Mia snapped her fingers in front of his face. “What do you think?”
“I’m not sure she’ll even talk to me,” he finally said. “I wanted five minutes and she wouldn’t give me that.”
“We should bring them all back—London, Nikki, and Audrey—and lay it all out. Like you said, they work well together.”
He opened his eyes and gave her a half grin. “See? I told you to listen to me.”
“Don’t gloat. Just because you were right this one time doesn’t mean you know everything.” She rose. “I’ll call them and ask them to come back tomorrow.” Pointing at the painting, she added, “Do you have a buyer yet?”
“For this one, yes. Not for the others. Since you’re moving up the timeline, I’ll send a list out and find the buyers we need. The money from this sale will be enough to pay for everything for the next one and still make the first bit of restitution we planned.”
“I’d rather take all the money and pay restitution to the people on our list. I’ll foot the bill for the jobs.”
He knew that was originally the plan, but he didn’t want her to blow her entire inheritance to make this happen. He could afford it. He wasn’t sure she could. He supposed she made decent money as a curator and appraiser, but he wouldn’t let her end up broke because of this.
“We’ll do it your way.” He stood and stretched, suddenly feeling exhausted. “I’ll get the painting shipped out tomorrow as soon as the payment is made.”
Mia put the glasses in the sink and the empty bottle in the trash. “On the plus side, the lure of money might be enough to bring her back. Then she would have to interact with you.”
He nodded, but he didn’t want Audrey to feel obligated to come back because of the big paycheck. Thinking about why she wanted the money, he struck on a thought that would settle things once and for all. He’d remove her need for the cash. Then if she came back, he would know they had a chance.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Audrey wiped down the tables after the morning rush. The wet rag smudged the address on her palm even more than her shower had last night. She’d scrubbed to get rid of it, but it lingered, much like her thoughts of Jared. Erasing the ink on her hand wouldn’t even matter. She had it committed to memory.
A throat cleared behind her. She turned, her customer smile in place. “Is there something I can do—”
She froze when she came face-to-face with Mia. Don’t these people have lives? “What are you doing here?”
Mia’s perfectly made-up face didn’t register a reaction to Audrey’s rude comment. The woman was an ice queen. Barely a flicker in her hazel eyes. “Can I have a moment of your time?”
“Will it matter if I say no?”
The woman smirked, actually smirked. “I suppose not. I’ll talk fast.”
Audrey tossed the rag on the table and crossed her arms. “Real fast.”
“I’d like you to come back to the apartment this evening. We have another proposition for you.”
Audrey shook her head. “I already told you. I’m out.”
“I can respect that, but you don’t yet have all of the information.” At Audrey’s eye roll, Mia held up a hand. “I’m aware that keeping you in the dark was my choice. This evening, I will tell all of you the entire story. Then, if you still want to leave, I’ll never bother you again.”
She wanted to say no, but Audrey was tempted by I’m-better-than-you Mia standing in front of her asking. The part of her brain that was more curious than cautious wanted to know.
“We’ll start at seven. If you don’t show, that will be answer enough. I hope to have you there. I think what I have to say might be enough to make you rethink your position.”
“Then why not just tell me now?”
“The story requires more depth and privacy than the current conditions allow,” she said with a glance around the coffee shop.
“I’ll think about it.”
Mia gave a brief nod and then spun to leave.
The woman was weird. Always so formal. Audrey wondered if she ever cut loose. What would a relaxed Mia look like?
Even Audrey’s active imagination couldn’t conjure a picture. With a quiet chuckle, she finished cleaning. Very few clients piqued her interest as much as Mia and Jared had, even before she knew who they were. She owed it to herself to get the answers Mia was offering.
* * *
At 6:50 that night, Audrey paced in front of the apartment. She hadn’t thought about whether Jared would be there. Although she’d tried to mentally prepare for seeing him, nothing worked. Jittery nerves assaulted her as if she’d consumed five energy drinks.
She could do this. Mia was giving information and answering questions. But she said it might make me rethink my position. My position on what? Working for her or being with Jared? That was the true source of the nerves—she didn’t know what outcome she was hoping for.
“Can’t decide if you want to go in?”
The voice startled her, causing a slight jump. She turned to face Nikki. “It’s not nice to sneak up on people.”
“I’m a prowler. It’s kind of my thing. So. Going in?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Come on. You know you’re dying to know what Mia plans to say.”
“I could just wait until she tells you and then you can tell me.”
“Not if she swears me to secrecy.”
“As if a promise to her carries any weight.”
“She might ask me to pinky swear,” Nikki deadpanned.
Then they both fell into laughter at the thought of Mia doing anything so childish.
When they sobered, Nikki said, “If nothing else, you’ll get closure. Plus, free food.”
Nikki had no idea how swaying the free food was. The money from the job would pay for Gram’s care for just over six months, but Audrey was pretty tapped out again.
