It Takes a Thief--A Heist Romance

by Sloane Steele

  He pushed the chair toward the desk. Near her ear, he said, “I’m glad you took the job. I’m sorry I missed our initial meeting.”

  The quiet tone sent a shiver down her spine. She glanced over to the couch. Nikki’s attention had returned to the action movie she’d been watching.

  “See you tomorrow,” he said and headed to the door.

  “What about my phones?”

  “The box isn’t locked. You can take them back.” He winked and slipped out.

  “What the hell is going on?” she asked aloud.

  Nikki threw an elbow over the back of the couch. “They’re weird. She’s paranoid. Afraid we’re going to record her and out her to the criminal underworld or some shit.” She jumped up. “I’m going to order pizza. You want some?”

  “I don’t have any cash on me right now.” Or ever.

  “It’s on Jay.”

  “In that case, I’d love some.”

  As Nikki got on her phone to order, Audrey finished unboxing the equipment. By the time the pizza arrived, she had the computer hooked up and running. She even mirrored the monitor to the big TV on the wall.

  “How did you get internet access?” Nikki asked.

  “I tapped a neighbor’s.”

  “Oooh... I think I’m going to like you. Can you get me premium channels?”

  With a smile, Audrey said, “Maybe.”

  “Thank God. I’ve rented every disk in the damn box to play on my game console. I need some variety. The Greens are strongly opposed to having too much running through this place that would tie us together. Can’t log on to my accounts and they don’t want me opening new ones.”

  “Shit. I have an easy work-around for that. I’ll get you access that will hide who you are.”

  “I think this is gonna be the start of a beautiful friendship.”

  They sat on the couch and shared a pizza. It was a weird kind of comfort. Nikki didn’t look like a thief. Not that Audrey had an expectation for what a thief should look like. She was pretty but kind of sloppy, and she had a general don’t-give-a-fuck attitude.

  Nikki chatted about nothing important, but she seemed so open. A thief should be more secretive.

  Looking across at Audrey, she suddenly asked, “Did he really flirt with you?”

  “I thought so. But online, who knows?” Audrey lifted a shoulder. It was totally within the realm of possibility that she had no idea what flirting was anymore. She couldn’t remember the last time a guy hit on her.

  “I know. No man is going to defend his actions like that unless he was guilty. Plus, you add in the way he keeps looking at you? Yeah, that sexual tension wasn’t about him and his partner.”

  Audrey sucked in a breath. She’d assumed Nikki hadn’t paid any attention to what happened between her and Jay. Unsurprisingly, the thief was sneaky. She had Audrey openly talking about her personal life without too much effort. She really needed to get out more, maybe make some friends, so she wouldn’t be tempted to cave so quickly in the workplace. “It doesn’t really matter now, though, does it? We have a job to do. No time for flirting.”

  Maybe if she kept repeating that to herself, she’d believe it.

  Chapter Four

  Jared had a long conversation with Mia over dinner later that night. He knew she was worried, but she needed to chill a little when dealing with people. He also spent quite a bit of time thinking about Data. She was older than he’d imagined. He hadn’t pictured jailbait because no way would he have intentionally flirted with a kid, but he figured she would be younger, like fresh out of college. Maybe it was her eagerness to work. Maybe he’d assumed a good hacker had to be young to be familiar with the latest tech, but she had to be near his age.

  She was striking, and something in her face made her look experienced, a wariness in her eyes. Experience mattered, and it made her that much more appealing.

  When he got back to the apartment the next day, he let himself in and called out, “Nikki, I’m here.” He set the coffee and donuts he’d brought on the table. The computer was set up on the desk. “How long was Data here last night?”

  “Until we polished off a pizza,” Nikki said from behind him. “Good. You brought breakfast.”

  He turned around as she flipped open the donut box, her bare ass in the air. “Lord, Nikki, put some clothes on.” He spun back.

  “I am wearing clothes. I normally sleep naked. I put on a thong and T-shirt for you.”

  Waving a hand in the air, he said, “Could you put on some pants?”

  She huffed. “Fine.”

  While she was out of the room, hopefully covering herself, he made his way around the desk to see what Data had done. “Did she say what time she was coming back?”

  Upon her return, Nikki crammed half a glazed donut in her mouth. “Nope.”

  He’d been up since before five to wrap up some projects with clients. It was after nine thirty. Surely she should be here by now. He texted, Where are you? We have stuff to go over.

  Work.

  Work? This was supposed to be her only job. He and Mia were paying well to avoid these kinds of conflicts. We said no other jobs.

  It took so long for her to answer he thought she wasn’t going to.

  I thought you meant JOBS. This is my regular bill-paying gig.

  Ah, fuck. “Did Data happen to mention where she worked?”

  Nikki was on her second or third donut. “She didn’t say, but she was wearing a T-shirt from the Grind yesterday. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out it was a uniform.”

  He let Nikki’s sarcasm roll off.

  Come straight to the apartment when you get off.

  That’s the plan. I should be there by noon.

  Why the hell was she working at a coffee shop? Assuming he wasn’t her only client, she could be raking in plenty of cash. Even if she had a cover job, why not in her preferred field? The puzzle of Data just kept expanding.

