Drive (30 page)

A serious point of contention was Roni, Tori's sister. Not only did the Eleventh and Evers want her dead, but she'd bled all over a crime scene. The cops hadn't connected her to it—yet—but they would eventually. Having Smith in their corner would be handy to know what was rolling down the hill at them, but until tonight they'd kept their distance. Add to it there might be some extra heat from the Russians and he wasn't sure the race was a good place for Tori's sister.

“What do you want me to do?” Short of murder, there wasn't much he wouldn't do for Tori. It was a new, sad state of his obsession that he realized just how far he was willing to go.

“Can you keep a tracker on her?”

“I already track everyone through cell phones and the GPS in your cars.” Did Tori know? His other sad, sick fascination was pulling up her location on an auxiliary screen while he worked and watching her red dot blink, teasing him with all the things she might be doing.

“No, I mean, something she wouldn't take off or intentionally disengage.”

So Tori knew. Had she given him the shake before?

Emery checked his rearview mirror. He'd hit a quieter side street and the only lights behind him were overhead. Coast was clear. He pressed the accelerator, kicking up his speed.

“What do you have in mind?” Tori had away of leading people into her plans. Smart, because she wasn't seen as the instigator. The others never noticed, and truth was, Tori had a sharp mind for strategy, but she wouldn't play those tricks on him.

“Roni broke the clasp on her necklace. I picked it up and was thinking . . . could you do something with it?”

“Not sure. I'd need to see it.” He could picture the necklace in detail—both twins wore them. Gold chain, nothing too fancy, with a locket smaller than a dime and a charm featuring one of her saints. He'd never figured out which one of the Orthodox figures it was because he rarely allowed himself to get that close.

It was one thing to admire Tori, to be conscious of her movements, but he'd drawn the line at seeking her nearness. Girls like her didn't exactly date the resident geek.

“Well . . . that's what I called about. I was kind of hoping you were home, but I guess you're out tonight.”

“Where are you, Tori?”

“Your house.”

He glanced at the phone, itching to pull up her location via the tracking app he'd created for their team. She was at his house? Tori knew where he lived? The only team members who'd been inside his house were CJ, Kathy, Julian, and Aiden. The rest more or less ignored him unless something was broken or they needed a bit of tech.

“I'll be there in fifteen. There's a gate to the left of the house, go through it and wait on the patio.”

“Yes, sir.” She chuckled and he could hear the squeak of the gate. “I knew you lived in a nice area, but I don't think I realized how fancy it was.”

The house was another government seizure they'd handed down to him. From the paint to the knickknacks, even some of the photographs, it wasn't his. He might sleep and eat there, but the house would never bare his thumbprint.

“Man, we need to have pool parties at your place.”

“Anytime.” The pool and the converted shed were the only features he made regular use of. What would it be like to take a break from work, go out by the pool, and find Tori sunbathing?

It was temptation. The likes of which he didn't need.

ZEBRA BOOKS are published by

 

Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018

 

Copyright © 2016 by Sidney Bristol

 

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

 

To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

 

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

 

 

Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

ISBN: 978-1-4201-3921-1

 

eISBN-13: 978-1-4201-3922-8
eISBN-10: 1-4201-3922-3