Page 80 of Visions in Blood
“And which one was that?”
Her expression hardened into something I rarely saw—Ginger laying down the law.“You know exactly what I’m talking about.Don’t do anything that could impact your mission without his approval.”Then she moved closer and whispered the rest in the same no-bullshit tone.“I don’t know all the little details about your mission, but I can pretty well guess he wouldn’t take kindly to finding you in jail for burglary.”
I winced.“Jinx me already.”
Her face fell.“You know that’s not what I meant.”
I gave her a quick hug.“Eyes wide open on this one.You have my word.”
Her grip on me was fierce, then she pushed me away.“Order me another drink on your way out.”Then she winked and turned to the band.
The girl had spunk.
Harlow led us down back alleys until we’d gone a block past the mark.Then he walked us past a short strip of retail shops including one Italian restaurant, a bookstore, and a combination coffeehouse and bakery.I’d have to remember this area; Lucas and Ginger would love it.
We circled the block then returned to the strip of shops, except we were on the opposite side of the street.Harlow stopped next to a cream-colored panel van.It might have been a lighter shade of some other color, but it was difficult to tell with the glare of the streetlights and reflections from the storefront signs.
He tapped the van once and, after a couple seconds, the side door popped open.Harlow nodded at me and slid the door open.I jumped in and stopped.Trudy pushed me forward so Harlow could get in.The inside looked like something you’d expect in any cop surveillance van.We’d never had anything like this before.
I whistled.“An upgrade?”
“That would be me.”A small voice floated out from around a high-backed leather chair.
“Pardon me?”
The chair swiveled around, and a young Asian woman stared at me with hard, squinting eyes that peered at me through brilliant pink bangs.“You asked if this van was an upgrade.From what Harlow tells me, you’ve never worked with a mobile hacker.So, yes, that would make me an upgrade.I’m the van, and the van is me.We’re a single unit.You can’t have one without the other.”
“A real hacker?”The excitement bubbled over, and I felt like doing a little jig.“Hell’s bells, tell me I’m not drooling.”
Her lips quirked, and I’m pretty sure I was definitely drooling.“You must be Pandora.”
ChapterThirty
I might have been lateto the party, but the job was the slickest I’d ever been on.I don’t know where Harlow found her, but Roxie was the bomb.Each security sensor popped off before we got there, then turned back on once we were on our way out.I had to admit, I was a bit disappointed I didn’t have to climb the outside of the building.From what Roxie said, it was doubtful the security company would even know someone had messed with the sensors.How sweet was that?
I also couldn’t deny that over-the-top nipple-tingling excitement of going in stone cold with no idea what to expect.It reminded me of stealing that note under Gruber’s nose at the tea party.And for a quick minute, I wondered what happened to that note and whether it helped Devon.Something to store away for later.
The earrings Harlow was looking for were exactly where his contact said they would be.The safe, also high-tech, would have been more of a challenge if the mark had bothered to use something other than the default combination.A tinge of guilt had swept over me stealing from someone I didn’t know anything about.Was this just a hard-working woman we were stealing from?But then Trudy started bitching about her being the spoiled daughter of a multi-millionaire slumlord, who hung out with drug dealers.The kind of slumlord who owned buildings in my old neighborhood with broken heaters, bad plumbing, and leaky roofs.All I had to do was glance around at her ill-gotten wealth, and I grinned in delight when I lifted out three hundred grand in cash and a handful of gold coins.The woman would have the money back in the safe with one call to Daddy.I’d give my share of the take to Bulldog.He’d know the best way to help the neighborhood.It was the best I could do.
We parted company outside the woman’s apartment.Roxie shut down the cameras as we each made our way to different exits, me out the back, Harlow and Trudy out the front.Jamal was stationed with a car to pick them up a block down the street.Roxie would stay where she was until the team was across town.
The walk back to the lounge where Ginger waited was exhilarating.In and out in less than an hour.I was buzzed with excitement—the thrill of the job, the score, and a bit of nostalgia.Harlow had definitely upped his game with Roxie.And the best news, with Roxie on board, Harlow had a crew that could be of benefit to Devon’s plan.I just had to find a way to broach the subject and convince him without giving away this little escapade.
I hummed to myself as I strode down the alley that led to the lounge when hairs on the back of my neck tickled and brought me to an abrupt stop.For a reason I didn’t understand, I slipped into the shadows, vamp quiet, and spent five long minutes scanning the darkness.I almost shook the whole thing off when the slightest movement from the left froze me.Then I noticed movement a few yards on the right.Both figures were positioned at the entrance to the alley, and it didn’t take a genius to know they were watching the front door of the lounge.
I don’t know how I recognized them as vamps, other than the way they moved, or more accurately—barely moved.But it was more than that.It was the way they lifted their noses to the sky, just like Simone did when she scented something.
A slight breeze rolled in from the coast, and I smiled knowing I was downwind from them.That’s why they didn’t smell me.I’d stormed down the alley like I owned the world, but with the number of training sessions under my belt, my footsteps had been light.They hadn’t heard me.
They were probably from Devon’s House, trailing me as a precaution.Yet, my senses stayed on high alert.I backed my way out of the alley and jogged a block over, coming in from behind the lounge and hiding behind a dumpster.This time it took five minutes to spot another vamp.There might have been another one, but if they were out there, they were staying well hidden.
With the front and back doors being watched, would they let me enter?
I should check in with Devon, but he was in another meeting at Oasis, along with Sergi and Simone.Lucas was on assignment.There was only one vamp, and I knew I was being insanely stupid, but what good was my training if I couldn’t handle one vamp.
I reached into my jacket and felt the cool touch of my dagger.It was most likely the high I was still on from the job, but I was ready and more than willing.I texted Ginger.
You there?