“Okay. Let’s do this.”
They went in together. As Nikki pulled out her key to unlock the door, Audrey said, “I’m glad I met you. I don’t have many friends.”
“Let’s not get all emotional and shit. Even if Mia does nothing more than fill the time with good food and crappy explanations, our paths will cross again.”
It wasn’t much of a reassurance, but coming from Nikki, Audrey understood it was the best she could expect.
Inside the living room, London was already sitting on a chair drinking a glass of wine. “You’re here!” Her voice was excited as though she thought she’d never see them again.
Mia came from the kitchen carrying a bottle of wine and two more glasses. “There is food on the table and more wine in the refrigerator if you don’t like this one.”
“I prefer beer,” Nikki said and went straight to the kitchen.
Mia looked at Audrey with a soft smile. “I’m glad you came.”
Audrey nodded without commenting. She glanced around for evidence that Jared was there.
“He’s on his way. Will that be a problem?”
“No. We’re all adults.” The words felt phony on her lips. She wasn’t good at faking nonchalance. Jared caused nothing but mixed emotions in her. In bed, of course she felt like a grown woman, but standing here in the living room, she felt like a teenager hoping the guy she liked would be around and notice her presence. Teen Audrey craved his attention as much as his kisses.
He made her feel like she mattered.
But how much of it was real when it started with him pretending to be someone else?
She didn’t even like wine, but she poured herself a glass and drank quickly. Then she went to the table and loaded a plate with food. She didn’t know what it was, but the range and variety of colors told her it contained a balance of all the major food groups—nothing like her normal diet—and it smelled fabulous.
When she curled up in the corner of
the couch, Nikki joined her with a plate and a bottle of beer. They ate in silence, waiting for Mia to start.
As if she could read Audrey’s mind, Mia said, “I’m waiting for Jared. This is as much his story as it is mine.”
The door swung open and Jared strode in. The cousins did their weird nod of acknowledgment, and Mia stood in front of the TV. With her hands clasped in front of her, she started.
“I know Audrey made you all aware of our names, and I’m sure along with that, some information about our history. I’m not going to bore you with all of the details, but I need you to understand some things in order to fully see the plan we have.
“As you know, our fathers are con men, thieves, if you will.”
“Hey,” Nikki yelled, “I take offense. I keep better company.”
Mia gave her a look Audrey could only describe as amused. It was...strange.
“We were unaware of our fathers’ scheme. Our mothers did not know either. We were all taken by surprise when the FBI came to arrest them. Of course, being the criminals that they are, they had a getaway plan and fled the country.”
“Google already told us all of that,” Audrey said. Except for the part that the men committed the crimes without their families’ knowledge, and she wasn’t sure she bought that version.
“We know where they are, and they can’t be extradited. We want to flush them out.”
Now she had Audrey’s full attention.
“After they fled, Jared and I began digging into everything they’d done. If we couldn’t make them pay, we at least wanted to make things right. That’s where the artwork comes into play.”
“How so?” Audrey asked.
“First, we planned to take things from their friends. These are men who benefitted from their scheme but who won’t be prosecuted.” Mia’s eyes narrowed. “I wanted them to know I was going after their friends.”
“I love me some good pettiness,” Nikki said and pulled her feet up on the couch like she was settling in for story time.
“Your fathers left the country years ago. Why wait until now?”
“We had to wait until we had access to our inheritance from our mothers’ family. We needed the funds to pay for everything. The profits from the theft and subsequent sales are going to our fathers’ victims. The painting you stole on Saturday will fund scholarships for two teenagers whose families lost their life savings to our fathers.”
Audrey’s heart sped up. No fucking way. All of this deceit for what? To cover up doing good?
Mia waited for that to sink in for a few seconds. “It was a solid plan. Steal from their friends, maybe make them feel guilty enough to poke their noses out of hiding. Help the people they hurt.”
“Why not just give them money?”
“Sometimes it takes a thief to right a wrong,” Jared said. “The money is only part of it.”
Mia continued, “Then, I recently found that many of my father’s friends were planning to sell various pieces of art. After some detailed research, I pieced together that the artwork, most of the pieces I planned to steal, were purchased on our fathers’ behalf.”
Nikki cackled. “You’re stealing from your fathers?”
Jared cleared his throat before jumping in again. “We think the art is their contingency plan. They knew their accounts would be frozen by the FBI and large transfers to overseas accounts might raise red flags. Artwork purchased by a bunch of their rich friends wouldn’t even be noticed.”
It hurt to look at him. Audrey wanted to smack him. He should’ve just told her the truth, any version of it. As painful as it was, she kept her gaze on him, still wanting his attention even though she’d pushed him away.
“Are they planning to run again?” Nikki asked. “Since you know where they are?”
“I don’t know if they’re aware we know their location. However, the logical conclusion is that they’re selling art to fund another move,” Mia replied.
