Page 72 of Conning the Billionaire
Her last Flash to them, which was timestamped that morning, read, I’m not going to be able to get you out. Things went wrong. I think I’ll be back in a year or so. Don’t come looking for me. I’m sorry.
So Kylie Miller was betraying her friends, too, taking that buck-twenty-five that Micah had given her and walking away from AC. Maybe Don Grande was paying her additional money as a finder’s fee for bringing in Micah.
He pulled the thumb drive out and pressed a tiny button on the back of it. The device warmed in his hand, and he dropped it into a different pouch in his equipment bag. To any other agency, it would appear burned inside and destroyed. However, Arthur’s people would be able to dissect an entire copy of Kylie’s phone from it.
It might explain what had happened if Micah’s body washed up on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean next week.
In the time remaining before the drive to Salvatore Grande’s office, Micah picked Kylie up from the bed and took her to the shower, washing her gently like she was his little toy. Then, he sat with a towel wrapped around his waist and watched while she applied mascara, lipstick, and other makeup things, wishing he had time to ruin that makeup and make it run down her face.
Micah sent Kylie out of the bedroom while he dressed, and he strapped a thin Kevlar vest and other equipment around his chest before pulling on his dress shirt.
He wrapped a dozen other assorted items around his limbs or tucked them in his pockets.
When he came out of the bedroom, Kylie was sitting on the sofa, flipping through her phone and looking unperturbed.
Micah asked her, “Shall we?”
24
IT’S A TRAP
KYLIE
During the two-hour drive from Atlantic City to Philadelphia, Kylie stared at the other cars going by and fiddled with the hem of her black dress. “Don’t you think we should at least practice what we’re going to say in there?”
Micah shrugged. “You’re the one who’s talked to Don Grande. You’re going in with him first. Why don’t you tell me more about what you’ve said to him?”
“I’ve already told you everything,” that she was going to. “I don’t know what else I could say.” She really didn’t.
Micah asked, “What have you told him about me?”
“You barely came up. You have an art authentication business. You said that if art is scientifically validated, it’ll be worth more. So, I thought Salvatore would want his art authenticated.”
He said, “Introduce me as a person you met in the casino because I’m helping validate the Borgata’s art.”
“Salvatore Grande knows the guys who run the Borgata. He’ll just ask them.” She chuckled. “Because a Mafia Boss would definitely be acquainted with any casino called the Borgata, am I right?”
Micah laughed and moved the steering wheel to maneuver the car into the other lane. “I keep wondering why people don’t talk about that. It’s saying the quiet part out loud. So, just say you overheard me talking to a high roller in your waitressing section at the Tropicana. When you heard him talking about Old Masters, you remembered Grande’s art collection. He’ll like being seen as a collector.”
“Okay, that’s good, but I’m going in first to talk about my sister or whatever.”
She clutched her bulging purse more tightly, holding the hundred and twenty-five grand against her chest.
Micah said, “You can tell him that some museums have a significant percentage of forged art, up to seventy-five percent.”
“Really?” Kylie asked.
“Certainly.” He glanced over at her and winked. “And it’s so sad that his will be among them.”
“Right. Okay, that’s good, and then I’ll beat feet out of there and let you guys talk about the art.”
“Oh, no,” Micah said, and his jaw hardened. “You will stay right there during the entire meeting. Whatever happens, you’ll be in the room.”
“I don’t think—”
“I do,” Micah said, and his jaw clenched.
Yeah, well, he couldn’t stop her from leaving if she just slipped out. If Salvatore called for some of his goons to drag her out of his office and take her to his mansion on the outskirts of Philly, she would throw herself head-first over the stairwell railing.
