To Catch a Thief--A High Stakes Romantic Suspense

by Sloane Steele

  “Good for you,” London said.

  “So you’re walking away? Does that mean we’re done?” Audrey looked between Jared and Mia.

  Mia pressed her lips together. “That’s entirely up to you. You have the lists of my father’s properties and his victims. I’ve already given Jared my inheritance to use how he sees fit. I believe that what we’ve done here has made a real difference in the lives of the people we’ve helped. I’m all for doing more of that.” She swallowed, took a deep breath, and added, “I just can’t be a part of it.”

  “What about you?” Audrey asked Jared.

  “If you ladies want to finish what Mia started, I’m here. I already play in the shadows. That’s never really been who Mia is.”

  “But if you’re with Logan, and you’re paying for our work, he’ll find out,” Nikki said. “He could come after us.”

  “I promised him that I could walk away. I didn’t say no one else would continue with the forgeries.”

  Nikki lifted a shoulder. “That doesn’t seem completely honest. I’m pretty sure that would be a deal breaker for an FBI agent.”

  “He has no reason to keep looking. But if he does, Jared will know and you can plan accordingly.” Mia made eye contact with each woman. “If you decide we go out like this and end the project, I’m okay with that, too. I may have started this venture, but we’ve become a team, so I feel safe in leaving it in your hands.”

  Jared clapped his hands together. “No decisions have to be made now. Tonight is for celebrating. Dwayne Benson and Cesar Towers are behind bars.” He lifted a glass. “To revenge.”

  “No,” Mia said. “To justice.”

  Epilogue

  Two months later

  Two hours into her big night, Mia was exhausted. She’d been working nonstop to make this exhibit everything she’d envisioned. She was damn proud of it. It was that pride that had her irritation growing because the hors d’oeuvres were not quite what they had discussed. She had to remind herself that she was not in charge of the catering. The exhibit was her baby, and people came out to support her. More importantly, they were enjoying the exhibit.

  “Mia.”

  At the sound of her mother’s voice, Mia turned from the rail where she had been watching the crowd, making sure the flow of traffic was working as she’d designed. Her mother was crossing the hall with her hand wrapped around Logan’s arm.

  Mia took a deep breath and smiled. “You made it.”

  “I wouldn’t miss this for anything.” Beverly stepped closer and pulled her in for a hug. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thank you.” She basked in her mother’s words and warm arms for a few minutes.

  Beverly stepped back. “Excuse me now while I go get a glass of champagne and take another walk through the exhibit.”

  “Would you like me to take you around?” she offered.

  “No,” her mother said with a knowing smile. “I think Logan would like some of your time.”

  Mia waited until her mother reached the stairs and then she turned back to Logan, whose eyes never left her. She looked him up and down. “You look pretty good in a tuxedo.”

  “Nowhere near as amazing as you look in that dress.” He reached for her hand and pulled her close, leading her behind a pillar. “I know you have a million things to worry about tonight, but give me three minutes.”

  “Only three?”

  “I’d love more, but I’m a realist.” He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her deeply, keeping his hands on her hips. When he pulled away again, his eyes were dark and his smile dangerous. “You have no idea how badly I want to mess you up right now. Run my hands through your hair. Kiss my way down your body. Hike this dress up. Eat you until you’re screaming my name.”

  His words painted a vivid picture and she squirmed under his heavy gaze. He didn’t touch her any more than he had been. Maybe a quick flex of his fingers on her hips.

  “As lovely as that sounds, I’ll have to take a rain check. If you come to my place tonight, you can do whatever you’d like.”

  “Sure you won’t be too tired after all this partying?” he whispered before tugging her earlobe with his teeth.

  She shivered. “I’ll be fine.” Pressing a hand to his chest to move him back before things could go further, she inhaled deeply. His scent surrounded and calmed her. “You’re quite the distraction, Mr. Ford.”

  “You looked like you could use one.”

  They turned together, holding hands and headed toward the stairs.

  “Speaking of distractions,” he said. “I just got word that two more paintings belonging to your father’s friends were found to be forgeries.”

  “Really?” At the bottom of the steps, she picked up two glasses of champagne from a waiter, handed one to Logan, and took a sip from hers.

  “I don’t suppose you would know anything about that?”

  “Probably not,” she answered.

  “You agreed to stop.”

  “I promised I would no longer steal as long as my father was brought to justice.” Letting go of that driving force had been freeing. She was no longer weighed down by constant plans for revenge. Instead, she spent her evenings with a man she loved. She didn’t want to go back to the plotting and planning.

  He took a sharp inhale. “He’s in custody. It’s no one’s fault that the wheels of justice move slowly. He will go to trial.”

  She patted his arm. “Relax. I had nothing to do with the forgeries you’re talking about.” Then she had a thought. “Unless...whose art?” If it was Darren Turner’s statue, technically she would know something about it. He hadn’t tried to sell yet. At least not that Mia was aware of.

  “Does it matter?”

