by Katie Reus
“I need you for a job,” Kyle finally said. He slipped his hands into his pockets, watching her closely.
“I’ve been out of the game a long time.” Well over six years. Ever since she’d found out she was pregnant she’d stopped running high-end heists and left that life behind. No more cons, no stealing, just an honest life with her daughter.
“I know. I wouldn’t be here if I had anyone else. But my guy fell through. I need someone I’ve worked with before—so I know you’re not a narc—and I need someone with your skill set.”
She shook her head. “Kyle, I’ve been removed from that life for so long.”
“Exactly. No one knows you. And I know you keep in shape. And you’ve kept up with climbing…despite your sloppy attire.” His lips curved up slightly, again with the look of disdain.
She bristled at his words, then paused as they set in. How the hell did he know she’d kept up with climbing? He must have been watching her. Olivia wanted to say no again, but knew better. So she crossed her arms over her chest and pretended to feign interest. “What’s the job?” Maybe if she got a better feel for it, she could sabotage it without him knowing.
He shook his head and actually tsked at her. “You know the deal. No details until later.”
She paused, trying to think of a way out of this. “Fine. I’ll think about it.”
He took a menacing step forward, but she made herself stand her ground. She was only a couple feet from the front door. Not that she would run, not with her daughter to protect. But she was also closer to the stairs—which led to her daughter’s room. The most primitive sensation filled her as she faced off with him. If he tried to move past her to the stairs, she would attack. And he’d have to kill her before she let him up there.
“That sounds a lot like a ‘no,’” he murmured, his voice deceptively calm. Nothing about him seemed menacing, but she knew him. Had seen him beat one of his partners within an inch of his life because Kyle thought the guy had stolen from him.
“I said I’d think about it. You just show up out of the blue and demand I work with you again. I have responsibilities now.”
He leaned down, his expression darkening. “Let me make this clear. I’m not asking. I’m telling. I need your skills. And if you go to the cops…” Without turning away from her, he slid his hand into his jacket pocket. Then he placed something in her hand.
A picture of her daughter. Leaving school, wearing her pink and green unicorn backpack.
Her temper spiked inside her like lightning. Without realizing she’d even moved, Olivia struck out, her palm slamming across his perfectly chiseled cheek. Pain ricocheted through her hand and up her arm even as he lifted his own arm, backhanding her.
With no time to block herself or brace for the attack, she stumbled and slammed into the banister, her eye catching on the newel post. As she hit the bamboo wood floor, Kyle’s boot connected with her ribs once.
Hard.
Sucking in a sharp breath, she couldn’t even cry out as the pain receptors in her side exploded.
The doorbell chimed and Kyle froze above her, looking as if he was ready to murder her.
“If you hurt me, I can’t do the job,” she managed to wheeze out. “Dumbass.” She shouldn’t antagonize him, but seriously, this fool wanted her to do a job with her specific skill set—which included potentially rappelling off buildings. She couldn’t very well do that with broken ribs.
The doorbell chimed again and Kyle stepped back. “I’ll be in touch.” Kyle turned on his heel, heading toward her kitchen.
Relief flooded her system, making her even shakier. She didn’t want her neighbor to see Kyle’s face. A moment later she heard the back door slam even as someone started pounding on the door.
“Olivia!” It was Luke Anderson, her neighbor—also a retired cop. She didn’t like involving law enforcement, or former, as it were, in anything. But he’d been the only option.
“Coming,” she managed to call out as she pushed herself up off the floor and wiped damp palms on her pants. As she steadied herself on her feet she saw her daughter at the top of the stairs, her favorite stuffed unicorn under her arm, dark eyes wide and filled with tears. Oh, hell.
Since Valencia didn’t have on the sound processors that worked as part of her cochlear implant system, Olivia signed that everything was okay, and for Valencia to hold on before she turned to the door.
