Chapter Three

Stealing was easy. Putting something back without getting caught, now that was the hard part. She’d been trained in the art of stealing right after her seventh birthday.

You don’t bring me what I want, your brother doesn’t eat, and I won’t buy his asthma medicine. Go ahead, try to tell someone. I’ll make sure you never see him again.

Holly took a second to draw in a deep breath, hoping it would calm her racing heart as well as dispel the memories of the life she’d been running from since she was eighteen years old. She needed to concentrate on the job she was here to do, right the wrong her brother had been fooled into doing, and then get back to Liam and get the hell out of Chicago.

Slipping a hand into the pocket of the black uniform slacks, she touched the thumb drive to make sure it was still tucked between the train tickets. One for her, one for Liam. With the past hot on their trail, they’d be using the tickets as soon as she went home and convinced Liam leaving was for the best.

A quick breeze blew the salt-scented air across the yacht, and Holly shivered. She’d wanted to wear the black sweater also provided by the company, but she’d learned the hard way if someone chased her and lunged, it was easy to grab the end of a sweater and trap her. She’d barely managed to escape that time.

A woman whose body was squeezed into a sparkling red dress to the point it looked painful paused in front of her and tossed a used napkin on the tray beside the sushi rolls Holly had been circulating among the well-to-do crowd. She waved a hand dismissively, nearly hitting Holly with her over-perfumed wrist. Holly kept her smile anchored in place even though she pictured the woman wearing the sushi rolls as a hat.

Heading to the kitchen with the now inedible rolls, she wanted nothing more than to take off the heels killing her feet, remove the austere brown wig covering her red hair and prosthetics on her face, and pitch the black librarian glasses overboard. She’d padded her figure to add twenty pounds and the stuffed material made her itch. The disguise was necessary to keep Jake from recognizing her. So far, it had worked. He’d walked right by her and hadn’t even glanced at her.

Her cheeks flamed as she thought of the last time she’d seen him. He’d nibbled on the side of her neck and whispered in her ear that he would make her scream his name.

She deposited the tray on the counter. She’d had a one-night stand with a millionaire—scratch that—soon to be billionaire, according to one article. The man she’d assumed was an ordinary guy was rich enough to buy whatever he wanted. Working for a living, hoping the month ended before the money did had probably never been part of his life.

Wealthy men and troublemakers were the kinds of men who were on her list of never-touch, never get involved with. She’d learned a lot about each type of man from her uncle’s weekly lessons, especially the troublemakers. He’d been a guard at the juvenile correctional facility in Texas, and used to tell her stories about the crimes committed by the teens he interacted with. The way he’d smirked, Holly knew it was his way of telling her that even though he forced her to steal, he could have her locked up, too.

“It’s been a long night and that plane ride in didn’t do my nerves any good,” the older woman who’d introduced herself as Agnes said.

“Tell me about it,” Holly agreed. Along with Agnes and the other employees of Prestigious Hosting, Holly had flown to South Carolina in the company’s charter plane and it hadn’t been a smooth flight.

“You look about done in,” Agnes said. She moved from counter to counter, deftly handling the dessert presentation, and smiled kindly at Holly as she worked.

“I am.” She’d been up late last night planning the reverse theft, going over the contingencies, making a plan B and C if plan A tanked.

“We passed a couple of South Carolina’s better known sea islands, and we’re coming around Mr. Jake’s private island, so we’ll be headed back to the marina now. You’ll be able to get your rest before you know it.”

Headed back? She’d miscalculated the time it would take to skirt the other islands. Such a rookie mistake. Trying not to let herself panic, Holly said, “I think I’ll stretch my legs.”

Agnes waved her off, and Holly left, pausing to observe the guests gathering on the dance floor. Afterward, there would be fireworks. In light of the music and the noise, no one would focus on her. Like the rest of the staff, she didn’t exist. Holly eased her way through the group of men and women dressed in elegant clothing. She’d be willing to bet some of the dresses cost three times more than her entire year’s salary at the catering company—if she were to stay that long. Waiting until she was sure no one was nearby, Holly slipped into the master stateroom. The luxuriousness gave her a momentary pause.