  “There might be a few things that were handled before you began your investigation, and if one of those came to light, I’d be lying if I said I knew nothing about it. I promised not to lie to you.”

  He laughed, leaned forward, and kissed the top of her head. “I need to learn to stop asking you such questions.”

  “That would probably be for the best.”

  In the last two months, their relationship had solidified. Logan didn’t pretend she hadn’t been a criminal, but he mostly trusted that she’d quit. And she felt freer for it. For the first time in years, she was happy. She was actually looking forward to the future. Her life was full of good things. She and Logan were trying to take things slow, rebuild the parts of their relationship that had been shaky. The fact that he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and trust her word was enough to make her really okay with walking away from being a criminal mastermind.

  She still occasionally saw Nikki, Audrey, and London, as friends. They got together for dinner and a movie like normal women. They talked about relationships and non-theft work—which meant that Nikki was typically quiet, although she had started doing some security work for Wade. And she didn’t totally hate it.

  Mia looked up at Logan and her heart swelled.

  “What?” he asked.

  “I’m just really happy right now.”

  “I’m glad. I’m happy, too.” He pressed another kiss to her temple. “There’s your cousin.” Logan pointed toward the middle of the room. “I bet he can show me the way to a good whiskey.”

  “I’m sure he can.” Mia took his glass of champagne. “I’ll see you late tonight?”

  “Absolutely.”

  * * *

  Logan quickly crossed the room and approached Jared. “Let’s get a drink.”

  “Good to see you, too, Logan.”

  They walked together to the bar that was set up in the corner. Jared ordered two glasses of whiskey and left a generous tip for the bartender. After handing one to Logan, he asked, “Enjoying the exhibit?”

  “It’s interesting.”

  “I haven’t had muc
h of a chance to see it. Let’s walk.”

  Logan followed Jared toward the beginning of the exhibit. He’d already been through twice, once on his own and once with Mia’s mother. “I’ve heard a few more forgeries hit the market.”

  “Hmm.”

  The noncommittal sound irked Logan. “Look,” Logan said, putting a hand on Jared’s arm.

  Jared simply stared at Logan’s hand until he removed it. “Mia told me you were no longer investigating the forgeries.”

  “It doesn’t mean I don’t hear things.”

  Jared nodded. “What have you heard?”

  Logan released a deep breath. He would probably never be friends with Jared, but Mia cared about him, so by default, Logan felt the need to help. “Can we drop the pretense?”

  Jared moved toward the wall, tucked a hand in his pocket, and sipped his whiskey. “There’s no pretense here, just self-preservation.”

  “Then let me start. Although Mia’s always said she worked alone, I know that’s not true. And since you’re the only person who matters to her, and given your less-than-aboveboard line of work, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out you’re heading up her mission of revenge.”

  Jared made no response. Not even a twitch of his eye.

  “And I’d lay money on your girlfriend being behind getting someone through security systems.”

  That one hit the mark. It was a small shift, just a tightening of his hand on his glass, but Logan saw it.

  “I get that you and Mia have had a tough time. Your fathers are shit. I also know she doesn’t have too many people in her corner.” He shifted to mimic Jared’s stance. “I’m one of those people, so I’ll protect her and those she cares about.”

  “What are you getting at?”

  “First, hypothetically, if you were involved in anything less than legal, no one should ever know. Mia would be devastated if anything were to happen to you. Second, make damn sure nothing ever blows back on her.”

  “First, I take care of my own. Second, that goes without saying. Like you, I protect those who matter.”

  Logan understood that. Family mattered above all else. He had no doubt Jared and Mia’s old team were continuing to replace art with forgeries. Given who they were stealing from and where the profits were going, he had a hard time mustering any outrage. Sometimes the scales of justice needed a little help finding balance.

  “Is there anything else?” Jared asked.

  “Yeah.” He drained his glass as he considered how to phrase the information in a way that wouldn’t compromise his ethics any more than they already had been. “With the trial coming up soon, there’s a lot of scrutiny on properties insured by Atlas.”

  “Interesting.” Jared, too, finished his drink and stepped away from the wall. “Why?”

  Logan knew the man wasn’t asking why he issued the warning, but why he was helping. “Because I love your cousin and I plan to spend the rest of my life with her. That means I have to accept all of her.”

  “Good answer.”

  Then Jared walked away and Logan returned to Mia’s side.

  “What were you talking to Jared about?” she asked.

  “He was doing the big brother thing. You know, the ‘you better not hurt her or else’ bit. I’ve done it a number of times. It’s kind of expected.” It was close enough to the truth, and the only way to truly protect her was to make sure she kept her distance from the crimes her cousin might commit.

  “I’m six months older than he is.”

  “It’s not about age. It’s his duty.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Men.” But then she smiled crookedly in the way he loved so much. “What did you say to his threat?”

  “I told him he had nothing to worry about because I love you and I plan to spend my life with you.” He spoke the words casually, as if they were a given. For him, they were. The last two months had cemented his feelings for Mia and he loved everything about her. Getting past her criminal activity hadn’t been as difficult as he’d thought. After watching some of the tactics her father had tried using, he understood her need to stop him. Her resilience only made him want her more.