Wincing as she pulled it open, she wasn’t surprised to see both Luke and his wife, Claire. In their fifties, both were retired and lean in the way lifetime athletes were. Luke had a gun tucked under his shirt and Claire was holding a tennis racket in one hand. Olivia wanted to laugh and cry at the same time at the sight of the tiny blonde-haired woman and her weapon of choice, but just stepped back as they both barged in.
Seconds later, Valencia was racing down the stairs and jumping into Olivia’s arms as Luke said, “What happened to your eye? Is…he still here?”
Great. Olivia figured she’d get a bruise but was hoping nothing would show just yet. She ignored the pinch of pain in her ribs as her daughter squeezed tighter. Just suck it up, she ordered herself. “He went out the back. I need to talk to Valencia before I answer any questions.” Her daughter’s face was buried against her head, and comforting her was Olivia’s top priority.
Both Luke and Claire nodded as Luke said, “I’m going to make sure your house is secure.”
Grateful he would do that, she carried her daughter to the living room and sat down, Valencia still clinging to her. Leaning back slightly, Olivia started signing using American Sign Language.
Are you okay? she asked her daughter.
Who was that? He hurt you!
A bad man. And he’s gone.
Valencia’s eyes filled with tears in response.
Shit. Parenthood didn’t come with a training manual, and right about now she really wished that it did. He won’t hurt me ever again. And we’re going to be taking a trip to see Aunt Skye and Uncle Colt soon. She’d come up with the plan all of sixty seconds ago and really hoped it was the right choice. Because ignoring Kyle Neely was not an option.
Olivia’s college roommate, Skye, had once worked for a branch of the government. Olivia wasn’t sure which one, but she could make some guesses. Now she ran a consulting firm with her husband. They were the only two people in the world Olivia could turn to for help. The cops or any form of law enforcement were totally out. Cops couldn’t do shit against a man like Kyle Neely. She had no proof of what scam he was running, who he planned to steal from, nothing. And even if she did, narcing him out would make her daughter and everyone close to her a target. Not happening.
When will we leave?
Olivia hated to pull Valencia from school and speech therapy but she couldn’t stick around a second longer than necessary. She needed distance, and fast. Tonight.
Okay.
And I need you to go with Mrs. Claire, just for a few minutes while I pack your bag.
No!
Sighing, Olivia simply nodded. Okay. Will you stay down here while I pack your bags? Normally she wouldn’t ask her daughter, but she’d just been traumatized. Olivia wanted to give her some choices right now. And she wanted to talk to Luke alone and explain—as much as she could—why this wasn’t a big deal and that she’d be leaving for a few days. Most likely longer. But she wouldn’t tell him that.
Can I have ice cream?
She stifled a laugh. God, that was so her daughter. Yes. With sprinkles and chocolate syrup.
That earned her a small smile. But fear still lingered in Valencia’s gaze and Olivia had once sworn that would never happen. That her own past would never touch her daughter.
After kissing Valencia once again, she left her in Claire’s capable hands and went searching for Luke—who she found making sure the windows in Valencia’s room were secure. Man, she’d really lucked out with her neighbors. And she hated lying to them. But she had no choice.
“Hey, Luke.”
> “House is secure but I think you two should stay with us tonight. And I’m going to be calling a detective friend of mine since that jackass hurt you—”
Half-smiling at his tenacity, Olivia held up a hand. “Slow down. I’m not talking to a detective or anyone else.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, frowning. “Why not?”
“Because it will make things worse.” So much worse. “But I will be leaving for a few days to visit a friend of mine. A friend who works for the FBI.” A little lie, but she needed Luke to know they’d be safe and to back off. “This thing is complicated, and before you argue, I’m not involving local law enforcement. I’m simply not. I need to leave tonight and I’d like to ask you for a favor.”
He eyed her for a long moment, watching her carefully. “What did your ex want?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Is it about your daughter?”
“No!”
Sighing, he let his arms drop and she knew she’d won. “Okay, then. You’ll call me when you arrive where you’re going?”
“I will.”
