Page 25 of Sly Like a Fox
We’re both committed to maintaining the pretense our partnership is purely business, even though the way he’s looking at me right now suggests business is the last thing on his mind.
I put on my coat, move toward the door, and then turn back to find him watching me with an expression I can’t read.I see desire there but also something that looks like genuine affection.It makes my chest feel warm and strange.
“Fenton?”My voice comes out softer than I intended.
“Yes?”He steps closer.
“Thank you for letting me be part of something that matters.”
Something vulnerable flickers across his face.“Thank you for staying and not running when you discovered what I really do.”
“Where would I run to?This is the most interesting thing that’s ever happened to me.”
After leaving his apartment, I wait for the elevator, thinking about how much my life has changed in the past twelve hours.Yesterday morning, I was Jenna Johnson, small-time con artist struggling to pay rent and wondering where my next meal was coming from.This morning, I’m Jenna Johnson, partner in an elaborate justice operation with access to resources I’ve only dreamed of.
The elevator doors close, but I can’t stop smiling.For the first time in years, I’m looking forward to what comes next instead of just trying to survive what’s happening now.My phone buzzes with a text from Chloe as I walk to my car.I pull it out and see her message:Coffee later?I need details about your mysterious disappearance last night.
I type back quickly:Rain check?Big developments in the Fenton situation.Will call you tonight.
Her response comes immediately:DETAILS.I want all of them.
I laugh out loud in the parking garage.If only she knew just how detailed this story was about to get.My quiet, predictable life of small cons and financial stress has just been replaced by something that feels like the opening chapter of an adventure novel.
The drive home gives me time to process what happened between Fenton and me this morning.The domestic intimacy of sharing breakfast, the way he listened to my stories about my family without judgment, and the cautious honesty we both offered about our fears and motivations felt like the beginning of something real.
That should terrify me.I’ve built my entire adult life around maintaining emotional distance and strategic thinking.Getting genuinely attached to someone, especially someone involved in dangerous illegal activities, goes against every survival instinct I’ve developed.
Instead, I feel energized.Excited.Like I’m finally part of something bigger than just getting by day to day.
My apartment looks smaller and shabbier after spending the night in Fenton’s sophisticated space, but it’s still mine.I shower and change into clothes that don’t smell like expensive cologne and then sit on my couch with a cup of instant coffee that tastes like disappointment after Fenton’s perfect brew.
My phone rings just as I’m settling in with my inferior caffeine.Fenton’s name on the screen makes my mouth dry.“Missing me already?”I answer.
His laugh carries that hint of amusement I’m learning to associate with his rare moments of relaxation.“Actually, yes, but I’m calling about logistics.I’ve scheduled appointments for you this afternoon.Hair, makeup, and wardrobe consultations.If we’re going to pull this off, we need you to look like someone who belongs in Anklor’s social circle.”
The prospect of a complete makeover should excite me, but something in his tone makes me nervous.“Are you saying I don’t currently look like sophisticated society material?”
“I’m saying you look beautiful exactly as you are, but beautiful and wealthy socialite are two different aesthetic categories.”
The compliment makes me warm all over.“Flattery will get you everywhere.”
“I’m counting on it.Can you be ready by noon?I’ll pick you up and we’ll start your transformation into the perfect revenge accessory.”
I glance at the clock on my microwave.Eleven fifteen.“Revenge accessory.How romantic.”
“We’ll work on the romance part later.Right now, I need to focus on turning you into someone Garret Anklor will want to impress.”
After we hang up, I look around my apartment one more time.By tonight, I’ll be someone different with expensive clothes, professional styling, and sophisticated polish that opens doors to worlds I’ve only imagined.
More importantly, I’ll be someone who matters to a man who’s spent three years planning the perfect revenge and part of a mission that goes beyond personal gain.
I’ve never been anyone’s partner before.Not really.I’ve been a mark’s temporary amusement, a transaction, and a means to an end.Being Fenton’s actual partner, someone he trusts with his deepest secrets and most important mission, feels like stepping into a version of myself I never knew existed.
The woman in my bathroom mirror looks the same as always, but something in her expression has changed.I see confidence that wasn’t present yesterday along with a sense of purpose that has nothing to do with survival and everything to do with possibility.
In a few hours, I’ll be on my way to becoming someone new who might just be worthy of the life I’ve always dreamed of having.The thought doesn’t scare me anymore.It makes me feel like I’m finally ready to stop just surviving and start actually living.
Chapter 8
