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“Your lack of guilt makes it okay?”
“Doing the right thing makes it okay. That one hunk of glass—as beautiful as it is—is going to help over a hundred people. People like your dad.” She took his hand and gave it a little squeeze. “If we had been able to help him, he might not have sold the shop. You wouldn’t have lost your legacy.”
He looked over the crowd and then back at her. “All these people are bad?”
“No clue. But the host is not only good friends with Dwayne Benson and Cesar Towers, that piece of art on the tree is something he bought to hold money for them. Guys like him were funding the escape from U.S. law. We’re just balancing the scales.”
He didn’t say anything else, but he also didn’t pull away from her. She allowed her words to sink in. As she studied the guests, she saw Mia across the room. She briefly considered not talking to her, but she missed Mia.
Tugging Ezra’s hand again, she said, “Come on. I see my friend. I want to introduce you.”
“Friend? I thought you didn’t like anyone here.”
“I didn’t say that. You’re making assumptions.” They crossed the room and she called, “Mia. I’m glad I caught you.”
If London’s attendance surprised her, Mia didn’t show. Her poker face was better. “London. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
London rushed forward and hugged her, even though she knew Mia wouldn’t like it. “I want to introduce you to Ezra.” Turning to him, she said, “Ezra, this is my friend Mia. She’s a curator at the Art Institute and she put me in contact with some gallery owners who might want me to do a show of my own.”
“Nice to meet you, Ezra.” Mia extended a hand.
Ezra’s wide palm engulfed hers. “Nice to meet you, too.”
“Ezra is an artist, too,” London said. “He works in glass.”
“Interesting. Have you seen anyone else we might know?”
London smiled, realizing that Mia was a little worried that the heist was happening tonight. “Well, Audrey and Jared are supposed to be here. Didn’t they tell you?”
“He might’ve mentioned it, but I haven’t seen them.”
“Nikki is busy tonight. I asked her if she wanted to join us and she said it wasn’t her kind of party.”
“Whose kind of party?” Logan asked as he joined them and handed Mia a glass of champagne.
“Nothing,” Mia said, accepting the glass and kissing his cheek. “London just introduced me to her date.”
“Ezra, this is Logan, Mia’s boyfriend. Logan, it’s nice to see you again.”
“Mia didn’t mention that you were coming tonight.”
“She didn’t know. It was a last-minute decision because I wasn’t sure if Ezra would be free.”
Logan stood next to Ezra. “This isn’t exactly my kind of party.”
“Mine either,” Ezra responded.
“Luckily, Mia doesn’t drag me to these things too often.”
“We can go after this drink. I just need to make the rounds, show my face. Let the world know that I’ve fallen in love. You know the drill.”
The look Mia gave Logan melted London. Mia had always been a little cold and distant, but falling for Logan had changed her demeanor. “You two look so happy.”
“We are,” Mia said. “Let’s go make those rounds now, so we can get out of here.” She reached for Logan’s hand. “We’ll talk later,” she said to London.
When they were gone, Ezra asked, “Is she really a friend? Or someone else you plan to steal from?
“Mia? She’s a friend.” As she spoke the words, London realized that she meant them. Mia was a real friend. London stepped closer and tiptoed up to whisper in his ear. “While she’s no longer working with us, she set this entire plan in motion. Her full name is Mia Benson.”
