Kat smiled, the expression transforming her face from merely pretty to radiant. “It’s been such a dramatic change from the startup lifestyle. I love it and haven’t regretted it for an instant. I come here and get to relax, care for nature, and show children how amazing it can be. It’s not as ambitious of a charity effort as I want to get into someday soon, but it’s what I needed after everything that happened.”
“I’m so happy for you. You were far too stressed at ARCANE, and it wasn’t all because of Nick’s influence. Your own personal balance is so much more important than a line on a resume.”
“I’m glad you think so. Although ARCANE paid much more…” Kat gnawed on her lip. “Hey, what happened to the money you stole from Nick and ARCANE? Did they make you give it back?”
I winced. It was still a sensitive topic. “I couldn’t give it back even if I wanted to. The only reason things went to shit the way they did was because my partner Addison stabbed me in the back. She called Nick and warned him there was someone at ARCANE stealing from him, and she called the FBI and gave them the tip. She also drained the account for the job—there wasn’t a cent left by the time the feds let me check.”
“You had a partner? I had no idea! That makes much more sense, now. I never understood why Nick showed up that morning—he never went in on the weekends. It explains the FBI showing up, too.” She looked away and spoke softly. “I just thought you must not have been very good, and they found out somehow.”
“What? You thought I was a shitty thief? All this time?” My jaw dropped. I was torn between feeling insulted and cackling. “I am one of the best con artists of the century!”
“Oh, really? Then why hadn’t your name ever come up on TV?”
I shook my head. “They only knew about a tenth of the cons I pulled, and even those weren’t all connected to the same name. If it wasn’t for Addison spilling the dirt, the FBI would have spun their wheels for decades.”
“I wonder where she went.”
The question had haunted me for my entire sentence. “Wherever she is, I hope she doesn’t run into trouble.”
“Really? After she screwed you over?”
I shrugged. “She was a good girl, I think she just got scared and thought this was the best way out for her. I have a feeling she’ll turn up at some point.”
We lapsed into silence for a moment, enjoying the sun and each other’s nearness.
“So does this mean you have to find a job, now?” Kat asked. “You won’t be stealing anymore, will you?”
I put my arm around her shoulders. “I think I’m retired from the game. It’s been a long time since I did it for the money, anyway. I just liked hurting those who abused their wealth or power.”
She looked up at me. “You mean you got rich by robbing people?”
I grinned. “Let’s just say that neither of us have to work if we don’t want to. We could travel the world and volunteer to help people in need if you want to. And I know you well enough to know that your soul just did a happy dance.”
Kat hugged me close. “You’d really come and do that with me?”
“I wouldn’t dream of anything else.”
Epilogue
~ Addison ~
I took a sip of my strawberry mojito, the icy drink providing a delicious contrast to the extreme heat of the afternoon. Sunglasses were a necessity under the Croatian summer sun, and from behind their dark tint I observed the tourists wander down Split’s promenade, the Riva.
This is the fucking life.
No more worries or stress. No hiding in condos. Just endless sun and heat, and the freedom to take advantage as much as I wanted.
And enough money to do it for the rest of my life.
The ocean breeze rustled my long, red tresses. With one more look over the harbor, I turned back to my current book. Long sips of the mojito worked with the canopy overhead to keep me cool and content.
A figure out of the corner of my eye blotted out the sun for a moment before sitting across the table.
I stuck my finger in the book to mark my spot, annoyance at the interruption giving my voice an extra push. “Excuse me, this is a private table.”
The man was in shadow, but his clothing gave away his gender. I couldn’t make out his face because of the blinding sun lighting the Riva behind him.
Maybe he doesn’t speak English.
I searched for the little Croatian I’d picked up, but couldn’t put together the words I needed to convey my meaning.
“Hello? Please leave, this is my table.” I made a shooing motion with my hands.
The man leaned forward until his features became visible.
It can’t be…
“What, no room for an old friend, Addison?”
The book fell from nerveless fingers and hit the ground in a sad clump of paper.
“James. You should be in prison. How did you find me?”
I craned my neck around. If he’d come with friends to take me out, they could be all around me. I tensed up, ready to run away at the first hint of danger.
“Relax, Addison. I’m not here to get revenge.”
His voice was as easy as it ever was, but that never meant anything with James. Every part of him was under perfect control—his expression, his voice, the content of his speech—all to portray the image he wanted.
“How can I trust you?”
His chuckle rumbled across the table. “Trust me? Did I ever stab you in the back, Addison?”
I winced. “I regretted it as soon as I made the call, James. It looked like you were ready to set up house with Kat, and then what use would you have for me? I didn’t want to be a loose end for you to tie off.”