Doing this would go against all his cop instincts, but he was a good judge of character and maybe he realized she wasn’t backing down on this. He couldn’t force her to do anything and he hadn’t seen her struck by Kyle so he wasn’t even a witness. He didn’t even know who Kyle was or where to find him. “What’s the favor?”
“I need to borrow your car. Just to get out of here. I’ll drop it somewhere safe and let you know where it is.”
“I’m driving you wherever you need to go.” The set of his jaw was firm.
And she knew it would be pointless to argue. “Okay. I have another vehicle ready to leave town. But we might be followed so I don’t want to take my car.”
“Yeah, I figured that since you wanted to borrow my car. I have something that will fix that.”
“What?”
“I’ll call a buddy of mine, have a couple of patrol cars drive down the street. Anyone trying to monitor your house will leave and your ex won’t recognize my car when we head out. He won’t know to follow us.”
She blinked once. “That’s…a really good plan.” Better than hers. “Thank you… Why are you doing this?”
“Because you’re a good mom and a good neighbor. And Claire and I adore you guys. I know you’re holding something back, but that’s okay.”
At his words, tears sprang to her eyes but she blinked them back. “Thank you,” she murmured.
“What about Martina?”
“She’s still in Florida, but I’m going to call her as soon as we’re on the road.” Martina Cruz had been Olivia’s nanny growing up, but she’d been more than that. She’d been the mother Olivia had never had. A hell of a lot better parent than her actual mother had been. Now she lived a block away and was Nana to Valencia. She was the only other person who Kyle would think to target. Olivia was so damn grateful Martina was out of town right now on vacation in Fort Lauderdale.
“Good. We’ll pick up your mail for you and I’ll keep an eye on the house.”
“Thank you.”
“So you already have a backup vehicle waiting for you?” His words were dry.
She nodded, but didn’t expound. She’d wondered when he’d ask about that. Some habits died hard. Deep down she’d always worried that a day like this would come. Because normal people didn’t map out escape routes and have backup vehicles stashed. But she’d done just that. She even had go bags ready for her and Valencia. Despite what she’d told her daughter, she didn’t have to pack much. Because one bag was already ready to go.
“One day you and I are going to have a conversation about all this,” Luke said.
“I know.”
Sighing, he closed the distance between them and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Let’s get going. I’ll put in that call. You get Olivia’s stuff together.”
“Thank you.” Swallowing back the wealth of emotions threatening to overwhelm her, she put her game face on. She’d jumped off forty-story buildings before. She could and would face this.
No way was she letting the garbage of her past touch her daughter or anyone else. She just had to figure out a way to get Kyle off her back. And that meant getting to Redemption Harbor.
Chapter 2
—Running on caffeine and dry shampoo.—
Olivia kept her sunglasses in place as she waited in the lobby of Redemption Harbor Consulting. Gage, a man who worked with Olivia’s friend Skye, had gone to find her.
Valencia gripped Olivia’s hand tightly. Her little girl hadn’t spoken much since waking up in the car an hour ago. Not audibly or through signing. It worried Olivia, but right now she was trying to keep it together and not freak out. She didn’t have that luxury.
“I miss Nana.” Valencia’s voice made her jump.
“I miss her too,” she murmured, looking down at her daughter. Small for her age, even small for being part-Korean, Valencia took after Olivia’s mom and looked more like she was four than six. And right now, she appeared even more fragile. It broke Olivia’s heart, making her more determined to fix this problem. She wasn’t going back into the life she’d left, but she also wasn’t letting her daughter get hurt because of her past choices.
At the sound of murmuring voices, she looked up to see Skye and her husband Colt moving quickly out of a hallway onto the dark cherry wood floor of the lobby. Tall and muscular, Colt tightened his jaw when he saw Olivia. He looked fierce and angry, but she knew it wasn’t directed at her.
Skye, a force of nature, moved like lightning toward them and Valencia dropped her hand, running at the other woman full speed. Olivia knew she should have called first, but she’d been so determined to get here and it had been so late. Then…she’d simply lost her nerve. She was about to drop a lot of information on her friend and ask for help she wasn’t even sure Skye could give.
