To Catch a Thief

by Nana Malone

  Rian’s eyes practically bugged out. "What? I am the point of contact, and I needed to be notified."

  "Well, I told vendors to only deal with me now."

  "You did what?” Rian asked. “The London Lords are operating on your behalf. You were not meant to have direct vendor relations. It's confusing. It creates double the work, and you've overstepped your boundaries." Rian vibrated in the seat next to me. I could see the grip she had on her pen, and I could tell she was going to crack at any moment. But she was holding it together in a way that I wasn’t sure I could.

  She opened her mouth to speak again when Lila interrupted her. "Well, there's nothing you can do about it. This is my show. You’ll just have to deal with it."

  Oh for fuck’s sake. I’d had enough.

  "Lila, please stop. It's unbecoming. I know that you love to throw your weight around. I get it. I really do. But this is not the time. This has already been approved by your father, so what you're doing right now is wasting time and valuable resources when we could be busy planning. Every time you pitch a little tantrum about how no one runs something by you for final approval, we spend days, which is hundreds of thousands of quid, all to arrive at the same conclusion. That Rian knows what the hell she's doing here. So maybe just this once go with it. Your father has already approved this. You were just here to get the status update on the budget. Can we all agree on that?"

  Lila blinked at me. Rian also blinked at me as if she couldn't believe the words that were coming from my mouth. And honestly neither could I. Usually, it was less painful just to let Lila have her way. But I realized that Lila was like Max. A narcissist through and through. You let them have their way once, and they were never going to learn. Hell, even if you stopped them from having their way they might never learn. But they at least would know that you wouldn't take their shit. "So, can we get on with it?"

  Lila frowned. "First of all, I thought you were running the show on this. I'm sure if my father understood that—"

  I sat forward placing my elbows on my knees and pinned a glare on her. "Don't. You need to understand that Rian broke her back trying to give your father exactly what he needs on budget and within scope of what you laid out. And she's done a remarkable job. We are a team and work as such, but she has really taken the helm on this one. Whether she's developed the nitty gritty details or I have doesn't matter. Right now, you're trying to make a weird power play, and it needs to stop. I don't have patience for it, and we don't have the time. We're here to give you a budget status update. So you should note that we're not only within budget, but thanks to Rian, we're below budget. So unless you suddenly have a role other than budget approval, can we move this along?"

  Rian attempted to smooth my rough edges. "Ah, Ms. Kensington, what my colleague means is that—"

  Lila held up a hand. "Are you really willing to bet your reputation on her being actually good at this?"

  "Yes, Lila, I am." I held her gaze.

  Rian's eyes darted back and forth between us. And then she stood abruptly. "Oliver, may I speak with you outside, please?"

  I frowned up at her, but Lila was sitting there with her arms crossed stubbornly, so I stood.

  I followed Rian out into the hall, and she rolled on me. "What the fuck are you doing?"

  I was still humming. "Sorry. I know, I blew up."

  She pointed toward Lila's office. "That, whatever the fuck that was, was unprofessional. And she could be calling Bridge right now."

  "I don't give a fuck. All she's done is waste our time. She could have one of the accounting clerks give her the update. By insisting on our time, she knows she's wasting it. This is classic behavior, and I'm sick of it. It's like how she talks to you. I'm sick of her looking down on the work that you've done. What I said in there was true. You do work your arse off."

  Rian blinked once, then twice. "Thank you. But I don't need you to fight my battles for me. Besides, after the last time we spoke I figured…"

  I winced. "I'm sorry about that. I should have said sorry when I first came in. I just didn't know what to say.”

  “Well, if we're a team and we're going to play hardball, at least tell me we're going to play hardball. Then I won't look like a complete idiot noob."

  "You're not. I meant every word I said in there. You've been busting your arse to pull this off under budget. And honestly, you did it better than I thought and certainly better than I hoped."

  "You're always looking to send me home, aren't you, Ollie?"

  "Actually, not so much anymore. Not so much anymore at all."