“Loose end? We were friends. I would have even called you my best friend.” The disappointment in his tone was heavy, amplified by the control he exerted over his voice. “That’s why I won’t screw you over like you did me, even though I easily could.”
I swallowed hard. “Why are you here, then?”
He grinned, the white teeth catching some of the abundant sunlight and glimmering. “While you have a nice gig here, it’s only a matter of time before you get bored out of your mind. And I know you can hack and program from anywhere, but what’s the point if there’s no real purpose behind it?”
I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable that he could read my mind so well. Lazing in the sun was great, but even after just a month my overactive mind was going a little crazy from the lack of challenge. “So, what? You want me to help you out again? Reunite the team?”
James shook his head. “Not exactly. Kat and I got married a few days ago—this is actually the first stop on our honeymoon. You should be flattered that I chose Split mostly because you’re here. I just stepped out of the apartment to stock up on more wine. I’m out of the game for good, now.”
“What, then? Did you show up to rub it in my face that you can get shoved into a pit of manure and climb out without a single piece of shit on you?”
He stood and placed a business card on the table in front of me. “Not exactly—although the look on your face when I sat down was delightful. No, a friend asked for the smartest hacker I knew. I’m not sure what he’s after, but I know you’ll like him. If you get bored and are looking for the experience of a lifetime, this is the one.”
The card was jet black. Completely. I picked it up and flipped it over, finding the other side the same inky shade. There was no text on either surface.
“What kind of joke is this?”
I looked up to find myself alone once more at the table.
Afterword
Thank you for reading Steal. If you enjoyed the story, please consider writing a review so that others may discover it as well. Share with your friends, family, and reader’s groups!
Addison’s story is told in the novel Royal Rogue, in which Addison plays a supporting role. Continue reading this boxed set for her story.
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Also by D.G Whiskey
STANDALONES:
Pulse: A Stepbrother Romance
Steal: A Bad Boy Romance
Royal Rogue: British Bad Boy Romance
ALL-AMERICAN KINGS:
Shaken - A Football Romance
DEVEREUX NOVELS:
Capturing Liberty
Taking Flight
Chasing Charity—Coming Summer 2016!
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Royal Rogue
British Bad Boy Romance
D.G. Whiskey
COPYRIGHT © 2016 D.G. WHISKEY
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
As a work of fiction, all people, places, and events are fictional or used in a fictional manner.
This eBook is licensed by the publisher for personal use only.
To Hanna. Because if it weren’t for you then I might have one less finger, and that would make writing more difficult than I’d like.
In the past, people were born royal. Nowadays, royalty comes from what you do.
Gianni Versace
Description
Addison
He's richer than the Queen. More famous, too. And he needs my help.
I didn't know the stunningly handsome stranger at the bar was Liam Windsor, royal cousin and billionaire banker. He seduced me before I learned the truth. Now he wants me again. And again.
Sleeping with clients never ends well, but how can I refuse?
Liam
A blackmailer is after my fortune and threatens to destroy my life.
The hacker I'd contacted to help solve my problem didn't show up to our meeting, so I lost myself in a gorgeous redhead instead. Imagine my surprise when I found out the hacker spent the night in my bed.
I need to hide my intentions from the blackmailer, and I know exactly how to do it. Addison will have pretend to be a billionaire's girlfriend.
If I have my way, it won't be an act for long.
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1
~ Addison ~
I checked the coordinates on my phone for the fifth time since I sat at the bar twenty minutes ago.
This is the right place.
Sweetness mingled with the bite of liquor as I sipped my whiskey sour and scanned the room once more.
The downtown London pub bustled with patrons, gathering for the post-work ritual of a pint with colleagues. It made it difficult to locate my contact.
Maybe I should just leave.
I had barely decided in favor of showing up for the meet as it was. The only pieces of information I had were the set of coordinates and a date—I didn’t like knowing so little.
While most of the bar’s inhabitants sat in friendly groups, there were a few people on their own, as I was.
A silver-haired man in a pressed suit sat in the corner, manning a veritable swarm of devices laid out on the table in front of him—three different smartphones, two tablets, and a laptop. He would have been a promising candidate if he’d looked up from the myriad of screens before him at any point in the past twenty minutes. No one waiting for a clandestine meeting would be so inattentive to their surroundings.
The other loners in the establishment were even further off the mark—the sloppy early evening drunk who had already made the rounds to talk to every woman present and been repeatedly shot down, the animated traveler halfway down the bar who engaged anyone within a ten-foot radius in lively and loud conversation, the quiet, withdrawn girl at her own table who alternated between looking at the door and her phone every five seconds.
