I Know Lucy (A Fugitive #1)(38)

It helped that for this job Shorty had hooked her up with a tutor. Lucy was playing the girl who wanted to up her grades and that’s how she’d met Tori, daughter of big time businessman, Theodore Derwin. It was all part of the plan of course. Get in good with the rich kid, find the perfect opening, which she had. Shorty had studied up and was playing all his cards perfectly. Lucy just wished she wasn’t the dealer.

Tori was such a sweet girl and she’d taught her so much with her encouraging little smile and sweet comments. Lucy hated the idea of it coming to an end.

“What you doing then?” Shorty flicked her shoulder as he walked past, snatching the book off the table. “To Kill A Mockingbird.” His lips curled with disinterest as he flung it back onto the table. It nearly toppled off the side, but Lucy grabbed it, finding her place again.

“I’m writing an essay,” she murmured. “What’s it look like?”

“It looks like you’re concentrating too hard on the wrong thing, is what it looks like.”

She drilled an angry glare at her half written essay rather than across at Shorty. It would only get her in trouble.

“I think I can get an A for this. I want to try.”

“You’re not even going to be there to get your results.”

She resisted the urge to slam the book shut and throw her pen at Shorty’s head. “I’m enjoying the learning.”

“Just as long as that learning isn’t getting in the way of your job.”

“It’s not.” She accentuated the t, making her words come off all snippy, but she couldn’t help it. She liked being a student again and she didn’t want it to stop.

The idea of the upcoming weekend made her skin crawl. Dropping her pen, she spun to face the couch. Shorty was draped over one end, while Marlin sat at the opposite, shuffling cards on a coffee table. Shorty had been teaching him a bunch of tricks and Marlin was obsessed with perfecting his sleight of hand. He never went anywhere without a deck of cards now.

“Do we have to do this con? It’s gonna break Tori’s heart.”

“What did you just say?” Shorty leaned forward, looking incredulous. “Break her heart? Her father’s a rich jackass and can afford to shed a few bucks.”

“But she’s not a jackass, she’s nice and I left enough damage at my last school.”

“You don’t know that.” Marlin sat forward.

She looked at him. “Yeah, I do. Howard was a sweet guy, he didn’t deserve to be dumped and humiliated.”

“He’ll get over it.” Shorty flicked his hand. “He’s got his money to comfort him.”





Lucy rolled her eyes. “Money doesn’t fix everything,” she mumbled.

“Nah, it just feeds you, clothes you, gives you a roof over your head.” Shorty’s voice was dark and edgy.

“It’s okay, Shorty.” Marlin nudged the older man’s elbow. “Cyan’s a soft heart, you know that.” Always the peacemaker. He’d do anything to protect her, even from Shorty. She flashed him a quick smile, which only aggravated her boss.

“You better not screw this up again, kid.” Shorty pointed at her. “Eight weeks wasted if you do.”

“I didn’t screw up the last three, I’m not going to screw up this one either.” The hard lump of coal in her belly was turning into a freaking diamond. She nearly cried when she left the last school, knowing the damage she’d left in her wake. This one wasn’t quite as bad. The guy they were conning this time, deserved to go down.

“Look, Shorty, I’m in, okay? Derwin will be putty in my hands.”

His hands. Lucy swallowed back her nausea. She couldn’t believe she’d let Shorty lead her down this road, but it would be a good paycheck for all of them.

“I need you focused for this, Cy. It’s potentially a shit load of cash. Cash we’ve earned.”

Cash she’d earned!

Lucy kept the thought to herself, hating that she’d even earned it in the first place. If Tori ever found out what she was planning, she’d die of humiliation. Tori adored her Daddy, probably because he gave her everything. Her sweet nature stopped her from turning into a spoiled brat. If only she knew what he was really like.

Theodore Derwin’s creepy side was hidden beneath a veil of smiles and do-gooder deeds. Lucy hadn’t even meant to unearth his darkness, but she’d caught a whiff of it when she’d been studying at Tori’s house. The leering smile he gave her, the way his sweaty hand held hers for a beat too long upon introduction. Oh yeah, she’d seen it and Shorty had made her play on it. It hadn’t been his original plan. She was supposed to pull another Balboa High job. Pretend she desperately needed wads of cash from her rich tutor. Play on the girl’s generous spirit and then flee the scene.

The day she’d got home with a disgusted frown and told them Mr Derwin’s creep-factor, she knew she’d made a mistake. Shorty’s eyes had sparked and Lucy’s heart had sunk with the click of his fingers. “That’s our in. Forget Balboa, we’re gonna pull a paparazzi scam.”

And that’s what they were doing on Friday night.

“You’ve dropped the hints, you’ve arranged a sleep over, you’ll go in there on Friday and once Tori’s asleep, you’ll make your move.”