“You bitch!” Miranda yelped.
A warm hand gripped her elbow and as she was about to yank away, she realized Jared held her arm. His free hand thrust forward and gave Miranda some napkins. A waiter followed with more and offered to escort her to the washroom to freshen up.
Jared led Mia away from the pack of onlookers. “Good job, cousin. I think every pair of available eyes was on you.”
She didn’t respond. Her stomach was in knots and anger flooded her system. Of course, that was the exact moment their esteemed host, Elijah, decided to join them.
“Is everything all right?” he asked.
“Everything is fine,” Jared answered. “Mia and Miranda had words.”
“It looks like more than just words to me.”
“I’m sorry, Elijah. Miranda said some upsetting things and I reacted poorly. It won’t happen again.”
“Maybe you two should head out. I’m sure you’ve given the gossip hounds enough to chatter about already.” Elijah leaned forward, squeezed Mia’s hand and brushed a kiss on her cheek. “I know things have been hard.”
What was that supposed to mean? She supposed the acknowledgment was meant to convey sympathy, but he failed. As if his words could soften the effects of her father’s crimes.
Just as she was about to let Elijah know exactly what he could do with his feigned concern, Jared said, “Thank you for your understanding. I’ll go find my date and we’ll be on our way.”
He pressed a hand to Mia’s back to move her along, and it took all of her willpower to not stand her ground. The plan. Think of the plan. They had too many more men to go after to allow this one to ruin it.
“I’m fine,” she muttered as they walked away. “I’ll wait by the door.”
“You, my dear, are more than fine. Your performance was stellar,” he whispered before taking off to find Audrey.
Her blood was still running hot. She didn’t know how much of that was performance. Miranda’s words had struck a chord and she’d reacted. She’d wanted to lash out at every last one of them for the way they’d treated her for years. Closing her eyes, she centered herself.
Once I make this right, they’ll all see.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Carrying an empty tray, Nikki walked past the corridor where Audrey was working. Audrey held up a single finger to signal her progress. Audrey tapped the last couple of keys to offer an image of an empty hallway for anyone who might be sitting in front of a security monitor as Miranda raised her voice to yelling. Yep, Mia pissed her off. She’s definitely good at that.
Nikki hastened back toward her and they snuck into the office. Nikki set her tray on the desk and turned on a small flashlight. She swept the light across the room. The beam caught on the white blob on the bookshelf behind the desk.
They walked around the desk and checked for wires or triggers around the sculpture. To be safe, Audrey turned on the scrambler, so that if they did trip the alarm, they would have a few extra minutes to get out.
Nikki pulled the counterfeit from inside her pants.
“How the hell did you fit that in there?”
With a snicker, Nikki said, “I had it in my bag. I tucked it in here on my last pass through the kitchen. As long as I have a tray in front of me, no one notices the bulge.” She made the swap seamlessly.
“See? You didn’t even need me,” Audrey said.
“Wrong. You have the camera on loop so no one will know I was here. That’s priceless.”
In their ears, Jared said, “Move it along, ladies. Mia is going to be escorted out.”
They headed back out into the hall. As soon as Nikki pulled the door closed behind them, a security guard was headed their way. Audrey froze. Damn it. They were caught. Nikki held the tray protectively in front of her.
Audrey doubled over and moaned.
The man asked, “What are you doing here?”
Audrey waved a hand. “I’m sorry. I’m not feeling well. Must’ve been something in the food.”
Without missing a beat, Nikki said, “When I saw her going into this room, I went to check. She missed the bathroom. I’m helping her get there.”
With an arm around Audrey’s shoulder, Nikki guided her down the hall to the bathroom as the guard opened the office door and stuck his head in. Audrey keyed in the information to stop the loop of the camera. Hopefully, no one would notice. The man backed away without any comment.
“Is there anything else I can help with, ma’am?” Nikki asked sweetly and a little too loudly.
“I’m fine. Thanks.” She moved to close the door, but Nikki slapped her palm against the wood. Reaching in her pants, she removed the statue. “Take this.”
“What? What am I supposed to do with that? I don’t even have a purse.”
“I don’t know. Dude’s suspicious now. He’ll probably search me on the way out.” She pointed to Audrey’s skirt. “You have enough room. Tape it to your leg.”
Audrey sighed and closed the door. After engaging the lock, she opened the drawers below the sink. A supply of feminine products, extra toilet paper, cleaning supplies. “Tape it to my leg. With what? What kind of stupid idea is that?”
“Everything okay?” Jared asked quietly in her ear.
“Oh, just swell. Nikki shoved me in the bathroom with this thing and told me to hide it. As if I know anything about hiding evidence.”
“Take a breath. You’re creative. You got this.”
She inhaled deeply. He was right. She could handle this. She opened the medicine cabinet and found a first aid kit. Bingo. A small roll of medical tape sat in the little metal box. After she wrapped the statue in a layer of toilet paper, she ran tape around her entire thigh. Twice.
