Taken by the Con. C.J. Miller

not here to con anyone,” she said, keeping her voice low. “I’m here to speak to Clifton Anderson’s victims. I’m identifying myself because I’m on their side.” She had interviewed dozens of victims. She knew what she was doing.

      Cash lifted a brow at her.

      “Do you find this funny? Because nothing about this is funny. People lost their homes, their pensions, their savings and their college funds over this. Regular people. Teachers. Nurses. Police officers. Everyone who trusted this place lost everything. We have to find this money for them.”

      Cash frowned. “I take this seriously. I know what was lost. I have a way I do things. Getting upset changes nothing.”

      Lucia took a deep breath. She’d been told she could be a stickler for the rules and policies and procedures. If she and Cash were going to survive this, she needed to give him some latitude. It was one afternoon. She could do anything for one afternoon.

      Cash folded his arms over his chest. “Did you see the security guard’s reaction when you told him you were with the FBI? He got nervous. He was worried.”

      Lucia was accustomed to people having a reaction to her badge. “I got what I wanted. I was let through without any fanfare.”

      “He’s no doubt calling ahead to give warning we’re on our way to the top floor.”

      “It’s not a secret that we’re investigating the embezzlement. There’s nothing to give warning about.” The FBI was working under the assumption that the C-level managers at Holmes and White wanted the culprits found and the stolen money recovered.

      Cash took her elbow and moved her to the side of the hallway, out of the way of a passing group of employees. “Let’s not leave time for preparations. The most telling reactions are the most impromptu.”

      Benjamin’s voice rang in her head. He wanted her and Cash to get along. Benjamin seemed set on the idea that their skill sets complemented each other. Lucia had the sense they’d been partnered for today’s interviews as a test. If they made it through the two interviews Benjamin had assigned them without killing each other, it was a success. Lucia wouldn’t let Cash make her lose her cool or fail in Benjamin’s eyes.

      “I will hold back on showing my badge to too many people. Happy?” She pulled her elbow away from him. Touching was off-limits, especially after the kiss last night. She didn’t know how he’d convinced her it was a good idea, but it wouldn’t happen again.

      “Thank you. Has anyone else mentioned you look hot when you’re fired up about something?”

      She gave him a cutting glower. “My colleagues don’t talk to me that way.”

      “I wasn’t asking about your colleagues. I was asking about people in your personal life.”

      Sad to admit, even if it was only to herself, she wasn’t sure any man besides Cash had ever called her “hot.”

      “That’s not a conversation we’ll have right now.” Or ever.

      They stepped onto the elevator and Lucia pressed the button for the top floor, where Holmes and White’s CEO, Leonard Young, had his office. Her arm brushed Cash’s and Lucia increased the distance between them.

      Every time the elevator stopped at a floor and people entered and exited, Cash seemed to flirt and smile at every woman, especially the pretty, young, well-dressed ones. It bothered Lucia to watch. Given the long over-the-shoulder looks they shot his way, these women would be all over him if given the chance.

      Lucia and Cash got off the elevator. Young’s office was directly ahead. The cube farm around them was empty. Layoffs had been an immediate fallout of Holmes and White’s recent financial problems.

      Young’s assistant stopped them in front of his office’s beveled glass doors.

      “Mr. Young had to step away from his desk. Do you mind waiting here until he returns?” She gestured to the cluster of leather chairs along the wall.

      “No problem,” Cash said and flashed her a smile. “I’m David Stone.” They had agreed Cash would use his real name while working with Lucia to avoid rumors floating on the street about Cash Stone being employed by the FBI. Cash Stone, son of the notorious con man and who’d become a con man himself, was well-known. To her knowledge, Cash hadn’t ripped off anyone on the same scale that Clifton Anderson had, but the con that had landed him in jail had stolen fifty thousand dollars from a senator’s real estate company. The company bought run-down foreclosures, made repairs and flipped the houses for big profits. The senator had been friends with the judge on Cash’s case, so he’d had the book thrown at him. Hard.

      “I’m Georgiana,” Young’s assistant said. She blushed and lowered her face, looking up at Cash from under her eyelashes. Overselling it a bit, wasn’t she? Hot pink blouse with a tight, dark gray skirt suit and four-inch heels wrapped a neat, prim package. Lucia despised the pang of jealousy that struck her. Emotions didn’t belong in the field. She didn’t know if she was jealous because she wanted to be on the receiving end of Cash’s attention or because the woman looked like the delicate, polished lady Lucia couldn’t be.

      Neither one was a thought to harp on.

      For a moment, Lucia regretted the simple black pants and blue blouse she’d chosen that morning. She hadn’t bothered with jewelry or makeup, and her one-inch black heels weren’t anything that screamed sexy vixen.

      “Could I have a cup of coffee? I didn’t sleep well last night and I’m feeling foggy,” Cash said.

      Georgiana straightened and grinned at him as if he was a genie granting her a wish. “Oh, of course. How would you like it?” She said the last two words while giving Cash a long, lingering look. Cash had Georgiana eating out of his hand after ten seconds. Then again, Cash’s charisma and charm were legendary. Even Lucia had fallen for it, however momentarily, the night before.

      Georgiana was behaving as if Lucia wasn’t standing there or her presence didn’t matter. If Young’s assistant represented Holmes and White’s employee base, no wonder they’d been snowed. Lucia chastised herself for the nasty thought. What had happened at Holmes and White could have happened to anyone Clifton Anderson selected as his target.

      “Sugar and a little creamer. Thanks,” Cash said.

      Georgiana hurried off, not asking Lucia if she’d like something, as well.

      “Was that necessary?” Lucia asked.

      “Was what necessary?” He took a seat behind the woman’s desk and started looking around.

      “Flirting with her. And you can’t do that,” Lucia said, setting her hand over Cash’s to stop him from searching Georgiana’s desk.

      The heat that burned between them had Lucia stepping back. She had to keep these strong reactions to him in check.

      “Come on, boss. This stuff is in plain view,” Cash said. “What’s the harm if I take a look?”

      “Gray area,” Lucia said. Even if Georgiana were involved in the fraud, she wouldn’t have evidence that she’d leave on top of her desk with the FBI sniffing around.

      “Relax. I’m not looking to get anything entered into evidence. I want a little more insider knowledge and to get a sense of the people we’re dealing with,” Cash said.

      “The people we’re dealing with are the victims,” Lucia said.

      “Anderson could have had people on the inside. A well-placed assistant with a lower-paying job who could be bought off,” Cash said.

      Since Cash had worked with Clifton Anderson in the past, Lucia took note of the theory to explore later, though she had considered it herself. Many of the employees at Holmes and White had been questioned. Lucia would see if Georgiana was one of them.

      Cash removed a small pen from his pocket. She recognized it as one of the FBI’s camera