Thieves & Liars, page 10
Tristan drags August off the couch and shoves him into his bedroom before he goes into his own. I help Sage up and we head into the room to pack our bags. Sage finishes first and sits down on the bed, letting out a deep sigh.
“Hey, it’s over now,” I tell her as I sit down next to her.
“I know. Thank god,” she says as she rests her head on my shoulder.
“I’m proud of you,” I say and she wraps her arms around my waist.
“I love you, Finch. I’m so glad that you joined our band of misfits,” she says as she leans up and brushes her lips against mine.
“I love you too, Sage. So much,” I say as I cup her face and deepen the kiss.
“Let’s go guys! We’re on the clock,” Ryder calls and I pull away from Sage reluctantly.
“Next time, let’s get a flat all to ourselves,” I say and she laughs.
I grab Sage’s hand and my bag as we head downstairs and out into a van that Ryder rented. Sage and I pile into the back with Tristan and August and we both dig our laptops out as Lark starts to go over the new job.
Sage’s leg bumps against mine and I grin as she presses closer to my side.
This life, this job, isn’t what I thought I would be doing but it feels right. As long as Sage is by my side, I think I would be happy doing anything.
Devoted To
Chapter 1
August
Fucking Scotland.
It’s been three weeks and we’re still here. We were supposed to just be in London for a few weeks. We’d finish up a job there and then move on.
Well the job in London ended but then we found one farther north. I don’t know how anyone could stand to live here. It’s cold and wet and a total one eighty from what we had in Miami.
“Wrong side of the road,” Tristan mumbles as he grips the handle on the roof of the car.
I jerk the car over to the right side and curse under my breath. Tristan is white knuckling the handle by now and any other time I would find his reaction funny. I know that he’s annoyed that I’m driving instead of him but he’s trying not to show it. I’ve known him for so long though that I can spot the signs.
Besides, I’m a grifter and it’s my job to read people.
I switch the windshield wipers up another notch as the skies open up and it really starts to pour.
“We need to finish this job,” I say and Tristan laughs.
“It’s just a little rain. You’re looking like a cat who’s about to be dropped in the bath,” he teases me as I take the turn onto our street.
“It’s always raining here. How are you not sick of it?”
“It provides good cover. It’s dark, most people are focused on getting out of the rain so they’re not looking around or really taking in their surroundings,” Tristan says with a shrug.
I give him a look out of the side of my eye and he laughs, the sound loud in the tiny car. I turn into the drive of the little house that we’re renting, shutting the car off and taking a deep breath before I kick the driver’s door open and run after Tristan up to the front door.
I shake off the rain as I head into the kitchen. I pass by Sage and Finch, both of them sitting on the couch with their computers. They’re curled up together but both of them are focused totally on whatever they’re typing on the screen.
Lark and Ryder are in the kitchen. They’re bent over the kitchen table, looking over some blueprints and other papers. As our team's leaders, they are in charge of finding our jobs and coming up with a plan. In the past, Lark was in charge of that, but ever since her and Ryder got together, they’ve been doing it together.
I trust Lark and Ryder is new, but he seems like a solid enough guy. I hate coming up with strategies, trying to figure out and plan for every angle and possible outcome. It’s exhausting. I know that Tristan and Sage both feel the same. Sage prefers to stay behind her computer screen and Tristan was a soldier who is used to taking orders instead of giving them.
“How’s it going?” I ask as I grab a bottle of water out of the fridge.
“Good,” Lark murmurs without looking up.
“Think we’ll be done here soon?”
“Yeah, another week or two,” Lark says and I sigh.
Another week of rain and gloomy skies.
“Can you grab something for dinner?” Ryder asks and I flip him off. He’s still looking at the blueprints though and he doesn’t see me.
“I was just out. Why didn’t you call me earlier?”
“Didn’t realize how late it was getting. Sorry,” he says.
I drink the last of my water, tossing the bottle in the trash as I head out of the kitchen.
“Try to practice your accent!” Lark calls. “Yours was pretty rusty and we’re going to need it.”
“Bloody hell,” I say, trying to get into character.
Sage doesn’t even look up, just raises her hand and seesaws it back and forth, letting me know that I really do need to work on my accent.
“Munchie boxes?” I ask, nailing the Scottish accent.
“Sounds good,” Tristan says and I sigh as I head back out into the rain.
Chapter 2
August
The restaurant is packed since it’s dinnertime and I take a number, leaning against the wall across from the register as I wait for my turn. I look around the place, clocking the exits and security cameras.
It’s an older place and there’s only one camera that’s facing the front counter. I’m standing directly underneath. Most of the people are crowded around the counter but there’s one girl leaning against the back wall like me.
I look her over, taking in her stance and the tight fit of her t-shirt. She’s looking down at her phone, texting someone, so I can’t see her face. She’s dressed casually in a pair of dark wash jeans and a black shirt. A pair of wet Chuck’s complete the outfit and they squeak on the linoleum floor as she steps to the side to allow someone to get past her.
