“Hey, I’m really nice to people. When you want people to give you things they shouldn’t give you, you should be very nice to them.”
She was quiet for a moment before she looked up at him and met his eyes. “I’ve never talked to a thief before. You seem so casual about it.”
“Correction. You’ve never known that you’ve been talking to a thief before.”
“Isn’t it hard? Always fearing you’re going to get caught. Never knowing if you’re going to spend the next few months in jail.”
“That’s only a problem if you get caught. I don’t get caught.”
“You’re very confident.”
“I’m very good at what I do. Like you. You know you’re going to sell that house you’re working on for a profit. You’re not worried about it. It doesn’t keep you up at night. You know it. Like a fact. That’s because you’re good at what you do. I’m good at what I do.”
“You got caught that first night. When we were in a closet together.”
“But I also got out.”
“That’s right. You got out and abandoned me. Don’t think I forgot.”
“I’m the one who called the cops. I waited until they came for you. I waited until I saw them bring you out and you were safe and sound. I never abandoned you. I would never—” He broke off before he said anything stupid, but he saw Shae’s eyes narrow. She knew what he’d been about to say, and she looked as confused by it as he felt.
She set the brownies down without taking one. “I think it’s time for me to try to get some sleep.” She looked around the room questioningly and pulled the top blanket off the bed. That still left one more blanket and a sheet. Not really enough, since the old house could get drafty. It might be Florida, but the nights still got chilly. Nonetheless, the alternative was that he slept in the bed with her, and he was happy enough that Shae let him inside. He wasn’t about to push his luck.
She handed him the blanket, and he came over and got it. She didn’t ask where he was going to sleep, but her eyes followed him as he made his way to the armchair and sat down with the blanket over his legs. It wasn’t going to be comfortable, but it would be better than the floor. Also, he had one of his spare guns stashed in the drawer right next to the chair. This house was pretty much Fort Knox, so he wasn’t expecting anyone to come in, but he’d rather be safe than sorry.
She turned off the lamp next to the bed, and the entire room was plunged into darkness.
He stared at the bed. He couldn’t make out her shape, but he could hear her breathing. He imagined her cuddled up under the blanket. As she adjusted her position, her skirt would ride up, and those delicious legs would be bared. He knew he shouldn’t, but he imagined crawling into bed with her. He wouldn’t touch her, but he would lean in close, feeling her heat and inhaling her scent. Tristan clenched his hands into fists, forcing himself away from the fantasy. After today, he knew he was never going to get that with her.
He closed his eyes and willed himself to stay focused. After a few minutes had passed, he knew she wasn’t sleeping. He could tell by the uneven nature of her breaths. And then, through the darkness, he heard her soft voice. “Good night, Tristan.”
Shae’s eyes popped open to darkness. Though the room was dark, there was the tiniest bit of light streaming through the crack in one of the curtains. She hoped she hadn’t slept too late.
She turned her head and immediately looked to the chair Tristan had been in, but it was empty. Odd. She didn’t think he was there just because he liked her company. Someone must’ve told him to spend the night with her. She wondered what had changed.
She rolled out of the bed and ran her fingers through her hair, doing her best to make it look like it wasn’t some unruly mess and failing miserably. After using the attached bathroom, she nabbed a brownie and walked into the hall. She suddenly had a pretty good idea of why Tristan wasn’t there anymore. There was a little security camera she must’ve missed the day before. Not that she’d really been that focused. The exhaustion and stress more than caught up to her by the time she’d been led to the bedroom she thought was all hers.
She nibbled on the brownie she had taken—breakfast of champions—as she made her way down the hall. The house was rather odd. It was so big and extravagant, yet completely empty. She looked through every open door at the deserted bedrooms and sitting rooms. Most of the furniture was still in place, but covered with white sheets and plastic. In all the homes she’d bought, especially the foreclosures, everything had been gone. From wires to switch plates.... In one of the foreclosures, the owner had even taken a sledgehammer to some of the drywall just to prove his point to the bank. She wondered what happened to make the former owners leave so quickly.
The house was in a bright-white contemporary style. It was supposed to look clean and sunny, but neglect and dust put a slightly off sheen to everything. Shae’s mind raced through all the things she could do to make the place better. Some fresh coats of paint, splashes of color here and there to bring in the Florida style, some sheer drapes to let the sun do its magic without overpowering the rooms. This place could be a showstopper.
She reminded herself why she was there and pulled herself out of her odd fantasy. Once she reached the center of the house, she heard voices and followed her ears. She found a gathering of people, including Tristan, in the main living room. This room wasn’t super bright. In fact, the heavy curtains on all of the large picture windows seemed to block as much light as possible, which was a crime considering those windows were some of the biggest selling features of the house. She wondered why anyone would cover them like that, until she saw all the computers set up. Technology was sometimes the bane of the creative mind’s existence.
Everyone turned to face her as she walked in, and Shae froze in place, suddenly feeling awkward. Of course, the first person her eyes fell on was Tristan. He looked as good as ever in a pair of sharp black pants, a navy-blue shirt with no tie, and about one too many buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up. Next to him was another handsome man with sandy-blond hair cut close to his head and dark-blue eyes. He was dressed in a long-sleeved black sweater and black slacks. And then there was the redhead wearing jeans and a T-shirt, the most casual of the bunch, and the man standing next to Toni. A tall, imposing man with brown hair and sharp cheekbones. Somehow he seemed to be the least intimidating of the group, but also terrifying. She didn’t know how she found herself in with this odd group.