Chapter Twenty-Six
Audrey spent another restless night in her crappy room. When she finally gave up on sleep, she had the sudden realization she no longer had to rent this cramped, miserable room from Misty. Since Jared had paid for Gram’s care, she still had her entire take from the job. She could rent her own place. Maybe even buy something.
I must be delusional. I am not the kind of person who buys a cute little house and lives a normal life.
While she now had the means and freedom to live however she wanted, she had no idea where to start. She knew, though, that she would never be a punch-the-clock, regular job person. She’d lived in the gray for too many years.
She hadn’t yet determined if she could move past everything that had happened with Jared, but a huge part of her wanted to. She sat on her bed, staring out the window at the streetlights illuminating the night.
Buzzing caught her attention and she reached for her phone. A text from Nikki.
I’m drunk and alone. Come rescue me from myself.
What am I supposed to do?
You’re supposed to have an answer today, babe. Have you decided?
Idk
You could come back and keep me out of trouble. I’ll make Jay keep it in his pants or I’ll chop it off.
His dick was never the problem.
His tongue then. His stupid, lying tongue.
Audrey laughed out loud. Then responded, I actually like that part of his anatomy too.
Then what’s the problem?
Idk
For someone so smart, you say that a lot.
You make a lot of excellent points.
I’m ordering breakfast. Am I ordering for one or two?
Without stressing, she answered, Two.
And as simple as that, her decision was made. She packed a bag and with the sun barely pink in the sky, she hopped a bus to the apartment.
When she arrived, she rang the bell, wondering if they’d ever give her a key. The door flung open and Nikki wrapped her arms around Audrey’s neck in a giant hug. She really was drunk. Audrey had assumed she’d been joking.
“Have you slept at all?” she asked.
Nikki dragged her into the apartment. “Have you?”
“Touché.” Inside, Audrey tossed her bag on her chair at the desk. It didn’t look like anything had been moved. She glanced around the apartment while Nikki opened Styrofoam containers. “It’s a little anti-climactic.”
“What is?”
“I had this huge decision to make—stay on and work with you and for Jared and Mia or walk away. I wrestled with it for so long and now I’m here and...” She swept her arms out. “It feels like there should be more.” Settling in at the table, she smelled the delicious breakfast.
Nikki laughed. “If you wanted some kind of grand entrance, maybe you shouldn’t have answered my drunk texts and instead showed up later today when you know they’re going to be here.”
She shoved a forkful of pancakes into her mouth and pointed at the second tray. “Eat up. Then we can both crash and get some good sleep.”
As it turned out, Nikki had known exactly what she needed. After they filled their bellies, they both crawled into their beds and passed out. She didn’t really need a grand entrance. She was here for the money and adventure.
* * *
Jared cautiously walked into the apartment and announced himself before the door was even fully opened. He’d learned that was a smart move given Nikki’s propensity for walking around in various states of undress. No one responded, so he went all the way in. Disappointment thudded in his chest. After last night, he was sure Audrey was going to come back. He’d had her in his freaking arms. He never should have let go.
Silence met him in the living room. On the table were two to-go containers of food. Two. So help me God, if Nikki brought home some guy to fuck, we’re going to have problems. Then he took in the whole room. A big bag sat on the chair by the desk. He knew that bag.
“Audrey?” he called.
Nikki stumbled out of her room wearing a skimpy tank top and bikini underwear. Her long black hair was a tangled mess piled on top of her head. He’d discovered this was her typical hungover look. At least she wasn’t coming from a cell this time.
“We talked about the need for you to wear clothes.” He crossed his arms.
“I’m not naked. You’d see me in less if we were at the beach, so I’m dressed.” Her voice was rough, verifying her drunk binge last night.
“I didn’t expect you to be here,” he said.
“I told you I’d stay out of trouble. Last night I was feeling like trouble.”
“What did you do?” He rubbed his forehead. He didn’t have the patience to deal with her crap today.
“I called your girl. Who said you shouldn’t drink and text? I get luckier than most that way.”
“What?”
She moved across the apartment to the kitchen and began making a pot of coffee. “Not lucky like that, you pervert. I meant lucky in that I get what I want. She’s here. Asleep in the other room.”
Whatever irritation he’d been feeling toward Nikki disappeared. Audrey was here. She came back.
He checked the urge to run into the next room and climb into bed with her. Just because she’s back here doesn’t mean she’s back for me.
Reining in his hope, he asked, “Is she okay?”
“I guess,” Nikki said with a wave of her hand as she stared at the coffeemaker bubbling and dripping. “I mean, I offered to cut off your dick and she was firmly against the idea, so there’s that.”
“Good to know.”
He’d never thought of Audrey as the violent type, so Nikki’s comment still didn’t mean much. Audrey hadn’t struck out at him in any way when things had come to a head. Even when she was ready to lash out last night, she wasn’t a bitch. Nothing in Nikki’s words gave him a clue about whether Audrey was here for the job or more.
