Partners (Fire & Lies - One) by Lilliana Anderson

That won’t work. I know that bank and once you
collect your box, they escort you into a private room.”
    “That’s not
even an option. My mother sold all her jewellery. We have to find
another way.”
    “Sugar, I have
skills but I’m no magician. We’d have to rob the bank.”
    “Not you,
Aiden. Me.” A smile creeps across her lips and a glint shines in
her eye. “And that’s exactly what I’m planning to do.”

Chapter
Eleven

     
Chloe
     
    FOR HOURS, I
poured over the contents of the archive box with Aiden, explaining
to him what I knew, and how I planned to get the extra information
I needed. He had questions–he had a lot of questions–but
essentially, he just listened as I presented the jigsaw puzzle of
deceit that took down my father and gave my mother a nervous
breakdown.
    When we’ve
finally finished talking, I start reorganising all of my notes in
their correct files before I put them back in the archive box. As
I’m working, Leah returns home from work. The moment he opens the
door I wrinkle my nose as I can smell his job on him. It’s the
scent of hard work mixed with motor oil.
    He throws his
keys at me, and I reach out instinctively to snatch them from the
air. “Hey, girlie, I’m going to hit the shower and then we’ve got
to talk. I’ve been thinking about our issue all day and maybe we
can do it without…holy shit,” he blurts in surprise, as Aiden steps
out of the kitchen and leans against the doorway, drinking a coffee
that he went and poured himself. The way he acts, you’d think he
visited our small flat every day.
    “Leah, this is
Aiden. Aiden, this is…”
    “I’m pretty
sure we met last night. You were the jerk who beats up girls
right?”
    Leah reaches
up a tattooed arm and scratches the back of his head sheepishly.
“Well, kinda. This crazy woman wanted me to hit her for real, but I
wasn’t fucking having any of that. No way. No how.”
    “Well, nice
act. It had me fooled–until I saw her eyes.”
    “I told you,
you should have worn contacts,” Leah says to me. I roll my eyes,
knowing that it wouldn’t have made a difference with Aiden. He
would have seen through any disguise.
    He steps
toward Aiden with a touch of caution and extends his hand. “I hope
there’s no hard feelings, bro. I’m just trying to help Chloe
correct some wrongs.”
    Aiden towers
over Leah’s five foot nine and looks down at his hand for a moment.
I will him to reach out and take it. I really need these two to get
along or we’re never going to pull this off.
    Slowly, Aiden
reaches out and takes his hand, shaking it once before letting go.
“So tell me–what’s your interest in clearing Chloe’s family
name?”
    Leah just
shrugs. “I have my own reasons.” I see the discomfort in his eyes
as he steps back and clears his throat. He hates talking about his
own involvement with the Goldsmiths. “Excuse me. I’m gonna go
shower before Chloe bitches me out for stinking up the place.”
    Giving me a
wink, he turns and heads for the shower, and we hear the sound of
the hot water pipes banging in the walls when he turns them on.
    “What’s the
deal between you two? Another man brought to his knees by the Chloe
Donovan spell?”
    “Would it
bother you if he was?” I ask.
    He looks at me
for a moment; his coffee cup paused just before his lips as he
thinks over his answer. “Yes, actually. It would.” He takes a sip
from the mug.
    I drop my eyes
and pick up another folder, sliding it back into the box. “No.
There’s nothing between us. He’s just a friend.”
    “Well, for a
friend, it seems like you have that guy wrapped around your little
finger. Do you always use your power over men for evil?”
    “Only when it
suits me,” I smile, lightening the mood as I place the last of the
paperwork back into the box. I look up at Aiden, at where he’s
still leaning against the doorframe between the kitchen and the
living area, and take a moment to absorb the fact that