I played with the black business card in my pocket. There was no need to take it out to look at it—I’d spent countless hours over the past month staring at the blank surfaces and teasing out its secrets. It had taken a couple of days to discover the Near Field Communication computer chip within. The encrypted message inside had led me here.
It also contained a signal that would have lit up like a road flare to the person looking for it.
Uncertain I wanted to go through with the meeting, I’d disabled the signal so I could scope out the situation at my leisure. Now, it seemed like the owner of the business card wouldn’t even show.
It’s probably for the best. James didn’t say what they wanted or what the situation was. I’ll just enjoy London and then continue on my travels.
I didn’t need the money.
The front door of the pub swung open, and a sudden hush settled over the patrons for a few moments. Conversations restarted, louder than before, as though people realized they had been caught staring.
That was weird.
The man who’d entered was tall, dressed in slacks and a shirt that exuded an air of effortless style. He was also the most handsome man I’d ever seen.
If I’d been in the middle of a conversation, I would have trailed off, too.
I tried not to stare, but I couldn’t help watching the man as he walked to the bar. His gait was careful, measured, paced like someone in complete control.
His gaze caught mine as he approached the bar only a few feet away from my perch on the polished length of hardwood.
I flushed and looked away, back to my phone. My fingers jabbed at the screen with meaningless motions, opening and closing applications just to make it look like I was occupied.
“Good evening, sir. What would you like?”
The bartender’s deferential speech and attitude caught my attention. It was a complete transformation from the gruff manner the old man had shown me.
“Hello, Howard. I’ll take a pint of whatever’s freshest, thank you.”
The words rolled from his lips with the crisp delivery of a cultured English accent. It was the sexiest thing I’d ever heard.
My finger traced idle circles on my phone as the new arrival took a seat only a few feet away. I glanced up to find him watching me with a small smile on his face. Heat rose to my cheeks again, and I dropped my head back down.
He chuckled. It was a low, sonorous sound.
“You’re allowed to look at me. I don’t bite—at least, not the first time I meet a lovely woman.”
I fought through the embarrassment of my reddened face to meet his eyes. “Sorry, I’m not usually this shy. I don’t know what came over me.”
“That’s quite all right. You’re American?”
I nodded. “I am.”
His regard became appraising, as though the new information warranted a second look. “Do you recognize me?”
That’s an odd question.
“No. Should I? Have we met?”
He chuckled again. “No, I was just curious if that’s why you were staring. Forget I said anything. What brings you to London?”
I hesitated. There was no way I could divulge the true nature of my presence in the city. “Business, mostly. Although it’s looking like that part of my trip is over, so now I’m looking into the pleasure side of things.”
“Is that right?”
The tone of his voice was teasing.
I can’t believe I said that.
“I mean, not pleasure, exactly,” I stammered. “I want to see the sights and sample what the city has to offer. I’ve never been to the UK before.”
“It’s a lovely city. Immense history, and the culture to match. Have you seen much of it yet?”
I shook my head. “I only got in last night. I’ve barely had time to grab a meal, let alone see the sights.”
“And your business is already finished? It must have either gone very well or very poorly.”
I scanned the pub once more. Still no one
obviously waiting to make contact. “The deal fell through. On the bright side, I have nothing standing between me and enjoying London for the rest of my stay.”
“That is great news.” He checked his phone. “Do you have anything planned for tonight? My own plans look to have fallen through, and I could use company.”
His proposal sounded genuine, but I could hardly believe it. He looked like he had stepped off a movie screen or a magazine spread. He was that handsome. Add his voice on top of things, and my whole body felt a magnetic attraction.
“I don’t even know your name!”
He smiled and extended his hand. “Liam.”
His hand was warm and strong around mine, but not uncomfortable. The strength was obvious, but well-controlled.
“Addison. It’s nice to meet you, Liam.”
He nodded. “Likewise. Is that a yes?”
I bit my lip. It was crazy to consider going out with this random man I’d just met. No matter how handsome, or what he made me think…
It had been a while since I’d been with a man. Falling into bed with Liam wouldn’t be the worst outcome for the night. I’d already decided to put the failed meeting behind me and enjoy London.
“What do you have in mind?”
Liam still held onto my hand. Ninety percent of my focus was on the sensation of his skin touching mine, the searing heat where we connected.
“My friend is hosting a dancing night at his gallery around the corner. It should be a good mixture of music and art, if that interests you.”
Bad Boy Boxed Set Page 15
