Page 17 of Off the Grid
@TheBakingBandit: Sorry…
@TheBakingBandit: Clearly, I have no ground to stand on here. But please, call me. Even if you’re mad or pissed or whatever. Give me a chance to explain.
@TheBakingBandit: McKenzie…?
What the hell?
McKenzie shrugged off her chef’s coat, hung it in her locker, and lifted her purse over her shoulder. As she made her way toward the back door of the restaurant, she dialed Jo’s number.
“McKenzie!”
“Are you trying to take my ear off?”
“Sorry! Sorry. I’m just excited to hear from you.”
“Yeah, I know.” She snorted. “The slew of missed texts and calls sort of indicated that you wanted to talk. What’s up?”
“Where’s Leo? Didn’t he explain?”
McKenzie wrinkled her brow as she pushed the door open and stepped onto the dark street, taking a deep breath of New York City air to clear her mind. It wasn’t exactly fresh, or particularly clean, but it did the trick. “Who?”
“Leo!” Jo’s enthusiasm was on another level. Every word came out a shout. “Oh! Wait! He probably introduced himself as Agent Alvarez to you.”
“The Fed?” McKenzie froze. With the hustle and bustle of dinner service, she’d completely forgotten he existed…and was probably still inside waiting for her.Oh, well. Serves him right.“You sent him?”
“Yes! Leo’s the best. Did he tell you he was on his way to Hawaii? And then Nate called, and poof! Just like that, he’s on his way to New York to do us a favor and keep an eye on you. I mean, who does that? He’s the nicest guy in the world.”
McKenzie frowned. “Hawaii?”
“I know! I mean, I love you, and I don’t even know if I would’ve done that.”
McKenzie leaned against the side of the building for support, cold stone rough against her back as her mind whirled.He was on his way to Hawaii? And he came here instead? For me?McKenzie blinked as the world blurred in and out of focus, thinking back to their meeting earlier that day. She’d had a one-track mind—pastries, and getting to work, and preparing for her presentation. There’d been no room for anything he’d said, but now her thoughts were wide open. What was it he’d told her?
“That was a joke, by the way,” Jo continued to prattle on, filling the silence. “I would’ve come after you if I could’ve, but this plea deal with the Feds means I need approval to travel, and well, Addy was sort of kidnapped so she’s the priority right now, and—”
“Wait,” McKenzie cut in. “You’re really a hacker?”
“Reformed.”
“And an art thief?”
“Again, reformed.”
“And now you’re working for the Feds?”
“Uh-huh.”
“And the Russian mafia is after you?”
“Well, not me so much as my partner, Thad, but didn’t Leo go over this with you? He must’ve. He—”
“Addy was really kidnapped? Oh my God, is she okay? Agent Alvarez, he said—he told me—but I didn’t believe him. I mean, we spoke this morning. We were joking around. You were both fine. You were talking about code browns for Pete’s sake. I thought he was misinformed. I thought—”
“It’s okay,” Jo cut in, trying to soothe. “I would’ve thought the same thing. Addy is with my partner, Thad. She’s been with him since last night, and that whole code-brown conversation this morning was him sending me a secret message through her.Code brownis one of our code words—I know, I know. We came up with it when we were twelve, that’s my only excuse. Anyway, I spoke to her and she’s fine. And now I want to make sure you are too. I know this is a lot to take in, and—”
“A lot to take in?” McKenzie barked, surprised with the bite in her voice. Her heart pounded inside her chest. Her pulse raced. She was losing control—and she never, ever did that. “What the hell is going on? I mean, who the hell are you, Jo?”
“I deserve that.” For the first time since McKenzie had known her, Jo’s voice was hollow, void of its natural verve. “But I swear, I’m still Jo, the same Jo I’ve always been. Inventor of the coopie. Aspiring home baker. Your best friend who loves you, and nothing will ever change that, even if you don’t want to be my friend after this. The person I am with you and Addy is the real me, the realest version there is, and all this other stuff is just a hurdle I’m trying my best to move past. Please, believe me.”