She glances up and I notice how young she looks. She’s probably only twenty-one, twenty-two, and I glance away.
Too young for you, I remind myself. Not that I’m ancient. I’m only twenty-six, but with all that I’ve lived through, I feel much older.
I grew up with an alcoholic father and a drug addict mother. My mother overdosed when I was just five, leaving me to suffer my father’s wrath. I ran away from home when I was fourteen and started running small cons to get by.
I got arrested almost immediately and spent six months in juvie for shoplifting before I was released back into my father’s care. I ran away as soon as they had driven away. If I hadn’t met Lark, I probably would be in jail right now, or worse.
I had tried to scam Lark when I first met her but she was just as broke as me. We had bonded over our shitty circumstances and teamed up. She was a few months older than me but already so much smarter.
She knew how to read people, how to take the temperature of every room that she walked into and she taught me everything she knew. Together, we became a pretty great con team.
Lark is beautiful with blonde hair and clear, pale green eyes. She’s a chameleon, able to turn into whoever or whatever she needs to in order to survive.
Lark was the one who introduced me to Sage. Although, there’s still some debate on who met who. Sage says that she found us and arranged to be Lark’s roommate but Lark says that she knew Sage was a hacker as soon as she saw her.
We were a team of three for a few months before Lark brought Tristan home. We don’t talk about that though.
I check out the girl, making quick deductions about her.
She’s probably a student, judging by her age and casual attire. The slouched posture probably means middle class upbringing. Upper class would have been taught to stand up straight with their shoulders back. Her nails are bitten short and I wonder what she’s stressed about. Maybe classes?
She texts, playing on her phone and barely looking up. Probably not a threat to me or my team then.
So why can’t I look away from her.
I tend to stay away from other people. It’s hard to trust other people and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I met someone and they ratted us out to the authorities. One-night stands aren’t even worth it to me. It’s too stressful.
Something about this girl has me interested. It’s a gut feeling, and I’ve learned to trust my gut over the last decade.
Relationships might be out of the question for me, but maybe a one-night stand would be alright. We won’t be here for much longer anyway. I can just use my alias and it would be a great way to practice my accent.
That’s what I tell myself anyway as I catch her eye and give her a smirk. With my sandy brown hair that’s just a touch too long and my dark brown eyes, I know that I’m attractive. I’ve used my looks in jobs before and I try to tell myself that this is just like that as she gives me a smile back.
I push away from the wall and close the distance between us, mentally preparing my accent as I stop next to her.
“Hullo,” I say, leaning closer to her so that I can be heard over the crowd in the takeaway restaurant.
“Hullo.”
“’ere fer a munchie box tae?”
“Aye, tis place has the best,” she says with a smile.
She tucks some of her auburn hair behind her ear and I know that I’ve got her.
“Whit's yer name?” I ask her.
“Isla Adair,” she says with a charming smile and for the first time in as long as I can remember, I feel comfortable around someone that I don’t consider family.
There’s something about Isla that puts me at ease and I smile back at her as I introduce myself.
“August,” I say and then my mind catches up with my mouth.
Shit! What am I doing?
I never use my real name. I should have told her that my name was Aiden Connelly, my alias. It’s too late to take it back now though so I try to do some damage control.
“August Connelly,” I say as I offer her my hand.
She takes it and I’m surprised by how strong her handshake is. I don’t have time to dwell on that because the cashiers at the counter call our numbers. We both step forward and I ramble off my long order, smiling when I notice that my Scottish accent is fooling everyone here.
She’s leaning back against the wall by the time I’ve paid and I head back over to her.
“Wee bit of food, aye?” She asks with a teasing lilt in her voice and I chuckle.
“Aye, Ae’m a growin’ boy.”
She looks me over and I can see the appreciation in her light blue eyes. Her sky blue eyes look huge in her pale face and I notice a cluster of freckles under her left eye and some across the bridge of her nose.
“Ye goin tae invite ma tae dinnae?” She asks and I grin.
“Ae’d love tae, but Ae’m fraid Ae already hae plans,” I say regretfully and I find that I actually do feel a bit sad that I can’t spend more time with Isla.
“Hoo ‘bout taemorrow?”
She grins at me, pulling out her phone and asking for my number. This is a definite no-no in my line of work and my head says don’t do it, but I still find myself rattling off my most recent burner phone number.
I reassure myself that there’s no real danger in it. It’s not like she can track me through it and if things go sideways, I’ll just toss the phone and grab another.
“Whit time taemorrow?” She asks as her order is called.
“Seven?” I ask and she nods, leaning up on her tiptoes and kissing my cheek.
“Can’t wait,” she whispers in my ear before she grabs her takeaway bag and heads out into the night.
My order is called soon after and I grab the boxes, pushing out the door and into the night. A smile tugs at my lips when I notice that it’s stopped raining.
