Linked by deception, p.12
Linked by Deception, page 12
It took a moment for my brain to process Rabbit’s comment, because he was more than aware of how much I abhorred shopping. Just the idea of trudging through the mass of bags and bad-tempered shoppers made me shudder. Hoping there was a reason for his insane comment, I shot him a look from under my eyelashes. “I was unaware an excuse was ever needed.”
Rabbit grimaced, which earned a laugh from Amalia. “If you’d like some suggestions, I have some great shops I’d be happy to share.”
Not wanting to commit to any specific spot, in case Zane decided we needed shadows, I gave her an apologetic look. “I appreciate it and may take you up on it, but a friend of mine mentioned a couple of stores I was hoping to check out. Considering we only have a few hours, I’ll start with those.”
“Start with?” Rabbit asked with the perfect touch of impatience and indulgence.
I patted his knee. “Don’t worry. It won’t take long.”
He heaved a sigh and stood up, offering me his hand. “Where have I heard that before?”
Zane rose, and Amalia followed suit. Taking Rabbit’s hand, I let him help me up before turning to exchange air kisses with Amalia. We did the polite back-and-forth of goodbyes as the men shook hands.
Amalia hooked her arm through mine as we headed toward the door. “Truly, Elena, if you don’t find anything, text me. I’ll send you the names of a couple of great boutiques.”
It was disconcerting how sincere she sounded. If she was working undercover, she was damn good, because she had the socialite routine down pat. If Rabbit and I hadn’t spent the last several hours tearing apart her history, I’d never have guessed at the depth of cunning running under her mask.
“Sounds good.” Dutifully playing along, I stopped, freed my arm, and pulled out my phone. “Oh, should we exchange numbers?”
Before I could register what she was doing, she took my phone, punched in a string of numbers, and handed it back, all without blinking. “Here you go,” she said with a smile.
Taking it from her, I kept my smile in place. Her unexpected move layered my anticipation with caution. Is she for real? Does she have any clue what a hacker can do with her number? Searching her face, I found nothing to work with. I didn’t dare look at Rabbit. “Thanks again.” I pocketed my phone as Zane opened the door.
With Rabbit’s hand at the base of my spine, I was about to take a step when Zane chuckled and said dryly, “I wish you luck,” to Rabbit.
There was something so patronizing about his reaction that I was left gritting my teeth, but I managed to hang on to my smile through sheer will as we did a final round of goodbyes. This damn well better be a move on Rabbit’s part to get us an unobtrusive way to make contact. If it wasn’t a strategic move, I was going to make my partner pay in very painful ways for his chauvinistic play.
Chapter 11
Rabbit
Jinx was in a hell of a temper as we left Seward’s house, and I was pretty sure why, but we were stuck in a monitored car, which was not the place to brave the decidedly stormy waters. “Where to first?”
Despite the thunderclouds on her face, her voice remained unruffled as she casually gave the name of a high-end store in Cherry Creek. We managed to maintain a conversation by staying on topic with our upcoming shopping trip. I was working through how best to block the surveillance on the car and get in touch with our team when road construction slowed us to a stop in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Taking advantage of the unexpected opening, I caught Jinx’s attention and made a rolling motion with my hand, silently indicating that she should keep up her conversational end enough so that I could get away with the occasional “uh-huh” or “sure.” She raised a brow but followed my lead. It took just over a minute to activate the skin tag behind my ear and shift the signal’s frequency enough to make it invisible to the eavesdropping bug on the windshield. I could have done it while driving, but splitting my attention like that wasn’t safe for me or anyone else on the road.
Once the tag went active on my end, it would signal our team to listen in. With only a few hours available to exchange the information we had on Amalia, we had to work fast. First up, we had to let the team know where we’d be. I turned into the sprawling Cherry Creek Mall and began prowling for a parking space.
“There.” Jinx pointed out a spot in front of Neiman Marcus.
As I pulled in and parked, an unmistakable one-two click sounded in my ear. Now that someone was listening, I started the ball rolling. “I thought you wanted to start with that White House place?”
“White House Black Market,” she corrected. “But Neiman Marcus works too.” She met my gaze as she undid her seat belt, and mouthed, “Are we live?”
I gave her a nod as I opened my door. She did the same on her side, and we left our unwelcome ears behind and headed into the dubious safety of the mall. As we crossed the lot, I caught her hand and pulled her up short.
She turned and aimed a narrow-eyed glare at me. “What?”
Instead of answering, I reach up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, using the move to not only touch her but activate her tag as well. I drew my hand away slowly, careful not to pull on the few strands that refused to let go, relishing the sensation of the silk brushing through my fingers and the warm skin of her delicate jaw. It was the most careful of touches, but it was enough to calm her. Jinx’s earlier irritation faded, replaced by a poignant softness as her head tilted the slightest bit. We stood there, locked in some indefinable moment. Then she lowered her eyes. It took me a minute to realize her hand had caught mine and tugged it down until we stood with our fingers loosely linked.
“Come on. Time to spend some money.” Despite the husky timbre, her voice carried a heated edge, but whether that was due to temper or something else, I wasn’t sure.