What would it be like to fit into this world? To belong instead of always running, always scraping by?

Holly straightened her shoulders. This wasn’t a happily-ever-after movie, and she wasn’t a Disney princess waiting for her true love or to be saved. She could save herself. This was real life, her life, and she wasn’t one to cry over spilled milk. Or a crappy childhood where she’d been given the knowledge she’d have to use to get into the safe. From what she’d glimpsed on the main deck, Jake had his hands full with a massive cleavage-showing blonde covered in diamonds, and little else, so Holly should have plenty of time to put the stolen item back and get out.

Searching the room, she located the safe behind books on a bookshelf. Stretching her fingers, she quickly went to work cracking the safe. Her best time was close to five minutes but that had been from years of practice, which she hadn’t had since she’d left Burt. Standing as close as she could, she listened intently and used the sensitivity of her touch as she spun the dial. She’d cracked her first safe at ten. She’d been forced to study how they operated until she’d learned how to get into one quickly and quietly.

In record time, she triumphantly swung the door open. Digging into her pocket, she pulled out the thumb drive, not surprised to find her hands shaking. Safe-breaking brought back too many memories of being afraid.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Turning quickly, Holly came face-to-face with the man she’d hoped to avoid for the rest of her life. Dark hair, five o’clock shadow, piercing eyes. Handsomer now than when she’d first met him, if that were possible. Or maybe it was because of all the photos she’d seen of him during her hours of using the library’s computer to study him and the layout of his yacht. Millionaire Businesses Magazine had carried her favorite photo in an article predicting he would soon be the next youngest billionaire. He worked hard and played harder, according to the article. What the magazine hadn’t covered was the mesmerizing pull that occurred from being in the same room with him.

Swallowing the knot of apprehension in her throat, Holly forced a smile. “Would you believe I’m helping you?”

Eyes narrowed, he crossed the room in three quick strides and grabbed her arm in an iron grip before he pried open her hand. When he saw the thumb drive, his gaze flew to her face. He snatched it away and seared her with a condemning stare.

“Who are you?”

“Someone who’s sorry about this.” With all her might, Holly jabbed her elbow into his rock hard abdomen, gaining the advantage of surprising him into releasing his hold.

Once free, Holly raced for the door. She’d hoped she wouldn’t have to use her panic route, but she’d mapped one out just in case someone discovered her at the safe. Darting into the guest stateroom she’d made sure was unlocked earlier, she slammed the door behind her and locked it just in time.

Fists pounded on the thick wood, and a deep voice demanded that she open up. Figuring that there was no way he’d break down the door to get to her, Holly had time for a clean getaway. Kicking off her shoes, she jimmied open the door leading to the balcony. Wishing she’d had the foresight to stash a life jacket, Holly hesitated as she stared out at the ocean and judged the distance to the island the yacht was leaving behind. It wasn’t pretty, but she was a strong swimmer, and she had no choice for her brother’s sake.

Behind her, the bedroom door splintered and cracked, the sound mixed with a string of muffled curses. Holly threw a quick look over her shoulder before jumping into the Atlantic Ocean. The cold, wintry water snatched her breath and clutched at her clothes, dragging her under immediately. Kicking her feet, she forced her way back to the surface and gasped in a breath of air. Coughing, she looked around to get her bearings, then started swimming like hell.

…

She’d jumped. The crazy woman had actually gone overboard. The temperature of the water couldn’t be any more than fifty degrees. She could easily succumb to hypothermia. Jake dove in after her. Whether she was a criminal or not, he wasn’t about to stand by and let a woman deal with the treacherous ocean alone. He’d have to be careful when he caught up to her. Anyone willing to jump overboard had to be pretty desperate to brave the cold, especially with dusk right on the horizon ready to signal dinnertime for any lurking shark.

