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“What?”
“I’m nosy. And bored. And I got it to see if you’d run it down for me.”
“What is it?”
I went back outside, ducking down for the pad that I’d dropped and moved back inside. I read it off for him. “What are the chances they would’ve gotten an entire vehicle registered to you before doing this whole thing.”
“Chances are high.”
Oh. “What was the point of doing the whole conversation and telling them they were there for you?”
He was quiet on his end.
I had a point. I thrust my fist in the air and doubled down. “I bet they had to do that because they didn’t register the plates to you. I mean, it’s a genius move to try and alienate you from Octavia’s owners.”
“We’ll run the car down.”
“Okay.” And I was running in a circle, fist in the air. Booyah.
“I’m still going to have you move locations—”
“No! Come on. I like staying here. If I stay—”
“You’ll go where Jess is.”
“—that’d be awesome because company. Or could she come here?”
“Eze’s phone lost signal. I don’t like that coincidence.”
I didn’t, either, but I wasn’t done arguing my case. I went over to the side where I couldn’t see the front of Octavia anymore, but the large crowd was as much entertainment. “I have a whole system here. And we have the vantage. If they knew I was here, they wouldn’t have tried it where we could see them do it in real time. You said it yourself. No one knows we’re here. It works . . .” I trailed off because the same vehicle was parked at the end of the alley. By the back door. Which I knew Octavia rarely used, and I knew this because I was involved on a long stakeout, for my own pleasure.
And I knew no one used that door.
“They’re there.”
“What?!”
“The same vehicle. Car. The plates are the same.”
“Get the fuck out of there.”
I got closer, stepping to the end of the floor. “They don’t know I’m here. I’m telling you—” I cut off because that door that was never used was just used.
A woman and man came hurrying out.
“They’re picking people up.”
“Who?”
I squinted, trying to see as best as I could. “I couldn’t tell. A woman and a man. His head was down, and he had a hand on her back. She stuck out more. She was thin. Tall. Black hair. She had a shawl wrapped around her, and she had silver heels. The heels were killer.”
He was quiet again. “If I got you surveillance tapes, could you recognize those shoes?”
I was totally hearing the theme song for Sex and the City play in my head. “Oh yeah. I’d recognize them.”
Eze was coming back inside. I heard the locks being disengaged.
“Are we staying?”
“No.”
“Come on.”
“No, Molly. First rule is if you even think your location is blown, you move.”
“If they knew we were here, they wouldn’t have returned to pick someone up from the same nightclub they just shot.”
“Eze’s signal might’ve gotten intercepted because they figured out he’s one of your personal guards. I am not taking a chance on your life.”
I had a whole argument prepared, but the door opened again and Ashton walked inside, all scowly and fierce looking, and everything melted inside of me.
He cared. It hit me hard in the middle of my chest. He really did care about me.
In my life, with how I grew up, sometimes it took a beat for that to sink in.
Him, Ashton, he was sinking in.
I hung up the phone and ran to him.
His eyes flickered once before he dropped his phone, his arms came out, and I was up in the air. He caught me, my mouth on his. I was kissing him because I wanted to let him know that I cared as much about him as he did me.
“What’s this?”
I shook my head, smiling, and tightened my arms. “I care about you too.”
His eyebrows dipped. A whole somber look came over him. His eyes darkened, dropping to my mouth, and soon his lips were back on mine.
I sighed, feeling the press of them, the taste as his tongue slid inside. He was kissing me and carrying me at the same time, but then we were in the bedroom, and he dropped me lightly to the bed. He straightened, walked to the closet, and brought back a bag to me. “Get your absolute must-haves in here. We leave in ten. We’re going to where Trace and Jess are.”
Ten minutes. Got it. I stood up, leaning over, and touched his lips with mine again.
I only needed eight.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
ASHTON
“She was right?” Trace joined me in the back of the kitchen where I was standing, a drink in hand but mostly watching Molly interact with Jess. They were on the other side of the kitchen, doing meal prep for dinner.