  “When are you going to fill me in on the job? I’m getting kind of antsy sitting around here every day with nothing to do,” Nikki complained.

  “It hasn’t even been three days. We’ll be going over the entire plan later today.”

  “Good. Will your partner be here for the briefing?”

  This woman was such a smart-ass, it was a wonder she’d never been caught. “Yes, she will. Any other questions?”

  “I have plenty more. How long have you had the hots for Data?”

  “Yesterday was the first time we met.”

  “That doesn’t answer the question. You’ve had some kind of relationship before now.”

  Jared began to see the brilliance of Mia’s plan of not letting anyone meet each other. “Prior to now, I utilized Data’s talents for a number of business matters.”

  “Uh-huh.” She drew the syllable out in a way that called him a liar.

  Why was he even attempting to answer her questions satisfactorily? She was just trying to get under his skin. He didn’t know how to answer her questions anyway. Whenever he communicated with Data there was some flirtation, but it had been safe because they were never supposed to meet. Now that he’d met her, he wanted to continue the fun banter they shared. Part of him had hoped he wouldn’t be attracted to her in person, because Mia would hate knowing that he was drawn to Data in anything other than a business relationship.

  But he liked Data even more. Even though he knew it would complicate things.

  Since he had a couple of hours until Data would be back, he texted Mia to let her know so he wouldn’t have to listen to her bitch. Then he sent money to Data’s usual account. She couldn’t be making that much at a coffee shop. Five thousand should be enough for a deposit on three weeks of her time.

  Handling clients came next. A normal week had him running sixty to seventy hours for clients. He needed to clear part of his s
chedule to have time to be here to keep an eye on Nikki and make sure Data accessed everything they would need. While he was pretty tech savvy, he wasn’t a hacker. He did, however, know what they would need.

  The hours passed quickly while he dealt with clients. The biggest situation he had going right now was brokering a deal between two tech companies. One wanted to swallow the other and as usual, the loser wouldn’t go down without a fight. It was his job to show him how futile the fight would be. Sometimes that involved a little underhandedness, but he didn’t think he’d need to explore those avenues this time. He hoped to have both players settled by tomorrow.

  At noon, Mia entered the apartment carrying bags of food for lunch. His cousin might not like the people he’d hired, but she was always the consummate host. She glanced around as if to take note of the lack of Data’s presence. Before she could comment, the bell rang.

  He met Data at the door. He didn’t want another scene between Data and Mia. For some inexplicable reason, he was protective of Data. “I’ve sent five grand to your usual account. You need to quit the job.”

  “I need that job.”

  “No, you don’t. You’ll make plenty from us. You at least have to take a leave of absence while we’re doing this. It’s not negotiable.” He couldn’t understand why she was working a menial job that didn’t even utilize her skills, but now was not the time to ask.

  “Is this her doing?”

  “It’s an expectation we have of all of you. We’re under a tight deadline. We need your undivided attention.” He looked closely at her face. She looked even more exhausted than she had yesterday. “What time did you start today?”

  “Four a.m.”

  “Are you going to be able to focus?”

  She crossed her arms. “What time did you get up for your day of world domination?”

  “Four thirty, but I’m not the one walking around with dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep.”

  “I’m fine. I’ll make sure to apply some makeup tomorrow to look more presentable.”

  He sighed and shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. I don’t have a problem with the way you look.” Just the opposite. I want to spend far too much time looking at you. “I’m concerned that you’re not taking care of yourself.”

  “I’m good. I take care of myself just fine.” She pointed to the apartment behind him. “Let’s do this.”

  Great. Now he’d pissed her off. He needed to take a page from his own book and relax when it came to these players. They’d chosen people who work alone and now they were expecting an instantaneous team, but it would take a little time. Hopefully not too much. He’d have to put his attraction aside because Data no longer seemed all that interested.

  In the kitchen, Mia had a full spread of food. Three kinds of salad, cold cuts, cheeses, a dessert tray. “Help yourself,” she said as she walked to the couch carrying a cup of coffee.

  While Mia might see it as a sign of weakness to eat in front of Data and Nikki, he dove in. As usual, Nikki piled a plate high with food. He had no idea how she managed to eat so much. Data made a simple sandwich and wrapped it in a napkin.

  Sitting on the floor with her legs crossed, Nikki took a bite of sandwich and said, “Shoot. Give us the deets.”

  Mia inhaled slowly. “As you know, we’ve hired you to steal a painting. Data, your job will be to bypass the security system to get Nikki in and out.”

  “That’s it? All the buildup for that?” Nikki sounded disappointed.

  “What were you hoping for?” Mia asked.

  “I don’t know. Something more spectacular than steal a painting.”

  * * *

  Jay brushed his hands together and then tapped on the keyboard. Audrey watched his fingers fly over the keys. She knew it was weird, but she always found it sexy when a man could type without chicken pecking. Admittedly, her standards were pretty low.

  Focus. He’s the boss. Plus, he just got done telling me that I look like ass. She pushed down her obnoxious inner voice and forced her attention to the TV.

