Page 30 of The Love Bandits

“Why did you have it?” I ask, studying him. “You’re friends with Anthony. This isn’t a coincidence.”

“It’s not,” he agrees. “It’s a gift for Nina. Anthony knew his mother would never give her the real necklace, and I know a guy who’s good at making copies of famous jewelry. He asked me to get it for him, but I’d appreciate it if you don’t tell Nina or Mrs. Rosings yet. It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

It’s a reasonable explanation, delivered in a believable way. I’d thought of the possibility myself in the seconds after I first saw him in the drawing room. But something feels off. It’s too clean, too neat. And I find myself asking, “How’d you meet Anthony?”

“I found his wallet outside of the gym,” he says, giving me his nice-guy look. “I returned it, and he said he’d buy me a drink. We clicked.”

My brain is probably broken, but I can’t shake the thought that there’s another layer to what’s going on, one I’m not seeing. It says he’s lying.

Maybe I just don’t want to believe that I wronged a completely nice, normal guy. I narrow my gaze at him. “Why would a therapist know a guy who makes replica necklaces?”

He raises his eyebrows. “We went to college together. Duke. Want to see my diploma?”

I already did a background search on him, as he knows, so I know that’s where he went to college. But I nod, because yes, Idoactually want to see Jake Jeffries’s diploma.

My gut insists on it.

“You’requestioningme?” he asks, his voice turning gruff and a bit husky, like he maybe gets off on that even if he doesn’t think much of me.

“Yes,” I say, that thought giving me the strength to push his other hand away from my body. “Yes. You have to admit the whole thing’s a little…convenient.”

“You stole from me,” he says tightly. “Doesn’t seem very convenient for me.”

“And now you know who I am and where I work. Feel free to turn me in.”

I’m bluffing. If he turns me in, I’d be in trouble.Nicolewould be in trouble. But my gut won’t shut up. With the necklace displayed in that case, protected only by a motion sensor and an elderly guard who’s not even in the house, I don’t feel good about handing over the fake tonight. Obviously, I’ll give it back—it’s his, and Nicole thinks it’s worth something, but…not tonight.

Not until the Heart of the Mountain is tucked away safely, and not just in Adrien Smith’s urn.

My heart beating fast, I step away from the side of the house and say, “If you want me to give it back, all you have to do is show me that diploma.”

“Cute,” he says, his tone suggesting I’m anything but. He’s closed down again. “Do you know how easy it is to falsify that kind of documentation? You should, if you’ve decided to fuck around in people’s lives. Then again, I guess it doesn’t matter, since you’ve been robbing people based on hearsay.”

“You’ll be comforted to know you’re the first. But you can have it back as soon as you show me that diploma.”

“What does where I went to college have to do with anything?” he asks, his voice shifting to alet’s be reasonabletone. He’s right—I’mnotbeing reasonable. But I’m not going to relent either. Not until I know the real necklace is safe.

“Call me a college snob,” I say, stopping at the edge of the closest shrub.

“Elaine,” he says, his voice throbbing with intent, and the sound of my own name shakes through me in a way that frankly stuns me.

I glance back, and he shakes his head, his mouth lifted in that half smile, and says, “Is that even your name?”

“Yes, but my friends call me Lainey.”

“You need to return what you took from me,Elaine. This isn’t a game.” He gives me a fake-as-hell smile. “The games don’t start until after dinner.”

Maybe it’s not a game, but it shouldn’t be urgent, either. The look on his face, though—it suggests the necklace is a matter of life or death. Why?

Is this about impressing Anthony?

That might make sense if he were some kind of business contact, but Jake’s supposedly a therapist. His business and the real estate business shouldn’t intersect.

That’s why I can’t give him the necklace tonight. There are too many unanswered questions.

I’m still mulling everything over when footsteps approach us from the house. I have no reason to conceal myself, but instead of leaving, I retreat toward him, slipping back behind the shrubbery.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

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