  She inclined her head toward Lila's office. "What do you say we walk back in there and actually be the team we pretend to be sometimes?"

  "Yeah, I can manage that."

  Except there was something in the air with her. That charge I could feel every time we were near each other. I realized that the more time I spent with her, the more attached I was becoming. And as much as I believed in her and her ability to do this job, there were a lot of things that would send her for a loop. And I didn't want her getting caught in the crossfire.

  Rian

  By the time we left the office I was shaking, the blood that coursed in my veins was made out of molten lava and raw fury.

  She’d fucking canceled. That's why the vendors weren't getting back to me. She’d canceled their services. Fuck. I was so screwed. My chance to prove myself, my chance to really lay claim to this job and to make it work… fucking hell.

  We stepped out into the uncharacteristically bright sunshine. "Fuck." I didn't have my sunglasses, and I fumbled around for them in my purse. A pedestrian bumped into me, sending me toppling to the ground, purse clattering down, lipstick falling out, and a tampon making an escape.

  Stinging tears burned behind my eyes, and I blinked rapidly. I would not fucking cry in front of Ollie. I could feel his presence next to me, the heat of him. I was not going to cry. But too late, I tasted the salt on my lips.

  "Hey, I got it."

  He gathered the contents of my purse and placed them back inside. And all I could do was kneel there on the pavement. "Fucking hell."

  "Come on. Up you get." He reached out a hand, and all I had to do was take it. But I stared at it for a long moment. How had this become my life?

  I planned to return to London triumphant. A whole new life carved out for me in a city with the scents and smells and languages and people and vibrancy that I loved. I wanted to make this work. I wanted to stay. I wanted to enjoy and live it. I was certain Lila Kensington was fucking with me.

  Ollie waved his fingers at me. "Come on, let's go."

  I didn't really have much of a choice. I took his hand, and it was warm and firm and strong. Once on my feet with my skirt smoothed back down to knee length and my heels solidly placed underneath me, I lifted my chin. "Do you think you won? I’m not leaving."

  His gaze slipped over my face. "I'm not trying to win, Rian. There's nothing in it for me. Especially not now."

  "What's that supposed to mean?"

  He shook his head. "Come on, come with me."

  "If you're leading me off to the slaughter, I'm not interested. I've already had a pretty rough day."

  "Now, come on, we're just going around the corner."

  "I don't want to go anywhere with you, Ollie."

  "Rian, just live a little. Give me ten minutes. If you don't feel better, you can continue hating me."

  I sighed. "I don't hate you, Ollie."

  "Isn't that my line?"

  That had been his line, or something close to it. "Where are we going?"

  "Just here."

  The building in front of us looked like a small warehouse of some sort. Like it had been repurposed into some sort of restaurant-bar situation. He opened the side door and then nodded at someone who looked like a busboy.

  I asked, "Do you know him?"

  "I know the people who own the building."

  "Who owns the building? Are we supposed to be here?"

>   "You ask a lot of questions. Come on."

  I had no choice. My heels made a clip-clop sound on the wooden steps as I took the stairs two at a time. "You're not going to tell me where we're going?"

  "Relax. You'll see."

  After three more flights of stairs, my quads were burning. And I wanted to rail at him for not picking a hidden spot with an elevator. "Ollie, seriously, what are we—"

  Finally, he pushed open the door to a roof. Lush gardens surrounded us. A cursive neon sign that read Roof Top Gardens hung on the near wall with ivy and roses intertwining with the letters. There was seating everywhere, some around fire pits, some under heat lamps. "Oh, it's sunny. What is this place?"

  "At night it's a club. It's actually Liam's building. He doesn't own the club; he just leases it to them."

  "Wow, who knew Liam had it made like that?"

  "Anyway, since it's his building, it's kind of cart blanche access. We kind of use the roof sometimes as a place to get away."

  I lifted a brow. "To get away with women?"

  Ollie chuckled then. "Liam, yes. Not so much Alex. And never me. Sometimes I just need to get away and think. It makes a good spot when you don't want to be found."