  Of course, getting her to understand that he was all in and not going anywhere was sometimes an uphill battle, as if she expected him to disappear, so he wanted her to be clear.

  Her mouth dropped open and she took a sharp intake of air, but she recovered quickly. She narrowed her eyes. “Are you seriously proposing to me now? Tonight? When I’m swamped with work?”

  He smiled, happy that she didn’t blow past his message as if it wasn’t real. “Relax, babe. This is not an official proposal. I’m just stating my intentions. I’ve already wooed the hell out of you. You’ll know when I’m proposing.”

  “You’re awfully full of yourself.” Her snarky comment was followed by her crooked smile, the one meant for just him. And she stared straight into his eyes, no lies, no games, just open and honest.

  “And yet you love me.”

  “Yes, yes, I do,” she said as she took his hand and held tight.

  With those words, Logan felt the puzzle pieces of his life snap together perfectly.

  * * *

  About the Author

  Sloane Steele is the pen name for Shannyn Schroeder. Shannyn is a part-time English teacher, part-time curriculum editor, and full-time mom, even though her kids are pretty self-sufficient teens. In her downtime, she bakes cookies, reads romance, and watches far too much TV.

  Sloane is planning a Counterfeit Capers novella for late 2021: The Thief Who Stole Christmas (London’s story). To find out about other books by Sloane Steele or to be alerted to new releases, sign up for her newsletter at www.subscribepage.com/sloanesteele.

  If you want to connect with Sloane (and Shannyn):

  www.SloaneSteele.com

  www.Instagram.com/sloanesteeleauthor/

  www.Twitter.com/SSchroeder_

  www.Facebook.com/shannyn.schroeder/

  When catching a thief requires becoming one.

  Jared Towers can talk his way out of anything. Audrey Abbott can hack into anything. They have nothing in common except for a desire to care for those who need it—and the art heist of the century.

  Keep reading for an excerpt from It Takes a Thief

  by Sloane Steele, book one in her

  heist romance series Counterfeit Capers!

  Chapter One

  December

  Jared waved at the doorman as he made his way to the elevator. He spent enough time here that no one expected him to sign in. When Mia first moved in, they stopped him every time, worried that he was an overbearing lover. The thought still made him cringe. Explaining that they were cousins gave him a pass to go up to her apartment without question.

  When the door swung open, Mia looked surprised to see him. “What are you doing here?”

  “Happy birthday.” He bent and kissed her cheek. “Did you think I would let you spend your thirtieth alone?”

  “Who says I plan to be alone?”

  He glanced around the empty room, taking note of the open bottle of wine on the table and single glass beside it, and raised an eyebrow. The woman had lived barely above hermit status for years. She worked, spent time with her mother, and came home to a tastefully and artfully decorated condo. Alone. She’d been gun-shy ever since her engagement ended in a very public humiliation. Her face was free of makeup and she had her thick black hair tied back. She wouldn’t let a new man see her bedtime routine, even though she still looked regal. Mia was like her mother in that way.

  She huffed. “Fine. So I’m alone. I have things to do. Plans to make.”

  He took off his coat and hung it on the rack. Then he turned and handed Mia a wrapped gift.

  “You know you didn’t have to get me anything.”

  “Until you find some guy that will
spoil you, I reserve the right. Everyone should have a gift on their birthday.”

  She tugged at the ribbon and slid her finger under the tape.

  “Hey, you know you don’t have to save the paper, right?”

  “Leave me alone.”

  It was the same exchange they had every year, at her birthday and at Christmas. Mia was meticulous in her approach to everything. Jared preferred to dive in.

  Moments later, she held up the thin diamond bracelet. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

  She placed it back in the box and went to the liquor cabinet. After she handed him a glass, they settled on the couch in front of the marble fireplace where a fire burned.

  He picked up the open bottle and poured himself some white wine. “Are you slumming today? Since when you do you drink regular wine? No vintage Dom for your birthday?”

  “There is nothing regular about Domaine Leflaive, thank you very much.”

  “So what has you so busy you’re not celebrating with a party?”

  She sniffed. “As if. That’s the last thing I would do.”

  He set his glass on the table without drinking any. “I thought things had gotten better for you. You’ve been making the society circuit again.”

  Their fathers’ crimes had taken a toll on Mia and he wished he could do something to repair the damage done. Both her mother and his felt like pariahs in the society they’d been a part of long before they’d gotten married. In his personal life, he hadn’t taken a hit, mostly because he was a man. Professionally, however, his dreams had been crushed.

  “I’ve been to functions and other than the occasional whisper by the same catty trolls I’ve dealt with my whole life, it has been better. But no big celebrations with me in the spotlight.”

  “Other than sitting around in your pajamas and drinking alone, what are you doing?” He picked up his glass and drank the wine, even though he’d prefer whiskey.