Read Online To Catch A Cupid: Thomas (MacKenzie Family) by Liliana Hart - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Liliana Hart
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she made her way to the tiny security box on the wall closest to the front door. It was a newer model, one she hadn’t bypassed before, and the thought of being caught made her hands tremble a little as she pulled out wires and started disabling the system.
She had more to lose now than she ever had before. Getting caught wasn’t an option. The thought of what the parents at the PTA meetings might think of her skills, or her boys being whispered about by gossiping busybodies broke her concentration.
“Come on, MacKenzie,” she whispered so the words were only a breath of sound.
Maybe she was a little out of practice, but this kind of work was just like riding a bike. Focus. Concentration. And nerves of steel.
Cat only felt a little guilty for keeping the secret from her husband. But Thomas worried about her, and she’d promised herself that she never wanted to see that look of fear on his face again like he got whenever she left for a job. Sometimes lies by omission were a necessary evil.
A bead of sweat snaked down her spine and the screen blinked green with only a couple of seconds to spare. That had been way too close. It never would have taken that long back in her prime.
From her intel, she knew the safe was in the large corner office that belonged to the president of the company, and it was kept behind a better than average copy of Monet’s Water Lilies, however clichéd it may be.
Breaking into the safe was going to be the tricky part. She didn’t doubt her ability to get it open, but on the lower floor there were security bars on all the windows. There was only one way in and one way out of the room. She hated the feeling of being trapped, but there was no way around it.
Her footsteps were silent as she made her way down another long hallway . The door to the office was locked, but she was inside within half a second with the help of a straightened paperclip.
The room looked just as she remembered from her visit during regular office hours a couple of weeks before. Cat left the door cracked so she could hear if anyone approached and she moved behind the desk. The painting opened on well-oiled hinges and she stared at a black safe with an electronic keypad.
“God bless computers, every one,” she murmured under her breath.
If it had been an old safe with a combination lock, the skill and time it would’ve taken her to open it would’ve been longer, but it still wouldn’t have kept her out. There wasn’t much that could keep a good thief from getting what she—or he—wanted.
Cat opened the wiring box and then attached the handheld device that would decipher the combination. The owner had only programmed a four-digit code. Another mistake on his part. Probably a birthdate or the last four digits of his social security number if he was like ninety-eight percent of the rest of the world.
The safe door opened with a quiet click and she stood back as she swung it open wide.
“Gotcha,” she breathed, her smile satisfied.
“Not bad, MacKenzie. Less than ten minutes from start to finish.”
Cat whirled around, her heart pounding in her chest, and she scowled at the site of her brother-in-law leaning against the doorframe.
“ Jesus, Cooper.”
He grinned but didn’t move from his post at the door. His looks hadn’t changed much over the past ten years— the hair at his temples had turned silver and the laugh lines around his eyes had deepened some—but he had MacKenzie blood, which meant he’d always be handsome, no matter how old he got. What had changed about Cooper was his feelings toward her. They hadn’t always seen eye to eye on her… former profession.
“Snuck up on you, didn’t I? You didn’t even hear me coming.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I heard you. You’ve got the subtlety of an elephant in an antique shop.” She’d never admit that he’d gotten one over on her. Either she’d gotten sloppy or he’d gotten much better. She was leaning toward the
She had more to lose now than she ever had before. Getting caught wasn’t an option. The thought of what the parents at the PTA meetings might think of her skills, or her boys being whispered about by gossiping busybodies broke her concentration.
“Come on, MacKenzie,” she whispered so the words were only a breath of sound.
Maybe she was a little out of practice, but this kind of work was just like riding a bike. Focus. Concentration. And nerves of steel.
Cat only felt a little guilty for keeping the secret from her husband. But Thomas worried about her, and she’d promised herself that she never wanted to see that look of fear on his face again like he got whenever she left for a job. Sometimes lies by omission were a necessary evil.
A bead of sweat snaked down her spine and the screen blinked green with only a couple of seconds to spare. That had been way too close. It never would have taken that long back in her prime.
From her intel, she knew the safe was in the large corner office that belonged to the president of the company, and it was kept behind a better than average copy of Monet’s Water Lilies, however clichéd it may be.
Breaking into the safe was going to be the tricky part. She didn’t doubt her ability to get it open, but on the lower floor there were security bars on all the windows. There was only one way in and one way out of the room. She hated the feeling of being trapped, but there was no way around it.
Her footsteps were silent as she made her way down another long hallway . The door to the office was locked, but she was inside within half a second with the help of a straightened paperclip.
The room looked just as she remembered from her visit during regular office hours a couple of weeks before. Cat left the door cracked so she could hear if anyone approached and she moved behind the desk. The painting opened on well-oiled hinges and she stared at a black safe with an electronic keypad.
“God bless computers, every one,” she murmured under her breath.
If it had been an old safe with a combination lock, the skill and time it would’ve taken her to open it would’ve been longer, but it still wouldn’t have kept her out. There wasn’t much that could keep a good thief from getting what she—or he—wanted.
Cat opened the wiring box and then attached the handheld device that would decipher the combination. The owner had only programmed a four-digit code. Another mistake on his part. Probably a birthdate or the last four digits of his social security number if he was like ninety-eight percent of the rest of the world.
The safe door opened with a quiet click and she stood back as she swung it open wide.
“Gotcha,” she breathed, her smile satisfied.
“Not bad, MacKenzie. Less than ten minutes from start to finish.”
Cat whirled around, her heart pounding in her chest, and she scowled at the site of her brother-in-law leaning against the doorframe.
“ Jesus, Cooper.”
He grinned but didn’t move from his post at the door. His looks hadn’t changed much over the past ten years— the hair at his temples had turned silver and the laugh lines around his eyes had deepened some—but he had MacKenzie blood, which meant he’d always be handsome, no matter how old he got. What had changed about Cooper was his feelings toward her. They hadn’t always seen eye to eye on her… former profession.
“Snuck up on you, didn’t I? You didn’t even hear me coming.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I heard you. You’ve got the subtlety of an elephant in an antique shop.” She’d never admit that he’d gotten one over on her. Either she’d gotten sloppy or he’d gotten much better. She was leaning toward the
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