  I wasn’t sure if I should believe him. "Well, it's beautiful."

  He inclined his head toward the exterior ledge. "Come on, take a look around and have a seat."

  "I don't know what happened today in that meeting. I just… She makes me insane."

  "Oh, Lila Kensington makes everyone insane. I once watched Livy scream at her in a meeting. Lila was pitching a fit about something. I still don't know why Bridge insists on this partnership. The lads really like the old man, but Lila, she's a pill and a half. She's just desperate for the old man to leave everything to her. She does not like having new partners, so she chooses any opportunity she can to stick it to us."

  "I know you explained it to me before, and maybe I wasn't listening closely enough. But wow, she is actually the worst."

  "I know. And for the record, I meant everything I said in there. And more. You are good at this, and I regret trying to make you leave."

  I tilted my head up to his and met his gaze. "You don't have to say that."

  His gray eyes bored into mine. "Yes, I do. And the other night, I should've taken what you said to me to heart. I knew you were trying to help. I just wasn't ready to hear it, I guess. And I didn't take it well. But you care about me, and that's legitimately all I've ever wanted, so I don't take it lightly."

  All the tension I'd been holding inside leaked out and my shoulders sagged. "I just don't like seeing you like this, Ollie."

  "I know. And I don't like seeing you like this. I just think we're two people who pretend they really don't like each other very much."

  I laughed at that. "Scenes that make me wonder if both of us were pretending not to like each other for a very long time."

  "It would seem that way, wouldn't it?"

  "So what are we going to do about it?" I asked softly. Because I was so tired of fighting him all the time.

  "Well, we have a job to do. Maybe we don't have to hate each other while we do it."

  "That's fair. And thank you for standing up for me with Lila. Thank you for not letting me commit murder either."

  "Hey, I'm not saying it couldn't still happen, I'm just saying let's not leave evidence. If you're going to kill her, let's not do it in her office, yeah?"

  I laughed and he sat down next to me and wrapped an arm around me. "You and I have got to figure out a way to work together. But I think we've got it, and I have full faith in you for our team. You are going to kill it."

  "You're not at all jealous that I'm the one handling it?"

  He shrugged then with a chuckle. "Maybe a little. But Bridge is right. I'm watching you get a full handle on it, and hearing all of your ideas is actually satisfying. You are very, very good at your job."

  "Thank you. This is one of those days that sort of felt like do or die. I had to make this thing work, you know?"

  He nodded slowly as he looked down over the landscape of the city. "For the record, anything that you decide to do you'd do well, actually, and I'm not just saying that. Don't let Lila get you down. You'll figure out a solution to all of this, I know you will."

  "I need to think of something. I’m almost out of time."

  "We can brainstorm some stuff if you want," he suggested.

  Was he serious? You’ll never know unless you learn to trust him. "Yeah, I'd like that. Anything short of using the old man's name."

  He shrugged. "I mean, it's not the worst idea I've ever heard in the world. Use the old man as a pitch, you know, to get people to do what you want. He's very influential."

  I sat up then. "Not just using his name but making a personal plea. As like, a personal favor to him."

  He nodded. "I see the wheels are turning already. There’s nothing that a little fresh air in a secluded garden can't solve."

  "Imagine, a garden in the middle of the concrete jungle. Gorgeous, isn't it?"

  "Better believe it." He was watching me, eyes intent, gaze focused. God, it was nice to be the focus of that kind of attention from him. Except Ollie and I were volatile, so I would settle for the truce that we had. He sighed and said, "I really do wish you the best."

  Hell, maybe we did have more than chemistry. Maybe we could actually be friends.

  Sixteen

  Rian

  What I was about to do was a bad idea.

  But even bad ideas had solid reasoning. Didn’t they? I hadn’t particularly liked DI Jones when I’d met her, and Lord knew I had nothing to offer her, but it was clear Ollie needed help. Even if he said he didn’t. Someone had kicked the crap out of him.