Still grappling with the unexpected moment of intimacy, I kept my mouth shut. She pivoted on her heel and headed in. Since she kept possession of my hand, I went along, lengthening my stride to keep up with her irritated pace.
We hit the automatic doors, which slid aside, emitting a blast of frigid air. The artificial chill inside the mall acted like a slap, jerking my head out of my pants and back onto the job. Jinx finally let me go as she wove her way through the maze of racks and displays, doing her best to avoid the other shoppers. Not that they got in her way. I wondered if she noticed how they stepped aside as she moved through the cluttered space.
Watching her jerk through another rack and hearing the painful squeal of hangers against metal, I winced. Okay, I knew she didn’t like shopping, but I was starting to think she really hated it. When she finally came to a stop toward the end of the women’s department, her movements had become smoother, and I figured it was finally safe to approach.
I came up behind her, stepping in close enough to keep my voice between just the two of us. “You okay?”
Without turning, she made a noncommittal hum and continued moving the hangers along the metal rack. I wanted to grin, but since that was liable to get me smacked, I didn’t give in. Instead, going with a more dangerous approach, I closed the minor gap between us, curled an arm around her waist, and brought her against my front. Ignoring how her spine stiffened as her hand clenched an intriguing slip of purple, I lowered my head until our cheeks were level.
Undaunted and determined to tease her out of her pique, I said, “I like that one. You should try it on.”
She leaned to the side enough that she could look at me but not break my hold. Color rode high in her cheeks, and as close as we were, I couldn’t miss the tiny starburst of anger that even her contacts couldn’t hide. “Don’t!” It came out as a near hiss, probably because she was trying not to draw attention.
Unfortunately, my mere presence in the women’s department was garnering curious looks. Conscious of nearby shoppers who were trying to listen and watch without being obvious and therefore were completely obvious, I let her go. She instantly moved away, leaving me to follow.
Returning a sympathetic smile from an older woman who’d witnessed our exchange, I shoved my hands into my pockets and trailed along. Knowing Jinx, she just needed space to burn out her frustration. So I gave it to her, dutifully following as she meandered through the store.
She stopped here and there. Fifteen long minutes later, she still hadn’t tried anything on, but the prickly edge she’d carried was gone. When she finally deigned to acknowledge my presence, she said, “Let’s grab a coffee.”
Since I was getting bored, I was all for it. We hit up one of the many coffee stands, got our drinks, and took a seat on a bench. I gave it a minute before I tried again. “You ready to share?”
Her shoulders rose and fell as she sighed. “Please tell me you’re putting me through this hell so we can make contact.”
The resignation in her voice made my lips twitch. “Aww, mouche à mielle, why would I deliberately torment you with the one thing I know turns you into a menace?”
She paused with her cup in the air and gave me a droll look. “Um, because you’re crazy.”
I waited till she lowered her cup before I gently bumped her shoulder with mine. “True, but this time, there’s a definite reason behind my madness.”
“Good.” She kept her attention on the people strolling by, bags in hands, some pushing strollers filled with more bags and the occasional child. “Because I’m not sure how long I can last in here.”
“Then I’d best not waste time, yeah?”
She arched a brow. I leaned forward, arms braced against my knees and my cup cradled in my hands, and kept my head down, not because I truly thought we were being watched but because caution was an ingrained habit. Next to me, Jinx appeared to be scrolling through her phone as she sipped her coffee.
My eyes on the floor and my mind focused on something completely different, I murmured, “You online?”
A soft double click confirmed that our safety line was alive and well. “Time estimate?”
A series of long and short clicks answered. Translating the Morse code, I noted the time. We had twenty minutes before intercept.
“White House, Black Market dressing rooms.” Jinx’s response was nearly as quiet as mine.
We got a double click in confirmation. Jinx angled her phone so I could see her screen. “Think you can do something with this?”
Noting the name attached, I committed the string of numbers to memory. “If it’s legit.” I sat back, bringing my cup up as well. “She just gave it to you?”
Jinx met my gaze, her eyes wide as she sipped her coffee. She nodded.
What the hell? Why would Amalia give her number to a known hacker? Is it a test to see how far Elena will go with it? I downed a hefty swallow, and the caffeine hit the knot in my gut. Maybe there was something I wasn’t seeing.
I didn’t doubt that I could use that number to get access to her phone and maybe set up a little gem that would allow me to listen in on her conversations, but trusting what we found would be the real test. This was what I hated most about working undercover—the constant questioning of motives. Overthinking things was a real risk. It was enough to drive a person batty. In this case, until we knew who Amalia really was and what she wanted, we had to treat her easy divulgence of her number as both a trap and a panicked SOS.
What a mess.
Jinx got to her feet, gaining my attention. She dropped her phone back into her purse and shifted her coffee to her other hand. “Come on.” She held out her free hand. “Let’s get this done. I have a dress to buy.”
Taking her hand, I let her lead, content to walk at her side, fingers tangled, as we made our way to our final destination.
Chapter 12
Rabbit
When we got to the store, there were a handful of customers wandering about. Jinx headed toward the displays. I trailed along, just another long-suffering male accompanying his woman.
