Page 18 of Reckless

Also not a surprise.

“Can you send me camera footage outside that blockage? Maybe about five blocks?”

“Yes. Should I ask why?”

“It’s best if you don’t.”

She was already violating protocol by going to Kate directly for intel, and she refused to add to her sins by telling Kate about Brody being the shooter. This was her secret to keep for now.

“All right. What else do you need?”

“That’s it for right now.”

“Jazz, you know you can trust your team.”

“I know that, Kate. I just…” She shook her head, unable to explain without giving more information than she could. “I just need to do this on my own for right now.”

“All right. I’ve said my piece. I’ll send it to you within the hour. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Unable to continue the conversation because of the developing lump of emotion in her throat, Jazz said thickly, “Thank you, Kate.” She quickly ended the call before she did something stupid, like spill her guts.

Her stomach churning with acid, Jazz stared at the bland walls of the room, her mind racing with questions. What had changed Brody so much? Years ago, he’d been the most protective, loving, compassionate person anyone could imagine. He’d taken such good care of her.

She vividly remembered one particular event. She’d been thirteen years old and had gotten her first period. They were living above the strip joint by then, thankfully having escaped Arthur and his sleazy friends. It had been far from a good environment for two teenagers, but they had been safe from Arthur, and that had been their goal.

Telling Brody about her first menstrual period hadn’t been something she’d been prepared to do. She had put it off for as long as she could. But Brody had made it so easy for her once she’d worked up the courage to tell him. There had been the briefest moment of panic on his face, and then he’d covered it with his usual calm attitude and said in his matter-of-fact way, “No problem, Jazzy. What do you need?”

She had stumblingly told him what she thought she needed. Since she’d never purchased feminine hygiene products before, she had been mostly guessing. His face filled with purpose, he’d left. Within the hour he’d returned with pads, Midol, a heating pad she knew they couldn’t afford, and a little book that described the process. He confessed he’d found a sympathetic pharmacist who’d assisted him in getting her what she needed.

That was the brother Jazz knew and loved. Whatever she’d needed, he had provided. Even when they’d had almost no money and little hope for anything getting better, Brody had made sure she knew she could depend on him for anything.

And now, apparently, he was not only an assassin, but he also worked for the Wren Project.

She knew she’d set herself up for a monumental task. And even when she found her brother, he might not even be receptive to seeing her. That wouldn’t stop her from trying, though. She owed him this chance.

But first she had to find him.

Grabbing her laptop, she opened it and got to work. Two hours later, she had combed every inch of video footage Kate had sent her. It had been a bust. She thought she saw a shadow of a dark SUV about four blocks from the restaurant, but it had apparently been just a blip in the recording, because she could find it nowhere else.

She was rapidly learning how much she relied on Serena providing the intel she needed to do her job. She and Xavier were good investigators, but they worked with more intel than a half-thimble full, and that was exactly what she had.

Simultaneous hits of weariness and hopelessness almost swamped her. She hadn’t slept more than a few hours since she’d seen Brody. And though her nerves made her queasy, she knew she needed food to keep her going.

With more determination than energy, she grabbed her keys and wallet. She’d find an all-night diner and get some sustenance. Even if she ate only a few bites, getting out of this room would give her a new perspective.

On the way to the door, she glanced in the mirror where a petite, pale girl with big brown eyes, short, black hair, and a smattering of freckles stared back at her. No one would recognize her as the sophisticated woman from two nights ago. She enjoyed dressing up as much as the next girl, and wearing designer clothing that cost more than a year’s worth of groceries was always fun, but it wasn’t her. She usually dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and her favorite sneakers. For years, she’d had almost nothing, and though she could now have just about anything one could buy, material things still didn’t mean much to her. She still lived simply, and when it came to clothes, comfort was key.

An unusual flash of insecurity hit her. She had been attracted to Xavier for years, but he’d never given her any idea he’d thought of her as anything other than his OZ partner and a good friend. Though she had often ached to tell him how she felt, she’d known it would not only change their partnership forever, but if he didn’t reciprocate the attraction, it would likely destroy their friendship. So she had never tried to pursue anything and had gone to great pains to hide her feelings. Until the other night.

When he’d appeared, looking like a bearded and sexier version of Henry Cavill, she had almost swooned. Hiding her thoughts had been nearly impossible. But then she’d seen the gleam of attraction in his eyes and totally forgotten about caution. But now she was questioning that. Had his attraction been because of how she’d looked that night? How she’d been dressed so glamorously? Xavier wasn’t a shallow, superficial man, but he had never acted that way with her before.

She scrunched her nose at her plain reflection. Maybe she should start taking more pains with her appearance.

At that thought, she rolled her eyes. She had a thousand and one things on her mind. Being concerned with how attractive she looked should be the least of her worries.

Giving herself one last glance, she opened the door and stepped out onto the pavement. Uneasiness hit her in a flash. With her hand still on the door, she swiped her keycard to return to her room. A rush of air blew across her skin, and she knew she was too late.

Ready to meet the danger head on, she whirled around. The four large men standing before her gave her pause.

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