She let her skirt fall back into place and twirled. “Damn if she wasn’t right,” she muttered.
A knock at the door startled her. “Honey, are you all right?”
Jared had come to rescue her.
“I’m fine. Not feeling quite myself. I’d like to leave.” She opened the door.
He smiled and held out a hand. As they made their way to the front door, Jared made excuses for them and nodded toward Mia. No one would question why they were leaving.
Audrey’s blood raced and her heart thundered in her ears. Adrenaline pumped through every muscle. It took all she had not to start running. Her skin felt clammy and she wondered if Jared noticed.
The valet brought the car to the bottom of the steps and held the doors open for Mia and Audrey. Audrey almost went to the back seat and realized she should be in front with Jared.
Once the doors were closed and Jared put the car in gear, Mia said, “I certainly hope you made the switch because that was mortifying.”
Audrey lifted her skirt and Jared swerved on the road.
“Mind out of the gutter. I’m not flashing you.” She yanked the tape from her skin, leaving red stripes in its wake, and passed the wrapped figure to Mia.
“Why do you have it?”
“Nikki and I were interrupted on our way out of the office. She thought it would be better if I took it.”
“Looks like she was right,” Jared said.
* * *
Audrey sat in the passenger seat tempting him all the way back to the apartment. She hadn’t readjusted her skirt, so he saw the fleshy part of her thighs. He wanted to reach out and caress her skin, especially the abraded section from the tape, but he refrained.
He parked in front of the apartment building. Mia tucked the sculpture under her arm and eased from the back seat. When he came around the car, Audrey was still sitting with the door closed. He opened it for her.
“See? I can follow directions. Still seems incredibly dumb for me to sit there and wait on you when I could be hustling up the sidewalk like Mia, but whatever.”
He couldn’t help but smile at her sn
arkiness. He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her.
She shivered.
“Is my kiss that good, or are you cold?”
“Your kiss is definitely that good, but I think I’m coming down from the adrenaline rush.”
He wrapped his arm over her shoulder and followed Mia up the walk. Inside the apartment, Nikki said, “About time.”
“How the hell did you get here so fast?” he asked.
“I bugged out as soon as Audrey had the statue.” She held up a hand. “Don’t worry. I didn’t just disappear. I fucked up and got fired.”
“Why would you do that?” Audrey asked.
“Security escorted me out. Searched me before letting me go.”
Jared smiled at the simple brilliance.
“Poor Amy Van Cleis, though, will never work in catering again,” Nikki added, referring to the alias she’d used to get the job.
“That was some fast thinking.” With a nod to Audrey, he added, “Both of you.”
But Audrey zoned out on the couch. She rubbed her arms. The adrenaline crash was hitting her hard.
“Let’s get you home.” He removed his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
She burrowed into it. “I don’t want to go home.”
“I meant my home.”
“Oh,” she said, her eyes going soft. “Don’t we have to debrief or something?”
“It’ll keep until tomorrow. We’re going to leave,” he said to Mia and Nikki, who were inspecting the sculpture.
“What about food?” Nikki asked. “I’m starving.”
“You’re always starving,” Audrey said.
“She has a point,” he said. “We left before dinner was served. Food might help you feel better.”
“I’m fine,” Audrey said.
“Pasta,” Nikki said emphatically. “We can all use a good carb overload.”
Before anyone else offered a different suggestion, Nikki had her phone out and was ordering with the Italian place a block down. Then she went to the fridge and brought out drinks. Handing Audrey a beer, she said, “You were amazing tonight. You distracted that guard so fast, I almost didn’t even know what you were doing. With a little practice, you would be an excellent grifter.”
Jared sat beside Audrey.
“Thanks. I think,” Audrey replied sleepily. She clinked bottles with Nikki. “I don’t think I would’ve been that brave if it hadn’t been for you. You’re calm and cool no matter what’s going on.” She sipped her beer. “But you can keep the thieving. I’ll stick behind my computer where I can hide from everyone.”
She sank down and nestled against him and Jared thought it was one of the best feelings in the world.
The two women began to recap how things had happened in the office. Then they wanted to know what Mia had done to Miranda. Mia didn’t like the way Jared relayed the story, so she jumped in to correct him and tell her version.
When the food arrived and he carried in the bags, he took in the sight before him. These three women were fast becoming the most important people in his life. They’d become a team and he liked everything about that.
And when Audrey tilted her face and smiled up at him, he knew it didn’t matter how successful they were at art heists, no treasure would top having her in his life.
He set the food on the table, took her hand, and whispered in her ear, “I’m glad you’re back.”
“I’m glad I’m back, too.”
He kissed her again to let her know he loved her, even though he didn’t say the words. Saying it might freak her out—again—but he could let her feel it.
When they broke the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers.
“Stop the making out,” Nikki said as she shoved a forkful of pasta in her mouth. “We have a crap ton of heists to plan. Who’s next?”