In jeans and a black T-shirt, Skye was casual, but there was a lethal air about her. Always had been. Even when they’d been in college. She’d always been aware of exits and everyone in a room. It was like she just took all the information in without trying or being conscious of it. Like breathing. Olivia used to quiz her for fun, testing her memory, and Skye was never wrong.
“What happened?” Skye demanded, holding Valencia in her arms. With auburn hair, lightly bronzed skin thanks to her father’s Spanish heritage, and striking eyes the color of the Mediterranean on a clear day, Skye was stunning and intimidating. Having grown up living in the United States and Spain, she spoke multiple languages, including ASL.
The question was expected. Olivia was wearing sunglasses inside—to hide the bruise forming on her eye—and she’d shown up unannounced. Before she could answer, her daughter signed to Skye, telling her that a bad man hurt Mommy.
Yeah, that about summed it up. “Can we talk about this in private? I was hoping maybe…” Olivia’s voice cracked and she inwardly cursed. This was no time to get emotional. But lack of sleep was making her edgy. She’d told her daughter that everything would be okay, and if Olivia started crying, she looked like a liar. And she would probably scare her. Not acceptable. “Maybe Colt could watch Valencia so we could have a few minutes to talk, just the two of us?” she asked.
Skye nodded then signed to Valencia, asking her if she minded hanging out with Uncle Colt, something that Olivia appreciated.
Valencia shook her head then cautiously moved over to him. Not because she was afraid of him, but likely because she didn’t want to be separated from her mom. Olivia’s hands balled tight at her sides. If she ever saw Kyle again she was going to do more than slap him.
Relief flooded her as Skye wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Olivia was actually an inch taller than her but she leaned into the hold, needing support right now. If Skye couldn’t help her, she wasn’t sure what she would do.
“Who hurt you?” Skye asked, leading her into a sleek conference room. The same cherry wood floors seemed to be standard throughou
t the building. Skye had shown her some of the “before” pictures, and this gleaming, high-end interior was nothing like the warehouse it had once been. And some of the security features she’d seen were incredible. Video cameras and sensors were everywhere. The kind of body sensors it would be very difficult to beat if you were trying to break in.
“Well…this won’t be a short answer.”
“I’ve got time. You hungry, thirsty?”
Her stomach was balled too tight to contemplate food. “No, but thank you.” She cleared her throat and took off her sunglasses. When Skye sucked in a sharp breath, she winced. “It’s not as bad as it looks.” With her coloring, the bruise had gone to the purple and blue stage almost immediately. She’d cover it up with makeup later, but that hadn’t been as important as getting out of the house.
Skye’s blue eyes narrowed a fraction, but she simply nodded. “You need ice?”
“No.”
“Okay, tell me what’s going on, then.”
“I’m going to start at the beginning—which is before Valencia was born. After college, I made some stupid choices.” Ugh, there was no way to say this other than just to blurt it out. She’d delved into her life of crime after college and had never told Skye about what she’d gotten into. “Because of my upbringing and my education in art history, I’ve always had a good eye for antiquities. My ex-husband—who was just my boyfriend at the time—was running cons, stealing from the wealthy. People who could afford it. At least that was what I told myself at the time to justify his actions. I’ve always been good at blending in, getting into places I don’t belong, thanks to an ‘education’ from one of the security guys who worked for my father.”
She briefly smiled at the memory of Stan Hill. In his fifties at the time, he’d been lean, fit and wily. He’d been the one to teach her to crack her first safe.
“Anyway, I mentioned my knack for cracking safes and recognizing valuables and my ex brought me in for one of his heists. During that first job his crew was about to pass up two ugly but very expensive pieces because they didn’t know what they were worth—until I told them. It quadrupled their final take. After that, I started working with my ex full time for a few years. We started running our own jobs and I learned a few tricks on my own.” Hell, she’d learned a lot on her own, had outgrown Heath—her ex—as a fellow thief had once told her.