  “It is a little more than that,” he said. On the screen, an image of a huge house—a mansion really. “This is the house. Not only will you steal a painting, but you’ll replace it with a forgery.”

  Nikki sat up straighter. “Well, that’s a little more interesting. Why?”

  “So the owner doesn’t realize he’s been robbed.”

  Nikki’s whole face frowned. “Where’s the fun in that? When I get one over on someone, I want him to know. I want to push his nose in my superiority.”

  “This isn’t about proving your superiority,” Ms. Green said.

  And she would know all about a superiority complex.

  “Then what?” Nikki continued.

  “Money. Pure and simple.”

  Audrey listened to what the woman said, but she wasn’t buying it. The Greens were not like her and Nikki. They didn’t need money. They looked like they stepped off the set of a nighttime soap opera. There was more to the situation than they were letting on.

  “Who’s doing the forgery?” Nikki asked.

  Audrey didn’t much care. She knew next to nothing about art. She wouldn’t be able to tell a fake from the original.

  “Not your concern,” Mia said. “We’ll be providing that.”

  “And we’re supposed to trust that this forger is good enough that no one will be able to tell?”

  “I’ll make sure of it,” Mia said confidently.

  The woman was so confident that Audrey wondered if she was the forger.

  “Not to sound like a bitch, or anything, but I’ve stolen plenty of things in my life. Why do I need you?”

  “We have access to clientele who are interested in this particular painting.” Jay rose with a smile and crossed the room.

  Audrey could imagine him in a boardroom owning everything. He commanded attention. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. He wasn’t a huge guy, maybe five-ten and fit, but not physically imposing. It was the way he carried himself, as if he could do whatever he wanted and no one would question him. And if they did, he wouldn’t care.

  He continued, “Masterpieces are rarely stolen. When they are, they’re usually found and returned quickly. Part of the reason is that it’s hard to fence a priceless work of art.”

  “Or you could just ransom it instead of fencing it.”

  “Ransom?” Audrey asked.

  “You steal a painting and as soon as they discover it’s missing you call and demand a ransom for the safe return.” Nikki chuckled. “I’ve done it with the same Dali three times.”

  Dali? So much for masterpieces not being stolen. Audrey had no reason to doubt Nikki. She’d come across the woman’s name in passing, although they didn’t travel or work in the same circles. Where Audrey flew under the radar, Nikki liked to let everyone know how fabulous she was.

  “What makes this different? As far as fencing it,” Audrey asked.

  “Me. I have access to the right people,” Jay said.

  When his dark eyes met hers, she saw a spark of excitement.

  “People who won’t care that it’s stolen,” Nikki said. “You sound like you have a plan, but we get paid up front.” She flipped a thumb toward Audrey.

  Audrey felt an odd kinship with Nikki, like they were in this together. Which in a way they were, separate from the Greens.

  “Yes,” Ms. Green said. “In addition to the deposit up front, you get paid as soon as you deliver the painting.”

  “What happens if you can’t sell it?” Audrey asked.

  “Shh,” Nikki blurted. “Not our problem.”

  Jay chuckled. “She’s right. It’s not your concern. I know I’ll be able to sell it.”

  The man acted as if he had no worries in the world. As if nothing could go wrong. But like Nikki said, it wasn’t their
problem. Getting Nikki in and out was her only concern. That and a fat paycheck.

  “What kind of alarm system do they have?”

  Irritation flashed across Ms. Green’s face.

  What the hell did I do now? This is what she hired me for.

  “They just did an upgrade, so we’re not entirely sure. I have the specs on what they had. Same company, and as far as I know, same equipment.”

  So she wasn’t pissed at Audrey. She was upset at her own failings. Audrey got a little sick enjoyment from Ms. Green’s misery.

  Jay was back at the computer. On the screen, photos of the keypad and a few of the sensors from the house showed.

  “If you have an inside man, why not have them do this? It’d be cleaner,” Nikki said.

  “We don’t have someone inside,” Ms. Green said.

  Audrey locked gazes with Nikki. Without an inside man, one of the Greens had to have been there to take photos.

  “Can you get me in?” Audrey asked. “A quick sweep will tell me what we’re dealing with.”

  “It’d be too risky. Getting one of you in so close to when we plan to make the trade isn’t worth it.” Ms. Green tapped her perfectly rounded manicured nails on the desk. She shared a look with Jay, then turned back to Audrey. “What exactly would you need to see besides what we’ve provided?”

  “In a perfect world, I’d like to access the network. But seeing as I don’t live in a perfect world, I can make do with knowing the number of cameras, system type, and provider.”

  “Some of that we know,” Jay said. “No new cameras have been installed. There are six exterior cameras. Motion detectors on the main floor. Keypad by the front and back doors as well as in the master bedroom.”

  “Where is the painting?” Nikki asked.

  “At the landing of the front stairs,” Ms. Green told them. “It hangs so when you stand in the foyer, it draws your attention.”

  Foy-ay. Not foy-er. People with money, man. Always sounding fancy.

  Nikki stood and rolled her hand at Jay. “Go back to the layout.” Pictures flashed on the screen. “So I can go in through the window in the den, run up the stairs, and grab the painting. In and out the same way. Easy-peasy.”