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She squeezed him then stepped back and turned to Graham. “Okay.”
Graham strode over and put his hands on her biceps, then lifted her to her toes. He kissed her on the lips with a large smacking noise and then released her. “In case you missed it, our group is getting bigger. Pavic is that much closer to going down.”
Laughing, Tessa returned to Flynn’s arms.
Graham’s partner Aisling rolled her eyes and laughed as Graham moved back to where they were working. He kissed her hair and then winked back at Tessa.
Flynn found himself laughing too. The group might be a little wacky, but they were exactly the right people.
Chapter16
Saddle Up
Tessa stared at the data, studied the map, then tapped her finger on the same spot. “I think I have something.”
Her voice hadn’t been loud, but suddenly the room was completely quiet. She’d trained herself not to be noticed. To be invisible and unremarkable. Having everyone listening to her wasn’t comfortable, but it was part of being normal.
She sat on a tall stool in front of the large screen that showcased the map they’d been building. Using Josie’s sketches, there had been no sightings of her father, but several potential sightings of Karlo in the Houston area.
She’d added those to her web-spheres while someone else had added them to the map. For the past twenty minutes, she’d been doubting her data and findings, but from every angle she looked, she came to the same conclusion.
Flynn appeared at her side. “What do you have?”
She tapped the screen again. “This building right here.”
The air in the room stirred as everyone moved closer. It was almost midnight and they should be packing it in, but no one had wanted to break.
“That’s in the Theater district?”
“It is. There’s a ghost floor that isn’t registered to anyone.”
“Ghost floor?” Josie’s voice was puzzled.
Tessa nodded. “It’s a floor that’s hidden behind the upper half of a two-story space.” She enlarged the floor plan. “This ballroom is two stories in height, but it doesn’t extend across the entire floor. There’s a space in the back that has offices and those offices have regular ceiling heights. There’s a floor above them, but it doesn’t show up on the plan and it isn’t leased to anyone.”
Sam leaned back against her desk while he studied the map. “What brought you to this building?”
“The orange dots show the potential sightings of Karlo. Almost all of them are within a block of this address. And the corporation that owns this building is a shell company. One of the shell companies in the chain of money leading to that bank account attached to no identification. Probably Karlo. I believe it’s a Pavic building and company.”
Troy moved closer. “Do you think it’s their headquarters? I assumed that would be in the mansion they own.” He tapped the map with the location highlighted.
Tessa nodded. “I agree. I think this is one of their illegal gambling sites. They might have several, but this one isn’t in any specific gang territory. The neighborhood is known for its nightlife and no one would notice people coming or going at all hours of the night.”
The more she spoke, the more confident she felt. She went through the data and showed the financials. When she finally looked, most of the others nodded or smiled back at her.
Sam grinned. “Okay. Now we have a location and we’re going to figure out how to use that place. We need a plan, but I think we need to sleep first. Troy and Marcus, why don’t you find yourselves rooms for the night and we can pick it up in the morning.”
Within twenty minutes, the data was secured and everything shut down. As everyone moved toward the door, Tessa stretched her legs. Sitting for so many hours was taking its toll on her legs and hips.
She used her hands to push off the desk and stood. Flynn arrived beside her again. “How can I help?”
“I’m good. Just a bit stiff.”
He checked over his shoulder and then grinned. “Trust me?”
“Of course.”
He swung her up into his arms. “We’re the last ones in the cabin. Let me help you to the front door.”