Jinx managed to politely warn off the smiling store assistant by murmuring, “Just looking for now.”
She flicked through outfits, pulling some out, keeping one, discarding another. Leaning against one of the nearby pillars, I split my attention between her and my phone while unobtrusively watching who came and went. Fifteen minutes later, Jinx had gathered quite the collection of outfits and the avid attention of one of the saleswomen.
When Jinx finally paused in her culling of clothes, the saleswoman swept in. “Would you like a dressing room?”
“I’d love one, thank you.”
Bringing up the rear, I followed in Jinx’s wake as we were led toward the dressing area. We were steps away when a handful of customers hit the store’s doors. They scattered like ducks after crumbs, but a flash of color caught my eye as a short, curvy redhead made a beeline for a display clustered with flower-print dresses.
The saleswoman motioned to one of the padded benches tucked inside the dressing room. “Why don’t you wait here?”
In keeping with my role as patient male companion, I heeded her advice as she led Jinx to a private changing room. Once she was assured that we were settled, she left us to it. I tried to find a comfortable position but finally gave up and simply leaned forward, arms on my knees, phone in hand, and eyes on the screen, while Jinx began the marathon of costume changes.
I did a quick psychic sweep. The good news was the only camera I pinged was discreetly aimed at the entrance to the dressing rooms. That meant visuals would be limited to comings and goings, not what was happening inside. Good enough.
When Jinx emerged wearing a little black number, I let out a low, appreciative whistle. “Now that’s something.”
I might not be the biggest fan of shopping, but I had to admit that having Jinx model various cocktail dresses wasn’t exactly a hardship, especially since the styles she chose were more in line with Elena’s sophistication than Jinx’s normal casual preferences.
She turned and twisted in front of the trio of mirrors, a frown on her face, as she eyed her reflection. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s a little too formal?”
“I think it’ll work.”
Her gaze lifted and met mine through the mirror while her hands went to her hips. “Do you not remember the first rule of shopping?”
“We do not talk about shopping?” I misused a favorite movie quote.
She bit her lip, but some of the lingering frustration faded from her face, and her tone was lighter when she said, “We don’t buy the first thing we try on.”
“Uh, must have missed that one.”
She shook her head and headed back into the dressing room. I was bent back over my phone when a familiar voice echoed in my mind. Heads up, Rabbit.
My fingers paused for half a second then went back to mindlessly fiddling with my phone. With the ease of practice, I sent my telepathic response back: Wolf, my man, nice to hear you.
Heard you have a pickup for us.
You heard right. Need an identity verification ASAP.
What level? he asked.
Top.
There was a pause. No guarantees, but we’ll do our best.
An ache started up in my temple, a typical occurrence when I worked with Wolf. Something about his telepathic ability and my electronic one tended to clash.
Meli’s heading your way now, he added.
That was not the name I’d expected. Wolf’s fiancée wasn’t psychic. She wasn’t even a member of the team.
The downside of working with a telepath like Wolf was that nothing stayed private, and he easily picked up on my concern. We’re not exactly heavy on the female bench, and Falcon knows about Cyn and Risia.
Got it. There was no sense in getting defensive, because even though Wolf was very careful not to overstep his bounds, things sometimes spilled over. They only have one camera at the entrance. Otherwise, we’re clear in here, so I can pass over the flash drive.
We’ll reach back out as soon as we have the info.
Understood, I said.
“What about this one?” Jinx’s question made me pull my head up. She was back in front of the mirrors, this time in a fluttering white skirt topped by a silky blue blouse.
The bit of whimsy hinted at by the skirt was definitely not something sharp-edged Elena would wear. “Pretty, but I like the black better.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Agreed.”
“Those just came in the other day.” The voice of the perky saleswoman was coming closer. “That blouse would make a great match with those capris.” Jinx and I both turned as she led Meli—who was toting a collection of clothes—toward an unused dressing room.
Jinx and Meli exchanged a polite smile and nod, but the saleswoman already had the door unlocked and open on one of the cubbies. “Why don’t you take this one?”
“Thanks,” murmured Meli as she stepped inside.
The saleswoman turned to Jinx. “That’s lovely.”
“Thank you.” Jinx brushed the skirt. “Unfortunately, it’s not quite what I had in mind.”
“Is there something else I can get you?” Ms. Helpful offered.
“No, I’ve got a couple more to go through, so I’m good.”
“Great.” The woman flashed another smile. “I can take that back if you’d like.”
Jinx blinked, probably taken aback by her enthusiasm. Before Jinx could formulate a response, I stood up and moved between the two. “How about I bring it out to you? We don’t want to keep you from your other customers.”
Based upon the saleswoman’s startled expression, that was not the response she’d expected, but her professionalism kicked in. “I appreciate it. Just let me know what I can do to help.”
Jinx wasted no time disappearing into her room, and left with no other option, the saleswoman headed back out. For a second, I stood there wondering what exactly she thought we would do if left alone. The images that popped up were not fit for mixed company and had me quickly thinking of less scandalous things. I did not need Wolf getting a prime viewing of my fantasies.