This was the most emotion Audrey had ever seen from the woman, and she wasn’t sure how to read it. It was all so much to process. For the first time since meeting Mia or Jared, Audrey felt like they were being honest. For all the lies they’d fed her, they were pulling some Robin Hood stunt.
Audrey got mad all over again.
* * *
Jared studied Audrey as Mia spoke. She’d been looking for this truth since the beginning. He didn’t know exactly what he’d expected, but he knew it wasn’t the blank, nearly confused, look on her face. No, that wasn’t true. He believed as soon as she heard the plan, she’d jump into his arms. She would see he was nothing like his father. They could be together.
Childish? Yes. But sometimes that was all he thought hope was.
He was so focused on Audrey, Mia had to clear her throat for him to realize he was up.
He stood, feeling a bit like a bumbling fool, and crossed the room to where Mia stood. “There are eleven more pieces of art we want to take.”
“Why only eleven?” Audrey asked, finally meeting his gaze. “I’m sure these guys can afford more.”
“We chose the twelve men based on the items they purchased—the value of those items—as well as how easy it would be to steal without being obvious. These men are far from serious art collectors.”
Another chuckle from Nikki. “In case you didn’t notice, there wasn’t much that was easy about the Scott job.”
It took tremendous effort, but he tore his attention away from Audrey. “There are a number of factors for that. One, it was the first time we worked together. Two, we had no plan. You’re all in place now, and this is an operational team. You’ll have all of the information up front so you can help us plan. You have each other to rely on and bounce ideas off. We want you all to stay and finish this job with us.”
“But it’s still a rush job.” Nikki was stating and not asking.
“Unfortunately, that’s even more true now,” Mia interrupted. “If they want to liquidate, the art will go fast. We need to get it before it’s sold.”
“How do you decide who gets the money?” Audrey asked.
See? More white hat than black.
Jared took a step closer and smiled. “Months ago, I hired you, Data, to dig up information and do backgrounds on some of the victims. We used that to develop a list.”
A flash of recognition lit her eyes. When she’d done the research and given him the dossiers, she’d mentioned how different it was than the other work he’d hired her to do.
“Why keep it a secret?” Her voice was filled with venom, especially on the last word.
“The last person they want to see is someone with the last name Benson or Towers. They hate us, and rightfully so. We also can’t afford the attention if word got out.”
Mia placed a hand on his arm. “We would be in the spotlight. Others would contact us to get their share. With too many eyes on us, we won’t be able to finish what we’re doing.”
“Still seems cowardly.”
That stung. But she was hurting so he’d take the hit.
“Cowardly or not, it’s safe,” Mia said. She held up the remote and clicked the TV on and the slide presentation he’d created earlier flashed on the screen. “These are the men we’ve targeted.”
The women on the couch studied the faces and names.
“Those are some heavy hitters,” Nikki said.
Mia clicked again. “These are the pieces we’d like to steal.”
“You want these other jobs to happen like this one? Where we take all of the risk while you mingle at some fancy party,” Audrey asked.
“Risk for which you are well compensated,” Mia said.
“People expect us at these social functions,” Jared added. “It took a long time for people to accept us after what our fathers did. Many still don’t, but we won’t hide. It would be suspicious if we weren’t aroun
d. Additionally, we have eyes and ears on the mark.”
“But since we’re replacing all of the art, it’s not like anyone can pinpoint the day or time it was switched,” Audrey pointed out.
“And London said she’s giving you papers to forge the provenance,” Nikki added.
Audrey hadn’t known that, so she stared at Nikki.
“What? I know things, like what provenance is.”
“I don’t doubt you. It seems like a lot of extra hoops to go through for a fake piece of art,” Audrey responded. Turning back to them she added, “You’d need the alibi if we were doing a smash and grab. I think you just don’t want to get your hands dirty.”
“You’re right,” Mia interrupted. “We all bring a skill set to this deal. We don’t break the law. You do.” She waved her hand as if suddenly realizing how condescending she sounded. “If I tried to do what you do, I’d most certainly fuck it up.”
The curse from Mia’s lips stunned everyone into silence. They stared at her for a few heartbeats.
Then Nikki burst into laughter. She smacked Audrey lightly. “See? She’s not a robot.”
Audrey grimaced.
“Very funny,” Mia responded.
Jared sat on the table in front of the women. “We chose you because of your particular talents. Mia knows art. The value, the specifics. I can find the right buyer.”
Nikki scoffed. “I know people.”
“You know fences who wouldn’t get you nearly what any of these pieces are worth. I arrange the purchase with people who have the capital to buy.”
“That’s a lot of jobs,” Audrey said quietly.
“It’s a crap ton of cash,” Nikki countered.
If he hadn’t known better, he’d think they’d been partners for more than one job.
Audrey looked at London. “You can produce art that fast?”
“I already started. I have four pieces in various stages of development.”
It Takes a Thief--A Heist Romance Page 22
