The Cocky Thief (Stolen Hearts #1)(36)

Austin tipped the rock over, revealing the false bottom where the phone was waiting. “I guess that’s for us.” He bent down to pick it up.

Jennifer shook her head. “I already don’t like this guy.”

“Hello?” said Austin. “We’ll be here.”

“What did he say?” asked Jennifer.

“He said he’s going to pick us up.”

Considering the shots that had just rang out, Jennifer expected this James Weston to magically appear on the horizon, but it was three minutes before the Jeep rolled up to where they stood.

“Get in,” said the driver when he stopped next to them.

As much as Jennifer hated to be ordered around, it made sense. He wanted to separate Jennifer and Austin from their vehicle. In this desert wilderness, you needed a car to get anywhere and guys like Weston were always thinking about where weapons could be hidden. That big SUV could hide a lot of weapons.

Austin got into the front seat and she climbed into the back.

“How did you know about this place?” asked Weston, surprising Jennifer. She’d assumed that Weston had told Austin how to find him.

“I like to know where different players are,” said Austin evasively. “I have a job for you. A recovery.”

James Weston was intimidating, even sitting down. He wore olive-green utility pants and a light beige t-shirt that was tight enough to show off his impressive biceps, with the hint of a black tattoo sticking out. His hair was a sandy brown and the rough stubble on the verge of being a beard covered his bottom jaw. He could probably blend right into the desert background if he wanted. No wonder he lived out here.

It was interesting to see him sitting next to Austin. Both were attractive but where Austin was lean and smooth, Weston seemed to have a more brute strength. She couldn’t imagine Weston walking into a high-society soirée and talking his way past the guards.

“What’s the duration and payout?”

“Duration is unknown. Hopefully no longer than a week. Payout is six figures.”

Well, Jennifer had never discussed terms with Isobel but she was sure her mother would pay whatever was necessary to get Mel back safe and sound.

“Time is important,” said Jennifer loudly to make up for the noise from the wind passing them by as Weston drove farther from the main road. “My sister was taken this morning and we haven’t received a call yet.”

“A lot of factors are still variable at this point,” said Austin.

“Would I be taking point on the job?”

“No. We already have a point man. Jennifer, her mother, and I all have skills, but our faces have been seen. We’re bringing in a computer hacker; you and then the point man are all fresh faces.”

She noticed he didn’t say what Hart was. Made sense considering she wasn’t sure what the ex-cop’s purpose was either, but he seemed to be on her side so she was just happy he was there.

They finally approached a building. It was like a house, but all the windows seemed to be walled over and the door was covered with reinforced bars. This guy did not live in a relaxing desert getaway. He lived in a fortress.

The Jeep stopped and all three of them got out. Weston led the way to the door, where he entered in a code, held his thumb to a print scanner and unlocked the door using three different keys. It all seemed like overkill to her but she needed his help, so she kept quiet.

“Where is the job?” asked Weston.

The inside of his fortress was surprisingly normal. There was a sofa, big-screen television on the wall, and plenty of lighting that almost made up for the lack of windows. Maybe this guy wasn’t full commando after all. “My sister was abducted in a suburb of San Francisco. We don’t have any reason to believe she’d be taken far.”

“I’ll need time to get my gear ready. I can meet you in the city by ten p.m. sharp.”

Jennifer’s eyes darted between Weston and Austin. “That’s it? You don’t need a deposit or anything?”

Weston smiled, but it was anything but comforting. “I think Miles here knows exactly how serious I am about my money.”





Scott Hart looked at his GPS and at the building in front of them. “I don’t think this is right.”

“These are the coordinates she sent,” said Isobel. “That means it’s right.” She hopped out of the car and walked right for the convenience store without a second thought.

Scott groaned. He hated variables and right now that’s all he had. But Isobel had gone to the website listed on the card that Jennifer had found. All the page had was a basic contact form. Almost as soon as Isobel had entered in her name and an email address, she’d gotten an email with these coordinates.

Even though he knew better than to go blind into situations like this, there wasn’t much choice. If they wanted to find this Toni chick, this was the best option. He got out of the car and felt for the appendix holster. He didn’t have a lot of ammunition, but the gun that Austin had picked up from the vineyard might prove useful yet.

He locked the car and then followed Isobel inside. She strolled along the back of the store as if she owned the place. She walked most places like that. Even though her daughter was missing without a word, she acted as though there wasn’t a care in the world.

But he’d seen a few cracks in that armor that let him know things weren’t quite so simple for her. When he’d caught her at the train station, there had been a look of panic in her eyes that told him she wasn’t as confident as she projected about their escape plan. And the crestfallen descent of her shoulders when she hadn’t been able to reach Melody had told him a hell of a lot more.