Though she was swimming hard away from him, she was no match for his strength and speed. When he overtook her and grabbed her by the back of her shirt, she gave up trying to get away.

“Keep swimming toward the island,” he ordered.

She nodded, her teeth loudly chattering, and though she looked exhausted, she kept moving through the water.

Jake looked over his shoulder once as his yacht grew smaller by the minute and cursed. Plenty of people had seen him with the blonde who’d made it clear she would keep him company throughout the night. No one would question his disappearance for a while. He should have let someone know what was going on, but there hadn’t been time.

The woman beside him didn’t look behind her or around, she simply kept up her pace through the choppy waters. By the time they swam the remaining distance and crawled onto the white sand, he was bone-weary, cold, and willing to bet she was the same. Dragging himself to his feet, he took her arm and hauled her upright. She pushed the wet mop of brown hair clinging to her face away from her eyes and pressed her teeth firmly in a vain attempt to keep them from clicking together.

There were people on the yacht he needed to network with. She’d interrupted that, stolen from him, and ruined his damn tuxedo. She’d made the biggest mistake of her life if she thought he wouldn’t make her suffer the consequences.

She stooped over, bowing her head low, attempting to draw in breaths. “I’m not used to swimming that distance.”

“There’s no workout program for thieves?”

Straightening, she winced, pressing a hand to her side as if she had a stitch. “There is, but I’ve been a little busy robbing people to use it lately.”

He blinked, and his mouth tightened. He didn’t know her face, but there was something familiar about her voice.

Shaking her head, she said, “Lame joke. Sorry. Let’s get me to your dungeon. Lead on. I’ll follow.”

“You think I’m going to turn my back to you? Not a chance, honey.” He motioned at her. “Do you have a weapon on you?”

“Just the elbow that took you down.”

“You didn’t take me down,” he snapped, trying to remember the last time a woman had bested him physically and failing to come up with anything. Not because he thought men were superior, but because he usually didn’t let his guard down even for a second. “Are you carrying a weapon?” he asked again.

“No.”

He raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

“I can prove it. Check me.” She held her arms out.

Jake approached and slowly ran his hands along the underside of her arms. Her skin was soft and smooth, causing a tightening in his stomach that annoyed the hell out of him. Lowering his hands, he slid them along the sides of her body, stopping a moment to rest his hands at her waist. Something didn’t feel right. He squeezed gently and water leaked out. “What are you wearing beneath your shirt?”

“Padding.”

When he raised his eyebrows, she unbuttoned her shirt and removed a crudely made pillow now lumpy and soggy from the ocean. She tossed it at his feet, then pulled the ends of her shirt closed, holding it tightly with one hand. Crouching, and keeping his gaze locked on hers, he ran his hands over her legs, skimming them from thigh to ankle. Her lips parted, and her face flushed. She breathed in fast, short bursts, and by the time he was finished with his search, she was trembling.

“No wallet?”

“I don’t carry one when I’m—”

“Indulging in your criminal activities?” He put his hands in the pocket of her pants and withdrew two soaked train tickets. “Your preferred getaway method?”

Up until now, the woman hadn’t showed much emotion, but when he waved the almost falling apart tickets in front of her face, she paled. “I need those.” She moved a step closer to take them, and when she did, a sparkle glinted off her neck.

Before she could step out of reach, Jake’s fingers closed on a necklace, and he pulled an antique locket into view. “One of your scores?” He opened it to reveal a miniscule photo of a little boy and girl posed close to each other. The little girl had her arm wrapped around the boy’s shoulders and angled her body toward him as if trying to shield him. Both wore clothes too big for them. While the boy seemed happy, the little girl stared fearfully back at the camera as if she carried the weight of the world on her too-thin shoulders.

“Are these your children? Relatives?”

