I wait until he’s in his car and driving away, then I pick up my phone to call Colton. My boyfriend. The man who kept me drunk on orgasms and lust all night while someone broke into my gallery.
“Yeah?” His voice is rough from sleep.
“We need to talk.”
“Can it wait? I was up pleasuring a goddess all night.”
I bite my lip. “We need to talk about the paintings you stole.”
He’s quiet for a long time. “What about them?”
I squeeze my eyes shut. “Thank you.”
Levi
“Why are you still with her?” I scowl at Colton, who’s currently putting on a fucking tie for a date with Ellie.
“Because I like her. Because she’s hot and fun. And other reasons.” He tops off his sentence with the mischievous grin my sister Shay calls “panty kryptonite.”
“You’re dating her after we stole from her. That’s asking for trouble.”
“How do you figure? She didn’t even report it.”
I grunt. They were probably stolen before we ever got our hands on them. Nelson probably told her not to report it.
“She doesn’t know. She probably didn’t even notice they were missing. Or, hell, maybe she didn’t know they were in there to begin with.”
I shake my head. We’re supposed to be going straight, but I agreed to do this one last job with Colton. Not our usual work, but the thrill was there all the same. And, fuck, I wanted to help her. But every day she’s with him eats at me. “You can’t stay with her. How are you going to have a real relationship with someone you can’t be honest with?”
He arches a brow and straightens his tie. “Okay, Dr. Phil, thanks for the relationship advice. She’ll never know. And she left the gallery, so it’s not like she’s going to figure it out later.”
I rub my forehead where a headache is building. “I want to be done with that life.”
“Then relax.” He pulls on his suit jacket. “We’re done. It’s over. It never happened.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Is this really about the paintings or is this about you wanting Ellie for yourself?” He cocks his head and studies me. “I see the way you look at her. You’re just waiting for me to get out of the way so you can make your move.”
“Get over yourself.” I can feel the heat creeping up my neck and into my cheeks. I fucking hate being so transparent.
“You’re worried about Ellie figuring it out and turning us in, but what you should be worried about is my father. He doesn’t like it when I’m not doing his bidding.”
“I know,” I mutter. “I’m plenty worried about that too.”
“Me too. Which is why I’ve been putting together a little insurance portfolio.”
I still. Colton and I have always had an unspoken agreement to stay on Nelson’s good side. “Meaning?”
“Meaning my father thinks he can control everyone. And I’m gathering what I need to turn the tables when the time comes.” He smacks my cheek. “Relax.”
Ellie
Nelson McKinley is sitting in my living room. That alone would be unnerving enough, but the fact that I let myself into my house through my locked front door to find him on my couch makes it worse. Tate used to say most locks provide only the illusion of security. Anyone with the right tools and a little know-how can get around them. Nelson has proven it to be true, and even though it’s the middle of the afternoon and sun is pouring in through the windows, I have chills like he greeted me in the dark.
“What are you doing here?” It’s been two months since I’ve seen him. Two months since Colton stole the paintings for me and since I locked the gallery and never went back.
“How are you, Ellie?” he asks, his eyes skimming me from head to toe. “I told you I’d be in touch. We both needed to cool off after what happened.”