Chapter Thirty-Three—Mia
Mia looked at her cousin sitting on a couch with two women who normally would never have come into their lives. But something about them made Mia want to trust them. Maybe it was because they’d come through. Maybe it was the ease with which they worked together. They’d become quick friends and Mia still felt like an outsider. It should have bothered her more than it did, but this was the norm for her.
She might not be friends with them, but she believed she had their loyalty. And that was without manipulation. Maybe her father wasn’t right after all.
“Taylor Rivers will be our next. It’s party season and we have functions most weeks.” She used the remote to pull up a picture of the metal sculpture she wanted.
Nikki and Jared began to develop a plan. While they plotted, she tapped Audrey on the shoulder. The woman appeared utterly exhausted, but Mia beckoned her to the other side of the room.
As Nikki and Jared bantered like siblings, Audrey followed her to the desk. “What did you need?” she asked.
“How difficult would it be for you to set up a proxy server so I could make anonymous payments and not be detected?”
“Not long at all since I have one running for this computer.”
“I need you to set up a shell to handle the extra finances.” She scribbled on the notepad beside Audrey. “The Stokes family has twins who got into Northwestern, but financial aid isn’t covering what they need. I want a direct full-ride scholarship for both of them.”
A wicked little grin danced across Audrey’s mouth. “Let’s do this.”
And just like that, for at least a brief moment, Mia felt like she was part of a team.
Audrey did her thing and Mia watched with a smile. This made the stress and anxiety worth it.
When it was out in the world, she and Audrey joined Jared and Nikki again, who had moved on from talking about the next heist and on to whether they thought Mia could’ve taken Miranda in a physical altercation.
“I don’t know,” Nikki said. “Miranda was a lot of bluster.”
Audrey nodded. “Mia could’ve handled her though.”
Mia raised her glass. “Damn right I would have.”
* * *
Monday morning, Mia stared at the list of twelve names, loving being able to cross them off one by one. Soon Taylor Rivers would also be marked.
After the first heist at Randall Scott’s house, which had been nothing short of a caper worthy of the Muppets, their band of criminals had come together to function as a team. Once they gave Nikki and Audrey all the information, the women were running point on planning and they found a rhythm that allowed them to plan multiple heists at once, enabling them to move faster. In between planning the heists, Audrey had been searching for all of the victims.
And now the information in her file had grown. For every theft they completed, she would add to the list of people who benefitted.
The Stokes twins had their full-ride scholarships.
The Longs’ mortgage would be paid off by a Good Samaritan.
The Chens’ medical bills would be taken care of, so they could focus on spending time with their father who was recovering from his battle with cancer.
She tucked the list of names behind the painting above her fireplace mantel. Soon, they will have taken millions from her father’s friends, and with any luck, effectively forced her father and Jared’s father out of hiding. According to the last report from the detective they’d hired, their fathers were still in Montenegro, but in her gut, she believed they were readying to move again, surely to another country with no extradition treaty. The only way to stop them would be to cut off all of their finances.
Without money, how much longer could they run?
Her phone rang and her heart stuttered when she saw the name on the screen: Randall Scott. It was as if her thoughts had conjured him.
“Hello?” she asked, keeping her voice smooth and calm.
“Mia?”
“Yes.”
>
“It’s Randall Scott. I need a favor.”
“What kind of favor could I do for you?” The man had to be desperate to come to her.
“I need your expertise in art. I have a Mathis painting that I planned to sell.”
“The one that used to hang above the stairs?”
“Yes. Anyway, as usual, the insurance company requires an inspection. Their appraiser is trying to tell me that my painting is a forgery.”
“Oh my goodness. I’m sorry to hear it. What can I do?” Giddiness rose in her chest. This was what she’d wanted. Randall Scott in a panic, knowing he’d been had. The only thing that could make this moment better was if she could divulge that she was behind the forgery. She wanted to make sure he would no longer funnel cash to her father.
“It can’t be. I bought the painting with complete papers. It has to be a mistake. Can you come over and take a look? Explain how they’re wrong.”
Bile rose at the thought of actually helping this despicable man. “I can do that. I mean, modern art isn’t my area of expertise, but I am familiar with the artist and his body of work.” She had done extensive homework on every piece of art they planned to steal.
“Thank you. I appreciate it. Your father always said what a good girl you are.”
The muscle in her jaw twitched as she tried to rein in her temper. “Don’t thank me just yet, Mr. Scott. If it turns out to be a forgery, I can’t lie.”
“It’s the real deal. They hired someone incompetent. I just need to create enough doubt to make them reassess.”
“When would you like me to come over?”
“Do you have time today? I already have a buyer in place, and if word gets out that the deal fell through because of suspicion of counterfeit, my reputation will be shot.”
And I should care about his reputation? No one cared about mine after my father fled the country. “I can be there within a couple hours.”
She disconnected and a rush of pleasure raced through her. She grabbed her things and headed to the north suburbs to witness the beginning of the end for her father.
It Takes a Thief--A Heist Romance Page 27
