The Dangerous Thief (Stolen Hearts #3)(38)
“Austin and I both have clean IDs we can use if necessary.”
Willa wasn’t really sure what a clean ID was, but she didn’t want to ask.
“I’m basically a ghost. I go poof at a moment’s notice,” said Toni.
Willa had no idea how to disappear. She could try to figure it out, but she had a feeling that if things went bad, she wouldn’t stand a chance of getting out of Dodge in time.
Which meant that if this went south and one of the people in the room gave her up, she wouldn’t stand a chance. Which was worrisome, because as she looked around her, there was only one person who she thought liked her, and in all honesty, she wasn’t completely sure about that.
James put the small earbud in place. It wasn’t completely invisible, but it was nude-colored so it would blend in, for the most part. If his “boss” noticed it, there would be questions, but he needed to be able to talk to Jennifer while she was inside.
“Weston, we have you online,” said Toni into his ear. “Can you hear me? We have a visual. If you can hear me, scratch your nose.”
James gave his nose a quick scratch.
“Got it,” she said. “I’ll let you know when Jennifer makes her way in.”
He looked around, trying to figure out which camera Toni was using to watch him. He was on the street in front of the Cordon Enterprises building. He didn’t see any noticeable traffic cameras, but that hadn’t stopped her. He wasn’t a fan of working in a group, but it did make life easier to have eyes in the sky. While looking for the camera, he noticed Benedict on the street corner. He was in a utility uniform and had parked a rental truck with a magnet for a gas company on the side. He was set to stay outside unless they needed to get in. If everything went right, only James and Jennifer would actually be going into the building.
He heard the footsteps before he heard the voice behind him. “You good?” asked Hart.
James didn’t turn to look at him. “It’s an easy in and out.” It was true. There was barely anything to prep for, let alone to worry about. Even so, it wasn’t as if he was going to admit his fears to Hart.
“I wasn’t talking about this. I was talking about the girl.”
James stiffened as though someone just put a gun to his back. He fished the earpiece out of his ear so the rest of the conversation would have some measure of privacy. “Toni talks too much.”
“Toni didn’t need to say a damn thing. That girl looks at you like you’re the fucking sun in the sky, Weston. I want to know what your game plan is.”
“I think you’re reading this wrong.”
“It’s my job to read people for a living.”
“Was your job. It’s been a few months since you’ve had a badge, right?” James knew that dig was a mistake the second he finished saying it. Lashing out at Hart was the best way to prove that Willa really was a variable to him. He tried to cover by saying, “I’m here. I’m helping. What more do you want from me?”
“You know what I want. We get dirt on Jadon and he leads us to Sterling.”
James nodded. “That’s why you’re here. You’re worried I’ll kill Belli before he can lead you to your guy.”
“I think that Willa’s main goal is punishing her father. I don’t give a damn what happens to him. All I want is Sterling. If he goes to prison after giving us what we want, if he’s rotting six feet under, if he retires on a beach in some non-extradition country, I don’t care. All I want is Sterling. Toni and Jennifer back me on this.”
But Willa wouldn’t. Willa didn’t care about the faceless man who had killed Isobel Murray and Catherine Hart. And if Jadon survived and knew that Willa had turned on him? She might never be safe. “Jadon will give you the information you want,” assured Weston. “And after that, he’s never going to bother anyone ever again.”
“And if you have to choose?” asked Hart.
Weston didn’t look at Hart. “Leave it, Hart. This is all going to work out.”
He thought Hart was going to keep pressing for an answer, but instead Hart started to back up and pointed to his ear, signaling to James that it was go time.
“Swiped an access card,” said Jennifer into the earpiece as James finished putting it back in.
“I’m going in,” said James. “The card will get you through the first turnstile, but my access will get you to the top floors.” He walked in and gave a quick nod hello to the security guard.
Out of his peripheral, he saw Jennifer. Her hair was twisted up in a tight bun and she wore oversized glasses that did little to obscure her face. She wore a suit jacket and some loose pants that made her long legs appear longer. She didn’t look at him as she swiped the stolen card and made her way to the elevators, stopping right before the elevator bay to check her phone.
Once James was in and past Jennifer, she put her phone away and stood a good distance away from him as they both waited for the elevator. When one hit the lobby, James, Jennifer, and one other person both stepped on. James ran his card over the security pad, which gave him the ability to enter in the number for the third-to-top level. One other person had come into the elevator and he hit his button, which didn’t need any keycard to access. Jennifer awkwardly made her way between them. During her little shimmy against him, James slipped his card into her hand. So when she swiped it and hit the button for the top level, where Jadon’s office was, it looked completely legit. And if anyone looked at the footage, it would look as though she’d stolen it from him, with him being none the wiser.