Page 71 of His Deadly Lies

From this angle, we can only see one car, but two men appear in the next five minutes, loading a box into the back seat.

My heart leaps to attention.

“Bingo,” Carter whispers at the same time. “If you want adventure, Princess, you’ve just found it.”

20

CARTER

“You’re too close to them!” Mia hisses as she slaps at my forearm from the passenger seat. “Back up, or they’re going to make you.”

“And how many of these have you done? Hmm?” I ask with only a hint of bitterness. My grip on the wheel tightens. “I get that you are a badass, but leave the actual execution to the skilled professionals, please.” I blow out a breath, shake my head. “I know how to tail someone.”

“You’re just jealous because I’m a fast learner.” She’s leaning forward in her seat as though that will somehow help put us where she thinks we need to be.

I’m maintaining a good deal of distance between our car and the sedan, which took off as soon as the last box of what I suspect to be Mia’s last missing stock had been stashed in the back seat. We’re moving at the exact right speed.

“What? No comment?” she presses.

Definitely no comment because my thoughts shift to her, spread beneath me, learning far more than this business bullshit from me. I have so much to teach her and only a tenuous hold on my resolve.

And it’s not the time to indulge in fantasies.

“You’re either too fast or too slow,” Mia teases. “You’re going to draw attention to yourself by not blending in with the rest of the traffic patterns.”

I change lanes without turning on the blinker.

“Well?” she presses when I’m silent for too long.

“Yes, exactly. I’m speeding and drawing attention to myself. Do you know why?” I spare a glance in her direction.

She’s quiet, thinking through her answer rather than immediately launching into our usual banter. Mia might be playful, but she always tries hard, harder than any person I know. Part of that is ego and always wanting to be right. The other part is pure heart.

I respect both pieces.

“How many people actually go the speed limit on a highway at midnight?” she finally replies. “If someone is looking out for suspicious or sketchy behavior, then they would not necessarily pinpoint the person speeding. They’d look for someone falling behind traffic when there’s no need.”

“Fucking bingo, baby. I’m impressed again.”

She cuts a fake bow at the waist. “I live to impress you.”

“You like learning.” It’s a fact. “Admit it.”

“If I have a good teacher or interesting material, then yes. Who doesn’t? It works the mind.” I glance at him, and damn, her smirk is back in place and looking oh so perfect. “I enjoy studying people more. Situations. I want to pick up on things faster than anyone else.”

Her smile widens when I press down on the gas and zip past our target sedan.

Their windows are tinted, so there’s no seeing inside, but we don’t need to. Not yet.

“I noticed who you were the second we were in the boardroom after the hospital,” she continues. “Do you realize that you stand a certain way when you’re watching people? It’s in your posture. Plus, your eyes give you away.”

“I…” Should have. But it escaped my notice. I slow the car enough to have the gray sedan pass me on the right.

“Most people don’t notice the small details that make others who and what they are. And it gets them killed,” she adds, crossing one leg over the other. “I refuse to lose my life to some punk-ass bitch who thinks they can pull one over on me.”

I laugh deeply from my chest and gut. “Then tell me what you’ve noticed about these guys so far. And no, before you say anything, I’m not trying to test you. I’m genuinely intrigued.”

“They’re working from a small radius. Inexperienced at hiding what they’re doing, clearly, as they were overt with their movements and the newness of the lock on the warehouse door,” she replies. “This implies a smaller scale than anything we operate on and, more than likely, someone trying to get their foot in the door who found an opening with us through luck rather than guile. They don’t seem to be very good.”

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