“No.” She snatched the locket from his grasp, closed it, and stuck it under her shirt. Lifting her chin, she wrapped her arms around herself. “Call the police so we can get this over with.”

“The island is private. There isn’t a police force here.” He studied her, guessing her age somewhere in her mid- to late-twenties. The way she held herself, the sound of her voice, he couldn’t shake the nagging in his head saying he knew her. Finally, when he couldn’t pinpoint where, he asked, “Do I know you?”

She wanted to lie, he could see it on her face. With a sigh, she removed prosthetic skin from the sides of her face, then pulled off a thick brown wig. Wild red hair tumbled free and cascaded to her shoulders. His world tilted.

“Holly?”

The realization that their one-night stand and the missing thumb drive were connected hit and betrayal sliced through him. He felt like ten kinds of an idiot. Blinded by his own weak loneliness that night at the children’s Christmas party, he’d acted rashly and made himself an easy mark.

His anger mounted as questions arose in his mind. “You couldn’t have done this alone. How many of you set up this job? Who are your partners?”

“I worked alone.” She glanced away, dropping her gaze to the sand briefly before looking back up. “I always work alone, but I wasn’t stealing the thumb drive. Would you believe I was helping you? I was putting it in your safe.”

Jake didn’t believe her. He didn’t know why she had the drive or why she’d broken into his safe, but he knew a liar when he saw one. “You knew my identity before we slept together?”

She nodded quickly, looking anywhere but at him, and again he got the feeling she was hiding something. “Good-looking, lonely guy. You were an easy mark.”

Her admission stung his pride. “I should have known. I can’t believe I let myself get suckered because I was attracted to a beautiful woman. I thought—” He shook his head. He’d reveled in the anonymity of their meeting, and she’d played him the entire time. Disappointment burned through his gut. The faster he could deposit her with the police and move on with his lesson learned, the better.

“My house is up ahead.” He strode off across the sand, not concerned if she’d follow or not. There was nowhere on the island she could run that he wouldn’t be able to find her and after what she’d done, he’d take the place apart with his bare hands to find her if he had to.

She caught up to him, and they walked in silence for a few minutes. “I’m sorry, Jake.”

“You’re sorry you got caught,” he bit the words out.

“Well, duh. What thief doesn’t regret getting caught?”

“I wouldn’t use that as your defense in court if I were you.” He clenched his jaw. Being played irritated him. Over the years, he’d made it a policy to never be the one who wasn’t in control. To let his control slip over a woman who turned out to be a thief struck deep into his core.

As his house came into view, Holly stopped walking to stare.

Jake didn’t blame her for gaping. He never tired of seeing the home he’d had built modeling one he’d seen on Seven Mile Beach on the coast of Grand Cayman. The tranquility he’d found there, watching the sun dip low over the Caribbean, had been a balm to his soul after he’d joined his friends in demolishing the correctional facility where they had faced almost daily beatings from the guards. Where his brother had been killed. Tearing down the building hadn’t been enough to give him peace. The ghosts still lingered. And the thirst for revenge hadn’t been quenched.

Opening the door, he ushered her into the living room, watching her awed expression as she took in the view of the ocean from the floor-to-ceiling windows lining the walls. He had to have that openness. He couldn’t stand feeling boxed in. Every room in every home he owned had plenty of windows to let the outside in.

“Breathtaking,” she whispered.

“You can shower while I fix something to eat. There’s a robe in the guest bathroom. You can put your clothes in the washer afterward.”

“You’re going to feed me?”

“Yep.”

“You’re not calling the police first to have them waiting for me when we return?”

Pausing, he glanced over his shoulder, his gaze searching her beautiful eyes, wishing he didn’t remember what he did about being with her. “It’ll take my pilot a little while to reach us. I have time to make that call to the police. What’s your last name?”

She seemed taken back by the abruptness of his question for a moment before she said, “Campbell.” She opened her mouth to say something more, then shook her head and made her way down the hall toward the guest bathroom. When the door closed behind her and the shower started, Jake fisted his hands. The woman was a criminal. She deserved to be locked away. The guilty deserved it. The innocent didn’t.

