Page 16 of Hot Pursuit
A saunter.
No, a strut.
“Wait until she gets to the end of the block before you start the car,” Nate said, tearing his gaze away before his mind wandered too far astray—wandered to long tan legs, skimpy nighties, and the memory of her fingers slowly tugging the knot on the back of her bikini free as her hair tumbled down her shoulders just before she’d disappeared through her bedroom door.
He shook his head and blinked.
Goddamn that woman.
Nate opened the folder on his lap and sorted through some papers. They had two separate teams working the operation—one focused on Ryder and one on Jo. They also had three possible heist locations: a premier auction house holding its yearly modern art sale, a museum launching a new special exhibit, and a private home hosting a fundraising gala. They’d found viable evidence for all three spots, and each one was dripping in fine goods ripe for the taking.
Leo flipped the ignition and eased from the curb, dropping his chin to speak into the mic clipped to his shirt collar. “This is Alvarez. Do you copy, sir?”
The boss came through both their earpieces loud and clear. “Copy.”
“We have Jolene Carter in sight, and we’re following about a block behind. Can everybody hear us? Do you copy?”
“Copy,” a few scattered voices affirmed.
They had men on the ground nearby in case she dipped into the subway or they got stuck in traffic, all dressed in street clothes. Leo focused on the road, while Nate did something he’d become annoyingly good at these past few days—stared at Jo.
“Jolene Carter is wearing what appears to be a button-down top in light blue, maybe jean, and white shorts,” he spoke into the mic hidden by his wrist. “Her hair is pulled up into a knot. And large-rim sunglasses are covering her eyes. She’s also got a bag hanging from her shoulders, canvas or linen, something beige. Large enough for her computer and a small gun. Do you copy?”
“Copy,” the team chimed again.
Nate nodded, even though no one could see.
“Where do you think she’s headed?” Leo asked as he glanced over his shoulder to check for a car before switching into the next lane over, a little closer to Jo.
Nate met his eyes for a moment, brows scrunched. “I don’t know.”
All three of the possible locations were uptown from Jo’s hotel in Greenwich Village. But she was walking south on Seventh Avenue, in the opposite direction.
“Possible fourth location?” Nate wondered aloud.
Leo sighed. “Eh.”
“A gallery, maybe?” Nate mused. Greenwich Village was littered with them.
Leo shook his head. “Apartment? Meeting with someone?”
“It’s possible.” Nate shrugged, keeping his gaze sharply glued to the back of her head, not letting his focus wander any lower. “Are there any internet hotspots around here? Public? Something it’d be hard for us to trace if she established the right parameters?”
“I’ll ask the tech guys to run a search.”
Leo mumbled into his mic. Nate pursed his lips into a thin line as his jaw clenched.
Where are you going?
What are you doing?
Who are you meeting?
They followed her for another ten or so blocks, completely confused about a possible destination. Jo paused and reached into her handbag. Nate grabbed the camera by his feet and lifted it to his eyes before zooming in as far as the lens could go.
“What’s she grabbing?” Leo asked, gaze darting back and forth between their target and the traffic, which had suddenly decided to speed up. “I’m gonna get too close if she doesn’t start walking again.”
Nate scrunched his eyes. “A phone, it’s a phone.” He lifted his wrist to his mouth and spoke into his mic. “Did we get the warrant for Jolene Carter’s cell phone, sir? Can you tap in and see what she’s doing?”
