Page 47 of The Love Bandits

“He asked you to get the necklace for him. That suggests he knows you could.”

I nod slowly—and decide I might as well tell her something. I’ve given them no reason to help us, but I probably should.

“He’s a thief too. You could say he mentored us.”

“But he’s not so fond of you anymore.”

I trace the fox on my forearm. “No. I suppose not. I made a decision he didn’t care for, and Ryan tried to steal something from him.”

I hold back thefor me, because truthfully it doesn’t matter. I didn’t ask him to do it, and even if he’d tried to steal from Roark simply for the thrill of it, I still would have risked my neck to save him. Despite our recent disagreement, that’s what we do for each other; who we are to each other.

“Why would he do that?” she asks. “Seems like there’d be a pretty high chance of getting caught.”

“Like I said, he can be an idiot.”

“And this guy’s solution was to have you steal something else entirely?”

She sounds doubtful, and I feel my usual ability to talk anyone into anything slipping away.

I look up at her. “I’d quit. That was the decision he didn’t like. We had a…kind of profit-sharing agreement going. Heavily in his favor. This is his way of getting us both to fall back into line. I don’t know why he chose the necklace other than that he probably knew it would be a challenge.”

She studies me, her eyes fixed on mine, her regard sliding over me—hot and prodding, the way her hands were earlier—and I feel something change inside of me. I couldn’t say what or why or what it means, but Ifeelit.

“I want to know why you quit,” she comments.

“I know you do. I’d like to know who screwed you over.”

She takes out another cookie and slides it to me, which is the first I realize that I’ve already finished eating one. This one is shaped like a giant hand, middle finger extended. I unwrap it and bite.

“It certainly sends a message,” I say with a half-smile.

“I started the Love Fixers because my fiancée and I broke up after he started sleeping with his childhood sweetheart.”

“Did you beat him with a bat?” I ask hopefully, remembering what Nicole said. I don’t like thinking of any man pulling one over on the woman who’s bested me. She’s a worthy adversary and deserves the respect of one.

“I got out,” she says. “That was enough. I was grateful it happened, because it gave me a reason to leave.”

Something ugly stirs in my gut. There’s an implication behind those words. An implication that makes me want to plant a boot in this guy’s face. Even without her saying anything else, I know afuck youcookie would be much too good for him for this piece of shit.

“He hit you?”

She lifts her eyebrows. “You think I would have let her stay with him if he had?”

No, actually, I don’t.

Elaine might be my jailer, but she’s a woman who cares about people and animals. Who wants to do what’s right. If she’d thought that woman was in danger, she probably would have kidnapped her for her own good, same as she’s done with me.

I’m not beneath admiring that sort of thing, even if it’s not working out to my advantage right now.

I take a deep breath, let it out between my teeth. “I quit because the last job I took was to steal something from an old man. A pocket watch worth a lot of money. I had to get to know him as part of the job, but I got…fond of him, and I couldn’t go through with it. The man who has my brother…he got someone else to do the job. I couldn’t forgive him for it.”

There’s more to it, but that’s enough for now, and more than I should have said. It’s just…

She gave me something raw, and I couldn’t repay it with nothing.

I pause, considering, then say, “I’d very much appreciate it if you could grab my things for me tonight. Thank you for offering earlier. There’s a package hidden under one of the floorboards in the bedroom.” I take another deep breath, then say, “the one under the top right foot of the bed.”

Her expression darkens. “Is it drugs? Something stolen?”

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