“Who?”
“I can’t tell you that. He’d kill me.”
A sigh puffed between her darkly painted lips, eyes glittering with cunning. “What if I print that Avalon is using an outside consultant to up their security after the heist? I don’t even need to say your names. Printing that could scare the thief off if you’re worried they’re going to try again. Or, if it doesn’t scare them, it might get them out of hiding. I’m guessing that’s what you really want.”
“That… actually isn’t a bad idea,” Andrew said, since they hadn’t discussed how to set the bait for their impending trap. “We’re working on security tonight. I’m going to meet Ford right now to go over the plans.”
“I can have the story on the streets tomorrow. Perfect timing to lure this person for round two.” She smiled in triumph, as conniving as she was smart, but Andrew couldn’t deny the plan made sense.
“Okay. But no mention of me, Ford, or Dalton Wellesley.”
“Wellesley?” she asked curiously. “Why not? Isn’t he the lead researcher on the project?”
“He is, just… avoid his name. Stick to Avalon, Vallancourt, any quotes about the research itself, but not him, okay? He’s afriend of mine, and I don’t want to risk him being targeted.” That was true without pointing any fingers between Dalton and Ford, right?
“Why would he be targeted?”
Shit. “Liv…”
“No more questions.” She held her hands up in surrender. “Thank you. Whatever else you might think of me, Andy, I really never wanted you to get hurt.”
His chest ached. “Just not enough to put me before your job.”
“If that makes me a bitch,” she shrugged, “I’m okay with that.”
“Wen!”
Andrew’s attention darted to the counter, and then back to Olivia. “For what it’s worth, I am happier. But don’t expect that to mean I’ll ever be happy to see you.”
She smiled with an understanding nod, and he nodded back. He should still be angry. Hewasangry. But somehow, this felt like some of the closure they hadn’t gotten before.
Andrew felt a little lighter heading out with his two cups of coffee. He just hoped Ford understood his thinking with having a story printed for tomorrow’s headlines.
ISAAC
That…actuallywasn’tabad idea.
Isaac had initially been upset, but something in the papers could bait their thief just like they wanted. If it scared them off entirely, even better.
Plus, it was adorable that Andrew had once again brought coffee for their meet-up. Even dressed in black to fit the role of faux thief—black jeans, T-shirt, and leather jacket—he brightened up the section of the building Isaac used as his apartment with his mere presence.
The living quarters was between the offices and the garage, a simple open living room, kitchen, bathroom, and two bedrooms. Where they stood now, by the sofa, was almost exactly where Isaac had first met Dalton, just cleaner now, with new furniture and a few flares of Isaac’s personality shown off if one were looking close enough.
Like the entire boxsets of the originalStar Trekseries,Next Generation, all the offshoots, and the movies, which he caught Andrew eyeing.
“Trying to butter me up?” he asked as he sipped from his coffee.
“Oh, I don’t know.” Andrew’s eyes kept darting around to take it all in, since he’d never been inside Isaac’s offices before, certainly not the part he lived in. “Maybe a little sugar and caffeine will make you less of an asshole.”
Isaac’s lips twitched with a smile.
“Don’t count on it,” Luke’s gruff voice preceded his entrance, stalking swift and lumbering across the room to join them. “You’re Wen, huh? Can’t believe you two are fucking.”
“What?” Andrew’s eyes went wide with a flash of betrayal. “You told him?”
Isaac may have neglected to mention that he’d deemed this a three-man operation, but he did know how to keep mum. “No, Andrew.Youjust did.”
His eyes somehow went wider.