  And that someone was either Max or tied to Max.

  I hadn’t exactly lied when I’d said he had never been violent toward me. He hadn’t been. And I’d never seen him be violent to anyone. But there was always this undercurrent. I’d witnessed his cruelty, his manipulation. And I’d witnessed his mates who were willing to do anything for him.

  Trying to remember that time was such a haze. He’d always had friends around. None of them had been mean or rude to me or whatever, but they’d definitely given me a vibe. One that had left my skin crawling.

  Was one of them capable of hurting those girls? Absolutely. Was one of them capable of hurting Oliver on Max’s behalf? I had no doubt. And Ollie had already proven time and again he would do anything to protect his brother so it wasn’t really surprising that he had told me to drop it.

  But I couldn’t drop it. I might not have known for sure then, but I’d sensed something was off with Max at least a couple of times. And those times I’d sensed it and tried to break up with him, he’d turned on his full charm offensive.

  I hadn't seen it then but he was a master manipulator. And I’d fallen for it. But if I could help Ollie out from under Max’s thumb this time, I had to try, didn’t I?

  On Monday, Ollie had been a dick when I went by his flat to check on him. No surprise there, but he’d been a dick in the kind of way that didn’t sound like him. Something had been off. Very, very off. And I knew that I needed to listen to that instinct telling me that something wasn't right. He was hiding something, and he was in over his head.

  On the way back to the office, I paused in the little cafe, grabbed a cup of coffee, and made a call. It wasn't one I wanted to make, but it was one I had to make. I just prayed to God, I wasn't making a big mistake. DI Jones answered on the second ring. “Jones.”

  "Detective Inspector, this is Rian Beaumont calling."

  "Ah, Miss Beaumont. I was wondering when you’d call."

  I already regretted making the call, but in for a penny in for a pound. “Can you meet me this morning. There are some things I want to discuss.”

  She didn’t hesitate. “Where?”

  “The Modern Chix Café in Soho. Half past seven maybe?”

  “I’ll be there. I look forward to us speak
ing.”

  Thirty minutes later, at the café, I was a nervous wreck. Calling in the DI had seemed like such a good idea when I’d woken up this morning. But now, in the harsh morning light, I was less sure. The only reason I was here was because I was worried about Ollie. I knew he didn’t want me involved, but I couldn’t help it.

  Once I had my coffee, I found my quarry in the corner booth. When I joined her, she gave me a brief nod. “Miss Coo—Beuamont.”

  I ignored her slight. I didn’t have time for that shit today. “I— Uh, you said to call if I heard from Max?”

  There was a beat of silence. “Has he made contact with you?”

  “Uhm, no. But I think you’re right. I think Max Wexler is in town.

  "Oh, really? What makes you think that?"

  "I can't explain to you how I know. I just do. There was an event for a client. And There was this waiter who I could have sworn was him.”

  “Did he approach you? Talk to you? Even better do you have a photo of him?”

  Shit. I sounded crazy. Just like I had back home for that first year after he was released when I would swear I’d seen him or had a feeling I was being followed. “Also…”

  “Oh?”

  I swallowed hard, knowing I couldn’t unring this bell. “I think he had someone beat up his brother Oliver.”

  There was another beat of silence, as if she was processing. God, I knew I sounded crazy. Knew that just like before I was hard to believe. But Ollie needed help, so I’d better get over it.

  “Oliver Wexler, you’re in contact with him?”

  I wanted to lie, but it was too late for that. “I—yes.”

  “I wish you’d been more forthcoming earlier, Miss Beaumont. Is Oliver willing to press charges?”

  “No. That’s why I’m calling you. Max is responsible for what happened to him. I know he is.”

  “I’m sorry, Miss Beaumont. I really am. But to do anything, I’ll need proof. Testimony, an actual sighting. Does Mr. Wexler know where to find his brother?”

  “Not as far as I can tell. He denied it was Max, but the way he said it has me worried.”