Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 146392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
The Brit frowned her way. “My seduction routine is practically perfect. Send the signal we’ve got the package and we’re coming in.”
She was the package, and she wasn’t about to go anywhere with them.
“Don’t bother with your phone,” he said. “It’s not going to work now. It won’t work in the car, either. Neither will your locator. You’re welcome for that. I happen to know there’s a location device that was planted under your right shoulder when you joined the Agency. I don’t want to have to rip that out. Don’t want to leave a scar on a girl as pretty as you.”
So he had a jammer working. It would stop her cell service and block her locator if anyone thought to look for her. Of course he wasn’t counting on the fact that it would still show this location since it would be the last place it had pinged. At least her team would have a place to start looking. “Who are you?”
She followed him through the back of the café, the woman with the gun solidly behind her.
She had to wait for her moment.
“That isn’t important,” he replied, holding the door to the kitchen open. It was perfectly quiet. “What is important is the identity of a man known as The Jester, and your team seems to hold the clue to that.”
She was confused as to why this dude thought she knew anything. “Give my boss a call. I’m strictly tech support.”
“Oh, you’re so much more than that. You’re the real brains behind that team.” He unlocked the door that led to the alley behind the building, and she caught sight of a limo parked outside. The woman moved around her, opening the driver’s door and sliding inside. “Don’t try anything, Louisa. I would hate to have to hurt you.”
She was outnumbered, but now the woman was starting up the car, and her captor didn’t have a gun in his hand. She wasn’t going down without a fight. If she got in that car, she had no idea what they would do with her.
She wished she’d stayed in bed with TJ, wished her pride hadn’t forced her to take this stupid date.
“You’re perfectly safe,” the Brit said, offering to help her into the car. “You have my word as a gentleman.”
The Brit was a liar.
The limo purred to life.
She wouldn’t get a better shot. She gave him a tremulous smile and started to hold her hand out like she was falling for his bullshit. At the last minute, she pushed out, catching him off guard, and took off down the alley.
“Help!” she screamed. “Help me!”
They were in broad daylight right off a busy street. Someone would be here. Someone would hear her.
If she could get to the street, he couldn’t manhandle her back into the limo. He would be forced to retreat. And if someone shot her, then at least she wouldn’t get taken away and tortured.
She ran, but she’d chosen poorly because of course today was the day she’d decided to wear heels. She wasn’t a heel person, but she’d wanted to feel sexy and confident. Now she wanted to feel capable of saving herself. She stumbled, her knees banging against the concrete. How did Kala and Kenz run in those things?
Lou screamed again as she started to rise, but an arm went around her waist, hauling her back.
“Hush or I’ll have to tell my partner that the woman you work for is actually two women. If you don’t shut up and get in that limo right now, the fact that Ms. Magenta is twins gets out to the entirety of the intelligence community.”
Her heart sank. The twins. He knew about Kala and Kenz? In the intelligence world there was only one Miss Magenta. The twins shared a single persona. They worked hard to never let the truth that there were two of them get out. But this man knew. How the hell did he know? And who was he working with?
“Are you going to force me to make that call?” The question was whispered against her ear.
She shook her head.
He hauled her back to the limo and gently forced her in.
Lou took a long breath and hoped she got out of this alive.
* * * *
“It’s up ahead. You don’t have to park,” TJ said.
“Oh, do you not want Lou’s date to know you had to call your mom because you don’t have a car?” His mother was way too perky this morning. She had a bright look in her eyes she got when she was working a particularly good case.
His case. His mom was working his case, and it was making him grumpy because she was right. He didn’t want whichever successful dude Aunt Charlotte had set Lou up with to know he had to call his mom for a ride.