Chapter 3
August
Tristan gives me a disapproving look as I finish styling my hair and check myself over one last time.
“This is a bad idea,” he says as I slip my shoes on.
“I’ll be safe. Look at it this way, you might get this room to yourself tonight.”
He looks around our tiny shared bedroom but the thought of getting some alone time tonight doesn’t seem to change his mind.
“You’ve never done something like this before. Why now? Why with this girl?”
That question has me pausing because the truth is that I don’t really have a definitive answer. It’s just a feeling, a gut feeling, that is telling me that Isla is going to be a game changer.
“Maybe I’m just sick of my hand,” I try to joke but Tristan doesn’t smile. “Looks like you might be sick of your hand too,” I mumble under my breath but he hears me. I see the corners of his lips twitch in a smile.
“I think I should come with you.”
“You’re not chaperoning my date,” I object.
“Not chaperone, just watching. From a distance.”
“So you’re going to stalk me and my date?”
“I’m just going to keep an eye out. Have your back and make sure that you’re not being followed or anything.”
“I mean, no, but I also know you well enough to know that you won’t actually listen to me.”
“You won’t even notice that I’m there.”
“No, I will, but she better not know.”
I head for the door, Tristan hot on my heels. Sage and Finch are in their bedroom across the hall and I try to ignore the soft sounds that are coming from inside. Lark and Ryder are still in the kitchen. I swear they haven’t left the table and those papers in days.
“I’m headed out,” I say as I pass and they barely look up.
“Be careful!” Lark calls as Tristan and I head outside.
I climb behind the wheel with only mild grumbling from Tristan and I back out, heading across Glasgow to an older neighborhood. Isla and I have been texting each other all day and she sent me her address earlier this afternoon.
Tristan is silent as we drive through the crowded streets. I can see him checking out our surroundings, looking for potential threats.
“I can drop you off at a bar or something. Maybe you can meet someone.”
Tristan doesn’t bother responding to that and I know it’s because he thinks that he doesn’t deserve love or happiness. Tristan has done some bad things, things that he regrets, and he got drunk one night and spilled all of it. Then he admitted that those things were the reason why he kept to himself.
Isla’s house comes into view and I look over at Tristan.
“Where are you getting out?”
“I’ll just duck down in the backseat,” he says with a straight face and I grin at him.
“Hilarious.”
I pull up and park along the sidewalk a few places down from her little house. All of the lights are on and I look over at Tristan. He’s checking his gun and I wait until he’s tucked it into the back of his jeans before I shut the car off.
“I’ll be around,” he says as he slips off and vanishes into the night.
I head up to the front door and knock, waiting for Isla to answer it. I hear shuffling and a few shrieks and I wonder if I have the wrong address.
The door swings open and instead of Isla, I find a small boy with dark hair and big green eyes. He’s scrawny and dressed in a pair of gym shorts and a plain white t-shirt.
“Uh, hey,” I say as I look over his shoulder for Isla. Or any adult.
This kid has to be like six. Would he really be home alone?
Isla appears over his shoulder a second later, looking gorgeous.
“August,” she says in her lilting Scottish accent.
“Hullo, Isla,” I say, slipping into my own accent.
“Wee ‘ave a bit of a problem,” she starts and I look down at the boy.
He’s still staring up at me and I wonder if this is her kid.
“Me mate hae to work late. I’m watchin’ him,” she says pointing toward the little boy. “Sorry, I dinna have time tae find someone else.”
“Ae have a sitter,” I say before I can stop myself.
“Really?” She asks, looking shocked.
“Aye, me mate loves kids and he’s close by. Ae’ll phone him,” I say as I pull out my phone and hit Tristan’s number.
He picks up on the first ring and I try to hide my evil grin since I’m sure that he can see me.
“Mate! Ae have a sitting job for ye,” I say and dead silence greets me.
“No way,” he says after a minute and I’m about to argue with him when another car comes into the driveway next door.
A harried looking woman gets out, dressed in scrubs and looking exhausted. She gives me a slight smile as she crosses the lawn and heads up the front steps and into the house.
The girls hug and I watch as the woman scoops up the kid and some of his toys and heads across the lawn.
“They live next door,” Isla explains as she grabs her purse and locks her front door behind her.
“Ready tae go?” She asks with a grin and I match it, leading her over to my car.
Chapter 4
August
Our date went great.
We went to this Chinese place that she likes and spent a few hours talking and eating. I tried to teach her how to use chopsticks and we laughed at her pitiful attempts. She had asked me about myself and I had tried to stay at least sort of close to the truth. I felt guilty lying to her but telling the truth would put me and my team in danger.
She told me about growing up with her dad. Her mom had died in a car crash when she was just a baby and her father never quite recovered. She told me about how her dad had always wanted a boy and how she had tried to make him proud of her. She shares some funny stories about her trying to play rugby.
We just finished dinner and are headed back to her house. I find myself driving slower than I ever have before and I know it’s because I don’t want the night to end.