Innocents like Adam. A quick memory of the fearful expression in his younger brother’s eyes flashed, paining him. The latest report Jake had received on the guards weighed heavy on him. One of the guards had moved overseas. Another couldn’t be located anywhere, and the third, a loser named Burt, kept moving from location to location. Always a step ahead.

Jake fished in his pocket for his waterlogged phone and tossed the useless device onto the kitchen counter. Reaching for the landline, he dialed Cole’s number.

“The missing thumb drive and my one-night stand are connected. Her name is Holly Campbell and she worked the event on my yacht tonight. I caught her in the act and recovered the drive.”

He let out a huge breath and listened to his friend’s excited relief for a second before he interrupted. “Have the investigators turn over every damn stone in Holly’s background. I want to know everything about her and who she’s connected to. Tell them to call me with anything they find.”

After he hung up, Cole’s “we got lucky this time” played over and over in his mind as he went to his bedroom to change into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Jake didn’t believe in luck.

On the yacht and again on the beach, Holly had said, “Would you believe I’m helping you?” Jake didn’t believe that or anything she said, not for a second. His guess was that she’d come back to see what other valuables she could find and had given up the drive in a panic, thinking it would make him back off.

He poured two glasses of wine, then set them on the table. Whatever her con was, she’d made the biggest mistake of her life thinking he was an easy mark. Once they returned to the marina, he’d hand her over to the police and forget she existed.

Yeah right. Forget the way she made you laugh, the way she made you feel alive. Good luck with that.

He took a couple of steaks out of the freezer, determined to ignore his mocking subconscious. If he could, he’d kick his own ass for following his…well, for not sticking to his rule. Always investigate first.

Opening the French doors leading out to the outdoor kitchen, he heated up the grill, then plopped the steaks on it when it was ready. Though the wind coming off the Atlantic carried a cold bite with it, Jake didn’t even feel it. His mind was too busy thinking about Holly and how she’d turned his life upside down. He’d never brought a woman to his island hideaway. Technically, he hadn’t brought her. She’d invaded his space as easily as she’d invaded his head from the moment he’d first laid eyes on her. He gripped the bottle of seasoning harder than he planned to as he tilted it over the steaks, then forced himself to relax. He was through letting Holly Campbell screw with his life.

The phone rang, and he went inside to get it. Security couldn’t have an answer about Holly this fast. Unless she was wanted in several states. Just his luck.

“I hear you jumped overboard in your tuxedo and fished a mermaid from the ocean.” His friend and business partner Mason Parker sounded several shades of amused by the idea, which irritated Jake further.

“More like a shark than a mermaid.”

“This is the woman you slept with…and didn’t know who she was?”

Jake took a deep breath. He, Mason, and Cole were as close as brothers. They looked out for one another, even on occasion kicked each other’s ass if needed. If his friends had engaged in the same behavior he had, he’d be first in line to say so. He had a “you’re a dumbass” lecture coming that he rightfully deserved, but that didn’t mean it sat well with him. “Yes, the same woman.”

“It’s not like you to be careless.”

“I know, but…there was something about her.” Mason laughed, and Jake added, “Besides that.”

“Con artists and thieves are good at manipulating people. You were played. Bring the drive back to Chicago. We’re still trying to figure out how the security lapse happened, but so far, we’re coming up empty.”

“I’ll turn her over to the police here tomorrow and fly out then.”

Mason was silent for a minute, then came back with, “I know this is messed up, but trust your instincts. You’ve always been good at that.”

“Will do. See you tomorrow.” His instincts said there was more to Holly Campbell than she let show, but he wasn’t interested in getting bit twice. He raked a hand down the side of his face. If she had something up her sleeve that would affect the company, he’d find out what her secrets were, and this time, he’d make sure he didn’t get caught in her web.