Moments later, the front door opened again and Mia came in carrying a brown shopping bag containing the forgery for the next job. London was working fast.
Nikki groaned. “Please don’t tell me you’re moving in here, too.”
“Too?” Mia asked.
Nikki pointed at the bag. As if Mia would pack her personal belongings in a paper bag.
“Audrey’s here,” Jared answered.
Mia pulled out the paper-wrapped package from the bag. Her expression softened when she looked at him in question. He shrugged.
She continued moving through the apartment and set the package on the table. “Believe me when I say I have no desire to live here. This is our next job.”
Turning back to him, she said, “Can you get the information up on the screen so we can develop a plan?”
“Ugh. I have to think this early in the morning?” Nikki complained halfheartedly.
“It’s almost noon. And by the looks of things, you already had breakfast.”
Nikki gulped her coffee. “Actually, that was a late night/early morning snack. I’ll go get Audrey.”
Jared picked up Audrey’s bag and set it beside the desk. It was heavier than usual. Was she planning on moving in? Nikki implied she was. But this one bag couldn’t be everything she owned. He booted up the computer and opened the file on their next target.
Voices from the other end of the apartment caught his attention, but he tried to tune them out. Nikki returned and said Audrey was getting dressed and would be ready soon.
Mia cleaned up the mess on the table and then returned to stand by him. “Have you spoken to her?” she asked quietly.
“She came to my place last night upset that I paid for her grandmother’s care.”
“You did what?” Her voice remained quiet, but it held a sharp edge.
“I used my money, not the cash from the
job. Her grandmother is in an assisted living facility. Audrey has been paying for her care. I think that was the only reason she finished the last job with us.”
“It was,” Nikki interrupted. “I mean, besides the joy of working with me.”
“She was pissed because she thought I was leveraging her to come back.”
“Sounds that way to me,” Mia said.
“I did it so she had a choice. If she came back, I wanted it to be because she wanted to be here. Once I explained, things were better, but I still have no idea where we stand.”
“I think we stand as a team,” Audrey called from the other side of the room. She stood near the kitchen wearing black stretchy pants and a tank top. Her hair was damp and hung in waves around her face.
They all stared at her while she got a cup of coffee. When she turned back she said, “What?”
Nikki leaned over from her perch on the couch. “I think they’re looking for some kind of explanation.”
With a roll of her eyes and a huff, Audrey added, “I don’t like the way you started this. But after hearing the entire plan, I can respect what you’re doing.” She sipped her coffee. “We do have the whole story now, right?”
“Yes. No more secrets,” Jared said.
Audrey pinned him with a look that said she didn’t quite believe him.
Mia clapped once. “Let’s get started, then, shall we?” She walked over to the TV and pointed at the pictures on the screen. “This is Elijah Davis. He owns a Caffrey sculpture we’re going to take.”
Jared flipped to the next screen with an image of the white blob of a statue.
“What the hell is that supposed to be?” Audrey asked, echoing his own thoughts.
“The title of the sculpture is Bondage Number Six.”
“So there are at least five other of those things out in the world?”
“Actually, it is one of a series of ten.” Mia pointed at the screen. “The photo doesn’t really do it justice.”
She crossed the room and unwrapped the brown paper. Without any further explanation, she moved the statue to the center of the table. Nikki and Audrey neared and lowered their faces to inspect it. It was small enough to fit in one of their hands, slightly wider than a palm, and maybe six inches in length.
“I get it. Those are hands.” Nikki pointed to the bottom. “And this is the rope binding them together. Caffrey was getting his kink on.”
Audrey glanced at Jared and blushed.
“The artist was known to be adventurous in the art world as well as in the privacy of his home. He had a string of mistresses. In fact, if one managed to sleep with Caffrey even once, you gained instant celebrity. However, some believe he had a revolving door of women because he couldn’t have the one he truly wanted—his sister-in-law.”
“Look at you knowing all the gossip,” Nikki joked.
“Mia’s an art curator with the Art Institute. All of her degrees are art-related,” Jared told them.
“So that’s why we’re stealing art.”
“Not exactly,” Mia said. “Yes, art is easy for me to see the value in and know the market for resale. We’re stealing art because all of these men went on an art buying spree after our fathers made them richer. Our fathers put them up to the purchases.”
“Although money is quick to make disappear, it’s noticed immediately,” he added. “We want to be able to fly under the radar.”
Nikki turned back to the TV. “What’s the plan?”
“Unfortunately, since we’re moving up my original timeline, I don’t have all of the information. Last time I saw the sculpture, Elijah had it in his den. I have no idea what the security situation is, but as he’s having a party this weekend, I’ll be able to get what you need.”
“Party?” Nikki asked. “How big?”
Mia pressed her lips together. “Not too big. Knowing Elijah, probably around fifty guests.”
Audrey huffed. “That’s your idea of not big?”
“Compared to the galas he usually hosts, this is small.”
“Is it catered?” Nikki asked.
