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“What?” she exclaimed as sheer confusion merged with the animosity she had been expressing since I got here.
I didn’t mind the sass. I had to admire the fact that even when she was outnumbered and caught, she still had all the guts in the world to talk back to me. She sat there on the ground, still looking as dignified as ever even though her ponytail was barely hanging on and her skirt suit was rumpled and twisted to the side.
Most women would have been cowering and begging for mercy right now, but she just sat there, her eyes glowering with defiance the entire time.
She’d make some man a very brave wife someday.
But for now, she would be mine.
“I said,” I continued, squatting down until we were at eye level. “You had to marry me.”
That didn’t seem to explain things adequately enough for her. The idea simply wasn’t computing in her head, which was apparent considering her silence. Her head cocked to one side like a dog that had been given a particularly puzzling command.
“And why would I do that?” she questioned with a scoff.
“Because, unlike the police, I can actually protect you from the Moranos.”
She instantly froze up again, her mouth pressing together, telling me that she was about to spit out another lie. “I don’t know what you’re talking about—”
“Oh, come on. We’re already past that point.” I stood and leaned against the wall since I figured we were going to be here a while. “We don’t have to lie to each other anymore. I know you’re running from the Moranos, and I know why you’re running from them too. You were the mastermind behind the Feismann Insurance Bank heist, right?”
She pressed her lips together again, neither confirming nor denying the allegations.
“It was clever of you…how you pulled that off,” I continued. “It was also smart to skim something off the top because I doubt the Moranos were paying you more than a pittance, were they? After all the damn work you did too, greedy bastards. Plus, Feismann was scamming a bunch of senior citizens anyway, so it was only right that you used some of the money to help them. And that’s what you did, isn’t it?”
At least, Ansel assumed as much in his investigation since some of the Feismann victims received about a thousand dollars each in their account. It wasn’t much, but it was all she could get away with stealing without it being too obvious.
Regular old Robin Hood, wasn’t she? A thief with a heart of gold.
“I didn’t—” she started protesting again, but I didn’t give her a chance to lie to me again.
“But the problem is the Moranos found out what you did, so now they’re pissed that you made a fool of them, aren’t they? And they can’t have that,” I continued. “And now they really want their money back.”
“I paid the Moranos their money back,” she bit back. “Every single cent I got from the heist, I paid it all back. I wouldn’t have even done it in the first place if I didn’t need….”
“Need what?”
She pursed her lips and scowled. “None of your business.”
I let the conversation die even though I was dying to know her secrets. I would dig it out of her later. Right now, I needed to make a point.
“It’s not about the money, necessarily,” I said. “It’s about their pride. They can’t let you get away with stealing from them as it sends the wrong message to their enemies and the people who work for them. So they have to get you to somehow.”
She knew that. I could see her struggling with the knowledge, but she couldn’t deny the veracity of the statement.
“Either way,” I added. “The police can’t protect you from them.”
“And how do you know that?” she shot back.
“Because the police….are on their side.”
Her expression didn’t change except for her eyes, which narrowed in suspicion. “You’re lying.”
I knew it wouldn’t be that easy to convince her. That was the reason why I demanded Ansel send me proof. But before I could start offering her the proof, there was a loud rumbling that interrupted the silence.
She blushed the minute she realized the sound was coming from her, or more specifically, from her stomach. Her embarrassment was surprising and endearing for such a fierce woman.
“Skipped breakfast?” I asked.
