Page 1 of One Touch

ONE

KATE

“If you get me arrested,I swear I will tell everyone about the time you snuck into Dorothy King’s house and replaced all of the photos of Jesus with a picture of Ewan McGregor dressed as Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

My older brother Lee looked at me, and a laugh sputtered out of him. He schooled his face and shot me a stern look as he pressed a finger to his lips.

I crouched lower and huddled next to him against the brick wall in the darkened alley. “I’m not kidding. I’ll sing like a canary.”

His stare widened as he mouthedSHUT. UP.

I rolled my eyes at him, and nerves skittered through me.

I have only been home a day. How the hell had he roped me into this?

It was because Lee was too charming for his own good, that was how. It seemed it was Lee’s life’s mission to orchestrate ridiculous pranks against our rivals, the Kings. This one was payback for plastic-wrapping our oldest brother Duke’s car to a light post last week. The rivalry between the Sullivans and Kings went back generations, but the pranking itself had been something Lee had championed since his time overseas.

Usually harmless, always ridiculous.

“Okay, he’s coming. Stay low until I say go.”

I peered around Lee’s broad shoulders to see JP King walking down the sidewalk toward his car. Typically JP was expertly dressed with Tom Ford suits and silk ties, and he was usually clean shaven, not a hair out of place. But tonight? Tonight he looked like total shit.

“What happened to him?”

Lee’s eyebrows perked up. He tapped his temple. “Psychological warfare.”

JP was disheveled. His suit was rumpled, his dress shirt was half-untucked, and his hair was a mess—like he’d dragged a hand through it a thousand times. To any red-blooded female, JP was model gorgeous—all sharp edges, strong shoulders, and tailored suits. Not that I’d ever admit that aloud. He was a King, and I was a Sullivan. The mere thought of finding him remotely attractive made my ancestors roll in their graves, of that I was sure.

Still, a girl could see the appeal in a well-dressed, straitlaced businessman, and I had a type.

“Ready?” Lee nudged my shoulder, and I shook out any thoughts of JP King. “When you bump into him, make sure this ends up in the car.” Lee held up a small device, only about one inch long, that looked like the inside of a computer. He tucked it into my hand. “Try going for the floorboard or under a seat or something. It’s got to be hidden.”

We waited a second longer; then he gently pushed me forward. “Go!”

I shot up from my hiding place beside Lee and, dressed in running tights and a sports bra, jogged off in JP’s direction. Once he’d opened the door to his Tesla, I made my move.

“Oh shit!” I slammed into his shoulder and plopped onto my butt. “I am so sorry!”

JP scowled at me once it registered who I was, but then he immediately reached down to pull me up. I yanked my earbuds out of my ears and feigned confusion. My eyes slanted to Lee, who was still crouched behind the nearby building, grinning with unrestrained enthusiasm.

“I think I dropped my phone.” I bent down and moved my hands around, looking for my not-really-missing phone. JP also glanced around for it.

While he was distracted, I pulled the plastic tab from the tiny computer thing, like Lee had shown me, and tossed it under the driver’s seat.

Within seconds, a soft cricket noise emitted from the device, and I stifled a laugh.

JP stood ramrod straight. “Did you hear that? Tell me you heard that.”

I stood with a grunt and inelegantly dusted off my butt. I shook my head. “I didn’t hear anything.”

JP’s hands tore through his hair and patted at the jacket of his suit. “The cricket. It’s following me. First at the office. Now here.” He was definitely frazzled. “I ... I have to go.”

Without trying to help me any further, JP folded himself into the car and swung the door closed so quickly I had to take two steps back.

He revved the engine and pulled out onto the street before disappearing. Lee’s laughter came up behind me as he swung an arm over my shoulder.

“That was perfect! Catfish Kate strikes again!”

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