“Of course.”
“Then let’s go in during the party.”
“What?” Audrey and Mia asked simultaneously.
“The house will be full of strangers milling around. We’ll have full access.” She pointed at the sculpture. “The statue is ready to go. Why complicate things?”
Audrey set her cup on the table. “Walking into a house full of people milling around does make it complicated.”
“Not if you’re the help. No one notices the help.”
Jared saw where Nikki was going and it seemed like a decent plan—if they could get Audrey and Mia to agree.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Audrey sat on a chair at the table and stared at Jared and Mia, who appeared to be seriously entertaining Nikki’s crazy idea. “Have you all lost your minds? What happened to get in and out undetected?”
“I’m telling you, no one will notice me,” Nikki protested.
Jared rubbed a hand on his jaw and she could almost feel the scrape of those whiskers. “You made three trips to the Scott house. I think if we can be in and out in one, it’s a good idea.”
“It would definitely help with the timeline, if we don’t have to do a fact-finding mission... How do you think you could do this?” Mia asked.
“I’ll go in as one of the caterers. Or a maid. Wait for a good time to sneak into the room and make the swap. Then I leave.”
“There are so many holes in that plan,” Audrey pointed out. “First, assuming you can make the swap, how are you going to get the sculpture in the room? It’s small, but it won’t fit in your jeans pocket. Second, what if there’s an alarm on it? Third, if you’re supposed to be working, I’m pretty sure you’ll draw attention to yourself if you disappear.”
“But I’ll be gone.”
“Audrey has a point,” Mia said. “It would be suspicious.”
It felt weird having Mia agree with her. Audrey was so used to being on the receiving end of the woman’s snarky looks. This new amiable side to Mia was a little unnerving.
“I’m irritated you all have so little faith in my ability to pull this off. I’ve stolen items off people in the middle of a conversation with them. People see what they want to see. No one wants to see the help.”
“What if there’s an alarm on it?” Audrey didn’t like this level of risk. Sure, they’d gone to the Scott house multiple times, but never with a crowd of witnesses.
“That’s what you’re for.”
“I can’t go in blind and hope I can figure out a way to disarm it.”
“Then you better get cracking on what they have. Mia wants to bump the timeline up and this is the best bet.”
Audrey looked to Mia and Jared for help. They didn’t appear to be willing to contradict anything Nikki said. She was on the losing end of this battle. “Fine. What information do we have?”
Nikki clapped. “Yes.”
“I can find out who’s catering so you can look the part,” Mia said to Nikki. Turning to Audrey, she said, “You’ll have to go shopping to find something appropriate to wear.”
“Uh, won’t I be dressed like a waiter, too?”
“I assumed you’d be going as Jared’s date.”
“Why would you assume that?” The question came out harsher than she’d intended.
Mia’s mouth slipped open and then she snapped it shut without responding. Speechless was a new look on the woman.
Jared stepped forward. “I think what Mia was going for was the fact that, as you pointed out, having someone disappear in the middle of the shift might be suspicious, but having two take off? That will definitely cause concern.”
“And you don’t think it’ll be suspicious to show up with some strange woman none of your soc
iety friends have ever met before?”
He chuckled.
“You really don’t know him that well. I’d have thought that once you started digging into our lives, you would have continued.” Mia paused with a smile on her face. “I don’t think he’s ever had the same woman as a date at any two parties. People more or less expect him to have someone new on his arm.”
“Oh.” Audrey tried to keep the hurt from her voice, but she couldn’t help but wonder how many other women there had been in the weeks they’d known each other.
The amusement left Jared’s face and he stared at her. “Can we go in the other room and talk?”
“We are talking.”
“I’d like some privacy.”
Reluctantly, Audrey stood and walked toward the bedroom. She’d expected this, had tried to prepare for it, but her stomach was in knots. He was going to ask where they stood, what their relationship would be, and she still didn’t have an answer. She did, however, know that she had no desire to be one of a string of dates he had on his social calendar.
In the bedroom, she continued to stand since the only place to sit was the bed and that way lay temptation.
As Jared closed the door, Nikki yelled from the other room, “I expect you to remain fully clothed. No monkey business!” followed quickly by a quiet admonishment from Mia.
He leaned against the door and held his hands up before she even thought to say anything. “I’m not here to pressure you. If you want to be nothing more than colleagues, I was serious when I said I’d suck it up and learn to live with it.” He looked so defeated, but then he pushed off the door and closed in on her. Staring intently into her eyes, he continued, “But know that’s not at all what I want. I want to explore what we have together—or what we could have. No secrets and no lies. My family was my biggest and only secret. You know what I do for a living, where I live, why I’m doing what I’m doing here. Is there anything else you want to know?”
“How many others are there?”
“Other what?”
“Women. Mia said you go to these things with a different woman each time. How many have you been with since we slept together?” She hated that she sounded needy and wanted reassurance.
It Takes a Thief--A Heist Romance Page 24