Page 1 of Off the Grid
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Leo
Agent Leo Alvarez stared out the window and across the tarmac at the sinister gray clouds looming on the horizon.
I will not allow a little rain to ruin my first vacation in months, he decided, refusing to let any worry or anger bubble to the surface. Instead, he leaned back in his cushy chair and took another sip of the red wine he’d grabbed for free at the bar a few feet away. Business class was great—well worth the splurge. He hadn’t flown anything besides coach, well, ever, but this lounge thing? He could get used to this. There was free booze, free food, and free newspapers, not that he’d read the one draped across his lap too carefully. Hewason vacation, after all. But he’d wanted to skim the headlines.
Fifty-Seven Arrested in Second-Largest Mob Roundup in History.
Famed Art Thief Robert Carter Finally Brought to Justice.
Wanted Felon Thaddeus Ryder on the Loose with a Twenty-Million-Dollar Degas.
Yada, yada, yada.
Leo knew the details by heart—heck, he’d lived them. He and his partner, Nate Parker, were agents in the Organized Crime Unit of the FBI, and they’d been working on infiltrating the Russian mob for nearly four years. Two years ago, they’d caught their big break on the case that would eventually lead to all these arrests. One of their undercover agents sent word of stolen art being used as collateral in an arms deal their team had been tracking. The painting led them to Robert Carter, an infamous art thief who’d been evading the Feds for nearly half a century. Two weeks ago, Nate had managed to turn Carter’s daughter, Jolene, into an informant in exchange for a plea deal. The Russians had somehow gotten word, which sent him and Nate racing down to the Caribbean to save their lead. After a high-speed boat chase, a shoot-out on a private island, and a massive explosion, they’d finally gotten what they’d been after all these years—evidence to use against the Russian mafia in court. Jo gave them access to all her father’s files, and though it wasn’t airtight, it was more than enough to begin making arrests. Fifty-seven arrests, to be exact.
During the shoot-out, Nate had taken a bullet to the calf, and was off on medical leave for a few weeks. Despite his partner’s absence, Leo had tried to stick around the office to help with the paperwork, but his boss practically shooed him out the door with a pat on the back.You deserve a vacation, Alvarez. And I don’t say that lightly. Now get the hell out of my office before I change my mind.
Leo had done just that, booking a flight to Hawaii before he had time to second-guess. Because, well, the boss was right—he damn well did deserve a break. The beach, the surf, and a Mai Tai or two sounded as close to heaven as a guy like him could possibly get. His little brother, Manuel, agreed to meet him out there for a few days. Manny lived in San Francisco, so a hop over to Hawaii was practically nothing for him, and he was headed to Hong Kong for business next week, so the timing was sort of perfect. Leo couldn’t wait to greet him with a forearm around the neck and a knuckle scrub to the top of his head. Little Manny Alvarez may be a hotshot tech executive now, but before he’d founded the start-up that made him millions, he was a scrawny street kid. To Leo, he’d always be the little brother who needed protecting, no matter how old or how rich he got.
The phone in Leo’s pocket vibrated, pulling his thoughts from the past and the ever-darkening sky outside. He jolted, then slid the phone out to read the name across the screen.
With a sigh, he answered. “Don’t even think about it, Parker.”
“Leo,” his partner said slowly, apology already heavy in his voice.
I’m not going to like this. Not one little bit.“Do you know where I am?”
“The airport.”
“Do you know where I’m going?”
“That’s what I’m calling you about.”
“I’m going to Honolulu, Parker. It’s six thirty in the morning, my flight leaves in half an hour, and I didn’t sleep at all last night so I could finalize all my reports before I left.”
“I know, but—”
“Vacation, Parker. A much-needed vacation. I’ve already bought a packet of Twizzlers and a bag of chocolate-covered almonds for the trip. I spent twenty minutes reading through the in-flight entertainment, picking out the movies I want to watch. Do you know you get a personal TV in business class? And free liquor? And food? And a seat that goes completely flat? Don’t take this away from me, Parker. Not now. Not after I saved your ass on that Caribbean island, and helped you get Jo a plea deal, and convinced the guys that your relationship with her was completely legal and not at all a violation of the code of ethics.”
“I know.” A heavy sigh came through the line.
Leo knew that sigh.
He loathed that sigh.
Suddenly, the storm clouds on the horizon weren’t what had his heart plummeting. He downed the little bit of red wine he had left and rubbed his palm over his face.I’m going to regret this. I already do.He sighed. “All right. What is it?”
“It’s Jo.”
Of course it’s Jo, Leo thought, shaking his head. For the past month, every aspect of their lives had been about Jo. First, she’d been their target during their stakeout in the Caribbean to get information about the heist she, her father, and her partner, Thad Ryder, were planning. Then, she’d been their lead as they spent a week following her around New York City, trying to uncover her plan and turn her loyalties. Now, she was their informant, giving them everything she could against the Russians and helping them answer the only question left in the case—where exactly Ryder and the twenty-million-dollar Degas she’d helped him steal had gone.
It wasn’t that Leo didn’t like Jo—he did. She was bubbly and fun, smart and savvy, and watching her turn his buttoned-up partner into a lovesick puppy had been entertaining as hell, but…
Hawaii, he thought longingly.And Mai Tais. And a few days with my little bro, who I haven’t seen in, God, I don’t even know how long.
Leo squeezed the phone in his hand and sighed as the dream slipped away. Nate was his partner and his best friend. They’d saved each other’s lives on more than one occasion. If he was calling, it meant something serious was going down, and Leo needed to hear him out.
