Page 48 of Brazen Criminals

Clara’s brows furrow over those big brown eyes, confused. I decide to answer for the other guys as well. “RJ is a lot like me. He has a knack for finding errors and holes in code. It’s a challenge for him to figure out how to get it, how to manipulate both people and computers. He loves the feeling of solving the puzzle and getting it just right.”

Her fingers are still tapping, but they are tapping slower, so I can tell she’s listening. I consider a cookie, but I didn’t bring in water for myself, and I know exactly how thirsty they make me. “Trips does this as basically a big ‘fuck you’ to his family.” I let out half a chuckle. “Having grown up rich, he says all CEOs are secret criminals, so he’s going to be honest about being a crook.” Clara matches my half a grin, as if she can hear Trips telling me just that.

“As for Jansen, he doesn’t have a choice. He’s tried to stop, and he gets really weird really quickly. Angry and antsy and vicious. It’s an addiction, and no one wants to deal with Jansen during withdrawal. He meditates to hold off as long as possible, but when that doesn’t help anymore, he steals something.” I shrug, not knowing what else to say about Jansen’s unique impulse control issues.

Clara looks down at her arm tucked into the black sling, the wrinkles from the bag fresh across it. “What exactly are RJ and Jansen going to do tonight?”

Another good question that I don’t know the answer to. “Jansen is probably going to break into Bryce’s place and look for anything we can use against him. He’ll also probably put a key tracker on his computer so RJ can get usernames and passwords. After that, they’ll have to figure out the best way to manipulate his life, how to pull it apart. That part will take all of us. You too, if you’d like.” I peek at her to see what she thinks of the offer. She’s pulled her other leg up onto the chair, tucking it against her chest, her good arm wrapped around it.

I rest my elbows on my knees and run my hands through my hair. I should not be the one explaining this. But she’s still here. I maybe didn’t totally mess this up.

And I don’t know why, but I really want to keep Clara here. Somehow, she fits with us. She’s a grounding stone, a magnet, a piece of sandpaper, something that pulls us together and smooths out our rough edges, makes us softer and focused. I’m shit at words, but I want her here, and I know I’m not the only one. If I scare her off, I don’t know what the other guys will do. They won’t be happy with me, that’s for sure.

There’s a soft touch on my arm. I glance up, Clara’s head ducked down so she’s looking me in the eye. “Thank you. For telling me the truth.”

I nod. “You deserve to know it.”

She looks back across the room. “Why trust me? You’re risking jail, and I’m applying to the FBI.”

“I just do. And I’m not the only one.”

She lets out a sad laugh. “You trust me with your lives? Bryce didn’t even trust me to set the table right when I visited his parents’ house.” And she bursts into tears.

Damn it.

I get up and go around to her good side, giving her a gentle, one-sided hug. She burrows her face into my shoulder, the smell of her floral shampoo tickling my nose. “I said I wouldn’t cry about him again.” My chest muffles her voice. “Why didn’t I see it sooner? Did I make him crazy?”

I pull away, catching her wet gaze in my own. “You did nothing wrong, and you know that. He’s gone off the deep end, and that’s not your problem, not anymore. You said you were done. He didn’t listen. He hurt you, Clara—you’re seriously hurt. If Jansen weren’t here, you’d be at the ER right now. Mourn the lost time, but never weep for that bastard. He doesn’t deserve your tears.”

She sniffs, wipes her cheeks and huffs, tears still streaming down her face. “Damn right.”

Incredulous mirth ripples up from my gut, and we’re both cackling, the last of the tension broken. Watching her laugh, I’m hooked on the light in her dark eyes, mesmerized by the delicate twist of her lips, captured by her resilience. Damn. She’s absolutely amazing.

“So what’s next?” I ask, my heart hammering against my ribs.

“No way I’m sleeping yet. Movie?”

“Perfect.” My hands sweaty, my breaths shallow, we curl up on her mattress, her laptop propped up at the foot of the bed, and together, we hide from reality for just a few more hours.

Chapter 27

Clara

Lightfromthehallwaycuts across my face, making me blink into the darkness. A heavy arm drapes around me, holding me tight against a body too broad to be Bryce.

I shake my head, trying to wake up enough to figure out why I’m not surprised to feel Walker tight against my back. Oh. Movies. Right. And I’m living in a house full of criminals. Cool.

I blink into the light and find Jansen crouched down next to my bed, his blond hair pulled back tight, dark jeans and a black T-shirt barely visible in the half-light. “Cozy,” he says with a grin.

“What is it, dude?” Walker mumbles behind me, not moving his arm from my stomach. It’s nice, and he’s keeping me from accidentally rolling onto my bad shoulder, so I decide to not worry about it.

“We got something,” Jansen says.

“Something that needs to happen right now? Or something that we can fucking deal with when the sun is up?”

Jansen looks toward the windows. “It’ll be up soon. But yeah, I guess it can wait.” He stays squatting next to my bed, bouncing a bit on his toes, energy rolling off him.

“Hey,” I say.

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