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“Melissa, leave,” I grumble into my mic. “Or I’m sending Gomez to come and get you. Are you listening to me, Pritt?”
“That’s a very lovely brooch,” Luka says. He reaches for it, his hand covering the hidden camera I spent all night building into it.
Pritt stutters. “O-oh, uh… Thank you. It was a gift from my grandmother.”
“I want it.”
“W-what—”
Shit.If he realizes it’s a hidden camera, our whole operation will have failed before it’s even begun. The only advantage we have right now is the element of surprise. If Luka realizes he’s being monitored, he might never come out in public again.
I turn to Gomez. “Go!”
My colleague doesn’t even nod before he’s sliding open the van door and throwing himself out onto the street. All I can do is slam the door and return to the monitor, watching everything happen in real time with bated breath.
“But it’s not for sale,” Pritt insists, her voice muffled because Luka’s thumb is probably over the tiny built-in mic.
“Who said anything about buying it?” With one swift movement, he yanks the brooch off Pritt’s chest. She yelps, but he doesn’t seem bothered one bit. Instead, Luka pinches the hidden device between his thumb and forefinger, holds it up, and looks directly into the camera.
My mouth drops open.
He’s staring right at me. For a moment, I forget where I am. It’s like I’ve come face-to-face with a great white, unsure if he’ll swim away or attack on the spot.
There’s no way he knows, right?
Pritt huffs. “Hey! Give it back, you jerk.”
Suddenly, everything goes black. Sounds become muffled. If I had to guess, Luka just put our hidden camera in his pocket. I hear voices, but it’s all in Russian, so I have no idea what’s being said.
My heart plummets into the pit of my stomach. I think he’s leaving. I’ll be sure to berate Pritt later, but right now, I need to figure out how to get the brooch back. If he discovers he’s being watched, it’s all over. I need to retrieve the evidence before it’s too late.
Come on, Dani. Think!
I look around the inside of the van, hoping the answers will leap out at me. I spot a neon yellow and orange visibility vest draped over a stack of unpacked supply boxes in the corner. Thinking on my feet, I snatch up both and vacate the van just in time to see Luka exiting through the front door. The bodyguards aren’t with him. He’s distracted by something on his phone. This could be my only chance.
I throw on the vest, one small box tucked up against my chest—
And I run right into him.
My momentum sends us both flying to the pavement. His body is solid and warm beneath me. I can pick up the faintest notes of sandalwood. My fake package falls to the side, a corner of the cardboard denting in. His phone clatters on the sidewalk, screen facing down and probably cracked beyond repair.
I expect him to get upset. Maybe pull the knife on me.
Instead, I’m surprised to find his eyes locked onto mine, something almost amused written into his features. For a moment, I’m lost in the intensity of his gaze. He’s even more stunning up close.
Don’t get distracted, Dani. Retrieve the brooch!
“I’m so sorry!” I rasp, quickly hopping up onto my knees. I’ve got my hands all over him, pretending to be flustered. “Are you hurt? Oh, God, you have no idea how sorry I am.”
The smile on his lips dazes me. It’s like staring at an approaching hurricane, powerful and overwhelmingly destructive and difficult to look away from. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more beautiful—and that, in and of itself, is concerning.
“Actually,” he says. “My day just got a whole lot better.”
Chapter 4
Luka
She thinks I haven’t noticed her pick my pocket.
