he reveals his own secrets, she realizes love is one con she can't pull. When tragedy exposes the mystery of Ru's past, she's determined to finish the job Silky groomed her for: stealing the famed golden dragon, Mu long, from the Institute of Fine Art. It's a heist she can't do alone so she gathers a crack team of liars and thieves to help. As they try to avoid the attention of the authorities, the crew embarks upon a wild game of give and take, bluffs and blunders, and twists and turns. Though it seemed like the perfect plan, the dragon only leads to more questions. Ru will have to break every rule she knows to find the answers to Silky's finely-woven lies and get her life back, or make a new one.